Middlebury College - Kaleidoscope Yearbook (Middlebury, VT)

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Sesquicentennial Weekend President Stratton, Dr. Carmichael, Mrs- Horton, President Emeritus Seymour, Dr. Wriston After one hundred and fifty years of lib- eral education, anyone would feel like cele- brating! That is just what we did on the weekend of September twenty-ninth and thirtieth. Middlebury welcomed a record number of old graduates, friends, and par-- entsg also sixty-two delegates, fifty-ive of which represented various colleges and uni- Dr. Philip C. Jessup and President Stratton versities throughout the country. President Truman extended his congratulations. What Was the occasion? A birthday party, of course, and the annual Homecoming Week- end thrown in to boot. The two day Sesquicentennial Anniver- sary began on Friday morning in the Con- gregational Church, when Dr. Thomas Qpast president of Middleburyj , Dr. Freeman, and President Stratton spoke, and by Friday afternoon it had really made the rounds. From the church it had proceeded to the Inn Qfor registrationsj, to Old Chapel Qfor an informal receptionl, and ended at Mead Chapel for a twilight musicale by the college choir. Friday evening the Symposium . . . The Liberal Arts College . . . Its Heritage and Prospects . . . claimed the presence of many of the delegates. A few old grads were viewed cutting and heading in the direc- tion of Passion Puddle. Probably these had been former biology majors, the frog popu- lation of this puddle being well known. The above mentioned romanticists, however, missed an excellent program. Speaking were Dr. Charles Seymour, President Emeritus of

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Concerts - Lectures Every so often Middlebury students are treated to one of those rare whiffs of not- quite-academic fragrance, which are des- tined to remain with them long after the essence of most classroom lectures has bitten the dust. This year the traditional Concert- Lecture Series contributed along these lines by presenting Cornelia Otis Skinner, the Vermont State Symphony Orchestra, San- roma, and Charles Weidman with his The- atre Dance Company. In addition to these events there were at least two others of equal interest, namely: lectures by Mrs. Induk Pahk and Doctor Henry S. Commager. Mrs. Pahk, a native of Korea, presented her own pertinent description of that coun- try and its people. Stressing Korea's vast cultural background, Mrs. Pahk made the point that Koreans live too much in the past, and that with unity of North and South will come spiritual, moral, and political strengthf' Miss Skinner captured and retained the attention of all with a magnificent portrayal of the six wives of Henry VIII and the enaction of a few modern monologues of Americans in France. On December 7th, the Vermont Sym- phony Orchestra delighted its audience with its much-awaited annual program. Maurice Wilk, the outstanding violinist, performed a solo, while Mr. Alan Carter conducted. With a few well-chosen words, Henry Steele Commager managed to arouse in his 1 l Cornelia Otis Skinner as Anne Boleyn in The Wives of Henry VIII audience a bit of that now smouldered fire and fury which characterized the Civil War period. Dr. Commager's subject was 'litera- ture of the Civil War. States the San Francisco Chronicle in ref- erence to Sanroma, One of the greatest pianists in America. The musician's audi- ence in Middlebury apparently was similarly impressed. The lighter vein was to be found in Charles Weidman's dance recital. Endowed with the ability to express his humorous observations through the medium of dance, Mr. Weidman was very clever in his inter- pretations. Perhaps his recital even inspired a few placid individuals to let go and express themselves by joining the Modern Dance Club here at college. Vermont State Symphony Orchestra rehearses in the high school gym

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. Midd's Dick Worthington stopped by a Wesleyan tackler Yale University, Dr. Oliver Carmichael, President of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Learning, Mildred MacAfee Horton, former President of Wel- lesley College, and Dr. Henry M. Wriston, President of Brown University. Saturday morning, sunny, bright, and rather early, the Ted Lang Jr. Memorial Field, to be used for intramural sports, Was dedicated. Later in the morning could be seen one of the most impressive features of the Weekend . . . the procession of delegates, trustees, faculty members and students to the Memorial Field House. College men, looking very fine in their Saturday best, were complemented by college Women in White, and both formed an aisle in front of the Field House through which marched the remainder of the procession. The proceedings within the Field House vied With, and defeated, those Without for precedence. The Idea and the Hour, a poem written expressly for this occasion, was read by its author, Arthur Wallace, '09, to commence the Convocation which was ended by the presentation of honorary degrees to ive of our outstanding guests. The interim -21- between the presentation of the poetry and the degrees Was emblazoned by Philip C. Jessup, United States Ambassador-at-Large. Ambassador Jessup's speech, entitled Let Freedom Ring, invoked spontaneous ap- plause from an appreciative audience. A tie-score football game with Wesleyan and the Commodore's Ball completed the Weekend. A most successful birthday party. The Alpha Slug's Winning decoration