Worcester Polytechnic Institute - Peddler Yearbook (Worcester, MA)

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KINNICUTT. DR. MENDENHALL. PROF. CUTLER. F. WHITE. PROF. SINCLAIR.

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II Xevn Xeonarfc Conant. ©ur Ibost popular professor. Professor Conant began his work at the Institute in the fall of ’91. During the eight years that have marked his service here, the enthusiasm which he has put into his department, and the personal interest which he has shown in the students and their work, have won for him universal admiration. Prof. Conant was born in Littleton, Mass., March 3, 1857. He fitted for col¬ lege at Andover, and in 1879 was graduated from Dartmouth. Soon after graduation he was made principal of the high school in Mankato, Minn. Here he remained for two years, accepting a better position at Elkhart, Indiana, for the following year. At the end of that time he enlarged his line of work, accepting the superintendency of schools in Deadwood and afterwards in Rapid City, South Dakota. In 1887 he was offered and accepted the Professorship of Mathematics in the Dakota State School of Mines. The desire for advanced work in mathematics brought Prof. Conant to Clark University in the fall of ’90, and, in 1891, he accepted the Junior Professorship of Mathematics at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He has filled this position to the complete satisfaction of all. In the recitation room, Prof. Conant has the faculty of awakening interest in the most complex problems, and is sure to notice some historical incident, novel solution, or mathematical curiosity that never fails to entertain the class. But his good work does not end in the class room. He believes that physical exercise and manly sport have a place in the development of even an engineer. In spite of the poor athletic teams that have represented the Institute in the last few years, Prof. Conant has always supported and encouraged them. He is one of the few professors who attend the games. Every Freshman class gets an inspiration from him to go into athletics. “The Number Concept” is one of the books that Prof. Conant has written. He is also a contributor to mathematical publications. Prof. Conant received the degree of Ph. D. in ’93, at Syracuse University. He is a fellow of “The American Association for the Advancement of Science,” and is also a member of the “American Mathematical Society.

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Thomas Corwin Mendenhall, Ph. D., LL. D., . . President President Mendenhall was horn in Ohio in 1841. At an early age he became a teacher, and cn the opening of the Ohio State University in 1873, he was elected to the chair of Physics and Me¬ chanics. In 1878 he went to Japan as Professor of Physics, in the Imperial University, where one of his distinguished colleagues was Professor J. A. Ewing. In 1887 he returned to the Ohio State Uni¬ versity, where he received his degree of Ph. D. Three years later he entered the Government Service as Professor of Electricity in the Signal Service. In 1886 he resigned to accept the presidency of the Rose Poljdechuic Institute, at Terre Haute, Indiana. After serving in this capacity for three years, he was appointed as Superintendent of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey. In 1894, Dr. Mendenhall left this position to assume the Presidency of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute. John E. Sinclair, Ph. D., . Professor of Higher Mathematics Professor Sinclair graduated from Dartmouth College in 1858. The following year he spent in teaching at Adrian, Mich., and from 1859 to 1863 he was a tutor at Washington University, St. Louis. The next six years he was Professor of Mathematics in the Cha ndler Department of Dartmouth College, from which place he came to the W. P. I., in 1868, to occupy a similar position. Pro¬ fessor Sinclair received the degree of A. M. from Washington University in 1863, and from Dart¬ mouth in 1879. His alma mater further honored him in 1883, by bestowing upon him the degree Ph. D. U. Waldo Cutler, S. B., . Professor of Modern Languages Professor Cutler is an alumnus of the W. P. I., having graduated in 1874. He began teaching in the Hitchcock High School of Brimfield, Mass. His next work was the introduction of Drawing into the public schools of Holliston. In 1877 he returned to Worcester, having accepted the position of Instructor in Modern Languages at the Institute. The years from ’78 to ’81 were spent abroad in study, his position at the Institute remaining open during this time. Shortly after his return he became Assistant Professor of Modern Languages, and in ’92 was raised to full Professor. With the exception of one year, part of which was spent at Johns Hopkins University, he has been at Tech ever since. Leonard P. Kinnicutt, S. D., . . Professor of Chemistry Dr. Kinnicutt is a graduate of M. I. T., Class of ’75. After graduating he took a course of study abroad, spending a year at Heidelburg, and a year and a half at the University at Bonn. He re¬ turned in the winter of 1878 and studied for four months at Johns Hopkins University. In the fall of 1879 he accepted the position of private assistant to Dr. Wallcot Gibbs of Cambridge. The next year he became Instructor of Quantitative Analysis at Harvard University, which position he held for two years, and during this period obtained the degree of S. D. from Harvard. He came to the W. P. I. in 1883 as Assistant Professor of Chemistry, and in 18S5 became Professor. George H. White, S. B., . Professor of Civil Engineering Professor White graduated from Worcester Tech. He engaged in civil engineering work, in 1869, for Mr. W. P. Granger, then of Worcester, who subsequently was appointed chief engineer of the Hoosac Tunnel. Later, Professor White went with him to New York State, where he was engaged on the Adirondack Railroad. He then returned to Worcester, and entered Tech in advance standing with the Class of ’73. He left in 1872, however, and engaged in engineering work in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Minnesota. Returning to Tech, in 1875, he took up the Senior studies with ’76, being at the same time tutor in field practice. He graduated in 1876, and then returned to Minnesota, where he engaged in railroad work until 1884, when he was appointed Professor of Civil Engineering at the W. P. I.