Harris Hall At The Episcopal Convention

Harria Hall carne in for considerable reoognitiou at the last General Conventioon of the Episcopal Churcb, Rev. Henry Tatlock being oue of the members of the coininittee ou educación. In the report of the comruittee is the füllowiug paragraph : Our committee cordial ly and heartily eudorses the plau adopted by the late Bishop Harris in the establishment of Harris Hall at the University of Michigau. This experiment has been tried i'or ten yeats, and proved in every way, a complete success. The Bishops of Milwaukee and of West Virginia have undertaken to have similar foundations at the University of Wisconsin and the University of West Virginia. Youug men attending the uuiversities rnay live in the halls as practically rnembers of the family of the clergyman-in-charge. In both instances the religious interest of the students is qniokened and sustained under the healthiest aud flnest influence. The Church life in the uuiversity is concentrated, and, at the University of Michigan itsjinfluence is reinforced by the two courses of lectures upon the Baldwin and Slocum foundation, delivered annually to all the students by eminent clergymen of the Church. The erection and eudowment of such halls as these in connection vvith every large secular university in the country would be a vast gain to our educational worb. Two of the members of tlie cominittee were given ten minntes eaoh to speak ol the report. Mr. Tatlock was selected as one of the two, aiid his speech whicii was listened to with interest was as follows: "J wasnot aware, nutil just before coming into the session this morning, that I was to be asked to say anythiug to yon on this great topic of Churoh halls. I shall speak to you on three subjects: (1) The occasion of Chnrch halls in connection with great tmiversities nnder the care of the State; (2) (he ïnethod of their operation and (3) the rësults which they secure. "The United States census of 1890 shows that there are in uuiversities and colleges of the United States, uuder the direction of ths various states, 46,000 students and over. In the universitie.s and the colleges of the older sort.whioh exist, as private corporations, like the colleges of New England and the Middle States, there were, at the same tirae, 103,000 students. So that in 1890 there were nearly one-third of the total nnmber of students in universities and colleges gathered in these Stare institutoins, which are in no way whatsoever connected with any religious body ; and I have no doubt that today the number of students in the iustitutions is fully one-third of the total nunaber of students in the colleges and universities flere is our opportunity - oue-third of the youDg people who are receiving bigher education in institutions which are in no way connected with any religions body, by the side of which we may plant oor Church and set up our banuer. We are, or ought to be, fishers of men ; and I represent to you, gentlemen, tbat these institutious where these young people are gatliered for higher education are good places for uh to go and fish. Now, as to the inethod. The Rev. Bishop of New Hampshire has represen ted to us the importance of establishing the parish church in connection with schools and colleges. That, I believe, is the very first step to be taken. The college hall will accommodate nothing except as it is the adjunct of the Church. The Church is first - the Chnrch. with her services, the Church in all her fullness and her power - and then let the Church hall come in as an arm, as an instrumentality of that Church there establislied, by means of which that Church, that parish, with its clergy, may seek out and gather together and influence the young people who are enrolled in universities. That is the method. It is, of course, after all, the method of personal influenoe. The hall is nothing, excepting as it is the means of euabling men to meet other men and to bring the influence of the Church to bear upon young men gathered into universities, to bring the influence of the 'Church upon those young men fehrough the instrumentality of men who are thernselves imbued with the spirit of the Church. Now, as to the resulta. I supposo I have been asked to speak to you upon this topic simply beoause I chnnoe to be connected witb that Chnrch hall to which reference has been made this morning ; tóe Church hall which Bishop Harris founded,of which so many of you have heard. Undoubtedly many of you have listened to Bishop Harris himself when he pleaded with you for your assistance and yonr aid that he might establish this institución. There are men conneoted with this couventiou vvho cooperated with him in that effort and who helped him not only by counsel, but by giving hirn money thathe might establish this iur-titutiou in connection with the great University of Michigan where there aro garhored sume 3000 students. I eay I suppose I have be3n asked to speak upou tbis subject bees .use of my personal conaection at tin present time with that institution and therefore I suppose what you wish me to say is what the result bas been. That hall is now called Harris Hall but was iiot called Harris Hall wben flrst erected. Bishop Harris named it Hobart Hall and it was after his death that the name was changed to Harris Hall and I think tbat fact should be stated. It is tberefore now the monument oí Bishop Harris in the diocese of Michigan of his great work there in connection with education and of the influence of the Church upon it. I will simply say thougb I presume my time isabeady exbausted that though the influence of this instrumentality and of the Church with which it is connected there are now in attendance upon the services of the Church there of tbestudents of the Univesity some 400. There are about 250 students who are communicants of the Church and fully 1 50 more who are to a greater or lessextent regular attendants upon these services of the Church ; a largenumber of students are confirmed every year and not a few of those students have becomR earnest, faithful, loyal workers ín the service of the Church in that neighborhood and have gone all over the country. That institution bas stndents from 44 states and territorios and 17 foreign countries. Those young men who come here are brought under the influence of the Church, and go forth into the world and carry intö every part of the world whatever influence the Chnrch may make upon them as they live there during their years of college life.