The Bluffton news. [volume], May 25, 1950, Image 13

About The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current

Image provided by: Ohio History Connection, Columbus, OH

                
"THURSDAY, MAY 25, 1950
Congratulations to
on Your 50th
ELK
WELCOM E HOME
Emmer
Bluffton,
Concrete and Brick Entrance
to Science Hall
Congratu
lations
Bluffton
College
on 50 Years
of Academic
Service
ED GOOD
-COAD-
for all heating purposes
Bluffton, Ohio
Engineer of heating plant
since 1926
Bluffton College
Anniversary
HO
WE TAKE PLEASURE IN
CONGRATULATING BLUFFTON
COLLEGE ON A HALF CENTURY
OF PROGRESS IN A THRIVING
COMMUNITY
Steps
Bluffton Cement Block Inc., i
BUILDING SUPPLIES
Bluffton, Ohio
E
I
Administration building of Bluffton College in' former years. Now the home of Dr.
L. L. Ramseyer, President of Bluffton College. The home was constructed by J. A.
Amstutz, first president of the Board of Trustees.
We take pleasure in Congratulating
Bluffton College on their
GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY
ART AMSTUTZ GROCERY
Bluffton, Ohio
First Observed Here in 1910
First Queen Crowned Four
Years Later
Rain Has Marred Celebration on
Only Three Occasions Since
1914
May Day, with all its colorful
pageantry7 and gayety, has Long been
accepted as one of Bluffton’s oldest
and finest traditions. In its initial
stages, however, it differed consider
ably from the May Days of the pres
ent and recent years. In the last
forty years, May Day has grown and
changed with the college, ever in
creasing in significance and popular
ity.
The first annual May Day of
Bluffton College was held May 24,
1910. At that time, Bluffton was
still known as Central Mennonite
College.
Organized as an educational May
Day7, this first one consisted of ad
dresses by prominent educational
leaders in the afternoon and an open
meeting of the Low’ell Litorary
Society in the evening. Friends of
the college from the community were
invited to attend the sessions. A
special invitation was also extended
to all the schools of Allen and sur
rounding counties.
First May Day
This first May Day had several
features which are no longer a part
of May Day festivities, but it also
lacked some of the features which
have since become regular events of
each May Day celebration. It had
no May Queen, no winding of the
May Pole, no class program or box
burial ceremony, no Shakespearean
play to climax the occasion—in fact,
it was hardly recognizable as May
Day in comparison with the varied
activities which are now’ regarded as
traditional May Day features.
May Day w’as not held in connec
tion with Commencement activities
in its early years, but was usually
held several weeks prior to the end
of school. In 1917 it w’as decided to
delay the May Day celebration until
Commencement week, so that more
alumni and friends of the college
could attend. This practice has con
tinued through the succeeding years.
Queen in 1914
It W’as in 1914 that May Day made
its first important change toward
present customs, for it was in that
year—also the year that the institu
tion’s name was changed to Bluffton
College—that Miss Viola Welty
reigned as the first May Queen. Her
throne was built against the east side
of College Hall. For her entertain
ment, a group of girls sang “The
Rose Maiden,” accompanied by Pearl
Bogart Mann, who is still accompany
ing college musical presentations.
The stage for the singers w’as lo
cated near the present driveway, be
tween a cherry tree and the mock
orange tree which at present over
hangs the path betw'een
Lincoln Halls. It was
that the first May Pole
For several years tw’o
W’ere used—a miniature
by small children and the customary
pole wound by college girls.
Crowning Of Queen Is Highlight
In Outdoor Campus Festivities
College and
here, also,
was wound.
May Poles
one wound
The forerunner of the Alumni
THE BLUFFTON NEWS, BLUFFTON, OHIO
Annual May Day Colorful and Picturesque is One of Bluffton’s Oldest Traditions
versus Varsity baseball games, now
played in the morning each May Day,
came in 1931, and was planned by
Coach “Zig” Burcky. It was in the
form of baseball specialties” and in
cluded contests of batting, ball
throwing, and base running, with a
grand prize and a booby prize award
ed to those earning these respective
distinctions.
Another “first” was in the previous
year, when the first box burial was
held. This custom has been con
tinued every year since that time.
Shakespearean Plays
The Shakespearean plays, also tra
ditional May Day activities, have
been presented at intervals ever since
1912. However, it was not until 1932
and the years following that the
plays were given as outdoor evening
performances and thereafter became
an annual affair,
May Days have
their humorous
the
jazz
The
Bluffton College
not been without
elements—such as
by Ruth Krehbiel’s
1918 festivities.
Used as instruments no
have burned Spike Jones green with
envy? Quite a bit of unexpected ex
citement has arisen at various times,
also for according to the June, 1926,
issue of the WITMARSUM, a near
catastrophe was averted in that year
when “the crown of daisies was al
most lost while Krehbiel Bridge was
being crossed, but was rescued by a
vigilant guard.”
performance
band in the
contrivances
doubt would
Rain has disturbed the regular
schedule of the celebration only three
times in the history7 of May Day, and
on each of these occasions, the fes-
Former May Queens
As an added feature in this year’s
May Day festivities at Bluffton Col
lege, all former May Queens, Maids
of Honor, Popular Men, and Queen’s
Escorts have been invited to partic
ipate in the May Day procession,
Saturday afternoon, June 3. They
will appear in the procession, in their
respective year
costume similar
originally worn,
same garment.
groups, wearing a
in color to the one
and if possible, the
This special feature of the tradi
tional May Day festivities is being
planned and promoted by the An
niversary Commencement Committee,
of which Professor H. W. Berky is
the chairman. Others on this com-
Heartiest Congratulations to my
Alma Mater on their 50th
Anniversary
Baccalaureate Speaker
&
TAR. L. L. Ramseyer, president,
u who will deliver the address
open air baccalaureate services
of Bluffton College to be held
on the campus. Sunday after
noon, June 4.
tlvltlea were merely postponed or
held inside.
May Days have also been of his
torical importance to Bluffton College.
Last year’s May Day was the
occasion for the groundbreaking of
Bluffton’s newest building, Founder’s
Hall.
nual May Day, coincides with the
gala Fiftieth Anniversary celebra
tion of the college. As the college
continues to grow and expand in the
years to come, so also will May Day
continue as one of Bluffton’s oldest
and grandest traditions.
This year, the fortieth an-
And Attendants
Will Be In May Day Procession
mittee include Dr. Shelly, Miss K. T.
Moyer, and James Reusser.
The response to this invitation has
been very gratifying, with over forty
former May Day celebrities already
having promised to be here for the
celebration and to participate in the
procession. The committee in charge
expects approximately fifteen to
twenty more to answer in the affirm
ative.
A number of Bluffton residents are
included in this list of former queens
and attendants. Among them are
Mrs. H. W. Berky, Miss Edna Ram
seyer, Mrs. George Linden, Mr. and
Mrs. Robert Simcox, Carl Smucker,
Laurence Burkhalter, and Earl Leh
man.
inifri
r.
IGO/
IM
G. T. SOLDNER
Representing Investors Diversified
409 Cherry St. Bluffton, Ohio
iwsjp*-
Servi/es,
Phone
DPP HALL
Congratulations Bluffto College on the
Occasion of/Your
50th ANNIVERSARY
Like this college, which has made a definite contribution
to community welfare, it is our aim also to be of commun
ity service.
FIRST NATIONAL BANK
PAS’ttfaA, OHIO
Inc.
163-Y
congratulations
on your
50tk
Bluffton Collej
Congratulation
50th A
Ann^Versary!
I
The Citizens. National Bank
Member Federal Reserve Bank
Member Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Bluffto^, Ohio
Congratulations Bluffton College
May Your Future Be
Happy and Successful
A Sound Education^ Institution
immunity
ALSPACH I)RY
PAGE THREE
I
Science Hall with Lincoln Hall
in background
LEIBER’S JEWELRY STORE
Bh ffton, Ohio ’33
Administration Building
on the
Bl
Congratulatioi
on Your 5(
s to Bluffton College
occasion of your
nni vers ary
DR. S. K. MOSIMAN
Former President of Bluffton College
“He Visioned a Greater Bluffton”
Urich's Chy Market
Bluffton, Ohio
.————— ......
in a Thriving
CLEANERS
iffton, Ohio
is Bluffton College
th Anniversary