University of Rhode Island - Renaissance / Grist Yearbook (Kingston, RI)

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Henry Frank French ••Hun” Twenty-one years ago, January 15, there was a notable addition to the inhabitants of the city of Providence, in the person of oitr classmate. During his early schooling we know very little about him, or about what he did to others or others to him. Henry’s preparatory training was received at the East Providence high school, where he always had a very high standing among his classmates. The fall of 1905 found Henry at Rhode Island inspired with the ambition to become an electrical engineer. He delights in taking up all subjects in sight and many which are not in sight. He is electing electric designing, which is most interesting to him. He spends all of his spare hours at it, and probably will continue to do so throughout the rest of the year. Another of his chief delights is his literary work, which is of the highest! ?) order. In spite of his several conspicuous peculiarities he can get more out of his books with the least amount of study than any of us. He says it is “concentration” which does it. We will take his word for it. “Hun” is interested in athletics, and this last fall he made the varsity football squad. He also played on the 1909 class baseball team. He could not do justice to athletics, however, as he had every Friday night to go home for over Sunday. We all know why, and cannot blame him for a tender feeling for the gentle sex. Frenchy spends many hours in the electrical laboratory; and we know that with his liking for mathematics, his ability in manipulating electrical apparatus, and his excellent judgment, he will finally become a successful electrical engineer. 20

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Fred Kenyon Crandall “Blip” Nothing short of a man of letters could do justice to such a dignified and noble character. You have placed him at the start, if you think of those who move about with a certain aloofness, never condescending to mingle with ordinary people but occasionally casting down glances of pity upon the poor souls below. Blip was called “Smut” when he first arrived; and to demonstrate how fully his pre- vious career justifies this name, we ’ll explain. By chance it was learned that Charlestown, his native place, didn ' t approve of the way he worshiped cats, and he certainly had a fine collection — white ones, black ones, and every other kind. But this happy state did n’t last long. Blip” felt suddenly drawn to leave by the back door, and we did not hear of him again, until he showed up in Westerly. Here he com- pleted his public-school education. At this period he was not fond of labor ; so to kill time, he entered the Westerly Business College. How- ever, a short stay there proved that a business career was not in his line ; so the goddess of love took pity on him and dropped him gently down in Kingston. “Ah,” said “Blip,” after a Watson House recep- tion, “this is the place for me,” and immediately obtained a life ( ?) ticket from the 1908 Bureau of Matrimony. During his college career he has been an earnest, hard-working student ; and though we don ' t all agree with his choice along some lines, nevertheless he has won our respect and friendship by his kindness and manliness. We, his class- mates, shall always be proud of his record both as an athlete and scholar. Besides, he has from the first taken an active interest in all forms of college life, with the one exception of military drill ; but who does not draw the line at some point? As to his future, think of the fields of waving corn in distant Usquepaug, where he fondly expects to wield the hoe and run a cider mill ! We all feel confident that he will obtain more than ordinary success, and know that he is sure to be an honor to his Alma Mater. 19

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Henry Wallace Gardiner “ Blivy ” One clay in the year( ?) there was a bustle in the village of Wake- field and the arrival of “Bill” was the cause. Little is known of his early years except that lie must have done a hit of studying or attending school, and growing. In the year ' 05 he entered the Prep. School : and here he acquired, beside a liking for a foreign language and English, a fondness for R. I. College and the students of the same. He has always claimed that he wanted sometime to enter the U. S. Revenue Cutter service, but the manner in which he digs into highway engineering would seem to argue otherwise ; for he may be seen study- ing it by day and sleeping over it by night, mostly the latter. He is very fond of other things, for the expression upon his face as he sits gazing at his books tells that there is something wonderful within or rather beyond its covers. Then he figures out the distance around a few railroad curves, which may be found between Kingston and Providence or Kingston and New London ; next, he takes these distances, adds them together, multiplies by two, searches in his pockets ; and, finally, for a few days he is attracted and distracted, while here he is subtracted. In spite of these outside interests, “Blivy has been loyal to us throughout the past three years with but one exception, and this was a mistake of the head, not the heart. Once the faculty thought R. I. College could do without him, and he had about the same views ; and so he began to look around for another place to call home. But these difficulties were soon overcome and he has reached the Junior milestone of his college career, a quiet, good-natured 1909er, ever ready to give a 1910 man a run, be it baseball, football, or a rush. If fate be kind, we expect that he will be among those who look for a sheepskin in June, 1909.