University of Pennsylvania - Record Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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'ff igllgtiffiig ,ti ' it 'WE .vfffim f' flfiir, wig . Qt.-D, I I, w xx!! l .wits ,ri aug' titifzffif 'W ,N viii-A ffl ' -il-:Q-1 ,tijgj tw mi. frsexitex ifiifi Eli I itflkfiglit-1 if. fr stagirgtivftw ' rfi:fww'r,' it - aff: 4 ,-ULN, ,L Wglrih , iifqp 'J ql'f'i1g. , 3- . -- -'fp 'mf-.,.. , A Q ..E..w img Qlcrss istong. EDWARD ALDEN MILLER. ADIES AND GENTLEMEN: The Class that greets you to-day, started on its way four years ago under the best of auspices. The schools of Philadelphia and vicinity contributed their choicest specimens of boyhood, and the largest class ever known asked admission to the University of Pennsylvania. Our terms were that all must be received, or none. The Faculty wisely accepted the first alternative, and one hundred and fifty of the finest swore allegiance to 'S7. There were many in the ranks whose brilliant careers -our prophet, had he been on hand, could have foretold. He could have given us a page of George Pepper's future history-the man we made our first President-who since that day has been loaded with all the honors that Class and College could bestow-a typical '87 man, active in every enterprise, and ever foremost. A word of prophecy would have revealed George Frazier's college deeds, dragged right to the front in the athletic -Held by his college mates, with a level head through it all-to-day our honored President. But this is no longer prophecy, but history, and I am your Historian, not your larophet. It is my duty to give you a sketch, -called by courtesy a history, of '87. As you may imagine, the Faculty were decidedly rattled at first by -the entrance of such a phenomenal class, but Alec..Russell was thoughtful, .as usual, and by talking pleasantly to the professors, saw their embarrass- ment wear off. And I will say right here that I despair of doing Russell justice. The only thing I know of that ever did do him justice, was a photograph taken a year ago. The picture, which was of the Glee Club, Russell had touched up in order to bring out, .if possible, his moustache and whiskers, and the same was then hung in a Chestnut street window. It seerns that our friend went down regularly every morning to get the 31

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Chestnut St. Opera House, June 6th, 1887 Class Day Programme. Overture, ....... Hass1er's Orchestra. Entrance of the Class. Potpourri from Greek Play, . . . . Orchestra. President's Salutation, ..... George H. Frazier. Music. Class History, . ..... Edward A. Miller. Music. Class Poem, . .... . Oliver Huckel. Music. Class Prophecy, . .... . N. B. Young. Music. 1 W .... L .. 4 1 w f ,Z gy 0 f IH . 9. . Heals: -5455, Presentations, . . . . i C. C. Townsend. X r , f ., . , , K W 'lx 'V--, -25. n, ,L li ' V ,V M . N-S: ,Ti f I, ' ., C '7 , 5' . V ,, I ,I '- ' ,f .fqxlxl , 72, f I ad I , K -.if A I . mr, 4 sf tg, I ,ximigl ll f- 'X 1 , 21' li-wirsfxhs y , ' , U . :Q 1? ' I ' HV: Ei 1 ,Nt I U v -lm. IF-lla , if 7' 1 1 mln: -uri liefl ng, z,: sig? L af h I ,,,,,, f l E-'I J 1 f ng: I , K X I: L 1 I -' Ilfagqg 'f if 1 F' 1 ' ' 'ai K , 'f ' .f . Aish 30

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picture right for the day, to see that his face was looking well, and that no dust disfigured the features. Recently, the boy has had his portrait transferred to a more permanent brass bas-relzkyf and has secured for his descendants forever a fiattering picture. Withiii a few weeks after our triumphal entry, we put our first team in the field,--nine base-ball players. The team was hastily and care- lessly gotten together, and was weak in the batting line, Sam Houston, George Pepper and a few others, hit freely, but, unfortunately, never hit the ball, and defeat was the result. But, mind you, this was no measure of '87's athletic powers. ln Sophomore Year, our star arose. Notwithstanding Russell's kind ofices with they professors, to which I have referred, it was thought best, at a later day, for the class to have a duly accredited representative before the Faculty, and jack Forbes was honored with the mission of mediator. From the date of his appointment, he became a constant visitor at the meetings of the elders, and was soon on intimate speaking terms with all. He often recounts, in his inimitable way, familiar conversations he has had with jackson, Easton, and the Dean. He has more than once been forced to tell Easton he was no gentleman, and jackson has been the object of even harsher remarks. The breach between him and the Secretary of the Faculty finally became so wide that jack had to request the latter to strike him from his list of friends, and this was accordingly done. It was in Freshman Year that occurred the historical struggle be- tween Clay and jackson. Henry Clay, with his loose construction principles, was at swords' points with Old Hickory-Nut, who was a strict constructionist on the subject of Latin translation. In this difn- culty a compromise by Clay was natural, but jackson filled the breach. He agreed to stay at the University if Clay-would leave, and it was finally so patched up. Clay, however, has since gotten in his compro- mise, by which a certain damsel will become part owner of all his goods and possessions. As a class, we countenanced a good old custom that, strangely enough, is not often practiced at the University,-the class cut, some- times called the straight cut. This institution is one devised by the student for the professor's benefit. The whole class stay away from recitation, saving their instructor just so much time. Originality ap- peared in many forms. Compulsory chapel seemed irksome to some of the boys, and it occurred to them that any variation in the tiresome 32