An Address Delivered Before the Association of the Alumni of Columbia College (Classic Reprint)

A thoughtful look at education, memory, and the duties of alumni you can apply today.

The speaker reflects on the lasting value of a domestic, mother‑focused education and the deep obligations that come from being connected to one’s Alma Mater. It emphasizes that gratitude for loved ones and for the school shapes character, guiding the learner long after the years on campus.

It also argues that true education combines mind and heart. Intellectual growth should uplift virtue and prevent vice, with schooling serving both personal development and social good. The talk warns against narrowing education to business training and urges a broader aim: to prepare the whole person for thoughtful, purposeful living.

• Understand the lifelong bond between graduates and their institution, and why gratitude matters.
• See why parental influence and home life are valued as foundations of character.
• Explore why liberal study, including the study of dead languages, supports clear thinking and moral formation.
• Consider how education should cultivate curiosity, self‑direction, and meaningful work, not just employment.

Ideal for readers interested in the history of education, the role of colleges in shaping character, and the enduring responsibilities of alumni.