Page:A History of the University of Chicago by Thomas Wakefield Goodspeed.djvu/300

 262 A HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO At the end of the first quarter one of the college papers summed up the impressions of the quarter in these words. "Large as our expectations were, the University has exceeded them." Thus established in the good will and high appreciation of the students the new institution came to its first Convocation. The question of Convocations was first presented to the Trustees on November 8, 1892, when it was "voted that there be four quarterly Convo- cations to be held at the beginning [later changed to end] of each quarter, and to be called respectively spring, summer, autumn, and winter Convocations, the first Convocation to take place January 2, 1893." All were familiar with college commencements in which the members of the graduating class pronounced orations and the President delivered a farewell address to them. But what was a Convocation? In his first Convocation statement President Harper gave the following explanation of its purpose, and was so well satisfied with it that he repeated it at the second Convocation. He declared that purpose to be threefold: 1. To furnish an opportunity to bestow the proper award for work accom- plished, and to dismiss, with all the honors which the University can confer, those who have shown themselves worthy of such honors: and on the other hand to receive to the privileges of the University those who have shown themselves prepared to take advantage of these privileges. 2. To furnish an opportunity to look back for a moment over the months of work completed, in order that an estimate may be formed of the progress made, or, if such it be, of ground lost. And on the other hand to look forward to the opportunities and the necessities of the future, to note and select for effort those opportunities which seem most promising. 3. To bind together into a unity the many complex and diverging forms of activity which constitute our university life and work, and, thus united, to stand before the public in a way to show our appreciation of its good will, and at the same time to show, if it can be shown, that we, in turn, are deserving of this good will. The first Convocation was held in the Central Music Hall which stood on the southeast corner of State and Randolph streets. The date was January 2, 1893. It was a notable event because there, for the first time, the University as a whole, Presi- dent, Trustees, faculty, and students, met the people of Chicago and its friends and patrons in a great public function. Then was instituted the ceremonial, since become familiar, of the Convo-