Worcester Polytechnic Institute - Peddler Yearbook (Worcester, MA)

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occasion, and makes an occasion to fit the spare ones. Cheer up! They sound pretty fair and they might have been true. When you come right down to it, though the Civils may swear a blue streak about “ Prof ” to each other, just to hear themselves talk, they are ready to back him against any other man on the Hill. If we got as square a deal from all the profs as we do from our own, there wouldn’t be any kick coming. Here’s hoping that his shadow never grows less and that his Ana¬ nias qualities always stay by him. A. Wilmer Duff, D.Sc., Professor of Physics We all make the acquaintance of this member of the “ A. W. Quar¬ tette ” in the horrible course of Sophomore physics. This course, as taken from Professor Duff’s book, and presented under his direction by his assist¬ ants, has caused more nightmares and sleepless nights than any other thing on the Hill. Very little is seen of “ Dooff ” outside of lectures, but all through the second year the touch of his guiding hand is felt, and many times the touch is heavy enough to retard greatly the progress through Tech. Until we pass beyond the realm of his control, we look upon him as a sort of ogre whom we must meet face to face and please sufficiently to be allowed to pass on; and once we are beyond the reach of his arm, we take care to think no further of the trials we have passed through in his domain. William W. Bird, S.B., Professor of Mechanical Engineering “ Piggy ” is supposed to have derived his nickname from his constant use of the term “ pig ” in his course in materials of construction. His chief characteristic is the inveterate habit of punning, which is redeemed by the occasional good joke which he inadvertently and, we suspect, unwit¬ tingly springs upon us. As head of the Mechanical Engineering Department and Director of the Washburn Shops, he has considerable influence in Institute affairs. He is always ready to use his influence to help those of the Mechanics who are among the “ downs ” from being forced into the “ outs,” and several of our number graduate on schedule time simply because of this fact. His specialty is long and complicated problems call¬ ing for maneuvers in mechanics or shop-costs, and he takes great delight in puzzling a whole class with one. He is a graduate of the Institute, Class of 1887, and is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 22

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liarity which most impresses those in touch with him is the trick of express¬ ing practically all of his thoughts by means of curves. He seems to think, and he certainly talks, in curves. Those of the underclassmen who are to graduate in the next two years will lose much by his absence, and we can only express the hope that the time spent away from the cares of the school will be of enough benefit to him to offset the great loss to the school. Arthur Willard French, C.E., Professor of Civil Engineering Graduate of Thayer School, Dartmouth, ’92 Member American Society of Civil Engineers Member Society for the Promotion of Engineering Education “ Prof ” didn’t ever write any “ Why I Am and Why I Came to the ’Stute,” so we’re decidedly shy on facts as to his previous career. As a boy, back on the farm, we are led to believe he was a holy terror. He early invented a slide-rule by means of which he could determine the most eco¬ nomical way to hoe ’taters. At one time in his career he aspired to be a pirate, but he soon found out that the pirate business was overrun, so he took a chance on engineering as the next best bet. He has the distinction of having slid through Dartmouth with less plugging and a more varied collection of cribs than any man before or since. In his early days he was of very rotund proportions, but upon graduation from college, he took Jinny Haynes as a model and a bottle of Anti-fat as a means, and beat it for the tall timbers. When he at last emerged he wasn’t at first visible, unless he stood twice in the same spot, but the backwoods air of Hanover, where he was Associate Professor of Civil Engineering, did wonders for his emaciated frame, and at last he was able to cast a shadow if the sunlight was bright enough. His love for civilization at last compelled him to locate down here in God’s(?) country, at Tech. He and Jinny manage to amuse themselves most of the time by trying to see which can look the most like the other. We rather think that “ Prof ” is slipping it over on Jinny, at that. Besides the societies mentioned above, “ Prof ” is a charter member of the Ananias Club. It has been very carefully doped out that he held 4937 jobs between graduation and teaching. He has a job to fit every 21

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Alton L. Smith, M.S., Professor of Drawing and Machine Design Our predecessors introduced Professor Smith to us as “ Dingtoe,” and we have known him as such all through the course, without bothering to find a reason for the appellation. As head of the drawing and design courses, “Ding” works havoc among the Freshmen through the medium of descript, applied in copious doses by his assistants, “ Mac ” and “ Jimmy.” The Sopthomores he lets by easy, but Juniors and Seniors he himself handles with the utmost freedom and carelessness. Kinematics is his trump card, and to those who can play to it he gives considerable freedom in design. His indifference as to time spent makes machine design a good substitute for real sleep. His concessions on time are his main attraction to those stu¬ dents who hanker for “ Bull ” between meals. Charles M. Allen, M.S., Professor of Hydraulic Engineering “ Any questions? ” If you wish a thing well done do it yourself or—let Harvey do it. “ Charlie ” Allen says he wants things well done; Harvey has become very proficient as an instructor. Hydraulics is a very interesting course: one hydraulic (two stories)—deprecatory grins; one more hydraulic (series of anecdotes)—incredulous snickers; hydraulic number three (soaring flight of the imagination)—expostulatory guffaw. Professor Allen is a graduate of the Institute in the Class of 1894, and entered the Department of Mechanical Engineering as an instructor imme¬ diately, receiving the degree of Master of Science in 1900. As Assistant Professor of Experimental Engineering since 1902, he has been endeavoring to make life agreeable to W. P. I. Seniors by gathering together and narrat¬ ing to the class a collection of remarkable incidents in his career. His career has been very unusual. Taken all around, “ Charlie ” is very popular with the boys. He is known actually to have laughed aloud on occasion, and one day in class he nearly opened his mouth while talking. Seldom is he away from the Insti¬ tute; the liveliest and most ambitious man in the department, he has caused Harvey to worry for two years that there wouldn’t be any work left to do.