1896 Oratorical contest The annual contest, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Intercollegiate Oratorical Union, took place in an auditorium packed to capacity with an enthusiastic crowd of students and alumni from the state's colleges. Performances by the college's glee club, mandolin club, and vocal quartet punctuated the orations. The program concluded with Frank Grant Blair placing first for his oration, "The Function of History."

Horse-drawn carriages wait outside Parrish Hall