Ilion High School - Class of 1902

Ilion Citizen - June 27, 1902

GRADUATING CLASS OF HIGH SCHOOL

Article 5

COMMENCEMENT WEEK

The Class of 1902 Graduates With High Honors from the Ilion High School

This Week the School Owns the Paper --- Interesting and Significant Items Regarding the Year's Work --- A Happy, Merry Time, but Gone and Gone Forever.

Merry June has brought to another graduating class the accomplishment of a term of years, and to hundreds of undergraduates release from the pleasant but wearing grind of a year's study. Faithful but tired instructors again breath freely and count the days and the dollars between them and vacation; and the happy days of "school let out" are here.

Nowhere has been done better work than here in Ilion; Prof. Abrams and faculty have deservedly won the entire confidence of the patrons of the school; their methods and work have approved them as instructors of high merit; under their administration the school has advanced its already high rank, and the present graduating class stands simply as its last of a series of educational products, of which parents and teachers are alike proud.

Curiously enough, but not by any means unluckily, the class of 1902 numbers just thirteen; this is thirteen times better than one and one better than twelve. The members of 1902 are as follows: Mary Butler, Mary Conner, Agnes Hartley, Florence Kamerer, Mildred Young, Harriet McGrath, Margaret Merry, Grace Avery, Florence Birdseye, Leon Ross, Guy Gordon, John Gordon, Gilbert Warren and Donald Twiss.

THE BACCALAUREATE SERMON

The baccalaureate sermon before the class was preached Sunday evening, June 22, at the M. E. church, by Rev. M. G. Seymour; the class, wearing the blue and white of 1902 accompanied by the faculty and board of education, occupied seats in the central front. The sermon was from Psalms ixxv : 6, 7, "For promotion cometh not from the east, not from the west, nor from the south, but God is the Judge; he putteth down one and setteth up another." He said in part: "It is said that Philip of Macedon placed his son Alexander, when 13 years of age, under the care of Aristotle, who instructed for three years his royal pupil, who later expressed his obligation to his teacher by saying that his father, Philip, gave him life, but Aristotle taught him how to make the most of life. And this is the most important lesson to be learned, and if the members of this graduating class have learned the lesson that Aristotle taught, they have learned to live." The entire sermon was replete with valuable thought and apt illustration, and was not only eminently appropriate, but a discourse of such high order as to grace the occasion and reject great honor upon Mr. Seymour and the church of which he is happily the pastor.

CLASS DAY.

The class day exercises were held in Arcanum Hall Monday evening. The entrance of the class to the strains of Thompson's orchestra, preceded by some score of member s of the class of 1903, bearing their color s of old gold and white, w a s very effective. The class colors of Naughty-Two predominated, however, and the class gave the audience an hour and a half of genuine pleasure as they transfixed each other and their school mates with their shafts of wit and recounted the events of school life which bind us with a spell which years cannot break and sorrow cannot efface.

The opening overture, "King Mydas," by Thompson's orchestra, was followed by the address of the president of the class, Leon G. Ross; his composed manner and effective address formed a fitting opening of the evening and a prelude to lighter themes of the class history by Miss Florence Kamerer. The charming class essay by Miss Frances M. Birdseye was on "Patriotism and how to stimulate it." Next came the class poem, well-conceived and rendered by Miss Mildred A. Young. The class oration by Gilbert W. Warren dealt with "Swastika", the class symbol, and was a meritorious production. The class prophecy by Mary E. Butler wittily read the palms of the members of 1902, and disposed of each class mate in a most felicitous manner. Miss Kamerer and the orchestra rendered musical numbers, and Earl R. Worden rendered a violin solo which deserved the hearty encore it received. Class day justly has its friends; its merry jests and light-hearted wit are the foil for the more pretentious efforts of the graduation exercises. The class officers are: Leon G. Ross, president, Gilbert W. Warren, vice president, Mary E. Butler, secretary; Guy W. Gordon, treasurer.

GRADUATING EXERCISES

Tuesday evening, June 24, was the time of times. Into the brief moments allotted the last significant acts of the school year were crowded the blossom of hours of hard study and the stern record of days improved or unimproved. Thompsons Opera House was crowded with a host of friends, relatives and neighbors, and each who had any part to do received the sincere good wishes of all, and the fervent and personal interest of many.

The effective decoration of the platform consisted of palms, alternated with large groupings of field daisies and buttercups; above all hung the class motto, "Viertas Vincit" ("Truth Conquers"), in blue letters on a white field, the class colors; beneath hung "'02" on a central banner, and at each end the Swastika or class symbol of success.

Thompson's orchestra furnished music for the evening, discoursing well rendered selections at frequent intervals in the program; the entirely satisfactory character of the orchestral work was frequently noted and received marked favor. At the opening of the second number by the orchestra, the faculty, board of education, clergy of the village and the class of 1902 took their seats upon the platform. Prayer was offered by Rev. A. S. Brown, pastor of the Baptist church.

LEON GILLETTE ROSS

The salutatorian of the class, Leon Gillette Ross, delivered a carefully prepared oration on "The Duties of Citizenship," he held that men with an understanding of American history, American government and American social and political problems, were absolutely essential to national success and perpetuity; he made a strong plea for educated men and educated leaders; men who will maintain a high standard of moral character, who will reverence the flag and who will stand for the right even if they stand alone. Mr. Ross registered the protest of rising young America against the political boss system and raised a voice which will be heard on every hand and which political leaders will be forced to heed. His manner was easy and his clear voice and unembarrassed manner made his oration a pleasing opening to the evening's pleasure.

FLORENCE KAMMERER

Miss Florence Kammerer treated the most pretentious topic of the evening, "Influence of the Italian Renaissance." She traced the influence upon Rome and Latin literature and thought of the Grecian civilization and Christianity which swept into and over Italy and on over the world following the fall of Rome and the involved fall of learning and civilization: Greek sculpture, the embodiment of physical perfection, was contrasted with Roman painting, the embodiment of thought and emotion; and the effect upon law, literature, education, language, art, etc. were carefully traced. Miss Kammerer recognized and did justice to the accompanying evil effects of the Renaissance but her picture of its glories was too bright to allow any save a passing thought to be given to the darker side. Miss Kammerer spoke with a rhetorical finish and oratorical effect which must have excited the admiration of her class mates of the sterner sex her oration was bright and exceptionally well prepared, evincing wide and careful reading and the ability to grasp and treat an abstruse subject.

JOHN GRAHAM GORDON

"Centralizing Tendencies" was the interesting subject treated by John Graham Gordon, and which he declared to be the most striking characteristic of modern times, superseding the deadly competition of days when hand labor made large mercantile transactions impossible, uniting craftsmen and dealers in the same line of labor or business, lessening expenses of production, and leading naturally to a higher standard of living. Mr. Gordon viewed combinations of capital or labor as the natural outgrowth of social and commercial conditions; he traced the same tendencies and effects in educational and commercial life, and made centralization but another name for organization. Mr. Gordon spoke with a clear enunciation which was pleasant to hear and his oration was marked by clear thought and vigorous expression.

MARY ELIZABETH BUTLER

The hero worship which adulated Caesar living has followed Caesar dead down to 1902; and in her review of "The Caesar of Shakespeare and the Caesar of History," Miss Butler stood as the champion of the world's poet against the carping critics of dry and musty secular records; and drew a brief picture of the luxurious, selfish, lustful times which Caesar found, and in the midst of which his part of life's drama must perforce be played, and then, from the very charges of his enemies of ambition, extravagance, selfishness, superstition boastfulness and greed, she postulated the versatile and vigorous spirit which was able, in spite of such opposition and assault, to conquer and soar above it all into the blue sky of universal empire and undying fame. It was a case of poetry against history, but Miss butler carried her audience with her and they rendered unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and possibly more.

DONALD CRAIG TWISS

In his treatment of "The Interoceanic Canal," Mr. Twiss poke the verdict and expectation of all America for a ship canal open to the world but controlled by America; he referred to the effort of generations to accomplish the establishment of such a waterway, noted the inadequacy of railroad transportation to meet the needs of the commercial world, and based his plea for such a waterway on the just pride, the commercial necessities, the civilization, the naval exigencies and the present conditions of America.. It is not exaggeration to say that Mr. Twiss stood head and shoulders above the other speakers; all who say his more than six feet of stature will easily concede and will also recognize the fact that his splendid physique will be worth dollars to Mr. Twiss, whatever his profession in life; his manner was easy, his arguments sound, and in manner, when enthused by his subject, spoke with an easy delivery and effective ness which will make him a strong speaker.

GILBERT WATSON WARREN

Mr. Warren made a happy choice when he selected for an American audience such a topic as "Moulding Events in American History;" of course his audience was with him; they would have been when he finished had they not been when he began. He made forcible reference to our supremacy in products, industry and wealthy, and in searching for the causes paid fitting tribute to the character of America's early settlers, the political and religious liberty which they demanded and maintained, the prevalent and general education of the people and the industrial development of the century. Mr. Warren made a more generous and effective use of gestures than other speakers, and his oration was materially helped thereby; his manner was impressive, and his effort well received.

GRACE LEOLA AVERY

The valedictorian of the class was Miss Grace L. Avery, who spoke upon "The New South;" she sketched the times of national peril and the debasing influences of human slavery which cursed the South and in the settlement of which old prejudices were set aside, the old South faded away, swords were beaten into pruning hooks and a new era inaugurated in which Northern capital assisted Southern industry. Miss Avery drew a well-worded picture of the rise of new homes, new industries, new systems of education and the new era, and declared that only a great people was capable of a great reconciliation. The qualities which made Miss Avery valedictorian of her class were evident in her treatment of this timely them, and her oration closed a fine series of addresses.

All were well prepared and well delivered; comparison would be unjust where each was primus inter pares; the overflowing audience listened with the best of attention and it was evident that each speaker was the center of deep personal interest, and that in each one was represented the labor and love of many kind hearts. The diplomas were presented by Mr. Arleigh D. Richardson, President of the Board of Education, in a most felicitous address which was universally recognized as in the highest degree suitable to the occasion. The benediction was pronounced by Rev. W. C. Taylor of the Presbyterian church; the orchestra struck its sweetest strains, the classes of '02 and '03 struck their wildest yells, the friends of the lucky thirteen flocked to congratulate them and then, the last lesson learned, the last page turned in the book of high school life, the last examination passed with credit to themselves and their instructors and their families, the class of 1902 passed out into a broader and more responsible life. May the world deal as kindly, with them and may their record be as fair as has been the case in their days spent in the Ilion High School; wherever their lot in life takes them, may "Truth Triumph" in them and because of them.

(* Note - Florence Kammerer's last name was spelled differently than in other newspaper articles and in the 1925 Alumni Book. Those other documents spelled her last name with one m - Florence Kamerer)