University of Georgia - Pandora Yearbook (Athens, GA)

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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

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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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which recent Pandoras have teemed, were known in the University at that time. Thus we see what a limited field there was to cover; what a limited scope there was to view. The Pandora of 1887 in appearance resembles its predecessor yet it has evolved from its embryonic state and has begun its first upward shoot. This issue abounds in wit and humor depicting college pranks and jokes. In it is chronicled the first Zeta Chi initiation which has always been the bane of the Freshmen’s existence. Editorially, the Pandora deplores the lack of a gymnasium in the University and suggests several plans by which the necessary funds might be raised. There is also an article eulogizing Chancellor P. H. Mell, who then stood at the helm of the University. In this year we find that Field-day was observed for the first time and a list of the winners on that occasion is given. The year 1888 marks a still greater evolution in the Pandora. It is bound in cloth with a neat cover design and contains some good illustrations. The poems have improved and several long articles arc inserted notably one descriptive of Athens and its advantages. The editorial space is consumed by an appeal to the Legislature for more funds and a statement of the deplorable fact that Mercer and Emory were on a better financial footing than the University. So great was the need of funds to back the Pandora that no issue was published in either ’89 or '91. The Pandora of ’90 makes little improvement over that of ’88. Yet it contains an original 1 idea that of giving a history in a sarcastic style of the different editors composing the staff. Here we find the last account of a Zeta Chi initiation until the quiet Freshman was again disturbed in the fall of '98. By '92, the difficulties seem to have been overcome and Pandora is at last on a firm footing. Since that time it has thrived and prospered. The principle subject of interest with which this Pandora dealt was the installation of Dr. William E. Boggs as chancellor. The year 1892 marks the first game of intercollegiate football played in the South. Auburn and Georgia were the contestants. Since this time the colleges have been brought into closer union with each other. They have discarded their old prejudices and enter into friendly rivalry in various fields. The Pandora of 1893 came out in a new and attractive style, rectangular in shape with a neat black and red cover. This Pandora represents a broader field as the college had taken on a new growth. Here for the first time we find pictures of the various fraternity groups. Also the Thalians and the football team arc given prominent places. The ’94 Pandora closely resembles its predecessors. In ’95 we find an account of the formation of a glee club in the University. Here also the Non-Fraternity Club first has its picture published. The most prominent original feature of the ’96 Pandora is a well written history of Demosthenian and Phi Kappa Literary Societies. 7