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Dedication of The Weaver, October 23, 1920

  • Full text of the Dedication booklet
  • The ceremony took the form of a memorial service open to the public, in the 600-seat hall at the Hazard Memorial, with Caroline Hazard presiding. The Narragansett Times reported the auditorium was “filled by an audience that included not only townspeople, but visitors from Providence, New Haven, Syracuse, and other cities.”
  • The Peace Dale-based Narragansett Choral Society performed “He Watching Over Israel” by Mendelssohn and “Jerusalem” by Gounod, conducted by Jules Jordan. A celebrated conductor in New York and Providence, Jordan was a frequent guest of the Society and friend of the Hazard family. He devoted a few pages to them in his 1922 book Happenings of a Musical Life (see page 45), and credits Caroline Hazard and her brother Rowland (one of The Weaver's dedicatees) with founding the Society. Rowland sang with it and served as President for nearly 30 years. In existence over 40 years, the Society typically had dozens of members, with Jordan’s book reporting that 68 people showed up for its first meeting in 1889. 
  • The ceremony consisted of opening remarks by Caroline Hazard, then addresses by three speakers (one for each dedicatee), followed by remarks from President William H. P. Faunce of Brown University. All the honorees were Brown graduates, and descended from a Brown University founder.
  • After this portion of the program, attendees moved outdoors to the monument, where a brass quartet played 3 hymns ("How Firm a Foundation"; "Who Trusts in God A Strong Abode"; and "The Strife is O’er, the Battle Won"). Two Hazard children pulled golden cords that opened a veil over the sculpture. The proceedings ended with the quartet playing "The Doxology".
  • After the event, Caroline Hazard created a booklet chronicling the Dedication, that contained text of the remarks delivered and pictures of the dedicatees and the monument. Page 3 indicates she sent copies as her 1920 Season's greetings.

Jessica Wilson

 

Dedication of The Weaver, October 23, 1920