From the Archives: Celebrating milestones

For the next year and a half, we will be celebrating the 175th anniversary of the founding of Roanoke College in 1842, our seventh such celebration.

We have always celebrated our successes every 25 years. The first three were more modest affairs and were strategically placed as an extra day tucked into the several days of Commencement exercises. The most recent three became affairs more elaborate with each celebration.

The Semi-Centennial Celebration in 1903 was a grand occasion, attended by many graduates, "ex-students," Board members, faculty and invited guests. A large banner, strung across College Avenue at Main Street, proclaimed "A Semi-Centennial Welcome." Campus buildings and a few downtown businesses were decorated with flags and bunting-all in the College colors, blue and yellow.

The weather was "delightfully cool" that June 10th day—perfect for a grand procession of participants from the courthouse to the auditorium. Music was a must, with various choirs, including the College men's choir and the Salem Band. Roanoke men had composed a Semi-Centennial Hymn, a song and an ode for the celebration.

The morning occasion included an historic address by William McCauley, Class of 1859, and an oration by Thornton Whaling D.D., Class of 1879. That evening, the audience gathered to hear the addresses of greeting and praise from delegates of the seven Virginia colleges in attendance. The culmination of the event was a commemorative volume of 217 pages and 30 illustrations, detailing the events and people involved as well as publishing the addresses given that day.

The Diamond Jubilee in 1928 was somewhat more modest than the previous celebration, occurring on the middle day of a three-day occasion. Sadly, the weather was inclement the first two days. The outside service, which was to include a procession to East Hill Cemetery to commemorate Dr. Simon Carson Wells and his many years of College service, was held indoors. Instead, at the end, a goodly number of Roanoke men went to the cemetery to pay their respects to the professor and view the marker purchased by the Alumni Association.

The main event was held in the College gymnasium, with the historical address given by William Dreher, Class of 1878, younger brother of former President Julius D. Dreher, Class of 1871. Various notables gave greetings from the different constituencies—the state of Virginia, Virginia college presidents, the alumni and more. And, finally, former President Dreher, gave "an impressive address on behalf of the former presidents of the College." Music was played by a "select orchestra" during program intervals. Honored at the alumni dinner later that day was Dr. James Henry Turner, Class of 1867, the oldest living graduate of the College.

You may have noticed that the dates of the first three anniversaries were celebrated at 25, 50 and 75 years from 1853, the year of the College charter, and not 1842, founding date of the Virginia Institute and the date we currently use. It is possible that this was a general movement among small colleges to acknowledge the importance of their predecessor institutions to the success of their colleges.

Plans were well underway for a grand centennial celebration like no other, several years before the 100th anniversary in 1942. The Rev. William Eisenberg, Class of 1825, was commissioned to write the complete Roanoke College history in time for the anniversary. A committee also determined to hold a "through the year" series of special events, saving the "pomp and pageantry" for Commencement.

The year began with a Centennial Address at opening Convocation. In October, at a special banquet at the Hotel Roanoke, Henry M. Lucas, lead donor of the $75,000 Chemistry Building, presented the building to the College; accepting was Board of Trustees member, Robert M. Calfee, Class of 1893. Numerous chemists from around the state attended and later toured the building. The fourth event was the creation and celebration of Founders' Day, choosing November 19, the birthday of Dr. David Bittle, with a special program held in the Laboratory Theater. Additionally, a Centennial Museum opened in the Alumni Gym Trophy Room, featuring documents and relics from the past.

December 7, 1941, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, eliminated the splash of the rest of the year. But the four days of the Centennial Commencement were still impressive, with larger-than- expected attendance, glorious weather, over 150 educational institutions represented, hundreds of congratulatory letters, feature articles in The New York Times and five journals and magazines, and special pictorial sections in the Salem and Roanoke newspapers.

The year began with a Centennial Address at opening Convocation. In October, at a special banquet at the Hotel Roanoke, Henry M. Lucas, lead donor of the $75,000 Chemistry Building, presented the building to the College; accepting was Board of Trustees member, Robert M. Calfee, Class of 1893. Numerous chemists from around the state attended and later toured the building. The fourth event was the creation and celebration of Founders' Day, choosing November 19, the birthday of Dr. David Bittle, with a special program held in the Laboratory Theater. Additionally, a Centennial Museum opened in the Alumni Gym Trophy Room, featuring documents and relics from the past.

December 7, 1941, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, eliminated the splash of the rest of the year. But the four days of the Centennial Commencement were still impressive, with larger-than- expected attendance, glorious weather, over 150 educational institutions represented, hundreds of congratulatory letters, feature articles in The New York Times and five journals and magazines, and special pictorial sections in the Salem and Roanoke newspapers.

The 125th anniversary in 1967 came with a theme-"A New Man for a New Age"-and continued the yearlong series-of-events style of the Centennial. The recent past had much to celebrate, with a new library, six new dorms and another on the way, and a soon-to-come chapel and science complex.

Looking ahead to the "New Age," there were a variety of colloquia, seminars and lectures focusing on the numerous campus disciplines, with eminent speakers, including some alumni. The fall events included appearances by Dr. Abraham Kaplan, an American philosopher; Dr. Willard F. Libby, a physical chemist and Nobel Prize winner; and Dr. Henri Peyre, professor of French at Yale University. To honor the 450th anniversary of the Reformation, the Rev. H. George Anderson, a Lutheran pastor, and Catholic editor Dale Francis spoke on the challenges of the church in a "new age." Spring visitors were Harvey Cox, author of "The Secular City;" "God Is Dead" theologian Thomas J. J. Altizer in a dialog with Lutheran theologian Jerald Brauer; actress Agnes Morehead; and poet Chad Walsh. U.S. Sen. Charles Percy of Illinois spoke at Founders' Day in April.

The Sesquicentennial Anniversary in 1992 celebrated "A Legacy of Strength and Vision" with a series of academic and social occasions heralding pieces of our past and looking to the future. Opening Convocation included a procession by the descendants of Roanoke College presidents and 19th century faculty, the ringing of the College bell by Henry Hill's son Dunbar, and the choir's singing of "Festival Jubilate," written for the occasion by composer and organist Daniel Pinkham. Seniors took turns lighting the 150 candles on a huge cake. The 64th Parents Weekend featured barbecue -and more birthday cake!

On October 25, the dedication of the renovated Fintel Library included a procession of faculty, each carrying their most important or favorite book. The next night, the Sesquicentennial Ball featured food, fun and "Dances of the Decades" with eight couples performing dances from the Tango to the Twist.

More academically focused events included a convening of educators discussing the value of a liberal arts education; a colloquium on Educating the Whole Person; a public forum with New Jersey high school Principal Joe Clark of "Lean on Me" fame; and Earth Visions weekend with consumer advocate Ralph Nader. Alumni Weekend added a special ceremony introducing 150 Distinguished Alumni. Saturday night's festivities dazzled all, concluding with a spectacular fireworks display. A new history of the College appeared that summer: "Dear Old Roanoke," written by Dr. Mark Miller-professor of history and geography, and College historian-which looked at the various campus constituencies and included over 400 photographs.

"Celebrating us" every 25 years is rather like going on an ancestry website-finding out who we were and where we came from. In writing about our past celebrations, it's a bit difficult to transmit the mood, the feelings, the joy of the celebrants. While each was unique, they all possessed a similar sense of awe at our humble beginnings, the sacrifice and dedication of those early leaders, the achievements of each. Their mood was one of pride-the presidents, faculty, alumni, students and friends attending each celebration, congratulating themselves on the past 25 years, but looking forward with determination to even greater accomplishments in the next 25.

These celebrations are important because they reaffirm a unity of purpose and what it means to be part of the Roanoke College family.

— Linda Angle Miller, College Archivist