October
28, 1928 -- With the 1927 winner of the Nobel Prize, Professor Arthur Holly Compton,
in the lead, a procession of 300 University of Chicago faculty members in their
academic robes lead a procession into the university’s new Rockefeller Chapel
for its dedication service. Last in the
procession is the Acting President of the university, Frederic Woodward and
John D. Rockefeller, Jr., son of the benefactor who made the construction of
the chapel possible. As the procession
enters the church a 150-voice choir sings O
God Our Help in Ages Past. During
the service of dedication the Reverend Charles W. Gilkey is installed as Dean
of the Chapel. Gilkey concludes his
short address by saying of the chapel, “It must not be a stone rolled from the
ancient hillside, while the stream of life of this university goes around
it. It must be a channel through which
that stream may flow, giving it new life and force.” Rockefeller, Jr., on behalf of his father,
addresses the assemblage, saying, “True religion means an abiding faith in God
and our fellow man. May this chapel help
all who cross its threshold to lay hold upon so priceless a possession. And may there be centered here a religion of
activity and service as well as a religion of contemplation and faith.” For an in-depth at this special day and the
generosity that made it possible, please head here.
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