Louis Marshall Eulogized As Syracuse Dedicates Memorial Building

The dedication and official presentation of the Louis Marshall Memorial to the New York State College of Forestry and Syracuse University was made by Dr. Harlan H. Horner, Assistant Commissioner of Higher Education, New York State Educational Department, yesterday at exercises held in the auditorium of the new building, in which Chancellor Flint of the University, trustees of the College and University, the Deans, members of the Marshall family, educators and foresters from the East and West participated.

The new building to which the name of Mr. Marshall has been attached in commemoration of his service of eighteen years as president of the Board of Trustees of the New York State College of Forestry and his important contributions to conservation will house the science departments of the college.

The formal program of the dedicatory ceremony was opened by Dean Samuel N. Spring of Forestry College, introducing Dr. Horner, who delivered the principal address of the day on “The History of Forest Education in New York State.”

Following his address, Dr. Horner presented, on behalf of the state, the Louis Marshall Memorial Science Building to the college and to the University. In his presentation talk he paid a high tribute to Alfred E. Smith, now chairman of the Board of Trustees of the New York State College of Forestry for the interest he displayed in public education. Mr. Smith was appointed to that position at the death of Louis Marshall, who served in that capacity as one and only president of the Board from the beginning of the College in 1911 until his death in 1929.

James Marshall, son of the late Louis Marshall, who represented the Marshall family, made a few brief remarks.

Chancellor Flint closed the afternoon dedication program with a talk on the purpose of education, and accepting the new Building for the University. In his talk he brought out the versatility of Marshall’s genius saying “Many memorials would be fitting to the life of Louis Marshall. A Law Building or Library would have memorialized his remarkable legal genius, his leadership and mastership in his chosen phases of his profession. A College, a University foundation, a professorship, would be a natural tribute to his intellectual acumen, wide range of reading, his extensive and inclusive culture.

“A Synagogue, a Theological Seminary, a Temple of Universal religion, would appropriately recall the spiritual depth of a reverent soul, the sacred loyalties of his inner life, and outward associations, the broad sympathies and tolerance of his spirit of true Brotherhood.

“A Social Service Institute would perpetuate the passion for humanity, especially for the oppressed, which ever suffuses his memory with a glow of glory.

“But New York State most appropriately memorializes her great citizen in that sphere of his interest which made him a forester by avocation, and most appropriately also in this College for whose origin he had so large a share of the responsibility, over whose initial development he presided as President of its Board for its first eighteen years, in this College connected with a University which he loved and served without stint as trustee and benefactor.

“To the memory of one of New York State’s greatest citizens, and to the service of future generations of citizens of New York State, this building is now dedicated and henceforth devoted.”

Justice Edmund H. Lewis spoke briefly accepting the Louis Marshall Memorial for the College of Forestry on the behalf of the Board of Trustees.

The forenoon session was conducted by President Hugh P. Baker and was featured by papers from Dr. Henry Schmitz, head of the Department of Forestry at the University of Minnesota; L. F. Kneipp, assistant forester of the United States in charge of lands, spoke on “Forestry as Agency of Social Progress,” and Dr. E. A. Merrill, Director of the New York Botanical Garden, made an address on “Systematic Botany in Forestry.”

A buffet luncheon was served for invited guests in the museum room of the new building. The evening program was featured by the annual Forestry Club banquet.

Opportunity was afforded to the guests to inspect the new building at various times during the day. Forestry students assisted in directing persons to the auditorium and other parts of the structure. The new assembly hal# designed to seat 600, was overcrowded to capacity.

Louis Marshall, in whose honor his native state, New York, has erected a magnificent and a most modern and equipped building, which will house a part of its great forestry education plant, was in the minds of many of his former colleagues, who attended the eventful dedicatory ceremonies on the Syracuse campus.