LD 157,7 1871 EXERCISES AT THE SEMI-CENTENNIAL OF AMHERST COLLEGE, JULY 12, 1871. SPRINGFIELD, MASS.: SAMUEL BOWLES & COMPANY, PRINTERS. 1871. AMHERST COLLEGE SEMI-CENTENNIAL. Ar the annual meeting of the Alumni of Amherst College, July 8, 1868, the following resolutions were adopted :— Whereas, Our Alma Mater, in three years from now, will have completed her first half century, therefore, "Resolved, That the Trustees of the College be requested to make provision for the celebration of that event. "Resolved, That Professor William S. Tyler, D. D., be requested to prepare a history of Amherst College, which shall be ready for delivery at Commencement, 1871, and that he be requested also to address the Alumni on that occasion. "Resolved, That a Committee of three be appointed to confer with the Trustees and with Professor Tyler, and to act as a Committee of Arrangements for our approaching semi-centennial." In accordance with this last resolution, Professor R. D. Hitchcock, W. A. Dickinson, Esq., and Professor R. H. Mather, were appointed such a Committee, to whom, at the annual meeting of the Alumni, July 13, 1870, Professors Edward Hitchcock and J. H. Seelye were added. At the annual meeting of the Board of Trustees, July 9, 1868, the foregoing action was approved and the Prudential Committee was authorized to confer with the Committee of the Alumni. At the annual meeting of the Trustees, July 13, 1870, a special Committee, consisting of the President, Doctors Sabin, 200826 Storrs and Paine, and Mr. Gillett, was appointed to make arrangements conjointly with the Committee of the Alumni for the celebration of the jubilee of the College in 1871. After repeated meetings of the Committee of the Alumni by themselves, and conjointly with the Committee of the Trustees, the time and manner of the celebration were fixed as follows: The forenoon of Wednesday, July 12th, was assigned for the Address of Welcome by President Stearns, and the Historical Address by Professor Tyler. The afternoon of the same day was assigned for the Jubilee Meeting of the Alumni, while the evening was set apart for a social reunion of the Alumni and friends of the College. The day came and passed auspiciously. The people of Amherst opened their hearts and homes with an unstinted welcome. Nearly seven hundred of the Alumni were present, representing every class, and coming from every quarter of the globe. A large tent for the public meetings was spread near the College grove, within which there were at least three thousand persons, besides many who stood around the open sides, or sat in their own carriages on the ground. At the meeting of Wednesday forenoon, Hon. Samuel Williston fitly presided. Rev. E. P. Humphrey of Louisville, Ky., led the assembly in the following prayer: "O Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past. "We thank thee, O God, that we are permitted to come here and now into thy presence, to call thee Our Father, and to address thee in prayer. We would begin with the petition which |