Columbia University - Columbian Yearbook (New York, NY)

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It is interesting, once the main historical pegs have been made secure, to glance at the various occupations which have engaged Philo's collective and individual attention. From the beginning, writing and speaking have been the two poles between which oscillation has been continual as well as erratic. It was the custom in early days to invite outsidetftspeakers, and this recreation, together with the oflicers' inaugural addresses, seems to have provided the high spots of entertainment. The last recorded inaugural dates from 1830. The quality of the oratory is indubitableg Cicero, Burke, or Webster could have hardly done better-without surpassing themselvesg but the quality of the 'thought is, to us, less apparent, perhaps because more rarefied and subtle. Not infrequently poems and essays were read, extempore speeches made, and debates staged. The latter became, as time went on, one of the most im- portant activities of the society and these, aided by the prize competitions which acted as incentives, helped to revive the interest in formal oratory. In the course of its perigrinations, Philolexian managed to accumulate a -library of about fifteen hundred or two thousand books. Each member was required, during his active membership, to contribute from 31.25 to 34.00 in books. At some time, not specified, this library was given to the Columbia library and merged by categories into the' great' mass of Volumes. Now and again one experiences the pleasant surprise of finding the old Philo Ex Libris in a dusty volume requested for a purely utilitarian purpose. But not content with beingthe quaint repository of old names, old books and old customs, Philo is also the first organization at Columbia to have pub- lished a periodical. The first, The Philolexian, can hardly be called a period- ical since it appeared for the first and last time on February 26, l8l3. It consisted of a single handwritten copy of a paper to be read before the So- ciety. It is Johnsonese in style, elevated in tone, and moral in purpose. It seeks, of course, to remedy the defects of the Society with a View to insuring its prosperity now and in future. The idea-germ of a periodical, found here, was taken up in December of the same year, when The Philolexian Observer was first issued. Twelve papers of homilies, criticisms, letters, admonition and reproof constitute its volume. All writers are anonymous, their style is uni- form, their subjects fascinating. Procrastination, Cuentlemanly Behavior, Dancing, and one avowedly humorous attempt called Ghost of the Philo- lexian, are among the most valuable contributions. as af bs- Many curious propositions have been debated in Philo during l25 years, and yet not strictly speaking by Philo, but by the U. S. Senate or the State Legislature, into which the society solemnly resolved itself. Books and medals were awarded at first to exceptional speakers, but, in 1884, Henry N. Mills and Robert M. Bull, two alumni, donated S250 annually for five years to be expended in prizes for the first and second best orations delivered. This dona- tion is especially interesting in view of one of the donors' antecedents. Vyfhile in the society Mr. Mills was one of its outstanding speakers. The record states that 'ihe delivered an oration regularly, a most apt and precise phrase, since it appears that it was always the same oration, Spartacus As the minutes once put it, Mr. Mills then delivered 'Spartacus' in his best style. l The Society's Hrst debate was held when it was twelve years old. Its subject is indeed great enough for such a youngster to discuss: Would it be expedient to extend the benefits of a liberal education to the female sex? For the sake of our Philolexian ancestors' memory, the benefit of the doubt should pc-gtgranted them as to their final decision on that question: no record of it is e . E341

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chapel crypts,-a room on the fourth floor of John Jay was given to the society in fee-simple and in perpetuity. Owing to restrictions of every sort on student activity, including athletics, Philolexian constituted for many years,-until the removal of the. college to Madison Avenue and Forty-ninth Street in 1857,-the sole center of under- graduate social life. Together with literary discussions, oratorical fireworks, and forensic sword-play, the meetings of the society provided the friendship- starved students with necessary gregarious opportu- nities, permitting them also to engage in what a con- E'lmHU 'l mllmll'Mn'l ml -L temporary alumnus coyly termed other than merely iz vu v.-rx-xnxx .xxxu :mmm ..,.. 5 intellectual pursuits. .fm'un'?I Just fifty years ago, three rather important rol.n.mu:-rnu-u- 'S li events took place that influenced Philolexian. In- lg ..., ternally it suffered its most severe slump, owing to the immixion of fraternity politics in its economy. ' E525 Simultaneous with the Philo neap tide, the forma- In .A ll' ffl' 'ff'-Eg tion of the Barnard Literary Society served to con- M- - -'A- - E centrate talent and resuscitate moribund interest in - , :1 iii' L --i - Philo itself, of which Barnard was a seceding 1: M -.. gl ,---- -A----' --- offshoot. Finally, that momentous year also saw fiilmiWUtlIHH1'llimm'4ys1i.z'1qmiqlqlgiigqqitfgl the decline of P2lIl'1OlOgl3I1, in spite of Nicholas Murray Butler's Herculean efforts to pulmotor a last spark of vitality into its varicose veins. Fourteen years before, a Peithologian commencement orator had boasted of the superior brilliancy of the younger organization in a piece of verse of which the key stanza runs as follows: Philolexia's eyes now tremble with spite Por her poor sun is dimmed by our star's dazzling light. She has found out at last, though it shines from afar Peithologia's orb was always a fixed star. And a glistening tear down her pallid cheek slips For her sun is suffering a solar eclipse. Aside from unorthodox astrophysics the verse reveals the interesting spirit of rivalry existing between the two societies, a spirit that Barnard was to help to promote, but which has now,-perhaps unfortunately,-ceased to exist. The next low water-mark in Philo's life occurred in l893g the reason for this listless- , ness has never been investigated. lt seems to have just come about, and it might just as easily have done away with the society altogether had it not been for the unselfish action of the then E 1 newly formed Hamilton Literary Association which offered to join forces with Philo, and I whose generous offer was gratefully accepted. Since then, the society has had a fairly even tenor of existence, marked by a greater and greater degree of informality in organization and function, as well as by the development of a strong interest in dramatics which has lasted until the present: the Hrst Philo Play having been given November 17th, 1910, and the sixteenth annual production having graced the boards not more than six monthskago. . E331

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It was not until 1880, after Barnard had been founded, that joint public debates were held. The result of the first was so disastrous to Philo that for a number of years the Society remained intra muros forensically. From 1894 on, however, the joint debates were resumed, ceasing only in l909 after ten Philo victories and one default to Barnard's twelve' and three. - During these years a number of now prominent alumni tried their wings in oratorical flights of no mean altitude to judge from the nature of the ques- tion at issue and the persistence of their trials. We note such names as A. G. Hays '02, Wellington Koo '09, Dixon Ryan Fox '11, Arthur W. McMahon '12, Parker Moon 'l3. Some of these indeed, were instrumental in the inception of the Philo- lexian play tradition. D. R. Fox and A. W. McMahon were on the committee that produced the first Philo play, which is also the first English comedy, Ralph Roister Doisterf' The next year, A. W. McMahon was Chairman of the Committee and Manager of the second production, Frier Bacon and Prier Bongayf' With that second success, dramatic Philo was fairly launched in an activity fully as engrossing as moral suasion or argumentative endeavor had been to literary Philo in the past. Together with the annual dramatic production, the custom has developed again of reading literary pieces, either original or from books, before the Society. When the committee has finished reporting on plays or moving the House to sit as a Committee of the Vifhole, a previously designated member brings to the attention of the Society perhaps a new masterpiece of his own composition or an extraordinary find These very often excite the other members to criticism, discussion and even to the exposition of esthetic theories of the utmost interest. Within the memory .K F f, ...., , ., , in of present members, the f .it ffwfff' 0 ip reading of James Joyce's 1,1 3 ,,7gfQ'Q?,i2g2f'j1i7g3f'i'j'iff. At'. Q, A' Ulysses fpassimj, p 5 A f if ',fy 2 Milne's When We Were ' A f .X 1' l ,., ' 1 Very Young, selections Q e - qfblii. e p .,- -pp ip I from South Wind, ,Q f Q, ,g 17 gg? i'Richard Kane, Zu- 1 Nfft jf, leika Dobson and the f 1 ll, l ' P fi Children of Morning- ' Cf 5 ' I 4' 5 A 'if M' , - f' if.,-tp., side evoke most happy .... i'70UV,m5ffT353bli0.ifcfflifai' , ,I fi g . . A h Q s fgfxgffjlf-5. . .' M+2:v -.,. p: .,, ISQCOHCCUOTIE- P50125 TC 5 i'o.z,i,a-:mi t3l:1'hllgfiQNI:QNBCU73Ql30RA.i'ES-eS'l'5 Nl must not e exe u e t e . 5 X-afgfidg fVJ'fE J,?ff-':L - Q ' annual intimate dramatic i fy if offering presented by the E ff ..,... ..,f, ,,,.. A newly-elected members. ya, . ,,.p. .,.. , .,,. .,.,.,.',LQ.1,gy,i,y,,.a,, f,E,g,f5 ,.,. 4 5 Such gems as 'iPelleas and f Qf,,,,, pl ,Q ,,,,, A ,.,, . ,,,., alia...-, ,,,, .,,.iQ,,,L. ,..,,,,z,,,?g p Mel1S3Hd6,,, The Ciolden 5 ...aa l A 3 A Star, and Spooks, de- ' ii 7,L.,,,,..' , Sefive feqgi-ding fOr 3 pqg- A l,7,m,,7,,,, 4.,jw?JWi 11, 1 terity which we trust will 3, Q i J FET- I 1 - '- 5 Q 1 -A. 'wk' '- 'z'7':'fff5 -T last -another century Or in g p. two. . T5 'I in 3 . 5. in ' 1 f As long as Phdolex- i - ian will mean intellectual ',,,- stimulation and compan- l 35 1'