Worcester Polytechnic Institute - Peddler Yearbook (Worcester, MA)

Page 30 text:

THE AFTERMATH CLASS OF NINETEEN FIFTEEN Albert Sutton Richey, E.E. Professor of Electric Railway Engineering. Little do most of the students realize of the greatness of this man. There are but few others on our Faculty who have made a wider reputation in the engineering field than he has. Professor Richey is a true specialist, and so for us a will-o’-the-wisp, though for half a year he has sat before us, during our Senior year, while we held forth on some article seized after frenzied search through the library. His varied experience has brought him into the following positions: A. E. R. E. A.—Member of Power Dis¬ tribution Electrolysis and Standards Com¬ mittees, Representative on National Joint Overhead and Underground Line Construc¬ tion; National Joint Electrolysis Committ ee. A. I. E. E.—Member of Railway Com¬ mittee, Consulting Engineer. The above committee appointments indi¬ cate the impression he has made on the prac¬ tising engineering profession. Then, too, he is the author of that priceless book, “Bill” Greenough’s “Compilation of Data.” Howard Chapin Ives, C.E. Professor of Railroad Engineering. To become acquainted with Professor Ives “virtually” requires only that one remains in one of his classes for a week’s time. The new-comer is at once deeply impressed by his austere ways, his extremely cautious meth¬ ods and the manner in which he looks at his own feet. When seniors are in trouble about their marks, they usually seek out the Professor to obtain his advice,—and they get it, a-plenty. “Virtually,” it’s like letting loose a twisted spring; but the Professor usually makes his point. He doesn’t see the sense m anybody’s playing tricks on him, and when a silly student stuffs tooth-paste in the key¬ hole of his office-door, he doesn’t pay the slightest attention to the mean trick! He simply states to his class the next day that he thinks the performance foolish; and that it reminds him of “when he was down to Penn.” Yet “Reddy’s” ways, manners and methods are thoroughly liked, and his kind¬ liness toward us is duly appreciated by all. [ 2G ]

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WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE Charles Metcalf Allen, M.S. Professor of Hydraulic Engineering. It is with a feeling of joy and content that we look back upon the first time that “Charlie” came into our lives. Long be¬ fore we had the pleasure of meeting him as Professor of Hydraulic Engineering his name—and fame—had reached our ears, for he is well known as the best of story tellers and entertainers. But few other professors have the ability of making their subjects as impressive as hydraulics, for “Charlie’s” first advice to the wandering was to “climb right into the water, crawl along with it, and see what would happen.” Respected and admired though he be, we fear very much that as a witness his word would have little weight; for who would be expected to believe the testimony of a man who has tried to make youthful minds be¬ lieve that “on any Monday morning, nine miles out in Boston harbor, traces of blueing can be found in the waters of the deep.” Seriously, “Charlie” is one of the kindest- hearted, all round good fellows who ever trod the mazy paths of Tech Hill. Arthur Woolsey Ewell, Ph.D. Professor of Physics. “A. W.” is one of the terrible Big Four. This term meant nothing to us during our freshman year, but when we became soph¬ omores these initials became full of signifi¬ cance. Who, pray, has ever seen the patient professor angry, no matter how thoughtless and exasperating our doings were? Rather, he made evident our errors and proceeded to correct them. Surely we shall long hold in grateful mem¬ ory, the annual reception, at his home, to the members of his classes. “Punk” is everyone’s personal adviser. He is a true friend of the student and is always on hand to help a fallen one. Long may he live to be—for students yet unborn— a kindly guide and counsellor, of whom, in time to come, it shall be written: “His life was gentle; and the elements So mix’d in him that Nature might stand up And say to all the world: ‘This was a man.’

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WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE Robert Chauncey Sweetser, B.S. Assistant Professor of Analytical Chemistry. In “Bobby” we have a splendid illustra¬ tion of the principle that “appearances are deceitful.” His stony, immovable face sug¬ gests a cruel questioner of the type of the ancient sphinx, with impossible problems and a harsh fate. But, oh how different he is! His ques tions are of the type one should know —not some little things slid over in a lecture. He shows how simple analysis is,—“Fresh¬ man chemistry and grammar-school arith¬ metic.” No one sharks his courses and no one fails, a happy medium. His smile is his great characteristic. Yes, he really can smile and has done so three times publicly in our four years. But though you don’t smile, “Bobby,” we know from ex¬ perience that your heart is larger than that of many a man and your many little kind acts more than make up for it. As a disciple of simplified pronunciation and spelling, “Bobby” puts “T. R. in the shade. It saves time but it would never “get by Coombsie” on a theme. At first “pscptate,” “slooshn,” rackshun and “pseedja” will puzzle your mind, but at length they become a part of Bobby to all. Anyone who comes in contact with “Bobby” is impressed with the fact that he is deal¬ ing with a straight-forward gentleman, whose aim is to be helpful in a kindly, unobtru¬ sive way. 1 27 ]