New York Military Academy - Shrapnel Yearbook (Cornwall on Hudson, NY)

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.4 ' 1-9 , fL,4:, 11 I . f . if superintendent was known to every member of the corps, did not invade the crows' domain until they had been there for several days. Since the birds had not left the building in that time, the sight which greeted the good Colonel's eyes was conducive neither to his good temper nor to any subsequent softness in his dealings with the culprits. Nor, as a matter of fact, did the earnest young scien- tists ever Gnd out whether their special crows could be trained to carry on a conversation in any language. Before the opening of the following school year, Colo- nel Wright decided that the very life of the Academy de- pended upon a drastic change in the executive department, due to differences that existed between himself and some of the staff. Ile resigned all active control of school affairs, and, in 1894, was succeeded as superintendent by Colonel Sebastian C. jones. Sebastian Chatham jones, graduate of Cornell Univer- sity as a Civil Engineer, had been headmaster of Cayuga Lake Military Academy, and division engineer of the Louisville-Nashville Railroad. His service at New York Military Academy was distinguished in every respect: and by his tireless efforts he made the school one of the best of its kind. Colonel jones was President of the National Associa- tion of Military Schools and Colleges from 1916 to 1918, and at the time of the World Wlar was often called, in an advisory capacity, to Washington. The new superintendent, assisted by Captain Louis Gulick, Marine Corps, as commandant and Benjamin L. Wilson as headmaster, found himself facing a stupendous task. Reverberations of the difficulties of the previous year had extended beyond the walls of the Academy and there were but forty-eight cadets in attendance when school opened in September, 1894. That this number increased to seventy before the end of the year was a testimonial to the acumen of Colonel Jones and his staff. FIRST BASEBALL SQUAD - 1889 Page Tlrirl et II

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FIRST OFFICERS - 1889 and school spirit and for a time a general order had to be issued banning all fraternities. Few light notes were struck during the year, but one fwhen viewed from the perspective of 46 yearsj seems worthy of remark. The Quarterly, of December, 1893, quotes the new eligibility rules for college football and editorializes: This rule seems a good one. It puts a stop to the practice of taking a good man from one of the smaller colleges and paying his expenses .... The only objection is this: These rules take effect immediately. Pennsyl- vania has gotten together a very strong team . . . Candi is scheduled to play Princeton and Yale. She claims that as these dates were made before this rule was considered, she should be allowed to play the team organized before this rule went into effect. But Princeton, Yale and Wesleyan are against her and she will probably give in. But the end is not yet. Another touch of humor broke the tempo of school .--.-..-...,.....1...,...............,........-..-u,..e.,L.., ...w.k-..- aefmfu.. ..... ,. ...-...L.............,......... days when Colonel Wright was harassed by the famous for infamous, Crow Incident. A spirited discussion in cadet barracks one night, concerning the ability or inability of crows to talk, resulted in the organization of an expedi- tion to put the matter to the test. Plans called for the cap- ture of a crow, subsequent slitting of its tongue, and then a course in elementary English. The expedition was all too successful. Five young crows were captured in a nest and brought back to the Academy. The problem of finding a home for them was settled by their installation in the upper part of the private stable maintained by Colonel Wright for his own horses and car- riage, although the cadets in charge of their feathered friends neglected, through some oversight, to obtain per- mission first. An infrequent visitor to the stable, Baldy, as the ...........,-.. -.-A-.-is . M..-.-.. -.........:...-L.-. ,f.:--,v,....s.. .. . .... .W..m,m-. .i. Page 'Twelve t

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1 , f ..f.- T79 1 X ,-.X X l FIRST FOOTBALL TEAM - 1890 More important, perhaps, than any other single factor was Colonel jones' ability to regain the confidence of the corps of cadets. He rescinded the ban on fraternities, made every effort to give the boys a fuller social life and, al- though athletics hit an all-time low at the Academy, gave support to all of the teams. Colonel Wright resigned even his nominal position as president of the Academy in 1895 and Colonel jones, given complete control, began a sound building in all directions which produced almost immediate results in increased at- tendance and a general uptrend in the morale and prestige of the school. He was handicapped somewhat by the un- expected death of Captain Gulick during the year, but the latter's place was capably filled by Lieutenant Warren K. Dunton, U.S.A., Retired. One indication of the revival of school spirit under the new regime was the success of the football team in the fall of 1895. Although not a member of any league, the N.Y.M.A. eleven was generally credited with the cham- pionship of the Hudson River valley. The season closed in highly satisfactory fashion with a 12-8 victory over Peeks- kill Military Academy. The N.Y.M.A. Quarlerly of that time declares that when the Academy scored in this game the air was rent by the pleased cries of our backers. In 1896, Colonel jones decided that a feminine touch might be helpful at the Academy, and Mary A. Harding was brought to Cornwall to be Matron. She held that po- sition for many years and gradually came to be looked upon by the boys as a second mother. In later years her activities were changed and she became Matron of Bard Hall, where she found a place in the hearts of the juniors until 1926, when advancing age made it necessary for her to retire and she was appointed Matron Emeritus. The next year a scholarship known as the Mother Harding Gold Medal was set up, to be awarded to that cadet who, by vote of the junior School Faculty, approved by the Superintendent, is adjudged to be the most worthy boy in 'Bard Hall,' consideration being given to his aca- demic work, athletic ability, military drill, conduct and leadership in school morale. On january 9, 1932, Mother Harding died, rich in years and eternal possessor of a small portion of the heart of every N.Y.M.A. boy who had partaken of her willing kindness in a troubled, lonely moment of his youth. 1 1 Page I nl1r1r.'t'll t