Worcester Polytechnic Institute - Peddler Yearbook (Worcester, MA)

Page 30 text:

FREDERIC BONNET, JR. Professor of Chemistry B. S., Washington University, 1899; M. S., Harvard, 1902, and Ph. D., 1903; Assistant in Chemistry, Harvard, 1899-1903; Instructor in Chemistry, State University of Iowa, 1903-04; W. P. I., 1904-09; Assistant Professor, 1909-12; Professor, 1913- . Frederic Bonnet, Jr., Professor of Chemistry, is the way his name appears in the catalogue, but to us he has been known as “Doc” Bonnet ever since we met him in Freshman Chemistry. “Doc” started right out in the beginning to get a string of letters after his name, the first ones being “Jr.” In 1899 he acquired a “B. S.” at Washington University; in 1902 an “M. S.” at Harvard, and in 1903 he received a “Ph. D.” (which accounts for the nickname). The only letters he uses, however, are the ones he received first. Although his specialty is Chemistry, he has by no means confined his energies to that field alone, but has become an authority on numerous other subjects, among these being pigs, politics and harmonicas. JOHN HARLAND NELSON Professor of Applied Mechanics B. S„ South Dakota State College, 1905; M. S., University of Illinois, 1909; Instructor in Mathematics, South Dakota State College, 1903-08; University Fellow, University of Illinois, 1908- 09; Assistant Professor of Applied Mechanics, Case, 1909- 12; Professor, W. P. I., 1912- . It “strains” and it “stresses” us to say our au revoir to this member of the Mechanical Dept., but in our au revoir there is not a single “impooity” and all we say is sincere. In our Junior year, Prof. Nelson, whose sobriquet has somehow come to be “Hungry John” (we know not how or even why), left us for a short stay at the Bureau of Standards in Washington. There he was busy on the calibration of their huge testing machines, on which he is an expert. After going to the Watertown Arsenal and testing their machine there he returned to Worcester and resumed his work in “Matscon,” or rather the “Ma¬ terials of Construction.” 24

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HOWARD CHAPIN IVES Professor of Railroad Engineering Ph. B., Yale, 1898, and C. E., 1900; Instructor in Civil En¬ gineering, W. P. I., 1900-03; Assistant Professor, University of Pennsylvania, 1903-06; Assistant Professor of Railroad En¬ gineering, W. P. I., 1906-12; Professor, 1912- Cedar 2376?—Yes, please.—Hello, may I speak with Mr. M-?—Hello, is that you, George?— What’s the lesson in water supply?—You didn’t bother to take it down. Well, I thought that I might look it over, but I guess that I will not bother with it.—Oh, Reddy’ll probably tell us how he put a bridge across the Gulf of Mexico for the Acheson.—I don’t know but I have always suspected that it was rear chainman, or something like that.—There is no use in asking him that, he will just “look the matter up before the next recitation.” —He does seem to get away with a great deal when it comes to writing books.—Oh, you must have been read¬ ing the write-up in the Tech News. You ought to have seen what the Engineering Record said about that book. —Yes, it’s too bad we can’t run that department.—All right, good bye. JOSEPH OLIVER PHELON Professor of Electrical Engineering B. S., W. P. I., 1887, and B. S., (Electrical Engineering), 1890; M. M. E., Cornell, 1901 ; Instructor in Physics, W. P. I., 1887- 96; Electrical Engineering, 1896-1900; Fellow, Cornell Univer¬ sity, 1900-01; Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering, W. P. I., 1901-07; Professor, 1907- . Just plain “Joe” Phelon, Country Gentleman. Now that we know Prof. Phelon we are wondering how he ever happened to take up Electrical Engineering when he would have been so happy as a farmer. Eo any ob¬ server it is easily seen that “Joe” would fit into a rural picture without a make-up—and even without the Ford. How natural he would look leaning up against a divid¬ ing line fence with a straw between his teeth, swapping stories, by Heck! with old Ebenezer Drawback, his neighbor. Then he would never be bothered with that one rubber stamp of his which has been the Waterloo of coun tless Tech men. Yellow exam papers, “finals” and all such trash would be forgotten and, we think, “Joe” would be happy.

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r 7 J i m n ! aJ - I -il CARLETON ALLEN READ Professor of Steam Engineering B. S., M. I. T., 1891; Instructor in Mechanical Engineering, M. I. T., 1891-99; Professor, New Hampshire State College, 1899- 1908; Professor of Steam Engineering, W. P. I., 1908- We have with us today a noted authority on Steam, Steam Engines, Steam Boilers and Steam Pipes, in fact everything with heat in it, as well as things without heat. Refrigeration, and things like that. You might ask why “B. A.” and not “C. A.,” but as this is a subject of too large a proportion to discuss, we cannot satisfy your curiosity. However, an extended thesis on this subject can be had from Prof. Read’s man, Sammy. Anyone who has had a course with “B. A.” cannot have failed to be deeply impressed with the value of the expressions “and so forth,” “things like that,” “the in¬ scrutable laws of nature,” and numerous other oft repeat¬ ed phrases, used as convenient means for ending sen¬ tences, especially when those sentences would better have ended with a period. We must frankly admit, however, that some of “B. A.’s” odd ways of explaining prob¬ lems were very effective and to the point. To be a good fellow was a particular desire of Prof. Read and most of us appreciate the attitude which he always took toward the class. CARL DUNHAM KNIGHT Assistant Professor of Experimental Electrical Engineering B. S„ W. P. I., 1903, and E. E„ 1908; Instructor in Electrical Engineering, 1904-08; Assistant Professor of Experimental Elec¬ trical Engineering, 1908- When first we met Prof. Knight we were prejudiced in his favor by the fact that he had been through the mill before us. Also we had heard wondrous stories of him, but after a few disillusions even the most optimistic grow skeptical. But for once the “stories were not overdone, in fact they completely failed to do him justice. For he has never been known to lose his tem¬ per—not even when some idiot has tried to send 50 amperes through a five-ampere wattmeter. And his uni¬ versal popularity is attested by the utter lack of even a single “nom de plume.” 7 J 23