THE UTAH GENEALOGICAL AND HISTORICAL MAGAZINE JANUARY, 1926 Semi-centennial Celebration of the THURSDAY, OCTOBER FIFTEENTH HISTORICAL SESSION College Hall, 2:00 p. m. President Franklin Stewart Harris, presiding. Music: Larghetta from Second Symphony-Beethoven, sung by Brigham Young University Chorus, under direction of Wm. F. Hanson. Invocation: Invocation was offered by Sister Zina Young Card, daughter of the founder of the University, former student and faculty member, and at present, a member of the Board of Trustees: Righteous God, our Eternal Father, we have presented ourselves before Thee, a number of Thy children who feel to praise Thy great and holy name for the inspiration that comes from this wonderful school. Oh Father, wilt thou look down in tender mercy upon every one who has ever attended this school; keep them in the hollow of Thine hand. And those who have come from long distances-those who are grandfathers and grandmothers-let that enthusiasm of youth be bequeathed to their children that their lives may not be full unless they attend for a time, this precious school. Father, we thank Thee for my beloved father's inspiration to found this school which has branched out during these fifty years, and for the men who have received their inspiration here. Let them inspire our hearts, even to old age, that we may spread abroad those things that will keep us in the paths of truth as righteous children of the Latter-day Saints. Heavenly Father, we thank Thee for Brother Maeser and his co-laborers, and the wonderful things he did, and the wonderful things he brought to bear upon our lives-for his ability to care for and develop Thy children-that they have come to prominent places in this nation. We thank Thee for all the other leaders of this great school and we pray for an abundance of Thy holy spirit always to be with them. We pray for President Grant and for all associated with him. Bless him with inspiration; bless him with continued interest in the needs of this great institution. Bless us all that we may spread abroad Thy goodness throughout our seasons of righteousness. Inasmuch as fifty years have passed away-years of great advancement-we thank Thee for these things. Bless President Harris and bless all his co-laborers in the school; may knowledge be attained by them; but with it all, may they have an understanding of Thee. Bless also President Brimhall and all Thy children wherever they may be. We thank Thee for the President of the University and for those who drink at the fountain of youth and inspiration in this institution. We dedicate these services unto Thee. We pray Thee that Thou wilt give us appreciation and gratitude for all Thy blessings unto us. Unto Thee we give all the glory and praise for ever, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. President Harris said: We are glad to see so many former students and friends in the audience. The history of an institution is not a record of buildings, or apparatus, but it is written in the lives of men and women. We are glad to see those here who have been influenced by the work of this institution. The first address of this historical session will be delivered by President-Emeritus George H. Brimhall, a man who doubtless knows the institution in all of its phases, from all angles, better than any other person. We are very glad to have him here; we are very proud of him, and it is a great pleasure to work with him and to be with him every day, and I want at this time to acknowledge my indebtedness to him for his wise counsel which I receive daily. President Brimhall: THE FOUNDING AND GROWTH OF A GREAT SCHOOL Address Delivered By President-Emeritus George H. Brimhall, October 15, 1925, at the Semi-centennial Celebration We are celebrating the founding of our school and it is fitting that we first pay grateful tribute to the illustrious founder, Brigham Young-the man favored of the Lord, inspired to leadership of Modern Israel, who so deeply thought, that his wisdom, and the recognition of his wisdom, increase as the years roll by; the man whose action in enterprise has become the admiration of his enemies; a man where appreciation lingered longest in his life. and found expression in his last words, "Joseph! Joseph! Joseph!" His life was an exemplification of his educational philosophy, that education consists in thinking, acting, and appreciating. I will read part of this important document. The Deed of Trust. "This indenture made the sixteenth day of October in the year of our Lord, One Thousand, Eight Hundred, and Seventy-five, by and between Brigham Young of Salt Lake City, Territory of Utah, party of the first part, and Abraham O. Smoot, William Bringhurst, Leonard E. Harrington, Wilson H. Dusenberry, Martha J. Coray, Myron Tanner, and Harvey H. Cluff, all of Utah County, in the Territory aforesaid, parties of the second part: "Whereas, the said party of the first part is desirous of endowing an institution of learning at Provo City in the county last aforesaid, to be known as the Brigham Young Academy of Provo, and for that purpose has agreed to deed and convey the property hereinafter described to the parties of the second part and their successors, as Trustees, however, to hold the same for the use and benefit of said Academy. Now, therefore, this Indenture Witnesseth: That the said party of the first part in consideration of the premises and the sum of one dollar to him in hand paid by the said parties of the second part, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, has granted, bargained, and sold and by these presents does grant, bargain, and sell unto the said parties of the second part as joint tenants and not as tenants in common, and to their successors duly appointed, in trust, however, on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth. "The beneficiaries of this Academy shall be members in good standing in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or shall be the children of such members, and each of the boys who shall take a full course, if his physical ability will permit, shall be taught some branch of mechanism that shall be suitable to his taste and capacity; and all pupils shall be instructed in reading, penmanship, orthography, grammar, geography, and mathematics, together with such other branches as are usually taught in an academy of learning and the Old and New Testaments, the Book of Mormon, and the Book of Doctrine and Covenants shall be read and their doctrines inculcated in the Academy. "And the parties of the second part have accepted the within described trust and hereby promise and agree to carry out the terms and conditions thereof. "In witness whereof the said party of the first part has hereunto set his hand and seal the day and year first above written, and the said parties. of the second part have each of them signed and sealed these presents on this 22nd day of November, A. D., 1875. "Signed, Sealed and Delivered in the presence of George Q. Cannon, George Reynolds, Warren N. Dusenberry, H. C. Rogers. "BRIGHAM YOUNG (Seal), "WM. BRINGHURST (Seal), "LEONARD E. HARRINGTON (Seal), This deed of trust made on October the 16th and signed November 22, 1875, created an educational institution entrusted to the care of a co-educational board of trustees. The pioneer founder, Brigham Young, in conceiving it and signing it, led on into fields the boundaries of which cannot be fenced and the freedom of which cannot be circumscribed. It threw open the whole field of truth, "a knowledge of things as they were, as they are, and as they are to come-things of both in heaven and in earth and under the earth-things which are at home and things which are abroad." For such was the word of the Lord to Joseph Smith, the man who laid a foundation upon which Brigham Young built. Finding the Man. Concerning this all important event, the following is taken from the manuscript copy of the life of Karl G. Maeser by his son, Reinhard Maeser: "It was in the spring of 1876, just before the April conference, that a terrific explosion occurred on Arsenal Hill, about where the State Capitol now stands. Nearly all of the plaster was shaken from the ceiling of the Twentieth ward schoolhouse where Brother Maeser was at that time teaching school. He says: 'At once I started out in search of Bishop Sharp, the one man to whom I always went first when in trouble. I found the bishop in President Young's office, and reported to him the condition of the house, and added that the school would be dismissed until the house could be repaired. "President Young broke right into the conversation with the remark, "That is exactly right, Brother Maeser, as I have another mission for you.' 'What, another mission? What could it be? I was just beginning to see financial daylight after my former mission, and now another! It fairly took my breath away so sudden was the announcement. What did it all mean?' "Yes,' said the president, we have been considering the establishment of a Church school and have been looking around for a man—the man to take charge. You are the man, Brother Maeser. We want you to go to Provo, there to organize and conduct an academy to be established in the name of the Church-a Church school.'" The Honorable George Sutherland, Justice of the Supreme Court says: "Dr. Maeser was not only a scholar of great and varied learning, with an exceptional ability to impart what he knew to others, but he was a man of such transparent and natural goodness that his students gained not only knowledge, but character, which is better than knowledge. I have never known a man whose learning covered so wide a range of subjects and was at the same time so thorough in all. His ability to teach ranged from the kindergarten to the highest branches of pedagogy. In all my acquaintance with him I never knew a question to be submitted upon any topic that he did not readily and fully answer. In addition to all this, he had a wonderful grasp of human nature and seemed to understand almost intuitively the moral and intellectual qualities of his students. He saw the short-comings as well as the excellencies of his pupils and while he never hesitated to point them out-sometimes in a genial, humorous wayit was always with such an undercurrent of kindly interest that no criticism ever left a sting. He was, of course, an ardent believer in the doctrines of this Church, but with great tolerance for the view of those who differed |