SU honors Hibbards with floral offering

 

Silliman University (SU) held the 8th Floral Offering Ceremony last August 10, 2023 in honor of the couple who established SU in 1901, Dr. David Sutherland and Mrs. Laura Hibbard.

Organized by the SU Elementary School, the annual ceremony is part of the Founders Day celebration and is held at the statue of Dr. David Sutherland Hibbard in front of Hibbard Hall.

Dr. Earl Jude Paul Cleope, SU vice president for academic affairs, said the floral offering ceremony shows the University’s gratitude and appreciation for the Hibbards’ dedication and impact in the field of education and service.

Dr. Gina Fontejon Bonior, College of Education dean, shared a quote from Dr. David Sutherland Hibbard, which he wrote in a letter as mentioned in the “Silliman University: 1901-1959” history book by Arthur L. Carson: “There were 15 boys that first morning. The equipment consisted of four desks about ten feet long, two tables, and two chairs, a few McGuffey’s Readers, a few geographies, arithmetics and ninth-grade grammars. I was President; Mrs. Hibbard was the faculty.”

From 15 enrollees when SU started in 1901, Bonior said the University had 11,076 enrollees in the second semester of the academic year 2022-2023, which shows “how God multiplies his love and goodness” and “transforms lives.”

Atty. Pristine M. Raymond, Silliman Alumni Association, Inc. president, delivered a message on gratitude as the guest speaker of the ceremony.

“Let us have an optimistic attitude and learn to see the good in every situation so that even if things don’t go our way, we will remain grateful. Such attitude and mindset also make us strive to work harder towards our goals and ambitions,” she said.

Raymond also referred to the Hibbards as models of service and dedication.

“When Dr. David and Laura Hibbard were asked to serve in the Philippines, they accepted the invitation; but putting up a school was not without trials and challenges. They arrived on this day in 1901 and immediately went to work, opening the school in less than one month. Dr. David became the founding president, while Laura was the only member of the faculty. She had nine to 10 classes every day…It’s easy to imagine that at that time, with all the struggles, the Hibbards may have thought about giving up, but they did not; and look at what Silliman Institute, which started with 15 enrollees, has become,” said Raymond.

Raymond also said the Hibbards “sacrificed a lot and left the comforts of their home, just to realize the dream of providing education to Filipinos.”

“May we learn from (the Hibbards’) selfless service and dedication and use their story to motivate us to do our utmost and to not be easily discouraged…May our actions make the Hibbards, our alma mater’s first leaders, proud,” she added.

Both Bonior and Raymond also emphasized the role of Mrs. Laura Hibbard, who served as the lone teacher when SU started and even took over as acting president when Dr. David Sutherland Hibbard was ill. 

“Laura Hibbard wore many hats just to keep the school open. She taught, took care of the school’s affairs, as well as managed its finances; so, talk about ‘woman power,’” said Raymond.

First held in 2015, the floral offering ceremony was initiated by the student organization called Laura Hibbard Society.

Bonior also gave credit to Moses Joshua Atega, adviser to the international students in SU, for encouraging the SU Elementary School to institutionalize the floral offering ceremony by organizing it yearly as part of the Founders Day celebration.