A Look Back at Hamilton Presidential Inaugurations
Inauguration date: Dec. 3, 1812, in the Village of Clinton
From his address: Rev. Backus’ “Inaugural Discourse” was largely a passionate call to heed the word of a Christian God; however, he did speak about his thoughts on the fledgling institution: “Let it never be imagined then that the sole objective of education is to make youth acquainted with languages, sciences, and arts. The governors and instructors of a literary institution owe to God and society the sacred duty of guarding the morals of the youth committed to their care. An attention to order, and the early formation of habits of industry and investigation, I venture to assert, are more important than knowledge … Give me leave, on this occasion, to invite the zealous cooperation of all the friends of religion and sound science, with the immediate instructors, in nurturing your best hopes. Should we be so happy as to succeed, informing some for usefulness in church and state, we may expect our numbers to increase, and that the future legislators of a great and free people will enlarge our means of accommodation and instruction.”
In the News in 1812
- Boston Gazette prints a political cartoon coining the term “gerrymander,” after former Mass. Gov. Elbridge Gerry approves legislation creating oddly shaped electoral districts designed to help incumbents win re-election. (March 26)
- Louisiana is admitted as the 18th U.S. state. (April 30)
- The War of 1812 between the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom begins with U.S. declaration. (June 18)
Inauguration Date: May 8, 1839, at Stone Presbyterian Church, Clinton
From his address: “He who plants the acorn may indeed see it germinate and grow, but he who knows that posterity alone will look up to the full-grown oak. In the meanwhile it will have planted deep its roots in the rugged soil, and spread out wide its arms in the face of heaven. The thunderbolt may then fall upon it, but it will stand. The tempest may battle with its trunk, and howl through its branches, but it will remain unbroken. Thus should it be with colleges. They who plant and who foster them in their infancy, should feel that they are laboring for coming generations, and take care that their work is so accomplished that posterity may have occasion to bless them for their labors.”
In the News in 1839
- First photo of the Moon is taken by French photographer Louis Daguerre. (Jan. 2)
- Cherokee Indians came to the end of the “Trail of Tears,” a forced march from their ancestral home in the Smoky Mountains to the Oklahoma Territory. (March 26)
- First Opium War begins between the British Empire and the Qing dynasty of China. (Sept. 5)
Inauguration date and location: Jan. 17, 1893, at Stone Presbyterian Church, Clinton
Musical highlight: Students performed the “College Song,” eight years before Stryker himself would pen Carissima.
From his address: “But this much I must say, that is with unfeigned humility that I venture to accept this high charge, and that none can hold more important than I do certain specific qualifications for it in which hitherto I have been but little schooled. For the functions of my office require a quality, a variety, a facility, which will not only now demand my strenuous best, but an increasing better as time runs. May I never forget that one can only be a leader as he is a servant, only be a teacher as he is a learner, and so may I neither become a laggard nor a pedant.”
What faculty said: Rev. Dr. W. R. Terrett spoke at a dinner on behalf of faculty: “The faculty of the college desires to assure you and the public that a sound, thoro satisfactory college education can be obtained at Hamilton to-day. It is commonly said now that Hamilton is a hard college to get thro. We are proud of that reputation. We believe that it is deserved.”
In the News in 1893
- Cracker Jack introduced, consisting of caramel-coated popcorn and peanuts. (June 16)
- English author Beatrix Potter writes the story of Peter Rabbit for a 5-year-old boy. (Sept. 4)
- Henry Ford completes his first useful petrol/gasoline-fueled engine. (Dec. 24)
Inauguration date: Oct. 29, 1938, at the College Chapel
Musical highlight: The College Choir, under the direction of Paul Fancher, sang the anthem “To God Eternal the Heaves Utter Glory” by Beethoven.
From his address: “Intelligence is not enough because thinking is only part of living; because students come to college not only for the training of their minds but also for the enrichment of their lives as people; because college students need the advice and direction of mature and experienced adults who understand their problems; because as expressed in the motto of Hamilton College they seek to know themselves; because such self-knowledge is emotional and social and spiritual as well as intellectual; because not only the student’s mind comes to college but also his body; because, as most alumni will testify, the lessons in human relations learned from one’s fellow students complement the lessons learned from books and professors; because college is not only an intellectual enterprise but also a social and spiritual environment; because society expects from college graduates not only intelligence but also civilized attitudes, matured emotions, and cultivated character.”
In the News in 1938
- Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first cel-animated feature in motion picture history, is released in the U.S. (Feb. 4)
- DuPont announces a name for its new synthetic yarn: “nylon.” (Oct. 27)
- Foreshadowing the Holocaust, Nazis launch Kristallnacht, a campaign of terror against Jewish people in Germany and Austria. (Nov. 9)
Inauguration date: April 19, 1969, in the Alumni Gym
From his address: “Finally, we choose to educate young women. Why women? It is a question we are often asked, and there are three instant replies. First, the situation which gave birth to Kirkland required a complementarity to the all-male world which was here before us; second, women are reaching an increasingly sophisticated and diverse role in society, and they must be prepared to meet it; finally, the young women you see here today in a real sense demanded that Kirkland be born. They are ready to try new forms, to suffer mud and inconvenience for the sake of the possibility of a college responsive to their needs.”
What students said: Daphne Petri K’72, secretary to the assembly, spoke on behalf of the students: “You are the president that knows what it’s like to be a student in 1969. You are the president who has deep faith in your students. You are the president who told us at our first meeting on September 16 that this was our college and therefore you would support the rules we adopted if we sincerely believed they were the rules that we wanted. You are the president who has a wonderful knack for saying the right thing, at the right time, in the right way. You are the president who is not too proud to walk in the mud. No, you are not the ordinary president.
“Furthermore, you are not the ordinary president of any ordinary college. You are the president of a college that exists for its students. You are president of a college that has no need for student unrest. You are the president of a college that relies on intellectual commitment rather than competition. You are the president of a college that has a unique governance system. You are the president of a college that attracted 173 students who were willing to believe that things would actually be ready by September 15th. You are the president of a college that is forever changing physically, economically, and academically. For you are the president of Kirkland College — and we do not consider either you or our college ordinary.”
In the News in 1969
- President Nixon announces the first major U.S. troop withdrawal from Vietnam. (June 10)
- Neil Armstrong becomes the first man to walk on the Moon. (July 20)
- The Woodstock Music and Art Fair opens with over 400,000 people in attendance. (Aug. 15)
Inauguration date: Sept. 8, 1974, at Sage Rink
From his address: “If our primary objective is not to produce professional scholars, not to provide technical training, not even to supply the currently accepted answers to interesting questions, what is it? It is, I believe, something that is both simple and marvelously complicated. Namely, to teach students how to think, or, perhaps more accurately, how to learn. It is not the answer to a question that is important, but rather how one goes about seeking an answer. The student’s experience here, then, should develop and sharpen his powers of observation, discrimination, analysis, and synthesis. It should implant in him an inclination toward critical disciplined speculation and a propensity to search for relationships. It should, to use a term [my predecessor] John Chandler introduced me to, make him tough-minded.”
In the News in 1974
- Barbra Streisand has her first #1 hit, “The Way We Were.” (Feb. 2)
- Grand jury concludes U.S. President Richard Nixon is involved in Watergate cover-up. (March 2)
- Hank Aaron hits his 715th home run, breaking Babe Ruth’s record in Atlanta. (April 8)
Inauguration date: Oct. 18, 2003, at the Margaret Bundy Scott Field House
Musical highlight: The ceremony opened with the Inauguration Brass Ensemble performing “Fanfare,” a piece composed for the occasion by Sam Pellman, professor of music.
From her address: In a light-hearted moment midway through her speech, Stewart recounted a conversation she had with a first-year student her first day in the office. When Stewart told the student that she had majored in French, the student replied, “French? Then how did you get to be president?”
“How did I get to be president?” Stewart said rhetorically. “I am not at all sure. But maybe what the student was getting at was the question of preparedness. How did my career as a student of French prepare me for this new assignment? I will never stop believing that there is no better preparation for any way of life than the study of literature or any of the other choices a liberal education offers.”
What the guest speaker said: Stewart’s former colleague, University of South Carolina Professor of History Patrick Maney, offered some “advice” for the new president prior to her inaugural address. Recounting how various U.S. presidents through the years approached their remarks, he cautioned against following the example of William Henry Harrison, who gave the longest address at over two hours — and then died a month later … “and it’s doubtful that his audience lasted that long,” Maney quipped.
In the News in 2003
- Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrates during reentry over Texas, killing all seven astronauts on board. (Feb. 1)
- The Iraq War begins with the invasion of Iraq by U.S. and allied forces. (March 20)
- Social networking service Myspace is launched. (Aug. 1)
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