University of Virginia Library

Founder's Day

This year's Founder's Day ceremonies
reached what must have been an all-time
high in the history of the day. The most
obvious improvement over the past two years
was that it was not only not raining but
was also a beautiful day. The colorful
academic procession was able to march
down the center of the Lawn rather than
down the colonnades on either side.

As it entered Cabell Hall, a brass choir
perched high on the upper balcony played
Walter B. Ross's "Music For Founder's
Day" in fine fashion. Later in the program
the Glee Club joined the Virginia Singers
and a woodwind quartet, both on the stage,
and a brass quintet, in the high balcony,
in "a double chorus motet for voices and
instruments" by Heinrich Schultz. The performance
was extremely well coordinated in
view of the distribution of the participants,
which gave it a very pleasant stereophonic
effect.

The Founder's Day address, delivered by
Grayson L. Kirk, president of Columbia
University, was probably the most significant
factor distinguishing this year's ceremony
from many others. Not only is Mr. Kirk
an eminent scholar, but he is also a figure
of some national prominence. His speech
was very specific and thus perhaps very
controversial, as he called, among other
things, for U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam.
It was refreshing to hear such a pertinent
talk in times such as these when mere praise
of all things Jeffersonian seems a little trite
or over-worn.

Also of note in the ceremony was the
Seven Society's announcement that it was
establishing an award to be presented next
year to "that member of our community,
or alumnus, or citizen of our land, no
matter whether black or white, who has
truly given of himself—his time, his energy,
his wisdom—to bring that great day closer
when right, justice, and mutual understanding
shall prevail amongst all men." The
establishment of this award demonstrates a
real forward-looking attitude on the part of
the society, one which the University as a
whole would do well to develop.

There were some comments that the
ceremony was too long. We did not think
that it was very much too long if at all,
but, if the day had been hotter, it probably
would have been unbearable in Cabell Hall
for that length of time. Perhaps those who
plan the ceremony should investigate the
possibility of shortening it a little before
next year.

Like the memorial service for Martin
Luther King, this service, too, attracted
obtrusively few undergraduate students.
Also like the memorial service, though, the
loss was theirs. Undergraduates who fail to
avail themselves of opportunities such as
these are surely wasting a sizeable portion
of what their tuition offers.