Washington and Lee University - Calyx Yearbook (Lexington, VA)

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1bi8tov ! of the Class of ' 00. THE Class of ' 99, last of a nol)le race, enibokl- ened by precedent and privilege, makes its junior appearance before tlie public; and witli- out a blusli assures tbem that it deems itself not unworthy to end a long line of brilliant prede- cessors who have signed themselves 18 . And if you have a doubt of it — and surely you can not have, unless your acquaintance with this illus- trious Class be but the slightest — a perusal of its record and its list of notable members will be convincing evidence that, though last, it is not least of the classes of 18 . Ever since (it shall not be stated when) the pioneer members of the Class of 99 Ijegan to make their appearance on the academic arena, it has been a marked class. But without entering further into the matter of marks, we think it safe to venture the statement that the CMass of ' 99 has reached the highest mark possible for a class to attain. We do not wish the ambitious classes that will follow us in the near future to be dis- couraged, but we merely give them the warning of seniority, don ' t try it, you can ' t reach it. The paths by which the members of the Class of ' 99 have arrived thus far on the way to such an eminence are various. Some hnvv toiled in the depths of Philosophy, some have struggled with the insuperable powers of Math., some have backed awa3- at the tough and tangled roots of Latin and Greek, while others have soared to the heights of Astronomy and pierced the intricacies of the ologies; but all have tended to and striven for the one supreme object of becoming a member of the Class of 99. In athletics we have lirld our wonted posi- tion, and to tell what that position is, need I say more than that Oberlin, the furious football charger, is a gift and i)roduct of the Class of ' 99. And the delight of our hearts is Myers of ' • third ' who has again and again thrilled us with bis splendid precision an l judgment on the baseljall iield. And if some of our members have aspired to be painters we would only exhort them in life to seek a higher I ut not so lofty a calling. And now that we have seen in truth what manner of men compose the Class of ' 99, seen that in whatever department of college life you find a man of superior excellency you find him in the Class of ' 99, we can not wonder at the effect of organizing into a unit such individuals. How- ever this may be, on January 1.3th, 1898, such

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Class of ' 99. ©fficers. H. S. DIXON, West Virginia, J. P. ALLAN, Virginia, C. N. ROAKK, Kentucky, W. K. GRAVES, Virginia, S. C. LLND, Tennessee, C. H. BURKE, Alabama, President. Vice-President. Secretary. Poet. Historian. Editor. IRoll. J. P. Allan, Virginia. C. H. Burke, Alabama. G. B. Capito, West Virginia. W. E. Davis, Tennessee. H. S. Dixon, West Virginia. J. W. Garrow, Texas. W. K. Graves, Virginia. S. L. Herold, Louisiana. S. C. LiND, Tennessee. F. L. Miller, Illinois. C. F. Myers, A rginia. R. Nelson, Kentucky. J. Oberlin, Virginia. E. B. Pancake, West Virginia. C. N. RoARK, Kentuckj ' . E. D. Sloan, Missouri. J. R. Tucker, Virginia. W. C. Watson, Virginia. A. F. White, West Virginia. P. L. Wilson, Virginia.

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organization was effected, aud we had for the first time a real Class meeting of the members of 99. On this occasion Mr. Harlow S. Dixon, of West Virginia, was elected President, as being the handsomest man of the Class. Mr. J. Preston Allan, of Virginia, was chosen Vice-President (not for opposite reason), and ]Mr. Charles N. Roark, of Kentucky, Secretary and Treasurer. Mr. Cecil Burke, of Alabama, was made Class representative to the Calyx stafl, and Mr. Wil- liam K. Graves, of Virginia, was elected Class Poet, as having had such experience and being possessed of such talents as tend to make the poet — so far as he is made, not born. After a lengthy discussion as to what action would best comport with the dignity and ability of such a body, it was determined that a class flower was the first requisite. The ox-eye daisy was forthwith selected (the honorable vice-president ' s being the only dissenting voice). The conven- tion was then inclined to choose a class animal, as mascot in examinations; and it seemed that the ox from his sturdy, plodding habits was a highl} ' suitable subject for this honor; but just here again the honorable vice-president most unaccountably and, seemingly, most unjustifiably raised violent objection to the choosing of this ancient and preeminently respectable animal to be sacred to the Class of ' 99. The motion in favor of the ox was defeated by intervention from the Chair and no animal was accorded this honor, though the white elephant and Egvptian apis were suggested. liot to pursue further the trans- actions of the meeting, an adjournment was finally reached which -ended the first assembly of the Class of 99. Under auspices so promising nothing but the brightest future can be predicted for the Class of ' 99. Our first fear was that the volun- teer service for the war might reduce our num- bers, but more recent assurances from a number of members have convinced us that such will not be the case. As before boasted, we have no fear of being held unworthy to succeed such a bril- liant array of 18 classes, and, we may add, to precede the classes that will write 19 but, sad to relate, will have so little to write after it. We bear a time-honored name that has done service for a century and have made our own record; those that come after us must make a record for themselves and link worthy associa- tions to their new name. Let us see how they will do it. The members of the Class of ' 99 have been together as a class for a year, have filled their pews in chapel (with occasional vacancies) for seven months, and now when the battles before us are fewer than ever let old ' 99, as ever, rally nobly to the fray and pilay a good part. S. C. L.