LT. GOVERNOR KEYNOTES DEDICATION OF BUILDING (75 YEARS AGO)

Thursday, May 24, 1923; page 1

Reprinted from The Southeast Missourian.

The Teachers College Education building, designated by the speaker as a monument to obstacles hindering its recent erection, was dedicated by Hiram Lloyd, lieutenant governor of Missouri, before a large audience in the auditorium of the building Wednesday evening. In behalf of the state, Lieutenant Governor Lloyd presented the building to the management of the Board of Regents, stating that he hoped it would be used in building character among boys and girls attending it.

Louis Houck, to whom the official presentation was made, told the audience in a short talk of the labor necessary in getting the Teachers College located in Cape Girardeau, of the difficulty in keeping it here when its abandonment was threatened, and of efforts to create a sentiment among people of this section for the school.

"You have a wonderful building here," asserted Lieutenant Governor Lloyd at the beginning of his talk. He stated that very few of the audience present knew of the difficulties of erection even as they knew little of the hardships encountered by workers in other fields striving in the past to perfect something by which people of the present are benefited. "We celebrate the Fourth of July, but we do not think of the sacrifices made for us to enjoy ourselves," he declared with emphasis.

For Fire-proof Buildings

"I have always been an advocate that all buildings of this kind should be absolutely fire-proof," said the speaker while dwelling on the topic of buildings being erected by the state for educational purposes. Out of the buildings erects at a cost of $3,500,000 by the state recently, every one of them is fire-proof because he has insisted that they be made so. The state should erect buildings as examples for others to follow if for no other purposes, Mr. Lloyd indicated.

Throughout his talk the speaker held in mind the graduating class of High School students, as was evidenced by his personal remarks to them.

"One of the best things you can learn is to do everything now the best you know how and the future will take care of itself," he reminded graduates.

The student must understand that there is a future for him in which he must have a definite purpose in life, acting for the best even if politics are hindered and having a principle for doing things by which the world will be benefited. "Go out in the world to lend your efforts so that conditions will be better for future young people," he said to them.

Urges Better Conditions

That the Lieutenant Governor is an advocate for better conditions in education, including better pay for teachers and more opportunities for children, was evident in statements he made showing that he was in favor of a higher wage standard for teachers and opportunities for an eighth grade education and an eight months school for every boy and girl.

Before presenting diplomas to the graduating class, Prof. A.S. Boucher, head of college Training School, spoke on the wide curriculum now offered in Missouri High Schools which includes 95 different courses and of the comparative cost of education with luxury bills of the nation. The chewing gum bill runs the education bill a close race, he said.

Prof. Boucher commended graduates to future usefulness in their respective fields of effort and mentioned the emblems they would leave to the Education Building in the form of a picture and a piece of statuary.

Processional and Recessional were sung by the College High School Glee Club, and two numbers were given by the High School Girls Glee Club. Invocation was said by Rev. R. Lehmann.

The Class

Those graduating were:

Martha Julia Amerland of St. Charles county, David Rhodes Blanford of Butler county, Hallie May Blanford of Butler county, Beauton Covey of New Madrid county, Dennis Burkley Elrod of Scott county, Orin Frank Forbes of Washington county, Willie Imogene Ford of Cape county, August Pearl Helms of Scott county, John Paul Jones of Wayne county, Myrtle Viola Mayer of Cape county, Lillie May McIntosh of Gasconade county, Ruby Ray Miller of Stoddard county, Robert J. Neal of Cape county, Francia Peters of Cape county, Hubert John Stovesand of Jefferson county, Helen Louise Spann of Cape county, Dewey Ellen Swindell of Stoddard county, Burton Lang Tackey of Cape county, Welma Lorena Trickey of Cape county, Glady Irene Wallace of Stoddard county and Emmett Kelly of Cape county.

This year's graduating class presented two one-act plays at the college Friday evening before a large, appreciative crowd. A part of the proceeds, which was about $50, was used to buy a picture and statue for the Education building.

Presentation of the plays was said to be above the standard of that of graduating classes during the past few years and the actors are being highly praised for their splendid work.