Worcester Polytechnic Institute - Peddler Yearbook (Worcester, MA)

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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.

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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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Joseph O. Phelon, Professor of E ectrical Engineering “ Uncle Joe ’ with his slow, easy drawl and indifferent manner, appears, as he sits indolently on the table during lecture, to care not a whit as to what goes on in class. Questions asked of him are carelessly turned back on the one who propounded them to be answered, and as if this were not enough, other puzzling questions are put, much to the bewilderment of the poor would-be learners. Anyone who has seen him and heard him lecture will swear on honor that he is the laziest man on the Hill; yet despite this, we must say that the ground covered is great and the founda¬ tions laid for future work by the course under “ Joe’s ” guidance are solid and stable. Albert S. Richey, E.E., Professor of Electric Pailway Engineering Professor Richey is one of the profs who are overburdened with work on the Hill. All through the second half-year, he has to deliver two lec¬ tures each week to embryo railway engineers, and then, too, he has some work with the P. G.’s. Three days in the week he appears on the Hill, unless he chances to be busy elsewhere, in which case he is thoughtful enough to prepare an examination and let Pope serve it. The results of these exams are, by the way, as a rule “ universally unsatisfactory.” Not¬ withstanding this lazy man’s schedule, the course under him in railway engineering, together with his notes on the course, is the brightest spot in the second half of the senior year for the Electrics. Carleton A. Read, S.B., Professor of Steam Engineering When Professor Read speaks of “ the Institute,” he doesn’t mean “ the Institute,” but only M. I. T., from which he graduated. He came to us from the rural districts of Durham, N. H., to expound to us the intri¬ cacies of temperature-entropy charts and other thermodynamic playthings. His attempts to ignore questions which seemed ill-timed have raised havoc with discipline in his classes, and he is consequently often forced to announce, “ We’ll wait,” until he can get an opportunity to send the “ class to the board with steam tables.” Rumor has it that his bump of curiosity is large and active concerning the meaning of the cabalistic symbol “ B. A.” which is frequently attached to his name. We would suggest that if he is still curious, he should send “ Sammy ” out to solve the mystery. 24