Repository: UIHistories Project: Dedication - Engineering Hall (1894) (and Inauguration of President Draper) [PAGE 20]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

INAUGURATION

OF PRESIDENT

DRAPER.

I (J

In none of these things have we h a s t e n e d , or if at all, have hurried slowly, not rejecting the old because old, nor accepting the new because new; not fearing', however, to " g i v e h o s p i t a l i t y to new i d e a s , " realizing in view of the vast, the illimitable u n k n o w n s u r r o u n d i n g us d e m a n d i n g investigation and solution, t h a t for an institution like this to stand still is to court decay and death. W e claim no i m m u n i t y from error, but have the right to say t h a t with no known prejudice, either personal, political, or sectarian, w i t h o u t fear and w i t h o u t favor, we have e n d e a v ored as rapidly as p r u d e n t use of the m e a n s allowed us would permit, to place the U n i v e r s i t y of Illinois in a position fully abreast of the best similar institutions in near by sister s t a t e s , and we think it m a y be freely c o n c e d e d t h a t s o m e p r o g r e s s h a s been m a d e in t h a t direction. W h e n this goal is r e a c h e d t h e r e is not an industrial interest in t h e s t a t e t h a t will not be p r o m o t e d t h e r e b y , nor an acre of land in t h e s t a t e t h a t will not have an added value. And these, t h e purely material results, will far m o r e t h a n c o m p e n s a t e for all t h a t has been d o n e or that is likely to be d e m a n d e d in t h e future for its s u p p o r t and extension. B u t there are b e t t e r results t h a n t h e s e possible. It is not our t e e m i n g fields, nor t h e lowing h e r d s on a t h o u sand plains, not our h u m m i n g factories, nor w h i r r i n g railroad trains, but its m e n and w o m e n t h a t m u s t m a k e and p r e s e r v e Illinois a g r e a t s t a t e , and w h a t t h e s e men and women are to be will d e p e n d far less upon what they may have than upon what they may k n o w ; and this k n o w l e d g e

must com to them, directly or indirectly, largehj through the

schools of the state. l\;n instances occur in which great i minence and distinction ai hieved with little or no aid from the o r g a n i z e d school. IIora< Greeley, the greatest

newspaper editor thi country has produced, Abraham Lin), p e r h a p tli reatest ol our Late] politicians and s t a t e s m< i, ar e x a m p l e s , but such ex< eption prove n o t h i n g . W h a t