Worcester Polytechnic Institute - Peddler Yearbook (Worcester, MA)

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T THE AFTERMATH CLASS OF NINETEEN FIFTEEN Zelotes Wood Coombs, A.M. Professor of English and Secretary of the Faculty. All hail the King of the Freshmen and the true friend of every Tech man—Profes¬ sor Coombs, head of the English Department. The mere mention of his name brings back to us fond memories of the days of yore when we, as Freshmen, attentively listened to him in that quaint old historic room on the top floor of Boynton Hall. His “Commendable Regularity,” “Adams, Aiken, Aldrin, etc.,” “A Trip to Wachusett” and “Who I Am and Why I Came to the Institute,” will long remain cherished in our minds. Professor Coombs has won our deep de¬ votion by his exceeding loyalty to Tech, es¬ pecially to Athletics. His optimistic views and very generous support cannot be too highly praised. We have always known him to be a gen¬ erous, open-hearted, hard-working gentleman; and carry him away as such in our memories, not doubting that he will remember us down to the detail of middle names and shade of hair. Walter Louis Jennings, Ph.D. Professor of Organic Chemistry. To the uninitiated the mere mention of Pro¬ fessor Jennings brings thoughts of the tortures of Siberia and third degree methods. Anti¬ quated rules, a stock room that defies com¬ petition, and a student-proof elevator are characteristic of his regime. Dr. Jennings was born in Bangor, Maine, entering Harvard in 1885, where he devel¬ oped a profound love of the classics, and a wonderful proficiency in tennis. The finish¬ ing touches to his education in Chemistry were administered at Berlin and Heidelberg. In manner Professor Jennings is best de¬ scribed as a resurrected Puritan: tyrannical, fiequently; just, always. At times he has a peculiar enunciation all his own. Merely translating his “del-i-ket lil-Iac cullah” is a training in itself. The chemists will remember their head principally as a remarkably inter¬ esting lecturer, who sets an almost unattain- ably high standard in neatness and detail. We realize that he has tried faithfully and has succeeded admirably in doing all within his power for every man with whom he has come into contact. [ 20 ]

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WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE Levi Leonard Conant, Ph.D. Professor of Mathematics. Dr. Conant graduated from Dartmouth College, where he received the degrees of A.B. and A.M. After acting as Profes¬ sor of Mathematics at the Dakota School of Mines, he received his Ph.D. from Syracuse University and came to W. P. I., eventually being appointed Professor of Mathematics. Dr. Conant is an educator of the first rank. He has written numerous text books and treat¬ ises on mathematics and is a member of the London Mathematical Society and of the Massachusetts State Board of Education. Mathematics is one of the last things taught in “Conie’s” classroom, but it is none the less thoroughly learned. To recite a Calcu¬ lus lesson the student must use faultless rhet¬ oric, be able to spell and parse every word used, have a smattering of geography and a good working knowledge of the history of mathematics. During our mathematical days we came in contact with “Conie” chiefly in his ca¬ pacity as Acting-President and we found in him a sympathetic listener, wise counselor and true f riend. George Henry Haynes, Ph.D. Professor of Economics and Political Science. After receiving his A.B. from Amherst in 1887, Professor Haynes came to Tech as an Instructor in Modern Languages and Mathematics. His collegiate course was sup¬ plemented with studies at Johns Hopkins, and, after receiving his Ph.D. from that Univer¬ sity, he returned to Tech as Professor of Economics and Political Science. As Managing Editor of the JOURNAL and Faculty member of the Council, Pro¬ fessor Haynes has served Tech very faith¬ fully. Our recollections of Room 19 must always place “Jinny” leaning over a Washburn Shop drawing stand, while his long legs are twisted around the legs of the neighboring table and chair. We can feel rather than hear that calm voice, that never raises itself above the din from the forge shop, saying, “Only eight minutes more.” And before we had finished the first question, he was impatiently calling for the papers. “Jinny’s” one predominant characteristic is his fairness both in the treatment of civil government and in the handling of men. He n broad-minded gentleman, association with whom can not fail to benefit the student.

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WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE Harold Babbitt Smith, M.E. Professor of Electrical Engineering. Although there are thousands of Smiths in this country and Schmidts abroad, Professor Smith is one of the genuines, and most of the rest are copies. But the name is very common by imitation and no copyright is available and so he is known best by the title “H. B.” It takes two pages to write down his “alphabet¬ ical tail,” but one would never guess what a distinguished man our chief is, did he not casually refer at times to “when I was en¬ gineer for this firm,” or “when we developed this device.” Then it is that we open our eyes and wonder how such a quiet, unobtru¬ sive man could have accomplished so much. Professor Smith is a graduate of Cornell, ’91 ; and since then has been Professor of Electrical Engineering at Arkansas State Uni¬ versity and Purdue. During our Senior year we have come more fully to appreciate his sincere friendship and help and we secretly wonder if we can emu¬ late this eminent engineer, a man of unusual breadth of view and with the admirable qualities of a perfect gentleman. Alexander Wilmer Duff, D.Sc. Professor of Physics. In the world of science. Dr. Duff’s posi¬ tion is indeed an enviable one. In 1 884 he was graduated from the University of New Brunswick, and in 1887 from the University of London. He received his Master of Arts degree from the University of Edinburgh in 1888 and the degree of Doctor of Science from the same institution in 1901. Before his advent as head of our Physics Depart¬ ment, he held similar positions at the Univer¬ sity of Madras, New Brunswick University and Purdue. And so, if our attitudes in A. Wilmer’s Sophomore Physics lectures (dear old Physics! !) were other than such a po¬ tentate in the world of science should com¬ mand, let it be ascribed only to our youth. Dr. Duff’s efforts with us must have been unusually discouraging, for they ended with his decision for a year’s study abroad, prob¬ ably to discover new methods of injecting knowledge into brainless media. Professor Duff will be remembered, then, as a true gentleman, thorough and self-contained, and a scientist of high eminence. [ 21 ]