Worcester Polytechnic Institute - Peddler Yearbook (Worcester, MA)

Page 12 text:

(OOTEOTS Foreword . 5 Dedication. 7 The Institute. 9 The Campus . 17 The Faculty . 33 Seniors . 65 Juniors . 117 Sophomores. 125 Freshmen . 133 Athletics . 141 Fraternities . 175 Organizations . 199 Departments . 231 Events . 241 Advertisements . . ;. 255

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UCK plays a minor role in Life for most things do not just happen. Some one dreams a dream. Out of the dream comes a plan. And out of the plan, the. way is found. John Boynton was a tin peddler. One would not expect a tin peddler, brought up in stern New England, to dream dreams. No one suspected it of him. He did not look like a dreamer. He did not act like one. But out of his peddler’s cart— and his dreams — there was evolved a plan of education so unique that it was almost two gen¬ erations ahead of its time. John Boynton was a farmer’s boy. He was born in New Hamp¬ shire; lived for thirty years on the farm where he was born. Then he made a shift of jobs— and a most radical shift it was. He came to Templeton, one of the old hill towns in central Mass¬ achusetts, and set up making tin¬ ware. New England being largely rural, the problem of “distribu¬ tion” was in his case one of ped¬ dling. He was manufacturer, jobber and retailer,—-no middle¬ men! And tin ware was cheap—- and good. His business was one of barter, and he who barters is likely to become observant of his fellows. Also, the nature of his business, slow jogging from town to town, left him much time for analyzing his clients—and what was to bet¬ ter purpose, analyzing himself. He realized that his three “R” schooling—and mighty little of that—had balked his ambition. But his business grew. Most bus¬ inesses do, if they are attended to. John Boynton left the road and with his partner became admiral of a fleet of old red peddler’s Page ten