University of Georgia - Pandora Yearbook (Athens, GA)

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Robert Emory NOT many pleasures arc as genuine as that which now is afforded us. Almost solely to the counsel of Mr. Park and his financial aid, is this edition of Pandora made a possibility. This act of his is an index to the true character of the man. Mainly through his untiring efforts was Georgia able to successfully cope with North Carolina. Solely, might we say, was a new Georgian resurrected, and it has profited by the errors of the past, making from an apparently unrccon-structiblc failure, a college magazine that is the peer of any such publication in the South. Not only has this benefactor of Georgia oiled the hinges of our brains and made Georgia foremost in the forum and journalistic field, but he has encouraged the union of brain and brawn in the athletic field. Thus we see that Georgia has been indeed fortunate in the selection made for the chair of English. By some this eulogy may appear inappropriate but the editors of Pandora willingly submit to all criticism in order to be able to express in lasting words their appreciation for one who has made his every effort and the advancement of Georgia’s interest synonymous. Professor Robert Emory Park was born in Tus-kegee, Alabama, December nth, 1869, where he was educated in Park High School of that place. He received an appointment in 18S8 to West 5 Park, A. M. Point Military Academy, where he was in college for eighteen months being compelled to withdraw on account of crushing his ankle. He received In’s degree of Bachelor of Arts from the University of Alabama in 1892 and one year later he received his Master of Arts degree. He then accepted the position of superintendent of public schools of Gainesville, Georgia. After holding this position for three years he gave it up to open a private school in La Grange, Georgia, the citizens of that city giving him the ground and building to induce him to take charge of the school. This position he resigned in the spring of 1899 in order to complete his education at the University of Chicago. While there he was elected to the chair of English which duties he began in September, 1900. Though a native by birth of Alabama, Professor Park has ever been a Georgian by sentiment and descent. In the roll of the alumni of the University there arc perhaps more of his immediate family than that of any family in the State. His father, grandfather, two uncles, and a first cousin all bearing the name of Park, and a number of other relations of different names, all appear on the roll, and it affords us much genuine pleasure to record among the lovers, supporters and promoters of our dear old University the name of Professor Robert Emory Park.

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«4 PROF. R. E. PARK, Jr.

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“Pandora,” Its Purpose and History PANDORA, the gift of all the gods.” Every god and goddess contributed something to her perfection. Beauty and charm were hers, Pandora, the gift of all the students. Every student contributes something to her—we will call it perfection. Beauty and charm arc hers. Pandora herself was fashioned as a curse for man; our Pandora is fashioned as a blessing. She has a mission to perform and has she not in the past performed it well? Her duty it is to portray college life, college habits, the college itself, as they are; to convey to the outside world an idea of what we arc doing. She must, collect, gather, accumulate, everything of interest that has happened within the walls of our alma mater, sift them and give them to our alumni, to the State. What a flood of recollections flows upon an alumnus when the name Pandora is mentioned? Docs he not once more live his college life? Docs he not once more pass through that joyous time when he stands irresolute upon the threshold of life, fearing to proceed yet unable to retreat? Pandora starts this train of thought. To it he turns in his leisure and loves to think of his vicissitudes as a college boy, of his woes which he thought could never be equaled, his successes which he thought could never be eclipsed. Let us glance backward for a few years and trace the history of Pandora. It will be most pleasant as well as profitable. Pandora represents not only college life in all its manifold phases; it is not only an outlet for the literary activity and thought of the college; but in addition it purposes to be a history of the college during its year. If the University is prosperous it follows that the Pandora is brilliant and successful. If the University is laboring under hardships naturally this reacts uj on the Pandora and it falls below the standard. Let us trace, then, its history since its establishment. Set on foot in 1886 by some bright mind it has been published annually, up to date, save in 1889 and 1891. The Pandora published in 1886 was a pioneer in the South as only one such Annual had preceded it. It was small and unpretentious; bound in pasteboard. Xotwithsta«ding all this and regardless of the fact that it was far below the average of the volumes which followed it, more than twice as many men were required to edit it, as now constitute the Pandora board. At the time this volume was issued very little happened in college worthy to be published in an Annual. Football in the South was then considered to be absolutely barbarous and consequently no college indulged in such sport. Baseball here was limited to intcrclass games and one with the Athens City nine. The Pandora of '86 is so unpretentious that it contains no illustrations and but few pen-and-ink sketches. No clubs and organizations with 16