Repository: UIHistories Project: Dedication - Memorial Stadium [PAGE 7]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

George Huff and Robert Zuppke spoke to our alumni in all of the cities of this State and in most of the important cities of America. It is not necessary for me to say to any of you here how convincingly both of these gentlemen can speak. The total subscriptions met our expectations and the payments, under the polite but persistent solicitation of our friend, Mr. Roseberry, have been generally punctual. Some have delayed; some for the time being have failed, but we have faith in the loyalty of the men and women of Illinois. We have watched the progress of this work with loving interest. Our architects have designed and our contractors have built what we are proud to believe is one of the finest achievements in Stadium architecture. The beautiful colonnades stand at a height overlooking the landscape these boys once loved so well, and this is indeed a wonderful accomplishment for Illinois men and women and a fitting memorial to the two hundred noble men who went from this University and gave their lives for our country and for a better world civilization. How well I remember, as I sat near President James when he addressed the graduating class of 1917, and said, with a tear in his eye and a break in his voice, "God bless you, one and all, for some of you I will never see again." How true this proved to be! Our University was represented by men in every field of action. There was scarcely a man between the ages of eighteen and fifty from this University, as well as from all of the colleges and universities of America, who was not serving in some way or in some place where he could be of usefulness in this unparalleled world conflict. But while men of all ages devoted themselves to this cause somewhere and in some way, yet the tragedy is that only the young and vigorous and strong can stand the strain where the greatest danger lies, and hence, as a rule, only the young must die. The lives of two hun•{sy