BAKER LIBRARY DEDICATED JUNE 16
The new Baker Memorial Library erected by the $1,000,000 gift of George F. Baker was dedicated as a part of the Class Day exercises, June 16. President Hopkins presided at the speakers' stand erected directly in front of the main south entrance to the building and an amplifying system carried the speakers' words to the large audience which filled the entire section between the east and west wings of the library.
John C. Hegeman in behalf of the construction company presented the key to the library to Mr. George F. Baker Jr., who, in turn, presented the key to President Hopkins and read a letter from his father. Following this ceremony of acceptance of the key President Hopkins asked Mr. Baker to transmit to his father a golden plaque portraying on one side a view of the library from the campus. It was presented in behalf of the alumni and on the reverse side of the plaque is the inscription: "Presented to George Fisher Baker as a souvenir of the completion and dedication of Baker Library by the President of Dartmouth College in behalf of its grateful alumni."
The dedication exercises were opened with the playing of the chimes in the library tower followed by a prayer by Prof. A. W. Vernon. After accepting the key to the building President Hopkins presented it to Prof. N. L. Goodrich, the librarian, who spoke a few words of acceptance.
Newton D. Baker, former Secretary of War under the Presidency of Woodrow Wilson, then delivered the dedicatory address.
Mr. Baker said in part: "We are today doing a significant thing. We are dedicating a great library in a great college. That the greatest living master of the processes of modern finance and prosperity should have made this gift to better living is in itself significant.
"All our prosperity and success rest on the education and culture for which the college stands. That it should be a New England college affords me the opening thought for what I desire to say."
He then traced the earliest education and ideals of self-government which found their conception in New England and enumerated the great gifts to the political thought of the time which were made by New Englanders.
Proceeding in his discussion of education, he said: "All over the hills of New England spread colleges and universities which were once only log cabins. These are the soul of Xew England cities. It is still true that sound education is the foundation for safety. What is education ? There was a time when it consisted of knowing practically all there was to be known. The tendency of modern learning is to subdivide and specialize. It is said that a well-educated modern is a man who knows more and more about less and less."
Mr. Baker then turned to a discussion of the New democracy and said: "We have grown from small to large masses. Application of the ideals of democracy has changed. More and more we must depend upon leaders and the thing the college must teach is to discern authentic leadership. College men see only their professors and classmates but become fit men to pick leaders. Failure in the critical moments of life comes as a result of leaders not attaining the authority and influence they deserve."
After the dedication address, Prof. A. W. Vernon pronounced Benediction and the program was brought to a close with another selection on the chimes in the library tower.
At the Dedication of the Library
