From Our Church Paper (New Market, VA), Vol. 26, No. 17, April 27, 1898, p. 2.

Commencement at Mont Amoena Female Seminary, Mt. Pleasant, N. C.

The commencement exercises of Mont Amoena Female Seminary promise to be unusually interesting. The exercises begin Saturday at 8 p. m., May 28th, with the Senior class exercise. Rev. S. T. Hallman, D. D., Prosperity, S. C., will preach the Baccalaureate Sermon at 11 a. m., Sunday, May 29th. Rev. J. A. B. Scherer, Ph. D., Cameron, S. C., will deliver an address before the Missionary Society of the Seminary on Sunday evening at 8 p. m. The public concert will be given Tuesday evening at 8 p. m. Graduating exercises, Wednesday, 11 a. m. On the same day at 3 o’clock there will be an alumnae reunion and banquet. Part of this exercise will be public, the principal feature being an address by Miss Constance Cline, of class ’96, now of the Preparatory Department of Elizabeth College. On the same day at 8 p. m., a drama will be rendered for tho benefit of the Improvement Fund of the Seminary.

The Principal takes this opportunity to invite to the commencement exercises all the friends of the Seminary.

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From Our Church Paper (New Market, VA), Vol. 26, No. 24, June 15, 1898, p. 2.

Commencement at North Carolina College and Mont Amoena Female Seminary.

On Friday night, May 27th, the usual academic exercises were held on the college campus, a large crowd being in attendance.

On Saturday night, May 28th, the Seniors at the Seminary held class exercises in the Seminary hall. The exercises were largely attended and a very interesting program was carried out. The ladies acquitted themselves meritoriously and received the praises of the audience.

On Sunday morning at 11 o’clock the Baccalaureate sermon was delivered in the church by Rev. S. T. Hallman, D. D. The Doctor took as his text the 9th verse of the 119 th Psalm. The sermon was filled with sound advice to the young ladies and gentlemen who were to graduate. It was an able effort, and the large congregation that had assembled went away highly pleased with what they had heard. The Doctor has many friends here all of whom were delighted to see him.

On Sunday evening at 8 o’clock, Rev. Scherer, recently missionary to Japan, delivered an address before the Ladies’ Home and Foreign Missionary Society of the Seminary. The Doctor told his audience of Japan and of the manners and customs of the Japanese. The address was Instructive and will doubtless contribute no little to increasing the interest in mission work here.

Monday, May 30, at 10.30 a. m., tbe contest for declaimer’s medal was held, the contestants being G. T. Barringer, Harold Beattie, Junins Fisher, W. W. Kennerly, C. R. Litaker, and S. H. Long. The medal was awarded to W. W. Kennerly, Zeb, N. C.

At 8 p. m., the Junior orations and contest for the orator’s medal made tbe program. The contestants were R. W. Barrier, Edw. Fulenwider, C. A. Phillips, and V. C. Ridenhour. (J. L. Morgan a member of the class not competing.) The medal was awarded to Edw. Fulenwider, Monroe, N. O.

Tuesday, May 31, at 1030 a. m., Bev. Robert L. Patterson, Union Bridge, Md., delivered the address before the Alamni Association. Tbe address was scholarly and happily delivered.

At 1 p. m., a public dinner was given on the college campus. There was great abundance of good things, which were highly appreciated by the many who attended. At 2.30 p. m., the large crowd repaired to the church to hear the address of Dr. C. D. McIver, President of the State Normal and Industrial School, Greensboro, N. C. The address was on the subject of education, and was a plain and logical statement or the reasons why we should educate. The address was well received, and will doubtless do good for the cause of education.

Wednesday, June 1st, was commencement day. The College and Seminary held their exercises jointly. The graduates of the college, Messrs. P. E. Monroe, Zeb, N. C., and C. E. Moser, Mt. Pleasant, N. C., (Mr. Monroe baring the salutatory,) delivered their addresses, and Miss Laura Efird, China Grove, N. C., representing the graduating class of the seminary, read her graduating essay. The addresses of the young gentlemen were well composed, and were delivered in a manner consistent with careful training, and were in every respect creditable to the college. The essay by Miss Efird showed depths of thought and excellence of arrangement, both of which won for her the praises of the audience.

Miss Florence Fray, Brightwood, Va., was the valedictorian, but on account of illness could not be present. This was unfortunate. Miss Fray was a student of close application and high attainments, and her address would have formed a substantial part of the exercises.

Diplomas were then presented to the graduates as follows: For the college by President Scherer to P. E. Monroe and C. E. Moser. For the seminary by Dr. Miller to Misses Winona Cook, Laura Efird, Florence Fray, Lillie Long, Lieze Vose, Ella Walter. The following degrees were conferred: The degree of A. B. on the members of the graduating class. The degree of A. M. on C. D. Cobb, C. Brown Cox, Walter M. Cook, J. DeBerry Fisher, B. B. Miller, W. W. J. Ritchie, Luther S. Shirey of the class of ’95 and J. H. Ritchie of the class of ’88. The degree of D. D. on Rev Jonathan Sarver, New Stanton, Pa.

Medals were presented as follows: Rev. C. A. Bose, two medals, Bible History and oratory, to Edw. Fulenwider. Rev. S. D. Steffy the declaimer’s medal to W. W. Kennerly. Rev. V. R. Stickley, U. S. History, medal to S. H. Long, Brief, N. C. Rev. R. L. Patterson the Philalaethian Society Medal for progress in debate to C. D. Tucker. In the Seminary, the Scholarship medal was awarded Miss Mamie Miller, Jefferson, S. C., and the Senior Prize Essay Medal to Miss Florence Fray, Brightwood, Va.

It was announced that the prize, offered by the Pi-Sigma-Phi society on greatest improvement in debate, had been awarded to Junius Fisher. The announcements were then made »nd the benediction pronounced.

Wednesday, p. m., June 1st, the first meeting of the Alumnae of Mont Amoena Female Seminary was held. The exercises were opened with prayer by Rev. C. B. Miller, after which a vocal solo was rendered by Miss Addie Patterson. Miss Connie Cline then delivered an excellent address on the subject, “Modern Womanhood.”

The address was followed by an instrumental solo by Miss Effie Misenheimer, after which there was a business session and banquet. The banquet formed a very enjoyable part of the meeting. At 8 p. m. the ladies of the seminary gave their annual concert, always a most interesting part of the program of commencement exercises. The program which we regret want of space prevents us from publishing was carried out and sustained the high standard of excellence which the seminary has won for itself in the department of music.

This closes the commencement at College and Seminary. The exercises were largely attended. The weather was fine, and many visitors were present from a distance, all of whom were highly pleased with what they had seen and heard. The outlook for next year is good for both schools.