The Aquinas 1931-11-16

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VOL. I, NO.3 ST. THOMAS COLLEGE, SCRANTON, PA., NOVEMBER 16, 1931
ARTS PROGRAM BROADCAST
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On Saturday evening, Nov. 14,
St. Thomas college participateJ in
the nation-wide observance of the
Liberal Arts colleges by presenting
two radio programs, one over station
W.G.B.I., Scranton, and the other
over W.B.R.E., Wilkes,Barre. Both
programs were supplements to the
coast,to'coast "College Night" program
which was presented at 9 :00
P. M. over an N.B.C. network, under
the auspices of the Association
of American Colleges and the American
Liberal Arts Movement. On
this program President Hoover was
the keynote speaker.
On the Scranton broadcast which
began at 9: 30 0 'clock, Rev. Bro.
Denis Edward, F.S.C., PhD., LLD.,
President of the college, delivereJ the
opening address. Brother Edward
stressed the need of true Liberal Arts
colleges. He mentioned the various
accomplishments of St. Thomas college
in the past and the number of
its graduates which have been successful
in the various fields of en'
deavor. He also explained what St.
Thomas expects to do for N ortheastern
Pennsylvania in the future. The
Alumni representative was W. J.
Fitzgerald, Esq., of the class of 1903,
President of the Lackawanna Bar
Association and one of the m.::,,,\;
prominent attorneys in this vicinity.
The Student Body was represE'Gted
by Robert O'Brien, a native of Scranton
and President of the Junior Arts
class. Mayor Fred. K. Derby represented
the city of Scranton.
In the program from Wilkes-Barre
and Wyoming Valley, Rev. Brother
Felician Patrick, F.S.C., Ph.D., Litt.
D., was the faculty speaker. He explained
the aims of the liberal Arts
college and declared that the fact that
he spoke from Wilkes-Barre was evidence
that the sphere of St. Thomas'
influence extends throughout Northeastern
Pennsylvania.
Prominent S pea k e r s
Give Very Interesting
and Instructive Talks.
._-_._-----~
The annual retreat for students of ing distance of his voice, dwelt at
St. Thomas college took place in the lengt.~ upon purity of heart and soul,
college chapel from November third and renewed in the minds of the reto
November sixth. The retreat, due treatants their obligations to God and
to the illness of Rev. John B. De- to the Church. Holy Mass, Spiritual
Iaunay, C.S.C., Ph.D.,J.C..D, under readI'ng, Stations of the Cross, and
whose supervision it was scheduled, the saying of the Rosary completed
was under the direction of the Rev. the daily program of the retreat. The
R. A. Gillard, C.M., of Philadelphia. retreat came to a solemn close on
Father Gillard is to be commended November sixth with the student body
upon the efficient and capable man- of the college receiving Holy Comner
with which he handled the re- munion and with the imparting of
treat. the Pontificial Blessing by Father
Non-Catholics as well as Catholics Gillard. \ .•...., .
. \'\j ~ - ~ availed themselves of the opportunity (Ed. Note:-Rev. Gillard is a Scran,.t.
to hear Father Gillard's timely in- ton young man, being born in the Green. .
structions. Father Gillard in his ser- Ridge section. He is a graduate of St.:;~:: .:::;:
.. k" I Thomas college, from where he entereq..V~~· .~'.
les of dIscourses tal lUg lU C ear, con' the religious life. Father Gillard has' '1>'
cise, language which was easily UU</il two brothers on the faculty of St. .:derstandable
to all those within hear- John '8 College, Brooklyn.)
REV. BROTHER DENIS EDWARD
Rev. Gillard, St. Thomas
Alumnus, Conducts Retreat
The Freshman Student Council,
which will regulate the affairs of the
Freshmen, was organized at a meeting
held on Wednesday, October
28, in Freshman hall. Brother Gregory,
dean of Freshmen, presided.
In the course of the meeting, it
was decided that both Arts classes
will compete against the two Science
classes to determine which group can
have the better ranking in the La
Salle Auxiliary drive. The losing
divisions will treat the winners to a
banquet "\vhich will be held after the
completion of the regular drive.
The membership of the council is
composed of the class moderators, to'
gether with the various class officers.
The provincial officers unanimously
elected were:
Brother Gregory-President.
Brother Augustine-V-President.
Brother Alphonsus-Secretary.
·Dr. A. P. Walsh-Treasurer.
Metnbers' of Faculty,
Alutnni, Students Speak
Student Council
Is Organized
Among Freshmen
Rev. Brother Denis Edward and
Frank O'Hara, Registrar attended the
installation ceremonies of the new
president of Bucknell college, held
Friday in Lewisburg, Pa.
FACULTY MEMBERS ATTEND
INSTALLATION CEREMONIES
Nmnber of Teachers Who Hold
College Certificates 1----
Is Small. LIBERAL ARTS SPEAKER
A study just completed by the
Teacher Bureau shows that of the
61,804 teachers employed in the public
schools throughout the Commonwealth,
only 13,387 are college grad,
uates and hold provisional college
licenses. Many of the teachers included
in the study have graduated
fr9m Normal Schools or hold equivalent
pr.eparation for Normal School
graduation. But since four years of
post high school preparation will soon
be considered as the minimum train'
ing for all teachers in the secondary
field, it is more than likely that the
great majority of those tea~hers, having
less than four years of post high
school preparation, will enroll for ad- I
ditional preparation in approved institutions.
Although it has not been
the practice of the State Council of
Education to make new certificate
regulations retroactive nor to make 1--------------regulations
apply to teachers who
have already secured their licenses to
teach, it has been observed that teachers
in service usually make every effort
to meet the new standards for
preparation prescribed for new entrants
into the teaching service.
In the school districts of the second'class,
Scranton employed 219 college
graduates out of its total of 984
teachers. Allentown ranks second
with 172 college graduates among its
total of 497 teachers employed. In
Wilkes-Barre, out of 583 teachers the
number of college graduates was 109.
In school districts under the supervision
of county superintendents
there are employed 29,186 teachers,
of whom 5,180 are college graduates.
Allegheny County leads the list,
numbering 598 college graduates
among its total of 2,664 teachers;
Luzerne County ranks second with
252 college graduates among its total
of 1,)85' teachers. In our own county
of Lackawanna, we find a total of
285' teachers under a county superintendent
and of this number 69 are
college graduates.
In conclusion the report comments
as follows: Graduation from college i ....:.- _
is no guarantee that teachers will display
more enthusiasm in their work.
The elements of personality and character
play a vital part in the basic
qualifications of a teacher. However,
it is a universally recognized fact that
extended preparation provides a
deeper and richer insight into the
problems of child life and gives to the
boys and girls in the public schools
of the Commonwealth a more desirable
type of teacher than where less
preparation is prescribed. The minimum
preparation for all teachers
should undoubtedly be four years'
preparation based on a high school
education.
Study of College'
Graduates Is Released
By Teachers Bureau
"Catholic Action and the Home"
Thomas Gavigan
"Rerum JXovarum," the Encyclical
of Pope Leo XIII, on Capital
and Labor
Harrison Bailey
vocations in general, but laid particular
stress upon vocations to the
religious life. During his talk, he
outlined the plans he has in mind for
the cultivation of vocations throughout
the Parochial high schools. He
then asked for volunteers from the
club to aid him in his work by delivering
talks on vocations and giving
out literature pertaining to the subject
in the local paro~al schools.
His talk was enthusiastically received
and the majority of the members gave
definite pledges to aid him in his
work.
While he was in the city, Brother
Eliphus visited the parochial school
of St. John the Evangelist in South
Scranton and addressed the students.
"The Encyclical of Pope Pius XI on
the Christian Education of Youth"
Francis Burke.
The program, which was suggested
by the Natural Catholic Welfare
Council for Catholic Education Day,
was also arranged in St. Thomas as
a students observance of Liberal Arts
day which was Nov. 14.
Members of Senior Class Read
Papers at Program in
Chapel.
In connection with the nation-wide
observance by Catholic Schools of
"Catholic Education Day," St.
Thomas college held an educational
program at a general assembly of
students in the chapel on Friday
morning, Nov. 13.
The program was arranged to treat
on the general topic of "Catholic
Action" and its varied phases. Rev.
Brother Felician Patrick, the chairman
of the assembly, explained the
purpose of the program and stressed
the importance of Catholic Education.
He then introduced four members
of the Senior class who read
papers on "Catholic Action," with
special reference to the papal encyclical
of Pope Leo XIII, "Rerum
Novarum" and those of Pope Pius
XI on "Christian Marriage" and the
"Christian Education of Youth." The
speakers and their subjects were as
follows:
"Catholic Action, Its Meaning
and JXature"
Edward Fisch
Club Addressed
Provincial Director
Rev. Brother Eliphus, F.S.C., vo'
cational director of the Baltimore
province of the Christian Brothers,
visited St. Thomas college on Monday,
November 2nd and addressed
the members of the newly organized
Vocations club. In his remarks, Bro.
Eliphus expressed himself as being
well pleased with the ideals and aims
of the organization. He explained
that the Vocations club of St. Thomas
gave him the idea to start similar
clubs at the other Brother's schools in
Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington,
Pittsburgh and Cumberland.
Bro. Eliphus, whose chief work is
the cultivation of vocations to the
Christian Brothers as well as to the
Priesthood and Sisterhood, spoke on
Vocations
By
Much W 0 r k Accom.. Students Observe Cath..
pIished By Christian olic Education Day
Brothers In· Brief Per..
iod.
College History Reveals
Very Rapid Progress
The laying of the corner-stone of
Saint Thomas college on August 12,
1888, by the Rt. Rev. William
O'Hara, D. D., was both a culmination
and a beginning. It was the culmination
of dreams and plans on the
part of the Bishop to provide the diocese
with a college for young men,
under Catholic auspices, and which
should provide preliminary training
for the priesthood, On the other
hand, it was the beginning of a long
and continuous battle with those
forces of this world which are always
inimical to the new and young-a
battle to culminate in a well-founded
college of both liberal and scientific
education for young men of all
classes, religions, and creeds. But let
us not be misled by our, perhaps
loose, use of the term "culmination,"
which conotes attainment of one's
apex, of one's peak. St. Thomas college
is still waging this battle, and
will continue to wage it until the time
shall come when there is no longer
room for progress. Since that day
will never come, this battle will, in
all probability, never cease.
The school was formally opened on
September 8, 1892; the first faculty
was composed of members of the
local clergy; under the presidency of
the Rev. J. J. Mangan; and the first
graduating class was sent out in the
spring of 1896-Rev. D. ]. McGoldrick
being President. .
It was not until September 14,
1897, that a small community of the
Brothers of the Christian Schools, un-
. der the leadership of Brother Candidian,
arrived to take charge of St.
Thomas college, and with them, the
first real beginning of St. Thomas
history. Negotiations to have these
Brothers assume charge of the school
had been begun with the laying of
the cornerstone in 1888, but it was
(Continued on Page 6, Col. 3)