rhetoric and public speaking. For brief periods he had the assistance of Anthony F. Blanks, a Vanderbilt alumnus, Lionel D. Edie, ’15, and Clarence J. Myers, ’20, immediately after they graduated; and Carl A.Kallgren, ’17, who had outstanding success coaching the debate teams of 1921-27. Other alumni who returned were Robert C. Ward, ’08, and Frederick M. Jones, ’09, to the Romance Language Department in 1908 and 1910, and Clifford E. Gates, ’15, to the German Department in 1915-all studied in Europe, Jones earning his doctorate at Grenoble and Gates at Cornell.
In 1912 the Department of Music was established and William H. Hoerrner, supervisor of public school music in Binghamton, was made Professor. Under his supervision the glee club achieved a remarkably fine standard of performance and a far-reaching reputation. He was also active in arranging for many concerts on the campus by nationally known artists. From 1913 to 1920, Robert G. Ingraham, ’13, was a member of the Music and English Departments. Ford B. Saunders, even prior to his graduation in 1921, was designated organist and joined the Music Department after receiving his degree. His weekly recitals became a significant means for broadening students’ appreciation of music.
With the arrival of Alfred E. Alton in 1911, Biblical Literature became a permanent department of instruction and he developed for his classes a familiarity and appreciation of the Bible as a part of a liberal education. Like his own teacher, the liberal William Newton Clarke, he had a sympathetic understanding of problems of students from conservative backgrounds who found difficulty in adjusting to newer religious ideas. In addition to his classroom contacts, of course, he touched a great number of young men as counsellor and “chaplain,” as noted earlier, and never with cant or pious ways but on their own ground as advisor and guide.
In mathematics and natural science student interest had grown rapidly in the past few years. Dean Crawshaw was disturbed in 1909 that it might lead to a lop-sided program which, of course, the major and minor and distribution requirements arrested. Chemistry under the vigorous direction of Professor McGregory was probably the strongest and most popular department. Additions to his staff included: Arthur E. Wood, ’15, Kenneth S. Daniels; ’18, and Raymond J. Hemphill, M.S.’ ’24. The introduction of an industrial chemistry course in
