University of California Berkeley - Blue and Gold Yearbook (Berkeley, CA)

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BLUE GOLD BENJAMIN IDE WHEELER A B..A.M.. PH.D..LL. D. Benjamin Ide Wheeler was born at Randolph, Mass., on July 15. 1854. the son of the Rev. Ben- jamin Wheeler and Mary Eliza (Ide) Wheeler. He had his edu- cation first in the public schools of Haverhill and Saco. Maine. It was at Saco that he first entered a high school in 1866. This school is now known as the Thornton Academy. On removing to Franklin, X. H., in 1868, he entered the Franklin Academy, where he stayed six months. From there ne went to the Xew London Academy, now called Colby Academy, in Xew London, X. was duly graduated in 1871. President Wheeler H. From this institution he In the following autumn he entered Brown University, from which he was graduated in 1875. His studies while at that institution followed the regular curric- ulum without any suggestion of specialization. On the com- mencement stage he had the honor of the class oration. During his college course President Wheeler received the Dunn premium, given for the best work of the year in the department of English, with special reference to writing and speaking. In addition he received one of the Carpenter prizes given to the two students of the year who. in the opinion of the faculty, combined in the highest degree the elements of success in life. After graduating from Brown University, Dr. Wheeler taught in the Providence. Rhode Island, High School for a period of four years. During the first two years he taught mathematics, while in the other two he instructed in both mathematics and classics. Then, in 1879, he was appointed a tutor in the university from which he graduated, to take the place of an absent assistant pro- P a S e fessor in Greek and Latin. 21

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ISLUE GOLD The opening of the spring semester was delayed two weeks by a recurrence of the influenza epidemic, registration day being Janu- ary 20, 1919. During the interlude of holiday vacation, much progress had been made toward placing the University on its pre- war basis. By February all barracks were being dismantled and by March few traces remained of the intensive training of the preced- ing semester. With the return of former conditions came many sacrificed traditions under the guardianship, once again, of the Bear. The spring semester was nineteen weeks in length, this being necessary as a balance to the short fall semester, when the four-quarter system was in effect. The past college year will undoubtedly go down as the most important chapter of our history here. Californians numbering 4000 saw service in some branch of the allied armies. One hundred of those made the supreme sac- ri fice. Here, as throughout the Nation, the women gave unceas- ing support. They, too, organized, and toiled in a full realization of the duties incumbent upon those who cannot bear arms. Page 20 S. A. T. C. Barracks

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T! L U E G O I, I ) In 1881 he was married to Miss Amey Webb of Providence, Rhode Island. Dr and Mrs. Wheeler then departed for Europe, where for the next four years he studied in German universities. His study at the University of Leipzig occupied one year. In 1883 he entered Heidelberg- University, where he remained two years. Upon returning to America, he was instructor at Harvard University during 1886. In the latter part of that year he became a member of the faculty of the University of Cornell, Ithaca, New York. He held at first the title of Acting Professor of Classical Philology in 1886 and 1887. For the following two years he was Professor of Comparative Philology, then Professor of the above subject including Greek. In the year 1899 he became President of the University of California, to which institution he has so recently submitted his resignation. President Wheeler has received the degree of Doctor of Laws from numerous Universities, namely: Princeton, 1896; Harvard, 1900; Yale, 1901; Johns Hopkins, 1902; Wisconsin, 1904; Dart- mouth, 1905; Columbia, 1906; and the degree of Doctor of Letters from the University of Athens, in Greece. He is the author of many books covering a field of Philology, History, Language, and Education. The President ' s war record included responsibilities of vary- ing nature. He was Chairman of the Committee on Resources and Food Supply of the State Council of Defense ; Chairman of the California branch of the League to Enforce Peace; the personal representative of Governor Stephens in the Food and Fuel Price Conference called by the Federal Trade Commission in Wash- ington, D. C., and at the conference of the States called by the National Council of Defense in Washington ; member of the Com- mittee to examine candidates for the R. O. T. C., and a member of the Executive Committee of the State Council of Defense; and lastly, a member of the Board of Inspectors appointed by President Wilson to visit the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. President Wheeler is a member of Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society and the Alpha Delta Phi Fraternity. He is an honorary member of the Pacific Union Club and a member of the Faculty, P a g e University, Claremont Country, Commonwealth, and Bohemian 22 Clubs.