Tag Archives: Alfred E. Alton

p. 313 – The Cutten Period, 1922-1942

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M. Williams, ’95, President of the Alumni Corporation, and Bernard P. Taylor, ’24, Secretary, and its effectiveness assured its perpetuation by each successive senior class. The commencement of 1940 was made notable by granting an honorary degree to Mrs. Frances Payne Bolton, Member of Congress and the great-granddaughter of Elisha Payne, one of Colgate’s “Thirteen Men.”

As the expanding Alumni Corporation came to play an increasingly greater part in University life, a full-time secretary became necessary.Raymond E. Brooks, ’06, one of the organization’s founders, was appointed in 1925 to relieve Professor Alton, who had combined responsibilities for alumni affairs with his many other duties, and was assigned office space in the Administration Building. His successors were: Bernard P. Taylor, ’24 (1929-35), Herschel L. Mosier, ’22 (1935-42), and Carlton O. Miller, ’14 (1942-60); the latter had also been one of those who had established the corporation in 1919.

The program for alumni activities included the annual Homecoming Day, first held in the fall of 1923 to give the graduates an opportunity to see the college “in its shirtsleeves” since the usual day-to-day operations were suspended when they came in June. With the conclusion of the Million Dollar Campaign, the first of the annual alumni funds was established in 1925 to be completed the following spring. As a means of building alumni loyalty and interesting prospective freshmen in Colgate, the corporation in 1926 and 1940 sponsored the production of films which presented various characteristic features of undergraduate life in and out of the classroom and which had extensive showings before alumni groups and in secondary schools. Student selection was a service to the University which appealed to many alumni and under the leadership of George W. Cobb, ’94, committees for this purpose were formed throughout the country and sent many fine young men to Colgate. Undergraduates were also enlisted in this enterprise and prizes were given for those who were particularly diligent in the work. To honor those men who made outstanding contributions, the Alumni Corporation in 1937 instituted Alumni Awards for Distinguished Service; the first recipients were most fittingly James C. Colgate and George W. Cobb.

As Dr. Cutten’s administration drew to a close with his resignation to take effect in the summer of 1942, World War II had already changed the aims and operation of the University and further and more

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‘Colgate Thirteen’ is organized (p. 306)

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of the English Department and coach. Despite the limited facilities of the Little Theater in the Administration Building and later in Lawrence Hall, Masque and Triangle, the dramatic society, staged some notable productions under his direction. The actual performances were usually given in the village “opera house” or movie theater.

Under the leadership of Professor Hoerrner and, after his retirement in 1934, Professor Thomas Roberts, the Glee Club received wide support and held to its customary high standards. Its quartet made the first commercial recording of Colgate songs in 1926 and in 1929 for the first time the Club gave a joint concert with a girls’ chorus, the Skidmore Glee Club. A smaller and more informal singing group, the Colgate Thirteen, was organized in July, 1942, “to spread Colgate spirit through song.” Beta Theta Pi inaugurated its annual intrafraternity song contest in the spring of 1930. The first of a series of student musical comedies was produced in 1935.

The highlight of the debating program was probably the team’s successful trip to English universities in 1924. Cambridge and Oxford teams visited the campus on their American trips. Able students and effective coaches-Carl A. Kallgren, ’17, Ralph E. Kharas, Lawrence A. Appley, and Jasper (Jack) V. Garland-combined to make excellent records.

The YMCA, renamed successively Colgate University Christian Union and Colgate Christian Association, played an active part in student religious life, especially under the sponsorship of Dr. Alton and Secretaries Shotts and Gregory. After the latter’s resignation in 1933 students with some faculty assistance took greater responsibilities. The Association arranged in 1936 for the first of the all-campus Mother’s Day weekend programs which Beta Theta Pi had inaugurated in 1933.

The two honorary senior societies, Skull and Scroll and Gorgon’s Head, in 1925 vainly attempted to merge as the Mercurius Society in an effort to eliminate campus politics in selecting members. Seven years later, however, they succeeded in consolidating as Konosioni which emphasized service to Colgate as well as recognition for athletic and other attainments. Acknowledgment of freshman and sophomore campus leaders came with the formation of the Maroon Key Club, a junior honorary society, in 1931.

Fraternity life was in its heyday in the 1920’s and ’30’s. Two were added to those already on campus-Theta Pi Delta, a local group

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Capstone of the Colgate Plan (p. 302)

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in a department of the school. Provision was also made for. required work in written and spoken English and a reading knowledge of two foreign languages.

The first of the survey courses, that in philosophy and religion prepared by Dr. Alton and Dr. Bewkes, was offered in 1928. Thereafter came biological sciences in 1929; the physical sciences, social sciences, and fine arts in 1930. Since these courses were pioneer cooperative efforts, instructors, drawn from various departments of each school, had to prepare the instructional materials and help each other in the fields where they had no training, and often did their best teaching in what they knew least about because they had to “dig” before meeting their classes. In due time course manuals evolved from mimeographed pages into published textbooks by Harper-Art in the Western World (1935), The Human Organism and the World of Life and Atoms, Rocks and Galaxies (both 1938), and Men, Groups and the Community and Experience, Faith and Reason (both 1940). They won adoption in several colleges which established general education courses.

Honors courses, designed to provide exceptionally able seniors with the opportunity for independent study and to encourage high intellectual attainment, were instituted in 1925, on recommendation of the Committee on Scholastic Standards, as an experiment in four departments. Tutorial seminars, begun on a voluntary basis in 1931 and required of all juniors and seniors beginning in 1934 when the Colgate Plan was in full operation, superseded the honors courses but held to somewhat similar objectives. Each student took a seminar in his department of concentration both semesters of his last two years and was thus enabled to have dose contact with his instructor and to meet weekly with his associates for discussion of the papers they had prepared. The seminar system, which was not peculiar to Colgate, won general approval though there was some question of its value for the less capable students.

The capstone of the Colgate Plan was the comprehensive examination, introduced in 1932, in the field of concentration, required of all seniors following a reading period. Heretofore it had been possible for seniors to avoid final examinations their last semester if they had the requisite general or course standing. The faculty felt that the college course should end in a climax bringing together for analysis and

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p. 288 – The Cutten Period, 1922-1942

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ment of Health was set up in 1924 and Morrill L. Ilsley appointed full-time University physician; Dr. Linn C. Beebe succeeded him in 1928. James D. Howlett, ’00, a former New England headmaster, in 1927 became Director of Personnel responsible for the “selection, conservation, and guidance of students” but soon was made Director of Admissions and Assistant Dean. George Werntz, ’33, Dean Howlett’s assistant in 1938, took over as Director of Admissions when he retired in 1942. George H. Estabrooks, of the Psychology Department, in 1930 became Director of the Placement Bureau which assisted graduating seniors in finding employment. Through a trustee’s generosity it was possible from 1928 to 1933 to have professional YMCA Secretaries, Claude C. Shotts and Charlie Gregory. To coordinate and supervise non-athletic student activities L. Robert Oaks, ’29, served as Graduate Director from 1929 to 1932. This office lapsed until 1937 when J. Russell Freeman, ’35, was made Director of Activities for the newly completed Student Union and assumed many of the duties of the former Director; his successors were Cyrus R. Pangborn (1939-40) and Robert J. Grant (1940-42). In the ’20’s Dr. Alton, in his many sided role, had been in charge of all University publicity. When in 1933 the office of Director of Journalistic Activities was established Dexter H. Teed, ’24, a professional newspaper man, took over this responsibility. In 1940 Colgate had its first Director of Public Relations, W. Emerson Reck, who expanded much of the work of the Director of Journalistic Activities. Professor Shepardson resigned as Treasurer in 1923 to be succeeded by Charles H. Wilmot, ’22, who was also Business Manager, and he, in turn, in 1936 by John W. S. Littlefield, ’22, who came to the campus with experience in banking in New York. Added to the Treasurer’s office was the position of Bursar to which Frederick W. Piotrow, ’20, was appointed in 1932. A campus store under the supervision of the Treasurer’s office was first opened in 1932 with William F. Cutten, ’32, as manager.

After the deanship became vacant with the resignation of Dr. Crawshaw, Clarence H. Thurber, ’12, Ph.D., Columbia, 1929, who had been professor of education at the University of Buffalo, was appointed in 1930 Dean of the Faculty and Director of the Educational Program, a position he held until 1933. To supervise student affairs and provide counseling, Eugene G. Bewkes, ’19, Ph.D., Edinburgh, 1924, and a member of the Philosophy Department since 1927 was selected

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p. 283 – The Bryan Period, 1908-1922

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Centennial celebration. Over 1,200 alumni returned for the festivities held October 9-12. Since the University was in session the problems of feeding and housing were of major proportions but accommodations were found in the village and cots set up in campus buildings and large tents erected near the Administration Building for serving meals. The program included: Dean Crawshaw’s Centennial Ode, Dr. Lawrence’s Historical Address, Harry Emerson Fosdick’s tribute to the memory of the Gold Star servicemen, an alumni dinner, an academic convocation addressed by the New York State Commissioner of Education, John H. Finley; a football game with Brown University which Colgate won; and a concluding chapel service.

The most epoch-making feature of the Centennial was the founding of the Colgate University Alumni Corporation to supersede the old Alumni Association. It was designed as an efficient, permanently-staffed organization to keep in close touch with the graduates and to give them an opportunity to take a mote active part in University affairs. Twelve directors were immediately elected and they later chose George W. Cobb, ’94, who had been one of the corporation’s chief builders, President; Raymond E. Brooks, ’06, Vice-president; Professor Alfred E. Alton, B.D., ’02, Secretary; and Professor Harold O. Whitnall, ’00, Treasurer. Soon the corporation had an office on campus with Professor Alton in charge. Within a brief period he perfected class organization among the alumni; established and edited the Colgate Alumni Maroon (Colgate Alumni News) which replaced the sporadic Alumni Quarterly; opened a large correspondence with alumni; and helped to collect over $19,000 in support of the organization and the University. Encouraged by the success of the first few months the Directors in 1920 took the lead in launching the campaign for $1,000,000 and a new gym, in which Dr. Alton played a large role.

Before the campaign had concluded Dr. Bryan resigned effective June 30, 1921, to become President of Ohio University at Athens. He had led Colgate in one of its most notable periods 6f expansion-in size, buildings, faculty, and resources. His wisdom, genial friendship and personal interest won him lasting appreciation.

Responsibility for carrying on the affairs of the University fell on Vice President Read, now made President pro tem. The confusion of the post-war years added to his burdens which he shouldered with distinction. He drew together “the threads of cooperation” and kept up the general morale in a difficult transition period.

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p. 277 – The Bryan Period, 1908-1922

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tradition, one of its most violent aspects, lasted until 1919 when the faculty abolished the institution because of increasing intensity of the conflict, the dangers involved, and the money and time squandered. After a freshman accidentally drowned in the “proc” rush in 1919 this contest was replaced the next year by a frosh-soph tug-of-war. Under-classmen faithfully observed the pre-Moving-Up Day customs such as
burying the hatchet in Taylor Lake and smoking the peace pipe. On occasion their exuberance got out of bounds as when some of them in 1915 sheared the “flowing locks” of a villager and were hailed into court, or in 1921 when they burned the Whitnall Field grandstand and in 1922 the horse sheds behind St. Mary’s Church. The behavior of a minority reflected to a degree a relaxed attitude to law and order found throughout the country following World War 1.

Campus leaders wrestled with disciplinary and other problems in the Student Association and the senior honorary societies. The latter, in imitation of those established in American colleges as early as the 1890’s, were composed of those students who were outstanding primarily for extracurricular achievements and service to the University. The first, Skull and Scroll, was organized in 1908 for “the guardianship and promotion of the fair name of the college” with Professors Hoerrner and Whitnall as honorary members. The second, a rival, was Gorgon’s Head, founded in 1912 “to encourage the growth of manly character, scholarship, and College spirit”; Professors Alton, Allen, and Brigham were its sponsors. Distinguished off-campus recognition came to a Colgate undergraduate when Whitney H. Shepardson, ’10, son of the Academy Principal, and member of Skull and Scroll, was named the University’s first Rhodes Scholar in 1909.

To the five existing Greek letter fraternities six were added to meet the needs for social life, dormitory accommodations, and eating facilities brought about by the increased size of the student body. The Iota Chapter of Theta Chi was chartered in 1912 and Alpha Zeta Zeta of Lambda Chi Alpha in 1916. In 1917 three received charters-New York Delta Gamma of Alpha Tau Omega, founded as the Madison Club in 1902; Delta Upsilon of Sigma Nu, founded as Theta Delta Sigma in 1914; and Delta of Kappa Delta Rho. The last of the six, New York Zeta of Phi Delta Theta, originated in 1907 as the “Owl Club” which became Sigma Alpha in 1908 and was chartered in 1918. There had been only one house on the campus constructed for a fraternity,

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p. 271 – The Bryan Period, 1908-1922

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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

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p. 264 – The Bryan Period, 1908-1922

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President Elmer Burritt Bryan, 1909-1921, Presidential Photographs (Artificial Collection), p264

rapid growth of the College and the need for student counseling in an increasingly complex academic and intellectual environment. With Dr. Bryan installed as president, Dr. Crawshaw resumed the deanship and in 1911 John Greene, Professor of Latin and former Acting Dean, became Associate Dean to assist in admissions work and in advising students. The same year the Rev. Alfred E. Alton, a Princeton alumnus and a Seminary graduate in 1902, left a pastorate in Rome, New York, to become Professor of Biblical Literature; his primary duties, howev-

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