Lehigh University - Epitome Yearbook (Bethlehem, PA)

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Joe Gratto, co-winner in the Williams Debate Contest, accepts the trophy from Dr. Severs of the English Department. ing Freshman Week. A series of three impromptu themes, written by each of the English I students must be graded within a few days. In addition to the standard courses, the depart- ment has special sections in which a relatively few students with individual difficulties receive indi- vidual attention. One of these is a Remedial Sec- tion, to which are admitted students who have failed Freshman English badly but whose good marks in other subjects justify such special atten- tion. Individual remedial instruction is not con- fined to freshmen. Backsliders in the College of Arts and Science — upperclassmen who grow care- less in composition — are assigned to the depart- ment for re-training until they have won back a respectable competence in writing. The Department of English also serves the College of Business Administration and the Col- lege of Engineering with advance courses like Business Letters. Communications in Industry, and FACULTY First Row: Franklin A. Behrens. Albert E. Hartung. Paul C. Shen, Edgar H. Riley, J. Burke Severs. Head of Department; S. Blaine Ewing. John A. Hertz. Ernest X. Dilworth. Louis F. Thompson. Albert A. Rights. Second Roiv: Walton H. Hutchins, E. Wallace Mc- Mullen. John R. Schug. William A. Neville, Bernard J. Paris, Frank S. Hook, Eugene Vasilew, H. Barrett Davis, Carl F. Strauch, Cloyd Criswell. Third Row: Jasper J. Collura, William P. Keen, John R. Gustavson, Ray L. Armstrong. Calvin Israel. Thoburn V. Barker. . j fc -•

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J. BURKE SEVERS Head of D partmeni H. BARRETT DAVIS Speech Division English and Speech Division The Department of English embraces three divisions — Speech and Dramatics, Journalism, and English Composition and Literature. The latter two offer well-developed major programs which each year are elected by a number of students in the College of Arts and Science. Each college, however, requires all freshmen to take English; this means that more than one quarter of all students in the University are en- rolled in the department each semester. Thus, this is one department which will increase in size with the University, regardless of the relative sizes of the colleges. The department ' s biggest job is the adminis- tration of the freshman courses. After the place- ment tests during Freshman Week, all of the seven hundred and some odd themes, written impromp- tu, must be read two or three times by different members of the staff to assure a just and reliable placement. To add to the difficulties, the results must be in the hands of the registrar within a few days. After classes start, the work of the supervisors of the freshman courses — English 0, English 1, and English 11 — begins. These men meet with their instructors in staff meetings during the year to plan course work and to discuss common teach- ing and grading problems. Tow aid the end of the regular freshman courses the instructors are just as busy as they were dur- 25

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Technical Writing. Courses in literature also are open to qualified students in the Business and Engineering Colleges. This is one great advantage that technical stu- dents at Lehigh have over students at some other- wise excellent technical schools, namely, that Le- high ' s well-developed College of Arts and Science is at the service of the professional students for their general cultural development. However, most of those electing courses in lit- erature are from the College of Arts and Science, and usually they are majoring in English. To each major student is assigned one of the professors in the department who. in conferences, learns just what the student has read and counsels him on filling the gaps. The student in this manner gains a wider know ledge of literature and is able to pre- pare for his final comprehensive examination in a more leisurely and confident manner when he reaches his senior year. The Williams Extempore Speech Contesl u as presented this year in the all-purpose room of the University Center. Delta Omicron Theta First Row: Ziegler. Secretary: Gilhool, Vice-President ; Prestia. President; Connor. Treasurer ; Eugene Vasilew. Advisor. Second Row: Livdahl. Jab- Ion. Freeman, Martindale. Olson, Sumner. 27