Worcester Polytechnic Institute - Peddler Yearbook (Worcester, MA)

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Department of Chemistry

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WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE and A. E. R. E. A. boast his name upon their letter heads, it appearing as chairman in the former case. He h as offices with the Bay State Ry. Co., and the Boston Elevated, while his consulting work occupies a great deal of his time. Professor Richey is known to few of us here, his courses being devoted strictly to the Senior electrics. Although he is not seen on the Hill as much as some of the Profs., one must look sharp and get up early to get ahead of him, for there are few more ener¬ getic workers. If one sees a piece of paper marked with green ink or pencil, blowing about, it is safe to assume that it belongs in the office at the top of the stairs. His quizzes are remarkable for the amount of common sense needed to pass them, and it is also remarkable how often those same quizzes come on days when that necessary sense has a day off. Nevertheless he showed us many good points about railways and we are very glad that he was able to give us three days a week here at Tech. PROFESSOR CARL D. KNIGHT, E. E. Assistant Professor of Experimenal Electrical Engineering We first met Prof. Knight just after the marks came out for the first month Jun¬ ior year, and we were directed to confer with Prof. Phelon. We went down to the E. E. building and upon arriving at the department office we were met by a tall gent in a duster who told us that Prof. Phelon was away, but that maybe he could do just as well. Seeing that we were in there we considered that we might just as well tell our tale of E’s and have it over, and that would save us going before any of the Profs.; so we told him all about it and sat there staring him in the face every time that he started to say anything. Still it was good advice that he handed out and we left the office and made straight for some upper classman to find out who he was, feeling almost glad that we received those E’s and had had a chance to talk with him. It wasn’t hard to de¬ scribe him to the upper classmen, but when we were told that the gent was Prof. Knight, why, we said, that was a good joke, but it was day time now and that fellow never was a Prof. Well, that same feeling has been with us ever since, only growing strong¬ er. In the last half of Junior year he stuck us most every week with his little prob¬ lems on I.= p , but still we had no hard feelings. r. Prof. Knight is a graduate of Tech in 1903, and as he has been here most of the time since, he has not forgotten his own opinions of the place when he was a student, so this may be one reason why his methods of procedure are liked better than those of some others. His name is the only dark thing about him and he tries to overcome that by teaching the course in Illumination and he certainly accomplishes it in the most inter¬ esting manner. (31)

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Department nf (Eljemtstry Jlrofesfinrs Walter L. Jennings, Ph. D. Robert C. Sweetser, B. S. Frederic Bonnet, Jr., Ph. D. Daniel F. Calhane, Ph. D. Snfitrurtnra Thomas R. Briggs, Ph. D. Laurence L. Steele, B. S. Henry R. Power, M. S. PROFESSOR WALTER L. JENNINGS Professor of Organic Chemistry Those Roman Emperors were stern old boys and imperial ones. They were used to having their way and woe unto him who crossed them. Old Nero in particular, you remember, was the sternest and most imperious of the bunch and to find his parallel it is necessary to search all the way down through history till, at length, you come to one individual in Worcester. Then, whether you believe in regeneration or not, you’ll find him. We reverently allude to Walter L. Jennings, the chemists’ nightmare, professor, director, dictator, and doctor; familiarly styled Beiley, Beilstein, Old Sleuth, Pussy Foot, Hughie, and Doc. What we know of Hughie is just this. He was born, bred, and brought out of Bangor, Maine, to graduate from Harvard in I 889. He studied in Berlin and Heid¬ elberg, came to the Institute as Assistant Professor and now possesses an office and stenographer of his own. What we know about Hughie is too much—much too much —so we’ll only say this: He is earnest, serious, studious, some call him specious. He is a most affable, polished, and courteous man—but there are times when his manner smacks of battle, murder and sudden death. His mental processes are matter-of-fact. He revels in the smallest of details, insisting on fifth-place accuracy. He is a wonderful lecturer, a gifted scholar, and no man takes a more serious view of his responsibilities than does he. He never did an uncatalogued thing in his life and is proud of it. He is a crack tennis player, always wears a wool hat, and is given to bicycle riding. Such is Dr. Jennings.