Massachusetts College of Art and Design - Palette and Pen Yearbook (Boston, MA)

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Class History 1926 FIRST YEAR FRESHMEN President, Elmer Hall Secretary, Kenneth Morang Vice-President , [Marion Clark Treasurer, F’red O’Hara ARLY in September, 1922, a line of young persons trickled tremblingly into the Art school. Its sources were as remote as far distant China, and chilly Canada, and all of Massachusetts, . mbition burned in hearts slightly dampened with dread, though our all merciful Providence veiled the future. It was the class of 1926. Beginning was easy; water-color, drawing (jauntily, when weather permitted, we sat like rows of dili- gent sparrows on the steps of the Public Library or on the grass of the Common), making architectural sketches to the doubtless deserved amusement of the populace; color har- mony with our exquisite Miss Hathaway; nice though messy modeling with patient IMr. Porter; mechanical drawing (over which we pass quickly, though Mr. Ray was our favorite teacher) ; and design with our early beloved IMr. Brewster. Socially we were launched by the initiation Smix Smax Smox, bearing our humiliations with Christian fortitude, and the consolation of a promised party. Louis Novak decorated the Assembly Hall for our first dance (spurred on by our applause of this first evidence of class talent). We helped resurrect the defunct school magazine, christening it, “The Art Gum,” and we think we did it well, for there’s life in the old girl yet. Our Spring picnic was held on the Cornelia Warren estate in Waltham, where [Mrs. Whittet played her permanent part in leading us out of the maze. Last and best was our tea in the hospitable studio of [Mr. Brewster. SECOND YEAR -SOPHOMORES President, Fred Robinson Secretary, Kenneth [Morang Vice-President , Elizabeth Ashton Treasurer, Charles Austin In our second year, our struggles with the rigors of mechanical drawing, architecture, and perspective, reduced us to that fashionable shadow known as the youthful figure, though our rations were balanced by the delightful lectures on English by [Mr. Jamison, and the History of Art by our always stimulating [Mr. Earnum. Then we had composition and painting with Mr. Major, in whose presence we stood with shivering adoration. Growing pains are trouble- some ; maturity means sacrifice— and these we soon learned which was major. With glad in- [ 20 ]

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souciance we took our time at tormenting the Freshmen on Smock Day. A little later most of us took part in a pageant called, “The Princess Who Never Smiled,” which we presented for the Copley Society. Our Christmas Spread was held in iNIr. Brewster’s room. ' Twas a darlin’ party! For our annual dance the Assembly Hall was transformed into a fairy-tale-gar- den, where we wore tea-rose boutonnieres, danced, and ate ice cream blossoms while the orchestra played behind a garden wall ; giant hollyhocks bloomed, and the patrons sat behind a white picket fence in the yard of a watches’ house! The end of this year was given over entirely to the pageant, “The Story of Art,” which was given at the Copley Theatre to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the school. For weeks, the whole building was a w ' orkshop where costumes were designed, and decorated ; tableaux were selected, stage properties were made, lighting effects were studied, music was arranged, and a “grand time was had by all.” THIRD YEAR- JUNIORS President, Fred Robinson Secretary, Ruth Smith Vice-President , Bl.anche Hart Treasurer, Charles Austin Our third year saw us in smocks of wistful blue, w ending our ways as ability, inclination or fond fancy led us, into different courses— Fine Arts, Teacher Training, Costume Design, or Illustration, Modelling, Crafts, and Design, meeting only for Anatomy with the affable and at- tentive Mr. .Andrew ' s. In condescending friendliness, we gave the poor little Freshmen a pat on the head at the usual Junior reception. Our Christmas Spread in i Ir. Brewster’s room was made memorable by a short speech from our kind host, and in all the gracious things that he seems to find it so easy to say — no one has yet found that has said anything as charming as what he said to us about us ! Our innovation this year was the dance held at Whitney Hall, instead of at school. We being that popular, the w-alls bulged to hold us and our friends. River- side was the scene of our Spring picnic, but we wound up the year with the Year Book which was no picnic. It was a smart little item that escaped the hunting and hounding Eleanor Holland, who edited and practically wrote the book, which Fred O’Hara adorned with some painfully accurate cartoons of members of the class. In spite of Eleanor’s efficient cajolings, many of our best items were lost as the printers apparently took the part which fate takes with our lives and “cut the galley to suit the page” — which solacing reflection is quoted from Mr. Major. FOURTH YEAR-SENIORS President, Ereu Russell Secretary, Elizabeth Ashton Vice-President , Blanche H.art Treasurer, Reginald Kibbe The first event of the year was a Hallowe’en Costume Party, given for the purpose of paying a few remaining debts of the Year Book. The costume designers worked their required eight weeks in New York; and the teacher training pupils taught in various schools, half of them the first part of the year, the other half the remainder of the year. Some of us worked in the euphemistically called atelier of Madame Frances. When we returned to Boston, this lady sold out her business. She could not get along without us! Fred Russell, speaking to us at As- sembly of his trip abroad, and Elmer Hall, describing the Inter-Collegiate World Court Con- ference which was held at Princeton and to which as the President of the Student Association, he went as the representative of the school, proved that an artist can express himself by words as well as with his fingers. At Christmas we had our last privilege of being guests of iMr. Brewster in his room which so beautifully reflects the taste of its decoration, and our last dance, at Alden Park iManor, came off successfully, though we plowed through the deepest snow of the winter to get there. This little record of four years’ medley of happy memories, senior work and joyous com- panionship comes softly and breathlessly from the museums and libraries where we are digging into the archives for material for graduation theses with which we intend to astonish a waiting world. It would be futile and incomplete without mention of the determining factors of our ex- perience— our teachers. Of their splendid gifts they have given us splendidly. Upon us they have lavished time, patience, and indulgence. In modesty we do not claim greatness, but in justice we assent that in love, loyalty, and grateful appreciation no class compares with the class of 1926. [21 J