Worcester Polytechnic Institute - Peddler Yearbook (Worcester, MA)

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CLASS HISTORY. EDRDE HERBERT NHTT,

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CLASS I T is with a feeling of no slight responsibility that the historian of ’90 begins his task, for, while the class in itself may not be exceptional, many of the most brilliant leaves of the Tech his¬ tory have been turned in its presence. No equal period of time can boast of so many changes and additions,—antiquated systems have been abolished and progressive institutions estab¬ lished ; gifts of inestimable worth have been made by our bene¬ factors ; the Institute is now known by a differ ent name, and with increased vigor and redoubled advantages, it proceeds to fulfill its mission. We were but just entered as apprentices, when the mu¬ nificent gift of the Salisbury Laboratories was announced. To be sure, the destruction of our “gymnasium” and the felling of trees so dear to Professor Gladwin occasioned no little sadness, but this did not hinder us from lending our voices to the songs of universal gratitude to our worthy friend. Having participated in the ceremonies attending the laying of the corner stone, and having watched with eager interest as the building grew, course by course, we entered the finished structure, the first Senior class to enjoy its increased facilities. Soon after this, a change occurred which, however, will affect future classes more than it did us. The discovery was made that the Institute would have to confine her endeavors within narrower limits or devise some means of raising money. Although the chemistry dues still continued to be a fertile source of revenue to the heavily burdened treasury of the Institute, something else must be done to relieve the financial strain. The name Free Institute was changed to Polytechnic Institute, and the catalogue HISTORY. announced that “tuition will continue to be free to a limited number of students who are not over twenty-one years of age.” Directly after the adoption of the new name, through the exertions of a member of Ninety who seemed to be the only man who was con¬ fident of the success of his undertaking, the Institute was admitted to the Intercollegiate Athletic Association ; and such a boom was given to athletics, that later in the course the faculty felt obliged to impose restrictions upon it. Ninety has always taken an active interest in Athletics, and if Field-day did not award her the palm, it was never because she was afraid to enter her proportion of contestants. Although fortune did not favor her with many record-breakers, her ability and record for team work has been an enviable one. For two years of the three, her base-ball team secured the championship, and until the sport was restricted, her foot-ball eleven held easy sway. With the allusion to foot-ball, one of the darkest pages of the Class History is presented to our view. In vain were our earnest appeals for the re-instatement of foot-ball. Silent witnesses of many a manly contest, the goal-posts stand decaying monuments of a restricted game. Perhaps, after all, this action by the faculty reverted to our good, for little did we dream when we were arguing for foot-ball of the many pilgrimages we would have to make to Dr. Smith’s Shrine, the Public Library. The change in the marking system, whereby the custom of giv¬ ing each student only his rank in the class, was abolished, and the system of letters substituted, met the hearty approval of the whole