Phillips Exeter Academy - PEAN Yearbook (Exeter, NH)

Page 27 text:

Xxfllfh the completion of the Thompson Science Building there were no more chemistry laboritories such as this one. that the P00117 had been the same for the last fifty years. There was a great deal of justification for this complaint, although it is true that no matter what any executive board changes, there will always be some who will not stop screeching. The 1939 Perm makes no pretense to perfec- tion, but it entertains hopes of beginning a happier tradi- tionf, It went a long way towards that tradition. The 1940 Perm was a disappointmentg it wasn't even a good imitation of the '39 annual, There are, however, two things worthy of mention. From the In Memoriam to Simeon Murch: He said little because he knew what to say. He expected the best from a boy and he got the bestg but he never expected more than a boy could give. All of us knew the integrity of Mr. Murchf' From the ln Memoriam to Mr. Harkness: But more than buildings, lectureships, medical centers, and charity funds services. There is thc story of a man. A world too often cynical may, find inspiration in a man of whom it may be said with all sincerity: 'He loved his fellow I11CI1.H7 It has been the good fortune of the Academy to be blessed with such people as these two men, one a faculty member, the other a benefactor. Rising printing and engraving costs because of the war hindered the 19-ll Perm, but nevertheless the layout was changed from a conservative style to a more modernistic one. The placement of the candids throughout the book was quite excellent. Perhaps this satisned the numerous complaints from members of the Senior Class that the Perm had been the same for over Hfty years. Probably not. 1942 was a year of change, both in the school and the Perm. Although the Class of 1942 has in itself differed little from others, some of the external events which occurred during its four years at Exeter have effected radically the outlook of its members. This history goes on to describe the coming of the war to America and what that meant to this class. The certainty of war, of course. had destroyed whatever individual aims most stu- dents had. Fraternities were abolished after graduation of the class of '42, To some, the passing of these societies has come as a shocking example of faculty interference in student affairsg to others, it represents a long overdue reform in the democratic structure of the school. lt seems likely that the latter view is closer to the truth. When fraternities were started, they were a necessity, for there were hardly any dormitories, the centers of student life. But since those days the school and its social structure had changed. Change marched on in 1943, although rising costs and wartime difficulties proved a hindrance. The Senior Coun- cil story is indicative of the restlessness of the Exeter scene.

Page 26 text:

Edward Harkness. This section takes on added meaning when one realizes that the '36 P01111 was dedicated to lfdward Stephen Harkness. Color was employed throughout the '37 Perm for the first time in several years. The skillful use of red lines. dark back- grounds in the photographs. and white space made for an attrac- tive annual. The '37 l'ci111 was another large book. liven more clubs had been added to l'fxeter's long list: the Outing Club, Radio Society. and the Ski Club. l.ikc every other I't'.1l1 of this period it had a spectacular cover. Simplicity dominated the '38 I'UiIll,' the over-all impression was quite good. A great deal of the writing was done well and with thought. 'fDuring our several years at Exeter, we, the graduating class, have met with many good things, success, happiness, and scholastic attainment. Only once in a while did we encounter a bad thing, that was generally the product of the imagination . . . These moments have quickly passed, and with our many activities and studies we may say that we have been happy in our work, far too busy to notice even the passing of time. lffxeter life can be so full that the present, future, and the past all merge together. Color was not used, but an increase in candids, and the effective use of black lines and white space made this Perm artistic. The country came out of the depression, and the P01111 came out of a rut, an editorial rut. The executive board of the '39 Penn called their effort an 'experimental guinea pigf for later editors. By observing its reception they may learn how lCxeter students prefer to read about themselves-lightly or factually. Probably a combination of the two. humor and serious facts. is what can have the most meaning. lt was encouraging that the editors of the '39 Penn tried to get out of this editorial rut. The senior editorial was written in the first person, and although not unusually profound. interesting. The article on the Senior Council is more perceptive. The Senior Council, however, accomplishes little as a student body. but Tfxeter docs not pre- tend to have student government and never will. The layout of this annual was a change. This must have satisfied the school, which was beginning to complain bitterly The construction of Phillips llall for the llarkness Plan.

Page 28 text:

A new Council and a new constitution was the result of a reaction against what had come to be a mere steak-eating clique of boys. Un- fortunately it does not seem that the reaction was very successful. Since the dormitories had become more im- portant in lilxeter life, an article on each one was included in the '43 Penn. This gave the editors an opportunity to display their Hare for creative writing. For example the Abbot story- Perhaps one of the greatest tragedies of modern times is that Sigmund Freud was unable to observe any of the activities in Abbot Hall during the last year. One is inclined to feel that in this red-brick asylum, replete with every imaginable type of mental disorder, Sigmund would have found his ideal workshop. Higher labor costs, the tremendously in- creased prices of both copper and paper, sky- rocketing printing and engraving bills, the scarcity of photo materials, the discontinu- ance of advertising companies who have Govern- ment war contracts and no longer need to advertise, and the VVPB IWW paper consumption cut have all contributed toward making the issu- ance of publications in wartime a far more difficult task than in peacetime. Perhaps that is why the '44 Penn was not a very good one. Despite the relatively unartistic appearance of the '45 Penn it was in some respects quite excel- lent. The photography showed care in choosing subject matter, and the writing was often realistic and to the point. VVe would like to quote from the class memoirs of '45 certain interesting and significant passages. One morn- ing in the winter term, the Dean rose in chapel to explain the asthmatic tone of that morning's bell. Evidently the impossible had been accom- plished. The bell had been robbed of its clapper, and the chapel was being held by the grace of the ingenious ianitor who was wielding a sledge hammer on the bell. Dean Kerr pleaded elo- quently for the return of the clapper, tacitly admitting that the deed was a daring one. Then he blushed bright red and announced that no questions would be asked of the boy returning the clapper. The 1946 Perm was characterized by boldness in art, writing, and in photography. There was also a considerable element of wit and frivolity. Soon the class of '46 will be spread across the country, like the japanese beetle, through as- sorted colleges. The A. P. will be in the Army. To the faculty, we will be just another class- not good, not bad. But blessed by four years of an Exeter education, our well-trained intelli- gence must tell Us that we are the best class yet. Mr. Kesler leads a paper drive during VVorld War II. This gymnasium was replaced by the Thompson Gymnasium.