Worcester Polytechnic Institute - Peddler Yearbook (Worcester, MA)

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ZELOTES WOOD COOMBS “ Coombsie” AA 1 ( 1 BK Professor of English and Secretary of the Faculty A. B., Amherst, 1888, and A. M., 1895; Instructor in English, Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute, 1888-89; Univ. of Virginia, 1889-90; Clerk and Assistant in Languages, W. P. I., 1891-92; Instructor in Modern Languages, 1892-95; Assistant Professor, 1895-1901; Professor of French, 1901-03; Modern Languages, 1903-13; Secretary of the Faculty, 1910- ; Professor of English 1913-. “Coming around the corner of Boynton Hall, the Gymnasium appears.” This is but a sample of the many striking expressions which serve to keep fresh in our memory the English course given by Prof. Coombs. We also have a hazy recollection of a vast number of languages from which the English language sprang, and well remember the ill success that attended our efforts to “put one over on Coombsie,” modify our voice, and persuade him that a certain absent member was present at the English lectures. Few men in the school have done more in extolling the many advantages of Tech and in faithfully supporting its activities. HAROLD BABBITT SMITH “H. B.” BOH 23 Professor of Electrical Engineering. (Leave of absence in New London for Naval Service.) M. E., Cornell, 1891; Adjunct Professor of Electrical Engineering, Arkansas State Univ., 1892-93; Professor of Electrical Engineering, Purdue, 1893-96; W. P. I. 1896- . “We will have a quiz tomorrow,” says “H. B„” and we know we are in for an hour of the most rapid work of which a slide rule is capable. Those quizzes made us realize how much of electrical engineering we did not know, and, but for the fact that when it came to the final grades Professor Smith passed all who showed any signs of intelligence whatsoever, we should all have come to grief. During much of our course “H. B.” was away, spend¬ ing his time on important government work in New London. From what we have heard from various sources, and from what we know of Professor Smith, we are sure that he did his full share towards “Making the World Safe for Democracy.” Page 15 1Q1Q Aftermath 1Q1Q c 3

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mm uiliiiiiiiiiiiniiimiiiijMi 1111 n in i i? GEORGE HENRY HAYNES “Jinny” AKE 4 BK 23 Professor of Economics and Political Science A. B., Amherst, 1887; Ph. D., Johns Hopkins, 1893; Instructor in Modern Languages, W. P. I., 1887-88; Mathematics, 1888-89; Modern Languages, 1889-90; Professor of Economics and Political Science, 1893-. Some of us who were lucky enough to have a seat not too far back or who, perhaps, paid a little better attention, looked forward to the lectures in Business Law or Political Science. It was not until our Junior year that we met “Jinny” in class but we soon learned to prepare for an amusing anecdote when we saw a twitching face and a far-away look. His timely bits of humor brightened up a course which otherwise would have been very uninteresting to most of us. But Professor Haynes has other interests than his course. He believes in getting acquainted with the students outside of class and many of our social events have found him and Mrs. Haynes present. His untiring efforts for Tech are shown by the success of the Tech Journal, of which he is Managing Editor. WALTER LOUIS JENNINGS “The Kaiser” “Pussyfoot” VV bJh-i Professor of Organic Chemistry A.B., Harvard, 1889, A. M„ 1890, and Ph. D„ 1892; Assistant in Chemistry, Harvard, 1890-92; Parker Fellow at Univ. of Berlin, 1893-94 ; Assistant Professor of Chemistry, W. P. I., 1894-99; Professor of Organic Chemistry, 1900- . Recalling to our mind from the dim and shadowy past the days when we were happy, care-free Freshmen and were obtaining our preliminary instruction in the science of Chemistry in the Freshman laboratory, we remember distinctly the rare visits of a white-haired gentleman bearing with him the undeniable stamp of authority. Later as Sophomores we appreciated the thoroughness of his drilling in Qualitative Analysis. In our Junior year, when lost in the mazes of Organic Chemistry we acquired a still greater respect for his complete mastery of that subject. But it was as Seniors, taking his course in the History of Chemistry, that we discovered the genial side of his nature, and the collection of pictures and slides shown during these lectures will long be remembered. Page 14 A sill Aftermath 1Q1O SKfi® IIIIIIKIk

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ALEXANDER WILMER DUFF “A. Wtimer” 4 2K SS Professor of Physics. (Leave of absence for Aviation Service.) B. A., Univ. of New Brunswick, 1884, and Univ. of London, 1887; M. A., University of Edinburgh, 1888, B. Sc., 1892, and D. Sc., 1901; Professor of Physics, Univ. of Madras, 1889-90; Univ. of New Brunswick, 1890-93; Purdue, 1893-99; W. P. I„ 1899- . Our appreciation of Professor Duff’s genius dates back to the time when we first sat in the Physics lecture room and watched the curtains descend un¬ touched by human hands. Since that day, we have seen him perform complex integrations mentally, compute percentage of error by knowing intuitionally just what terms to neglect, and in fact we have become so accus¬ tomed to witnessing the extraordinary that we look upon the one or two days when Professor Duff was just ordinarily good as startling events. Professor Duff served as an expert in aviation during the war, thus adding further to a scientific reputation already national in extent. ARTHUR WILLARD FRENCH “Pa” 2S Professor of Civil Engineering C. E., Dartmouth, 1892; Associate Professor of Civil Engineering, Dartmouth, 1895-98; Professor, W. P. I., 1899- . “You can fool some of the people all the time, and all of the people some of the time,” et cetera; also “exception proves the rule,” so that Professor French must be the exception, if the first quaint old maxim be true. The first two premises may lead to- some very amusing logic; but it is true philosophy that no civil ever faked a recitation on “Pa” and “got away with it.” However, Professor French does not rely on the baseball scorer’s art to keep tabs on his embryo engineers; thorough, frank and careful in his teaching; ready with good advice on school or other matters; friendly and companionable in his relations with his students; he has no superiors and few equals as a teacher. Page 16 1Q1Q Aftermath 1Q1Q