College of William and Mary - Colonial Echo Yearbook (Williamsburg, VA)

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:Li2 a. octor John Edwin Pomfret has brought with him to the College of William and Mary in Virginia, a new conception of the president ' s role in campus life. Like every true educator, tall, sturdy Doctor Pomfret makes the students his first interest, always consulting students and faculty concerning mat- tors that effect both. Before coming to William and Mary he was Dean of the Senior College at Vanderbilt University. Preceding his experience at Vanderbilt he was in the history department of Princeton University and from 1934 to 1936 he held the post of assistant dean of men of that university. Having received all his degrees at the University of Pennsylvania, Doctor Pomfret is today a leading authority in advanced and modern theories of education in the training of tomorrow ' s teachers. With his ever present small bowled pipe in one corner of his mouth, and a genial smile, the school has In him the unusual combination of a real academic who understands students and faculty from within, and at the same time has administrative skill and experience. A few of Doctor Pomfret ' s characteristics are that he Is more at home In the classroom than any other place and he does not waste time In getting to the point. He possesses common sense and adheres to simplicity and modesty in his dealings. Doctor Pomfret dislikes parlor games and his hobbies from his youth to his present age have been baseball, tennis, and billiards. Fishing on the ocean bottom off the coast of Cape May, New Jersey is his favorite pastime in the summer. He holds the campus of William and Mary among the first three most beautiful in the country and he ac;lalms the harmonious plan In physical growth on the college green and the old yard. Doctor Pomfret considers the outward friendliness exhibited by the William and Mary students among themselves and to the faculty a ceaseless tradition, and he admires the Honor System and the high esteem In which it is held. Doctor Pomfret was secretary of the Social Science Research Council from 1936 to 1938, served in the Navy in 1918, and is a member of the American History Association, Phi Beta Kappa, Pi Kappa Alpha, and Who ' s Who in America. He has written several books and In 1932 he received the Tailtean Award for non-fiction by writing The Irish Free State. Busy as he Is with administrative tasks he has time for occasional walks around the campus to chat with students, and to stroll around the Williamsburg Restoration. He and Mrs. Pomfret are popular guests wherever students gather. Under his sincere leadership the College of William and Mary will continue to bi one of the outstanding components of the higher educational system in America. i

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