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THE ANNUAL COMMENCE MENT: EXERCISES Or Young. Female ‘College. Mer it: ~ dience’ and” a ‘Splendid 1 Pros gramme—Historical ‘Resume of the ‘School—The » “Rols of Graduates. The opera house never ‘contained a larger,or more, ‘brilliant assemblage than was present. on Monday night, to witness the, always, ‘interesting — ‘com mencement, exercises for Young ‘Fes male College. In fact we do not remember to have ever seen ‘as large an audience on ‘any, occasion in Thomasville. They were all there. It seemed as if the’ ‘entire population had turned out en masse to see and hear the sweet girl graduates read their compositions, and bid adieu to their alma mater... It was an audience that would have delighted the heart and possibly swelled the head of Manager Spence’ had it been a paid perform ance. ‘The standing room only sign ‘was unnecessary. If you came late you couldn’t get near enough to see it. Every available seat was filled and the aisles and foyer contained hundreds who stood up, while many were forced to remain outside and be satisfied at an occasional glimpse through the door. But while the crowd was large, it was unusually or derly for an occasion of this kind. The most perfect order prevailed throughout the whole evening, and every feature of the long but enter taining programme was heard and enjoyed by everyone in the house. President Baker and the faculty must have felt highly gratified at the large attendance and the deep inter est manifested in the exercises.. It showed the high regard in which the people hold Young Female College and its faculty and pupils. The programme of the evening was a very pleasing one. There was an ab sence of those dull features which too often characterize occasions of this nature, and the two hours and a half consumed by the presentation of the exercises seemed but half of that tme. Promptly at eight o’clock the cur tain went up, revealing the graduates exquisitely attired in beautiful white costumes seated on the stage. Presi dent Baker stepped to the front of the stage and announced that the exer cises would be opened with prayer by Rev. J. P. Marion. After Mr. Mar ion had asked God’s blessings upon the assemblage and the occasion the first number on the programme, a piano ‘solo, ‘Saluta Pesth March Hongroise,” was artistically rendered by Miss Nellie Pringle. . The first essayist of the evening was Miss Lizzie Carroll, who had chosen for her subject, “Magic of Kindness.” The young lady read her composition with a clear, strong voice and becom ing grace and ease. Every word could be distinctly heard in all por tions of the house, . A vocal duett, Io Vivo e’ Tamo,” by Mrs. Rowe and Miss Bessie Baker was beautifully rendered. Their voices blended together in the sweetest har mony, and the singing brought forth a storm of applause. “Pleasures of Duty” was chosen by Miss Janie Miller as the subject of her composition and she handled it well. She read the essay in splendid style. Misses Ruth Mitchell and Nellie Pringle favored the audience with a beautiful piano duet, “Caliph of Bag dad,” which was brilliantly executed. The last essay I was read by Miss Blanche Steyerman in a splendid voice. Her subject was ‘ Words’ as Moral Agents,” and she read it in a style that was faultless. A vocal solo, by Mrs. L. F. Thomp son, came next on the programme and it completely captivated the audience. Mrs. Thompson sings with rare sweet ness and expression. Miss Lizzie Carroll was the young lady who took the first honor, and to her was given the task of rendering the farewell to trustees, faculty and class, which she did in a‘ graceful manner. President Baker then stepped’ for ward and in a few brief, but happy and appropriate remarks, presented the diplomas to the ‘young graduates. This closed the graduating exer cises proper, but many of the most pleasing features of the programme were to follow. Miss Hallie Jones, in a manner that showed that she was thoroughly profi cient in the art, then rendered a pi ano solo, ‘*Valse Sentimentale,” with brilliant variations, which was exe cuted with much skill. Mies Blanche Steyerman, one of the graduates, ‘appeared again... and charmed the audience with a beauti fully rendered piano solo, “The Lion Heart.” Probably, the most entertaining feature of the whole programme and the one that elicited the heartiest and most prolonged applause was the Good-Night Drill by eight little girls, Misses Netta Lampson, Ethel : Dekle, Clancey ‘Pinson, * ‘Blanche Carroll, Laura Cochran, Ida Cassady, Ona Steyerman and Eddie” Ashley. Dressed in long white gowns, with lit tle light caps, and each carrying lighted candle, they made a “picture that’ was simply ‘charming, ’ ‘Some: ‘of The a -Seart Call, by ” Missed saewokie Wisse, Mah, ‘Williams, Marion,Ausley, Bland, Evans, Car roll, Whi jiddon, Brown, ‘Cochran, But ler and Luke came’ ‘next, and held the close ‘attention - of - the - audience for some motion. ‘If any one ‘doubted that the fair fair sex: had no “idea of keep ing stop, marking time and ‘performs ing course intricate. evolutions, it was onl necessary to see these young ladies do this. march. They could ‘give.some of the skilled. military, ‘men pointer’, ‘The young ladies were all tired in pure white with white slip pers ‘and each wore a different colored scarf about her waist. As they marched and counter marched about the stage, they presented a picture of rare loveliness. A song, “Good-Bye,” by Miss Annie Carroll, was in next on the programme. The manner in which she rendered this song evoked the heartiest applause. Then came the Gypsies’ Festival, an operetta, with the following cast of characters: Gypsy Queen, Miss Eva Luke, Fortune Teller, Miss. Blanche Baker, Yankee Peddler, Miss Marion Evans; Gypsies, Misses Julia Daven port, Janie Miller, Blanche Steyer man, Lizzie Carroll, Madge Beverly, Birdie Vann, Mamie Cassady, Irvine Lee, Eva McCollum, Leila Walcott, Mamie Brown, Bertha Cochran, Lily Williams and Gertrude Ausley. The stage setting for this was beautiful, and the gypsy teot pitched in the woods gave it a strikingly realistic ppearance. — The costumes were beautiful and in perfect harmony with the picturesque surroundings. The scene was an entrancing one,and more than one young man felt a desire to invade the camps and have his fors tune told by these fair gypsies. The gypsy festival was a decided success. The evening 's exercises closed with a piano selection by Missen -Pittman, Mitchell and Pringle, after which Rev. Mr. Marion pronounced the benes diction and the large audience dis persed carrying away with them only pleasant recollections and impressions of the twenty-fourth commencement exercises of Young Female College. President Baker and the faculty are to be complimented on the very en tertaining programme that was got en up and on the highly successful and pleasing manner in which it was carried out. We think the entire audience will join us in saying that it was one of the best commencement entertainments witnessed here in a long time. To concluding an account of the twenty-fourth commencement of Young Female College it may ‘not be uninteresting to go back and review its past history, a history honorable alike to its beneficent founder, to the trustees who have managed it and to the peerless christian gentleman who has been at its head for twenty-six years. Major E. R. Young, who died on the 76th of June, 1869, made provision in his will for the establishment of a female college at Thomasville, and left $32,000 with which to carry out his expressed wishes. In his will he santed the following board of trustees: Thomas Jones, James T. Hayes, A. T. McIntyre, D. S. Brandon, J. L. Seward, Wm. J. Young and A. H. Hansell. It is pertinent to add just here that all of the original board, ex cept Judge Hansell and Col. McIn tyre, have joined the donor on the other shore. The will was contested and a long and tedious litigation followed. In addition the country was plunged into war in 1861 and values of every kind were upset, or wiped out completely. For these reasons no settlement of the question was arrived at until Februa ry, 1869, and the college was formally opened in that month in the buildings now occupied on Dawson street. The grounds are large and capacious and most admirably fitted for such an ins titution. A large brick chapel with ample recitation rooms was erected next to the Ponder residence—at the time one of the handsomests in the place—by the board of trustees, and within those walls hundreds of girls have been trained to fulfill the highest duties and stations in life. Mr. John E. Baker was elected the first president of the institution, and during those long years he has dem onstrated his eminent fitness, and ca pacity, to discharge the duties of the position. A man of rare culture, of most pleasing, address and polished manners, he has made an ideal presi dent of the college. . Firm but gentle, he has moulded character, and: gent ‘out into the world: young women fitted to: adorn any’ station in life. It is safe to say that the moral training and surrounding ‘influences for good are not better in any female college in exs istence than in Young Female College. The spotless, ‘useful and beautiful lives of the young ladies ‘who have emerged from ‘the institution: bear testimony: to this fact, ’ ‘The ‘list. Is 2.rong one but: it will be interesting to ‘Williams. Hamel, Wile Tula Baker, Baile 1874—Miskea ~ Jennie - Ainsworth, Bettie Bruce, Nannie, ‘Coyle, Fannie Evans, Jennie McIntosh, Bama Reid, Sue Taylor, 1875—Misses Mary Adams, Addid Austin, Mary. Bannerman, Lula Dil worth, “Irene. Fisher, Anna’ ‘James, Hettie Quarterman, Mamie Reming ton,’ Sallie Rockwell, Josie Rushing, Callie Taylor, Mattie Taylor, Georgia Vann, Lula Williams,, Lizzie ‘Wyche. 1876—Misses Mattie Ramsey, Mary Thomas, Henrietta Vickers. 1877—Misses Ida Alderman, Mats tie Alexander,Mary Brown, Mary Crenshaw, Katie Mallette, Carrie Mc Lendon, Anna Norris, Sadie Smith. 1878—Misses Sallie Baker, Maggie Linten, Henrietta McLendon, Lula Norris, Bessie, Pittman, Mattie, Pitt man, Russell Reneau, Julia Stark. 1879—Misses. Kittie Cato, Mary Christian, Maud Fisher, Mary Ponder, Mattie. Williams. 1880—Misses Mollie Luke, Gussie McIntosh, Sallie Stark, Mollie Taylor, Emma Thompson, Ruth Wethington, Mattie Whatley, Minnie Williams. 1881—Misses Bessie Baker, Victo ria Dekle, Lula Hitch, Rosa Jordan, Belle McLendon, Minnie i Mitchell, Marie Whitehead. . _ ~1882--Misses Mollie Creech, Jims mie Jeter, Minnie Jeter, Sallie Mc Intosh, Mollie Zeigler. 1883—Misses Cora Bobo, Anna Davis, Susie Bouchelle, Rosa Gold berg, Belle Mitchell. 1884—Misses Cora Cassels,Rena Curry, Minnie Evans, Lula Linton, Fannie Mitchell, Minnie Winter. 1885—Misses Sallie Bibb, Sallie Hitch, Alma Jeter, Alletta Pittman, Fannie Pittman, Lily Smith, Mattie Thornton. 1886—Misses Willie Baker, Mamie Hansell, Sadie Libby, Ola Mallette, Lizzie McKinnon, Annie Mitchell,Ida Pittman, Dena Poland, Alice Smith, Bessie Winter. oe 1887—Misses Mary Ainsworth, Lula Baker, Stella Baker, Rena Bou» chelle, Wallie Cassels, Augusta Penni man, Mamis Thompson, Cora Wat kins, Stella Wolf. 1888—Misses Sallie Boston, Emma Briley, Luta Dekle, Annie Hurst, Tadie Jones, Hattie Vaughn, Carrie Wolff. 1889—Misses Alma Dekle, Mamie Jerger, Ella Lightfoot, Eloise Thomas. 1890—Misses Annie Carroll, Julia n Evans, Cora Hurst, Livie Pittmen, Hattie Ramsey, Ella Stuart, Ruby Vann, Fannie Watkins. 1891—Misses Blanche Baker, Mary Bellinger, Maggie Bibb, Sallie Harley, Ruth Mitchell, Stella Pittman, Annie Poland, Mary ‘Stephens, Mary Weth rington, .~1892—Misses Sophie Bouchelle, Annie Fuller, Lottie Hambeton, Mary Hicks, Ida Turner, Belle Wise. 1893-—Misses Mattie , Chastain, Daisy Dekle, Ollie Horne, Stella Hurst, Nellie Pringle, Annie Roberts. 1894-—Misses Pauline Brown, Min nie Dillon, Alice Eason, Eva Jennings, Hallie Jones, Carrie Williams, Eula Caskey, Nettie Chastain. 1895—Misses Lizzie Carroll, Janie Miller, Blanche Steyerman, — Miss Mary Remington, now Mrs. Lloyd, was the first to receive a certi cate after completing an irregular course. Who can tell the amount of good done, and the pure, sweet influences which have marked the lives of these trained women. In the church, around the family fireside, in the so cial circle,everywhere, they have made their impress, and made it for good. They have made life brighter, better and happier, and exerted an influence in which only eternity will u- Old. Among the commencement oratora have been the following: Rev. Abner Campbell, Governor Walker, of Flor ida, Hon. Thomas Hardeman, Gov ernor Bloxham, of Florida, Judge Rainey, of Tallahassee, Col. Charles Munnerlyn, Col. 8. W. Baker and other gentlemen for note. The following constitute the pres ent board of trustees: A. T. McIn tyre, Sr., A. H. Hansell, T. E. Black shear, R. G. Mitchell, T. C. Mitchell and W. R.MeIIntyre. Col. MelIn tyre is president of the board and Judge Hansell is secretary. It is the purpose of the board to accumulate a fund of cash equal to the original bequest, $30,000, when they hope to put the college on a virtually free basis, charging only a moderate matriculation fee. They are working to this end and hope to accomplish it in a very few years. A bit of personal recollection, connection with the COIRIBRCSIGA of Young Female College may not be entirely out of place. The same hand has written up twenty-two of these occasions, beginning with’ the commencement of 1873. It has al ways been our aim,and object, to say something which “ would’ stimulate, ‘strengthen and encourage every grad uate to lead a life of usefulness and honor, one which would reflect credit upon themselves, the institution,and make their parents proud of them. If, by such word, so kindly meant, we have caused any to aspire ‘to ‘noble thoughts and high and holy. aims in life, then we have been repaid. for the toil and thought given to those occa sions. An excursion. from ‘ Montgomery composed principally of colored’ peo ple, arrived here. ‘yesterday. afternoon about five o'clock, The : crowd. will
Newspaper Details
Thomasville Times Enterprise
Thomasville, Georgia, US
Sat, Jun 29, 1895
Page 3
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USA 30 Jun 2026
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