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

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Gon en s Academics yJroanizaiions s reeJ?s (L)porh IS 36 74 9S ea ures 114 :£i:3k i ?: u uc en s and yjampus loife 130

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UJie Seaencf Uf U ie Senior OaA Soon after the land had been obtained for the building of Elon College. Dr. W. S. Long, who was the founder and was to be the first president of our college, undertook to clean off the land, which at that time was only a dense woods. He went about this by suggesting to the people of the district that if they would clean away the underbrush, they could have the wood they found for winter use. Dr. Long returned later to find that they had begun on the South side by cutting down all of the trees in this section as well as clean- ing away the underbrush. Disturbed by this, he left his young son. Will, to supervise the work. His instructions were, along with clearing away the underbrusii, to cut down all the trees except those oaks which were tall and straight. With Will directing them, the people now were doing the job as it was meant to be done. When they came to a young, very crooked oak. Will who had a strong sense of beauty, instructed them to leave this tree, for it appeared to him artistic. So this crooked tree, was left to grow along side the tall straight oaks. When Dr. Long returned to check the progress, he was pleased though he disapproved of the fact that the young tree was left. Will told him his reason for leaving the oak, but his father said that he did not want anything crooked on the campus and gave instructions for the tree to be removed. For some reason, the young oak was not cut down. Years later, after the college had been built and had begun functioning, the tree became known as the crooked oak. About 1930 the senior officers began having their pictures made beneath the crooked oak, which by that time had become a tall sturdy tree. Thereafter, picture making beneath the oak became a tradition. Since this time, the crooked oak has been known as the senior oak. Today it still remains on the campus in front of West Dormi- tory as a highlight of the Elon College Campus.