poem. The same class continued the precedent the next year, followed by
succeeding junior classes, so that these exhibitions became an
institution, long supported not alone by the students but by Faculty and
interested citizens as well. The end did not come until 1871 when the
last junior exhibition was held. The first class-day was held by '62 in
the spring of their junior year, but it was celebrated informally and
not taken very seriously until 1865 when the first real exercises took
place in May at the beginning of the "Senior Vacation." The place was
the old Presbyterian church, which seems to have been the favorite
auditorium. The "presentation" of the class was made in Greek by
Professor Boise, while President Haven replied in Latin. In one at least
of these first class-day programmes the oration and poem only were
public, while the history and prophecy were submitted to the class at a
convivial session at the popular Hangsterfer's.

The place which these early platform efforts took in the life of those
days is shown by two incidents. The first is related by Gen. W.H.H.
Beadle, '61, later President of the University of South Dakota, who
tells how an address by "one student" in 1858, denouncing the iniquity
of the Mexican War as begun and waged for the extension of slavery,
called him to the attention of the abolitionists, one of whom asked him
if he would care to take a "long ride on a good horse." He would of
course, and did, carrying a message to a Quaker farmer in Lenawee
County, whose home was a station of the underground railway. Andrew D.
White also describes with reminiscent pleasure how he groomed one of his
students to defeat a local politician, known as "Old Statistics," who
was characterized by his senatorial aspirations and his carefully
appropriate garb, tall hat, blue swallow-tail and buff waistcoat with
brass buttons. The wrath of this worthy, as a disciple of Henry Clay,
had been aroused by the teachings of Professor White, who at that time
was opposed to a protective tariff, and a public debate was to clinch
the discussion. The result was a complete victory for the young David,
who had the audience with him from the first, to the immense chagrin of
his pompous opponent.

The annual Commencement exercises were usually held in one of the local
churches and sometimes, after 1856, in the hall of the Union School
building, though nowhere was there an auditorium large enough to hold
all who wished to a