URI to wrap up 125th Anniversary celebrations with cannon blasts on Quad

Students, staff, alumni, friends, neighbors invited to finale festival

Students posing on the Quad during the 125th Kick-Off Celebration. URI Photo by Jessica Vescera.

KINGSTON, R.I., November 20, 2017 — When Rhode Island’s Agricultural School and Experiment Station became the Rhode Island College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in 1892, students celebrated through the night with a cannon borrowed from a Kingston resident.

But in their exuberance, they packed too much powder in the last round and blew a hole in the side of “Old Ben Butler,” the cannon that remains in its damaged state today on the Quadrangle of the University of Rhode Island.

To mark that milestone and the 125th Anniversary of the college that is now the state’s flagship public research University, the URI community will again celebrate with cannon fire Wednesday, Nov. 29, on the Quad. Students, faculty, staff and the public are invited to the finale festival from 3 to 5 p.m. In case of inclement weather, the event will be held in the Memorial Union Ballroom.

Students interacting with the Peckham Farm animals at the 125th Founder’s Day Celebration. URI photo by Shelbey Galliher.

During the celebration, the University will unveil a plaque at Davis Hall to honor Bernon Elijah Helme, the Kingston shopkeeper who raised $2,000 in 1888 to purchase the 140-acre Oliver Watson Farm in Kingston as the location for the state’s Agricultural School and Experiment Station. Often a forgotten man in the history of the University, Helme was an 1877 graduate of the Friends School in Providence, now Moses Brown, and was clerk of the church and a trustee of the Kingston Savings Bank during his time in Kingston. The plaque will read:

“The visionary shopkeeper whose big idea helped found the college that would become the University of Rhode Island. Through his civic-minded generosity, the childless Helme became a symbolic father to all who study here.”

“We extend a warm invitation to our entire community to celebrate with us,” said Joanne Esposito, specialist with University Events and coordinator of the 125th finale festival. “This will be a day for our community to call attention to the University’s great history and to wrap up this wonderful year of celebration. URI has so much to be proud of, and this celebration highlights so many of those things.”

Students taking their turn on the 40 foot zipline provided by URI ROTC at the 125th Founder’s Day Celebration. URI Photo by Shelbey Galliher.

At 4:15, President David M. Dooley will lead a speaking program that will include members of the Bristol Artillery dressed in American Revolutionary attire firing blank rounds from a cannon. The blasts will be followed by the lighting of Davis Hall and surrounding trees.

Those who attend will have plenty to do while listening to music played by a disc jockey. Student organization booths, horsedrawn hayrides around the Quad, Peckham Farm animals, ziplines provided by URI’s Army Reserve Officer Training Corps, a 40-foot inflatable obstacle course and campfires are just some of the attractions being offered. URI Dining Services will provide hot dogs, hamburgers, hot cocoa and cider along with countless other complimentary snacks supplied by vendors. There will be plenty of photo opportunities with Rhody the Ram.

The first 350 attendees who donate gift cards to PriceRite, Stop & Shop, Shaw’s or canned goods to the URI Rhody Outpost Emergency Food Pantry will receive a 125th Anniversary scarf. Other giveaways include Rhody pens, wristbands and cell phone chargers.

Faculty Senate Chairman Mark Conley, professor and chair, Department of Music, College of Arts and Sciences, will introduce student soloist Bryan Kuchar, who will sing the University Alma Mater. Student Senate President Ryan Buck will also offer brief remarks..