Worcester Polytechnic Institute - Peddler Yearbook (Worcester, MA)

Page 27 text:

A F, PI M tX , ARTHUR DEXTER BUTTERFIELD Professor of Mathematics and Geodesy B. S„ W. P. I., 1893, and M. S., 1898; A. M„ Columbia, 1904; Assistant in Civil Engineering, W. P. I., 1894-98; Instructor in Mathematics, University of Vermont, 1898-1900; Assistant Professor, 1900-04; Professor of Mechanics and Mathematics, 1904-08; Assistant Professor of Mathematics, W. P. I., 1908- JO; Professor, 1910-14; Professor of Mathematics and Geodesy, 1914- . Some Tech men complete their four years without meeting certain members of the faculty in any way. This should never apply to the subject of this sketch. In our “Fresh” year there were rumors afloat on the air that we were to have a gym and that Butterfield was going to get it for us. Because a gym had for years been only a dream we were skeptical, and immediately made it a point to see the man in question. We did, and found that here was a man after our own heart, a Tech grad, an athlete of much renown, a man who could and did and was glad to meet the students on their own level. ARTHUR WOOLSEY EWELL Professor of Physics A. B., Yale, 1897, and Ph. D., 1899; Assistant in Physics, Yale, 1897-99; Instructor, W. P. I., 1900-04; Assistant Professor, 1904-10; Professor, 1910- In our Sophomore year Dr. Duff decided that he needed a rest from his arduous duties in the Physics De¬ partment, and went abroad. His absence gave all of us an opportunity to make the acquaintance of “Punk,” since it was he who now had to bear the burden of de¬ livering the Physics Lectures, a task which required almost superhuman skill to perform successfully, owing to the eccentricities of the apparatus, as well as those of his as¬ sistant. But what cared we if all the experiments were not very illuminating in the results obtained; it certainly was not due to “Punk’s” energies. We always accepted his statement that he was sorry, “but it worked all right be¬ fore the lecture,” as a necessary part of the game. VV.v 21

Page 26 text:

ORIE WILLIAM LONG Professor of Modern Languages A. B., Centre College, 1903; A. M., Harvard, 1911, and Ph. D., 1913; Professor of Modern Languages, Add-Ran College, 1906- 10; Instructor in German, M. I. T., 1912-13; Professor of Modern Languages, W. P. I., 1913- We came to know “Doc” as sophomores, when he arrived at the Institute as head of the Modern Languages Department and started to take the kinks out of the Lrench and German courses. That first semester showed us that our new member of the faculty was indeed a man of action, and it required hours of extra plugging to even “hang on,” as we sometimes expressed a bare 60 per cent. In these three years, however, we have become acquainted with “Doc” as well, if not better, than most of the members of the faculty, and we predict that his in¬ fluence at Tech, not only with the undergraduates, but also with the alumni, will see our Alma Mater ranking high in college athletics in a very few years. ALTON LINCOLN SMITH Professor of Drawing and Machine Design B. S., W. P. I., 1890, and M. S., 1899; Assistant in Mechanical Engineering Laboratory, W. P. I., 1890-91 ; Instructor in Mechanical Drawing, 1891-1900; Assistant Professor of Draw¬ ing and Machine Design, 1900-06; Professor, 1906- Some of us made the acquaintance of “Ding” in our Lreshman year when we were summoned to his office on “errands of mercy,” and we found that beneath that mask of severity lay a sympathetic heart, one that could understand all the trials and tribulations of a Tech man, since he had been through the mill himself. His “Technical Sketching” helped us over the sharp places in Mechanical and Lreehand Drawing, and later his lucid descriptions of the most intricate of double-back, triple-action mechanisms, elliptical gears and quick-return motions made a really interesting course out of Kine¬ matics. His ability as a designer of machinery is known far and wide, but the best expression of it was given by a Senior Mechanic: “If you describe a mechanism to ‘Ding’ and he hasn’t ever heard of it, it’s a cinch there ain’t no such thing.” 20

Page 28 text:

ALBERT SUTTON RICHEY Professor of Electric Railrvay Engineering B. M. E., Purdue, 1894, and E. E., 1908; Assistant Professor of Electric Railway Engineering, W. P. I., 1905-07; Profes¬ sor, 1907- . Professor Richey graduated from Purdue in 1894 while Prof. Smith was head of the Electrical Depart¬ ment there. He at once went into railway work and has been in it ever since. And now the greater part of his time is taken up with his consulting engineering practice. However, he faithfully reserves a few hours each week to pass on a portion of his accumulated knowl¬ edge. His enigmatic facial expression has us all guess¬ ing, and the day after an exam we were never able to decide. whether he was pleased with our written appre¬ ciation of his efforts or not. Prof. Richey has recently compiled an “Electric Rail¬ way Handbook,” which has received commendable re¬ views from the highest authorities in Railway Engineering. CHARLES METCALF ALLEN Professor of Hydraulic Engineering B. S., W. P. I., 1894, and M. S., 1899; Instructor in Mechan¬ ical Engineering, 1894-1902; Assistant Professor of Experi¬ mental Engineering, 1902-06; Professor, 1906-09; Professor of Hydraulic Engineering, 1909- At four and a half minutes past ten, the sturdy figure of a middle-aged man, with iron-gray hair and a “Gib¬ son” jaw, strode lazily down the line to the tune of “On the Old Fall River Line” bursting lustily from the throats of forty hilarious Mechanics, hilarious because they knew this would be an hour of rest and that “Charlie” would do all the talking. The hero of our story turned at the end of the aisle, and after placing his volume of Merriman, with its bright red binding, upon the desk, he proceeded to make himself comfortable in the low-backed chair, tilted back against the wall. “Any questions?” A short period of silence, then— “If you haven’t any questions, then I’ll ask some.” This was the signal for the end of the opening ritual and the meeting was then thrown open for discussion. 22