High-resolution, full color images available online
Search, browse, read, and print yearbook pages
View college, high school, and military yearbooks
Browse our digital annual library spanning centuries
Support the schools in our program by subscribing
Privacy, as we do not track users or sell information
Page 17 text:
“
The University Fifty Years Ago Y acquaintance with the university goes back to the fall of 1857, when I was enrolled as a member of the Freshman Class. The studer.ts numbered in all 449, of which 173 were Medics as we called them, the literary and medical being the only departments in existence at that time. The students were somewhat more mature in years than at present and were more rustic in ap- pearance, though sweaters, slickers and toques were unknown. Many of them were poor and worked their own way through college, often boarding them- selves at an expense of about a dollar a week. They were an earnest and manly set of fellows, diamonds in the rough if you please, though the sparkle of the jewel never became visible in some cases. There were only two Faculties numbering in all twenty men. Instructors and Assist- ants were a later growth, and every freshman started with a full professor in his career of study. The teachers were men of strong personality. At their head was the great Presi- dent, Henry P. Tappan, who was commonly called Chancellor. A man of majestic presence, of great power as a speaker and thinker, almost idolized by the students but somewhat auto- cratic in his treatment of the Regents and Faculties. His impress on the life and character of the University was so strong and deep that its marks are still to be identified. The President was generally attended by two dogs that furnished unlimited comment and were the butt of many a joke. When Leo died there appeared in the next mock- program of the Junior Exhibition the following epitaph : Poor Leo little had he thought. His dog-days were to be so short ; Scarce had he quaffed life ' s bitter cup, Death took him when he was a pup. Old Tap, as we boys familiarly called him, was a born investigator. In those days it was much more common than now for strolling elocutionists, lightning calculators, and other like geniuses to show themselves before college communities. A famous performer from Barnum ' s Museum once appeared in Dr. Tappan ' s class room to give an exhibition. At the close of the performance the President questioned him about his method and expressed some solicitation in regard to his health, since he was pale and puny ; whereupon the Pro- fessor, as he called himself, assured the President that he was in excellent health and that he would gladly prove it to him if he would do him the honor to invite him to dinner. We boys could hardly suppress our amusement at this piece of impertinence, and our enjoy- ment of the scene was increased by seeing the man who was always so self-poised for once thrown off his balance and non-plussed. I regret to say, remarked Dr. Tappan, after recovering himself, that I am invited out myself today a philosophic subterfuge we were inclined to suspect. Another man of that early faculty who rivalled the President in the affection of the stu- dents was Prof. George P. Williams, Old Punky, as he was familiarly called. This name was probably given because of the dryness of his wit, and suggested by the initial of his I I
”
Page 18 text:
“
middle name. It would take a pamphlet to narrate the stories that are attributed to this witty man. A collection of his witticisms and jokes might well be made and should contain also a tribute to the memory of this fatherly friend and genial counsellor of the students of those days. One story must here suffice. On a review of a course in Mathematics, a student named Brown, of diminutive stature, wishing to escape the notice of the professor, placed himself behind a man of generous proportions and shrank up within himself as much as possible. After a time the professor turned sideways, remarked, ' Brown, your ears show. Whereupon the man promptly presented himself to full view. The Campus was an open field except for a few trees, far between, such as the one now called the Tappan Oak, south of the Library. At a still earlier time the janitor of the buildings received as part of his salary the privilege of growing the cam- pus with wheat, and gathered quite a harvest from his field. The only buildings on the campus were the two wings of what later became University Hall, and the old Medical building (now to be torn down), a part of the old Chemical Laboratory, and the four houses for professors, one of which, later enlarged, still serves as the President ' s man- sion. But I must not forget to mention another structure, it was the Gymnasium, which stood where now are to be found the Engineering shops. This was a rough board structure with a floor of tan-bark and sawdust, and furnished with a meagre apparatus of ropes, rings, pumping bars, etc., that formerly served as a place for military exercises and the storing of muskets. When I first came here the traditions of a former military drill and a study of tactics by the students were still very vivid. Just why this military discipline was given up I never knew : but I suspect that the boys got too much fun out of it. The building was torn down in 1859 and there was no more gymnasium. College sports and activities were extremely few and simple in those days. The open campus was our athletic field. Baseball and cricket were the favorite games, the fellows played for sport and exercise only, and there was no crowd of mere lookers-on, but every student that wished to play took part in the game. It was a simple and whole- some kind of athletics, in which there were no coaches, no gate-money, no rooters and bleachers, no betting, no bruising. The great event of the year was the Junior Exhibition, in which picked men of the junior class displayed their powers of oratory before an admiring crowd of friends and sweethearts. This event occurred in March, at the time of the Medical Commencement, and just prior to the Spring Recess. Another important occasion was the Annual Debate between picked men from, the two literary societies, the Alpha Xu and the Adelphi. Among the rougher sports were rushing and hazing. The former consisted in contests between classes often waged on the narrow stairs in the corridors of the buildings, to see which class could crowd and force down or up the other. Hazing took the form of ducking freshmen under the pump, which stood behind the north wing, or putting them up a tree. There was no college paper; all an- [12]
Are you trying to find old school friends, old classmates, fellow servicemen or shipmates? Do you want to see past girlfriends or boyfriends? Relive homecoming, prom, graduation, and other moments on campus captured in yearbook pictures. Revisit your fraternity or sorority and see familiar places. See members of old school clubs and relive old times. Start your search today!
Looking for old family members and relatives? Do you want to find pictures of parents or grandparents when they were in school? Want to find out what hairstyle was popular in the 1920s? E-Yearbook.com has a wealth of genealogy information spanning over a century for many schools with full text search. Use our online Genealogy Resource to uncover history quickly!
Are you planning a reunion and need assistance? E-Yearbook.com can help you with scanning and providing access to yearbook images for promotional materials and activities. We can provide you with an electronic version of your yearbook that can assist you with reunion planning. E-Yearbook.com will also publish the yearbook images online for people to share and enjoy.
