Butler Alumnal Quarterly (1922) Butler University
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Butler University Digital Commons @ Butler University Butler Alumnal Quarterly University Special Collections 1922 Butler Alumnal Quarterly (1922) Butler University Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/bualumnalquarterly Part of the Other History Commons Recommended Citation Butler University, "Butler Alumnal Quarterly (1922)" (1922). Butler Alumnal Quarterly. Book 12. http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/bualumnalquarterly/12 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the University Special Collections at Digital Commons @ Butler University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Butler Alumnal Quarterly by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Butler University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Butler Alumnal Quarterly FOUNDERS' DAY NUMBER April, 1922 Vol. XI, No. 1 INDIANAPOLIS Entered as second-class matter March 26, 1912, at the post office at Indianapolis, Ind., under the Act of March 3, 1879. McComb Tours 1922 Announcements Tour 1. Summer Continental _ June—September Tour 2. British Isles _____ July—August Tour 3. Pension- Continental _ _ June—August Tour 4. Scandinavia (Extension to Continent) June—July—August Tour 5. Study Tour—France, Italy, Spain _____ Sail Any Date Tour 6. American Tours. Tour 7. Far East and Around the World. Send for Details McCOMB TOURS Chambersburg, Pennsylvania BUTLER HEADQUARTERS WILSON'S PHARMACY Delicious Refreshments Complete Assortment of Johnston's and Tiffin's Parker Pens Light Lunches Irvington 114 and 140 Automatic 67-739 BALL, THE CLEANER You may trust us with your most particular work and be as- sured of delivery when promised 5515 E. Washington Street 3906 E. Washington Street Irvington 131 Irvington 919 Compliments of Irvington Doctors and Dentists C. E. DONNELL, D.D.S. W. F. KELLY, M.D. W. B. GATES, D.D.S. J. K. KINGSBURY, M.D. C. E. ARNOLD, D.D.S. PAUL G. MILLER, D.D.S. E. DIRKS STAPLE AND FANCY GROCERIES Fine Meats a Specialty Irvington 2800-1-2 ; Automatic 67-773 5524 E. Washington St. A. SCHWARTZ STAPLE AND FANCY GROCERIES AND MEATS Eats of All Kinds for Students—Sandwiches, Candies, Cold Drinks Corner Butler Ave. and E. "Washington St. GEO. W. RUSSELL & CO. REAL ESTATE, LOANS, RENTS, FIRE INSURANCE Centrally Located—Ready to Serve Irvington State Bank Bldg. 5503 E. Washington St. Irvington 1212 CANDY CANDY JAMES T. TANDY STATIONERY, SCHOOL SUPPLIES, NOVELTIES 5502 E. Washington Street Cigars and Tobacco CANDY CANDY RELIGIOUS PUBLICATIONS Everything for the Church, Sunday School and Young People's Society "Before the close of day Your goods are on the icay." MEIGS PUBLISHING COMPANY 803-10 Occidental Bldg. Indianapolis Irvington State Bank Formerly East Side State Bank Capital, $50,000.00 A general banking business transacted Banking hours, 8 a. m. to 4 p. m. Every courtesy consistent with good banking will be extended Your deposits are solicited The shareholders live in Irvington and Warren Township DIRECTORS B. J. Terrell William Gale James W. Putnam George W. Russell S. J. Carr W. E. Morris Demarchus C. Brown OFFICERS Demarchus C. Brown, President William Gale, Vice-President W. E. Morris, Cashier Geo. W. Russell, Vice-President 5501 EAST WASHINGTON STREET Pennant Snowdrift And Other Fancy Table Syrups Made by Union Starch Refining Co. Edinburg Indiana Sold by All Grocers Cornelius Printing Company 325-327 North Capitol Avenue Special Facilities FOR PRODUCING Publications — Catalogs We Print the Butler Quarterly mff W Butler Alumnal Quarterly Vol. XI INDIANAPOLIS, IND., MARCH, 1922 No. 1 February the Seventh Historical Address By Dr. Thomas Carr Howe. We meet this morning, according to well-established custom, for a brief season to renew our memories of the source from which we have sprung in order that with better courage, perhaps, we may go forward to greater things. Colleges and universities, like other things of great forcefulness, do not come fully developed into existence ; but the history of edu- cation in this country is full of examples of great and useful in- stitutions that have grown from very small beginnings. This Col- lege, whose founding we are celebrating today, is no exception to other institutions of this type, and briefly I wish to review some of the steps which have brought it up to the present day. When we speak of Founders' Day we think of him whom we consider as the founder of the College and whose name the College bears. One hundred and twenty-one years ago today he was born in New York State. In his early youth the family came West to Southern Indiana, and we find them living in Jennings County. Then a few years later we find Ovid Butler, a young man, prac- ticing law in the southeastern part of the state, at Shelbyville. Still later, in 1836, he came to Indianapolis and became a part of the life of the thriving young community. He was active as a lawyer in the practice of his profession until 1849, when, because of fail- ing health, he retired from the profession to which he had given himself, and devoted his further life energies to what he considered his great task, namely, the promotion of the interests of the church 5 : G Butler Alumnal Quarterly of which he was a member, the Disciples of Christ, as they called themselves, and the promotion of Butler College. Ovid Butler was a man of sturdy stock. His grandfather was a Revolutionary soldier, his father was a minister of the church of which Mr. Butler was a member, and was indeed the first pastor of the Disciples' church in the City of Indianapolis. In the days when Mr. Butler came to Indianapolis there was much activity among religious bodies in the direction of establishing institutions of higher training for the young. There was great rivalry among the various religious bodies, especially the Presbyterians, Baptists and Methodists, and out of these activities have come substantial contributions to our educational system in the founding of our state colleges and universities. Along in the '40s the Christians, as they were then called (Dis- ciples, as they wish to be called), began to discuss the founding of an institution on their own account, and in this Mr. Butler, with other leaders of his time, took an active part. The result of this activity was that a charter was granted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana, and approved on the 15th day of January, 1850, for the organization of a stock company, which was known as Northwestern Christian University. Mr. Butler wrote that charter. It was to be a stock company, but it was not to begin to operate until $75,000 worth of stock had been subscribed, nor was it to have more than $500,000 of stock. It was felt this would be the best way of preserving the foundations of the institution and pro- moting its best interests. Mr. Butler was a man of settled convictions. He believed some- thing and he could give a reason for his belief. He came of militant religious stock, and when he wrote this charter he put into it a paragraph that it seems to me was much in advance of the time. It has often been quoted, but I think that no Founders' Day should pass without a re-quoting of that paragraph ' ' The objects and purposes contemplated by this act of incorpora- tion are hereby declared to be, to establish, found, build up, main- tain, sustain and perpetuate through the instrumentality of said company at or in the vicinity of Indianapolis, in the State of In- ' February the Seventh 7 diana, an institution of learning of the highest class for the educa- tion of the youth of all parts of the United States, and especially of the states of the Northwest; to establish in said institution de- partments or colleges for the instruction of students in every branch of liberal and professional education; to educate and pre- pare suitable teachers for the common schools of the country; to teach and inculcate the Christian faith and Christian morality as taught in the sacred Scriptures, discarding as uninspired and with- out authority any rites, formulas or creeds not according to the articles of faith subsequent hereto, and for the promotion of sci- ence and art. ' That was the creed upon which this free institution was predi- cated. It had one other fundamental tenet, and that tenet was that men and women should enjoy equal opportunity in this institution, and in this regard Northwestern Christian University was a pioneer. Mr. Butler became the President of the first Board of Directors in 1852, and remained such member until 1871, when he retired. He died in 1881. In November, 1855, a sufficient sum of money had been sub- scribed, and the College opened its doors over in Indianapolis on what is now known as College avenue, on a beautiful tract of ground donated, along with large funds, by Mr. Butler himself. The first President was John Young. One of the instructors was Allen R. Benton, and James B. Challen was head of the prepara- tory department. The institution had rather meager equipment in an excellent building, but it was after all exceedingly good for the time. The College graduated a class in 1856—a class of three members, one of whom, Mrs. Alonzo M. Atkinson, still lives in the vicinity of the College, and whose life has been a blessing to her fellow citizens far beyond the confines of the State of Indiana. The College has been in continuous activity since that time. There have been thirteen Presidential periods. Ten persons have served as President, three having served two terms—Burgess. Benton and Scot Butler.