Elon University - Phi Psi Cli Yearbook (Elon, NC)

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Fifteen Martyrs in Humanity ' s Cause W{m HE Class of 70 feels that it honors itself in dedicating this issue of The Phipsicli to (he fifteen sons of Elon who gave up their lives in the cause of human freedom- — fifteen as noble-spiriled heroes as ever offered the best iSey had for country and for right. And five hundred eighly-six others from Elon who were just as ready to make the supreme sacrifice as were the fifteen whose bright, promising young lives went out m response to humanity ' s call, ed m the six hundred and one of her sons who sought the colors and the fifteen who made tSe supreme gift of thei r lives to make the world afe place for the indwelling of the principles of eternal truth as revealed in the gospel of the Christ. April 6. 1917 — a memorable day! The day of the dawn of world-freedom! The day of America ' s new birth into a recognition of her duty to the world! And on that day three sturdy sons of Elon volunteered in the service of their country. W. F. (Happy) Odom. who gave up his life in France, W. M. Horner, and Elvin Tuck. They were followed by large numbers accepted for the first Officers Training; Camp, and by still others for other departments of the service, until before the Commencement in May it looked as if no male students would be left. Happy beat the hearts of those who love Elon when they consider the response of her sons (o the opportunity to serve the cause of humanity! And now the war is over, the victory achieved, and the work of world- rebuilding to be undertaken. We who are left lo do this work rejoice that we hve in an hour like this and that forget the shed blood of the fifte privilege might be ours. We hearts, in the tasks that chalient our rich inheritance and our he edgment of the debt we owe memory of their heroic deeds our behalf. It is in response to our spirit of gratitude for the service their death rendered us and the world and in grateful recognition of the same that the Class of 20 dedicates to them this book of our hands and hearts, while we acknowledge through our tears that these brothers of ours did not die the martyr ' s death in vain nor too soon. O. martyrs, you have not died in vain. In the windrowed heaps of the scarlet slain; And this is the reason why: Our tears are the dew and your blood is the rain. Lest the flower of faith should die. We shall not forget, though you come no more. When the twilight turns to the dark; But your shadow falls for aye at the door Where it fell so oft in the days of yore — O. men with the martyr ' s mark! ■ can labor in a caus e Ilk. e this. But VN-e si lall never :teen brothers of ou. ■s w!i o died in F ranee that this miss their CO mrade; ihtp. the CO. Tirade •sh,p of noble ;e us on every hand . Bi It the.r spirit of s acrifice is arti ' devotion goes o ut to them 1 n gra tetul acknowl- their 1, a debt we c annol 1 discha irge ! save in loving and of their sacrificial s elf-ded) icatioi n to death on Q

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They Did Not Die Too Soon Progress, no longer blacl(mailed fcp crowned ruffians, will promptly meet the war debts. Imagination, free to exploit all domains, knows where the salvaging wealths are hid. Microscope, retort, and crucible will find more billions than guns have lost. The increased energy and enthusiasm of peoples, liberated from fear and restriction, will soon finance the future. Faith and hope have feathered their dreams and sent ambition winging to the stars. Never again shall they cower before doubt — or let expediency counsel their souls. We know at last that justice is invulnerable — that the Right is God ' s eternal will — that conscience and courage are impenetrable panoplies. Prejudice and caste have yielded the highroad, and insolent minor- ities no longer thwart popular weal. Civilization is resolved that parasitic classes shall pass. Future opportunity, earth over, is reserved to merit. These things have we brought humanity from the battlefield. Such is our victory, and our children shall not regret the cost. The World-machine shall never again he smashed by fanatic or greedy swords. Now and ever after we shall be builders, arid our conflicts shall only be against darkness and disease and the wantonness of nature. Tomorrow shall not miss the millions resting on the breast of France — man is but a measure of minutes. They were marked to perish by the bayonets of the clock- Time would have slain them had the Prus- sian not. They did not die too soon who held the Front for Christendom. What equal glories could their further years have won? — Herbert Kaufman.

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lilHllllllllllllilllllllilllllllllllllllillillSllllllllHl liiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiininiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiii Qtexion ' N leminiscence we experience the profoundest pleasure and the keen- est pain. Pleasant memories, if retained, may return to us again and again, carrying us back into the past and permit- ting us to live ever again the happiest of our experiences. In contemplation of the future we are prone to allow these little things of the past to be crowded from our minds, and many beautiful friendships and associations to sink into oblivion. This volume of the Phipsicli is offered as a record and souvenir of our happy, youthful, college days. If it helps us. as we grow older, to a retrospec- tive glimpse of our beloved Alma Mater and friends of 1920, the purpose of the work will have been accomplished. ■ I