Albert Schroeder, a member of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses, served as chairman. After song and prayer, he introduced Robert Dawson, city overseer of Pittsburgh.

Albert Schroeder next spoke about how the evening reminded him of another milestone in Bible education. He recalled February 1, 1943, when a hundred students, four instructors (including him), and guests from Brooklyn assembled at South Lansing, New York, for the opening of the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead. Over the 44 years since then, Gilead School has had Jehovah’s blessing, as seen in the scattering of over 6,000 Bible-trained missionaries all over the earth. Brother Schroeder then noted the various subjects to be taught in the Ministerial Training School. Among these are Bible Teachings, Theocratic Organization (which focuses much attention on responsibilities of overseers and ministerial servants), God’s Administration, and Public Speaking. He also called attention to the various textbooks, including Reasoning From the Scriptures. In conclusion, Brother Schroeder noted the fulfillment of Isaiah 45:23, stating that religious opposers were, in effect, bending their knees to God because they have had to acknowledge that Jehovah’s Witnesses are right in the fields of medicine, law, and Bible chronology.