The Day's Work in Public Service - Address by C.H. Markham, President, Illinois Central System - at the Dedication of Erskine Ramsay Engineering Hall, Alabama Polytechnic Institute, Auburn, Ala., October 10, 1925

Sep 21, 2026

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An address by C.H. Markham, President of the Illinois Central System, delivered at the dedication of Erskine Ramsay Engineering Hall at the Alabama Polytechnic Institute in Auburn, Alabama on October 10, 1925. The speech frames public service as the core purpose of education and industry, emphasizing how daily work becomes meaningful through service to others. It argues that civilization relies on mutual labor, shared improvement, and vision that looks beyond immediate tasks to long-term human benefit.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

The Day's Work in Public Service

Public service aim of all

We work for one another

Need vision in daily life

Application to the audience

97-84079-26Markham,Charles Henry The day's work in publicservice [n.p.] 1925 # COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY LIBRARIESPRESERVATION DIVISIONBIBLIOGRAPHIC MICROFORM TARGET ## ORIGINAL MATERIAL AS FILMED-EXISTING BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD 308Knrkhem,Charles Henry,1861-1930.ZThe dny's work in public eervice;adresBox 297 c.I.Karkhnm…at the dedication of ErskineRamsay engineering hall,AlAbana polytechnic in-stituto,Auburn,Ala..Octobar 10,1925.19?518 p. 23 (.4 Reproductions may not be made without permission trom Columbia UniversityLibraries. ## RESTRICTIONS ON USE: TECHNICAL MICROFORM DATA FILM SIZE: 5mmREDUCTION RATIO: /1:/ IIB IMAGE PLACEMENT:IA IIA) IB INITIALS: 1 DATE FILMED: 5-8.97 TBACKING\#: MSZ112 FILMED BY PRESERVATION RESOURCES,BETHLEHEM,PA. # The Day's Work in PublicService 308zBo×297 Address by C.H.MARKHAMPresident,Ilinois Central System at the Dedication of ERSKINE RAMSAY ENGINEERING HALLALABAMA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTEAuburn,Ala.,October 10,1925 The Day's Work in Public Service THE occasion today is one upon which can well be glorified thespirit of public service.We arehere to dedicate this magnificent build-ing—the largest,finestmost modernlyequipped college building in the South.We shall dedicate it primarily to theservice of Alabama and the South,butin a larger sense we shall dedicate itto the service of commerce and in-dustry in general.Let us hope that it.will stand for many fruitful years as asymbol of the creative public serviceof its namesake and largest donor. 14,1930DA/εeON The use of Erskine Ramsay Engin-eering Hall will enable Alabama Poly-technie Institute to render in the futurean even greater public service than ithas rendered in the past.The studentswho go out from these walls betterequipped for public service because ofit will have reason to think with grati-tude of Mr.Ramsay and of those whohave joined with him to make this hallpossible.Our nation,upon whichthese future students will make theirimpression,in turn will have reason tobless the service rendered by this insti-tution. Thus the ever widening circles ofpublic benefit expand.Long aftermost of us are gone this structure willbe serving the purposes for which itis dedicated today.Let us thereforededicate it well. ## Public Service Aim of All When I received the invitation to bepresent and to speak here today,Iwondered what topic would be mostfiting for such an important occasion.It occurred to me it might be well todwell upon a topic common to us all—the purpose for which this institu-tion was established,the purpose which inspires students to study here,the purpose of the industry in whichI myself am engaged,the purposewhich Mr.Ramsay had in mind whenhe gave a sizable fortune toward theconstruction of this building,the pur-pose which is at least half the inspira-tion for all the work that we all engagein.That purpose is to enhance thepublic welfare,to do something forhumanity—in short,to render helpfulpublic service. Public service can be rendered in avariety of ways.Fortunately,it issomething most of us can do in ourdaily tasks.The dual nature of aman's work is in the highest degreeimportant,since it is the public utilityof his job—his service to his fellow-man—that justifies what he s doingand gives him a pride in doing hisjob well. We Work for One Another Man does not work for bread alone.By a fortunate disposition of circum-stances,most of us have to labor inorder to make sure that the necessi-ties of life shall be ours and that weshall not want in the winter of ouryears.We work for a living and inorder to lay something aside for arainy day.But that is not all.If thatwere all,human society would be ameaningless thing;there would belittle ambition;there would be nohonest pride in a job and in a goodpiece of work turned out. Besides working

FAQs

What does Markham say is the purpose of the institution and students’ study?

He says the purpose is to enhance public welfare and to render helpful public service, grounded in the inspiration behind the work and the building.

How does Markham describe the value of daily work?

He argues that daily tasks can serve humanity when people see beyond personal needs toward the broader improvement of mankind.

What example does Markham use to explain meaningful labor?

He tells of three quarry workers cutting stone, where the third understands the work as helping build a cathedral—adding a final human accomplishment that gives meaning to all labor.

Sep 21, 2026

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