Georgia Institute of Technology - Blueprint Yearbook (Atlanta, GA)

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and California Universities in 1915 and 1920 respec- tively. He studied in Caen, France, in 1919 and in Munich in 1928. In 1943 he received the degree of Doctor of Science from Washington and Jefferson Uni- versity. His military service was extensive and distin- guished in both world wars. From 1932 to 1937 he served as Dean of Engineering at the University of Florida and from 1937 to 1944 in the same capacity at North Carolina State College. On July 1, 1944 he became president of Georgia Tech. With his inauguration began another era in Tech ' s history. A man of tremendous capabilities, Col. Van Leer began a term of office that was to see the entire face of the campus change. In 1948 I saw the comple- tion of the Harrison Hightower Textile Building and in 1952 the Architecture Building and the Price Gilbert Library in 1953. The completion of the Rich Electronic Computer Center in 1955 was a noteworthy step in the rise in research from $50,000 to almost $2,000,000 annually. The addition to the West Stands, the tennis courts and the new Alexander Memorial Coliseum at- test to the fact that he was interested in sports. More- over, he worked tirelessly to obtain and retain fine faculty members, thus improving the quality of the Tech graduate. Coach Dodd In the same year of 1944, Robert Lee Dodd became head coach of Georgia Tech ' s football team. His place in my story, though significant, has not fully materialized. His abil- ities as a coach — a developer of men have not yet been fully realized. For twelve years he has set all sorts of enviable records as a coach. As in the case of Heisman and Alexander, his wins and losses do not tell the story of his greatness. He is a man of genuine, down-to-earth principle, a man dedicated to the proposition that foot- ball and other sports, though played in a big-time fashion at Tech, are in existence primarily for the de- velopment of the individual and not the furthering of any plan for complete domination in the sports field. Truly, he has built an outstanding record while at Tech. In his twelve years at the helm, his charges have won 101 games while dropping only 28; they have played in eight bowl games and won them all, the last six in successive years; they have never been defeated in ten national television performances; and in the past ten years they have won more games than any other major college football team. Certainly this is an indi- cation as to the coaching ability of this man. Again, I say that Coach Dodd, though described as a man of ability and character, has not yet seen the era of his ultimate greatness. His greatness is of the type that continues to grow as time passes. Tech ' s Saddest Day On the afternoon of January 23, 1956 I saw Tech suffer its greatest loss in the untimely death of Col. Van Leer. Suffering from a coronary condition, he passed away late in the afternoon, ending a fabulous era in my story. His death came in his finest hour for he had lived to see work begun on additions to the campus which will, in future years stand as testimony to his adminis- trative genius. Perhaps the greatest memorial to Col. Van Leer has already been built, that is, the Georgia Institute of Tech- nology that he built. He will long be remembered for the many fine buildings he brought to Tech, for the faculty members he attraaed here and for the high quality engineers he graduated from Georgia Tech. But to those who knew him as a person, whether they had the privilege of shaking his hand while crossing the graduation stage, or heard him when he spoke at Fresh- man Camp or just happened to pass him on the campus, he was known and will long be remembered as a gen- tleman and a great man as well as a fine educator. Dr. Paul Weber To replace this great loss. Dr. Paul Weber, Dean of Faculties, was named as Acting President. The former head of the School of Chemical Engineering assumed his dual role with amazing ability. His administrative guidance dur- ing the last year will long be remembered as one of the great services rendered Tech by a faculty member. 10

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Growth Under During Dr. Brittain ' s administra- Brittain tion the campus grew immensely as new degrees, and new buildings, began to even more firmly entrench Tech as the leading technical school in the South and one of the finest in the nation. In the 22 years under Dr. Brittain the degrees of Ceramic and Aeronautical Engineering, In- dustrial Management and Public Health were estab- lished. The campus was greatly changed with the con- struction of the Physics, Ceramics, Civil Engineering, Engineering Drawing and Mechanics, and Engineering Experiment Buildings, the Chemistry Annex, Harris, Cloudman, Harrison and Howell Dormitories, the Naval Armory, the Athletic Office, Rose Bowl Field, the East Stands of Grant Field and the Auditorium- Gymnasium. Probation In 1942, however, Tech suffered its most humiliating incident. In 1 94 1 , in spite of war clouds about the world, Tech was enjoying its finer years. The enrollment was higher than ever and the registration of out-of-state students was stopped two months before the opening of the school term. In this era of apparently fine operation, President Brittain wished to resign to allow a younger man to step in and take over. However, due to the innate fear that Governor Eugene Talmadge might appoint an inadequate successor. President Brittain was persuaded to withdraw his resignation. Later, though, the power of the Talmadge Adminis- tration was felt when, after the dismissal of Dean Walter D. Cocking of the School of Education of the University of Georgia and President Marvin Pittman of the Georgia Teachers College at Statesboro after hearings and the dismissal of many other members of the staff of the University System of Georgia without hearings, an appointed committee of the Southern Asso- ciation of Colleges and Secondary Schools recommended that the schools of the University System be dropped from membership in the Association. The committee recommended further that the . . . suspension take effect September 1, 1942, and continue until removed by vote of this Association at its next or later annual meeting on recommendation of the Executive Commit- tee and of the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education. Then the long arduous campaign to oust the Tal- madge Administration began and the summer of 1942 saw the people of the state show that they wanted a new type of rule and they elected Ellis Gibbs Arnall, a young rising gentleman from Newnan. Promptly Governor Arnall sought to restore the standing of the state institutions. In December of 1942 he presented the Association with his plan for greater independence of the Board of Regents and other measures that would insure the return of proper state administration of state operated schools. The Association, after being convinced that the injustice had been repaired promptly reinstated all the members of the University System of Georgia. Exeunt In 1943, Dr. Brittain, seeing that Brittain the school was once again in safe hands tendered his resignation to the Board of Regents, effective July 1, 1944. His resig- nation came at the age of seventy-eight after many long hard years of devoted service to his school and state. In assuming his duties as President Emeritus, Dr. Brittain left an age of progress in which the campus grew from fifteen buildings to thirty-seven; in which the student enrollment increased from less than 1,700 to over 3,000. However, as in the case of all great men, he is not remembered by the buildings that sprang up around him but simply by his love — love for helping boys be- come men, love for hard work, and a love for his state and nation. This was Dr. Brittain ' s greatness. Enter Van Leer Colonel Blake Ragsdale Van Leer became Tech ' s fifth president upon the retirement of Dr. Brittain. Col. Van Leer was born in Mangum, Texas, in 1893. He received his degrees of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering from Purdue

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The Present This brings my story to date. I have tried to bring to you the things as they stood out in my mind and as they can readily be connected with the present. It is obvious that Tech is a young school, her potentialities unlimited and her resources and reputation undisputed. Her climb to the top has been one of many anxieties, joys and sor- rows, but now we are not at the end of the story, but only the crossroads. My story shall be told for many years to come. The names may change, the campus may look different but nevertheless, this is only a milestone in Tech ' s history. I now see the close of recent eras and the beginning of new and surely even greater ones. This then is Tech, the glories and heartaches of its part. Let me now introduce you to its crossroads, the year of changing times; let me now bring to you Tech ' s greatest year in her eventful history. 11