Ohio University - Athena Yearbook (Athens, OH)

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» i [01 c 1 The National Guard and Ohio University By A. U. Vv,heeH OW many students of Ohio University know that a military organization has been connected indirectly with the University since the year 1890? In that year a company was formed and was deignated as Company B, 17th or 7th, O. N. G. The Captain was Professor Chapin of the department of Biology. The first lieutenant was E. B. Welch; other members of the company and who were also members of the championship f ootball team of 1897 were Captain Lowry, Ned Gibson, O. D. Dailey and Clyde Edmundson. Mr. Ralph Dalton of dancing academy fame was a sergeant in the company. This organization continued until the Spanish-American War broke out, when it was called into service and was sent to Camp Alger, near Washington, D. C, where it remained until the close of the war. The men were then sent home and mustered out. The company was made up largely of students and was considered a very good unit. In the year 1910 Captain S. M. Johnson organized another unit which was called Company L, 7th Infantry, O. N. G. This company carried on until the late War of the Nations began. Any student who has seen service in the old company L will swear that it was the best outfit ever organized. It was composed entirely of students and they were the most prominent students in .school at that time. The captain, S. M. Johnson, was a catcher on Ohio ' s baseball team and was a good one if the old timers can be relied upon. The lieutenants were L. G. Connett and Francis Frebault; the first sergeant was Blaine R. Goldsberry. Some of the other men were Hoke Palmer, fooball captain; Russell Finsterwald, captain and later coach of football; Heber Gahm, James Laverty, Mark Hendrickson, the well known baseball pitcher, and John Goddard, an All Ohio tackle. At the same time there was a machine gun company located in the city and many prominent students belonged to that company. When war was declared the company lost many men who were given commissions in the Reserve, but those who were left defeated the Varsity football team of the year 1917. The company was sent to Camp Sheridan where they lost their identity and most of the men were transferred to the 1.36th Field Artillery. They, however, kept in touch with each other and gave many functions under the name of old Ohio. The machine gun company was transferred to the 135th Machine Gun Battalion and remained with that unit until the close of the war. The men from these companies saw service on all fronts and many were decorated for bravery. Among these were S. M. Johnson. R. R. Johnson, and Max Young. The men were mustered out at Camp Sherman in April, 1919. In the fall of 1919 a company of infantry was organized with Jud Stinchcomb, a well known Ohio student, as captain. Since the organization of this company most of its members have been students of Ohio University or Athens High School. During the past few years this company, with William V. Walsh, well known student, as captain, has been recognized as a unit of high order. About a year after the organization of this company of infantry. Captain Mont- gomery Campbell came to Ohio University. He had served in the officers reserve corps and still held a commission in the reserve. He was now called upon to organize a battery of artillery. This proved to be a difficult task because many of the men had so recentiv been mustered out. He finally succeeded in organizing a battery known as Battery E, 13Gth F. A., O. N. G. This organization, now in its third year, is carrying on the old traditions of the former units and doing it with honor. It has taken the honors at three summer camps and is the pride of the regimental commander. Colonel Thatcher. All the officers and members of this battery are Ohio students. Battery E was the Honor Guard at Marion at the funeral of President Warren G. Harding. If another war breaks out Ohio is once more prepared as she always has been in the years past. Ohio has reason to be proud of her military units, past and present. • 5 — ?r 5 — ? » M M n I : s i=3ci z: g

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(rf)C35r3 Z3 5 R I ' M M S Reminiscences of Former Days S. F. Roush, ' JU i Acknowledgment : The data found in this article was procured from Prof T. N. Hoover.) HILE undoubtedly every student on the campus knows that Ohio University is the oldest institution for higher learning west of the Alleghanies, yet there are, perhaps, comparatively few who stop to consider the changes it has undergone during its succeeding stages of development. When one realizes that Ohio University was founded when this region was virtually an unde- veloped wilderness, he very readily comprehends that as an educational institution it has progressed from the most primitive to the most advanced stages. It is a little hard for us to realize that a century ago the entire enrollment was less than is found now in one history class; and it taxes our imagination to the limit when we think that where now the hand-painted co-eds crowd the fellows off the walks, there was not heard the melodious chatter of female voices. Not until long after Civil War days were women admitted to Ohio University, and not until the College of Education was enlarged to its present proportions did their number equal and exceed that of the men. For nearly three-quarters of a century, this was exclusively a men ' s college and the unique rules and regulations imposed upon them are of more than passing interest to the student of today. Let those who bewail the hampering restrictions of the present day look upon these and rejoice! Among them are these, — that the president should serve during good behavior; quarterly examinations should bo held by the trustees; no large buildings should be made for the residence of students, for ' Chambers in colleges are often the secret nurseries of every vice, and the cages of unclean birds. ' No student shall possess or exhibit any indecent or indiscreet picture; nor purchase nor read in the university any lacivious, impious, or irreligious book or ballad; nor sing or repeat anything of like character; and if any student shall be convicted thereof, or of lying, profaneness, drunkenness, theft, uncleanness, playing at unlawful games, or any other gross immoralities, he shall be punished according to the nature and heinousness of the offence, by admonition, public reprehension, or expulsion from the university. No quarreling shall be permitted. No student shall go to a tavern or alehouse for enter- tainment or amusement without special permission from one of the faculty; nor shall he keep company with a person whose character is notoriously bad, under penalty of admonition. No student shall disguise himself by wearing women ' s apparel, or in any way whatever. Students of today may notice that there was no rule against smoking cigarettes in the halls, but corncob pipes were the style then. Freshmen may also discover that the lake and the green cap are not mentioned; and may perhaps be led even to doubt that such things were the decrees of the gods in antiquity. The President taught English Composition and each student presented two long themes to the trustees at their semi-annual meetings. Even as today the proverbial C theme predominated, and the trustees gave it up as a bad job and turned it over to the professors. The faculty members were to congregate the students for prayers each morning and ev ening. After evening worship the students took turns at giving decla- mations, two performing each evening. Sunday services were held at which the President or some member of the faculty gave the sermon. Something that may be of major interest to students is that on account of high prices for board and student accommodations, the trustees established rates for board, washing, lodging, fuel, and candles at two dollars and fifty cents per week. While these things may bring back tender reminiscences to the old grads. and are of unusual interest to those of the present generation, yet we are dubious whether any would be willing to return to that good old golden age.