Guilford College Awards 19 Bachelor's Degrees, June 1921

Closing Exercises of Commencement Held in Memorial Hall. . . 19 Members of the Senior Class Receive Bachelor Degree

The closing exercises of the college commencement were held in Memorial Hall Tuesday Morning, May 31. This being the most important time of commencement, many of the parents, relatives, of the graduating class were assembled and were given reserved seats in the auditorium. At 9:30 o’clock the profession, consisting of the alumni, faculty, trustees, graduating class, and speakers for the day, filed slowly down the isle of the chapel. The seats on one side of the chapel had been reserved for the Alumni. Trustees, and faculty and the graduating class and speakers for the morning were all seated on the stage. After all were seated the girls chorus sand “List the Cherubic Host” after which Professor Anscombe offered a prayer. Dr. Binford then made a short talk about the progress of the college in the past year. He told how the spirit of co-operation was reigning on the college campus, of the gifts that the college had received during the past year, and of the bright hopes for future of Guilford.

He conferred the Bachelor degree upon Francis (Frances? Was actually spelled Francss in the newspaper) Williard Bulla, Robert Chapman Bulla, Madge Albright Coble, Myrtle Roela Cox, Mary Dixon, Clara Barton Farlow, Dovie Helpler Hayworth, Edward Lewis Hollady, Florence Nightengale Martin, Ada Lue McCracken, Agia Innman Newlin, Herman Clyde Raiford, Okie Irene Raiford, Esther Thomas Stuart, Grace Treman, Rawleigh Lewis Tremain, Berry Lee White, and Marjorie Williams.

Announcement was made of the scholarships and prizes that had been awarded during the school year. When this was finished James Wesley White, the college Voice instructor, Sang “God Is My Strong Salvation.”

The College was extremely fortunate in securing to make the annual address this year a man of wide reputation, a man who has been legal advisor of the Chinese Government for two years, a man who is an authority on international questions—William Cullen Dennis.

The subject upon which he spoke was “The Problems of the Pacific,” and it is one upon which he was especially fitted to speak since he has been closely associated with the eastern people. He told of the strained relations between Japan and China and of the part that the U.S. should take in alleviating them. The United States and Japan are confronting each other across the Pacific and whether or not war will be precipitated will depend to a large extent upon the attitude that the United States adopt in dealing with the Eastern problem. The people of the audience showed by their close attention that they were delighted with this interesting and instructive address.

After Professor Dann delivered the benediction the audience remained standing until the graduates passed out.

From The Guilfordian, Guilford College, June 1921. Photo from https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/King_Hall%2C_Guilford_College%2C_NC_(6812183831).jpg/1280px-King_Hall%2C_Guilford_College%2C_NC_(6812183831).jpg