Worcester Polytechnic Institute - Peddler Yearbook (Worcester, MA)

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this offer from an unknown donor would forestall and possibly eclipse his own project, for which he had hoped to enlist enthusiasm among wealthy Worcester manu¬ facturers. Yet all concerned saw that it was exceedingly desirable that his co-operation be secured. Professor George I. Alden—I think of him still as Professor— said he had it direct from Doctor Sweetser that “it proved no easy task to induce Mr. Washburn to be only a partner in this enter¬ prise in which he expected to be sole proprietor.” But how well he succeeded! Mr. Washburn gave to the new institution the Washburn Shops, an endowment fund of $50,000 for their support, and a generous amount for their equipment. At the dedication of the “Wor¬ cester County Free Institute of Industrial Science,” November 11, 1868, Dr. Sweetser said: “Two industrious and prosperous mech¬ anics, having independently of each other, cherished the purpose of being the benefactors of this community in future years, were, in the Providence of God, brought to combine their means and to co¬ operate together in laying the foundation of a school of practi¬ cal science, which, we trust, will prove not only an ornament to the city, but a long-continued source of substantial benefit to the country and the commonwealth.” In this case, it is clear that “The Providence of God” spoke with the voice and wrote with the pen of sage Seth Sweetser. The two benefactions, either of which would have been too weak to stand alone, were united in strength, and made to supplement each other; the Washburn plan was broadened, while the Boyn¬ ton project was given greater definiteness of focus. And so—after all these years —The Worcester Idea in educa¬ tion crystallized and took shape. It was a big idea in education then. It has still greater signifi¬ cance now. Robert S. Parks, ’93. Page thirteen

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facturer of card wire. And from this humble start grew the great¬ est industry Worcester has ever had. In theoretical knowledge—book lamin’, as it was sometimes called —he was a better educated man than John Boynton. But in his attempts to improve his product and his machinery, he too, notwithstanding constant study, found himself hampered. He discovered that he lacked fun¬ damental knowledge in Mechanics and Chemistry. And so—though he gave liber¬ ally to every worthy charity—as his fortune grew, he too dreamed a dream—and formed a plan. The blacksmith’s plan was—as you might expect—practical. It concerned itself with the founding of a school in which apprentices —while still learning their trades —might also learn the principles of applied science. It is the mark of a well-rounded man of mature years—when ven¬ turing into a new field—a field entirely foreign to his experiences —to seek advice. Ichabod Washburn knew what he wanted to do. He wasn t sure he knew just how. He, too, sought the advice of the Reverend Doctor Sweetzer. And so here were two men— Mr. Whitcomb, on behalf of his friend John Boynton, and Ichabod Washburn—asking Doctor Sweet- zer’s advice on practically the same subject. HE mission of the min¬ ister is that of interpre¬ ter. He interprets ab¬ stract truth in terms of present concrete prob¬ lems. For forty years, the R e v e r e n d Seth Sweetser, D.D., was the minister—the parish priest—of his flock, al¬ most of the entire community. His sound scholarship, his broad outlook, the breadth of his sympathies, the radiance of his character made his opinion much sought—and respected. All sorts of men came to him with their varied perplexities. Back in the fifties, some young fellows sought his advice as to how they could enter the profes¬ sion of civil engineering without taking a regular college course. A little later came Ichabod Wash¬ burn, with his scheme for a school of industrial science. These two so different inter¬ views focussed his mind on the solution of this entirely new thought in education. As was his habit, be proceeded to think it out. Years passed—years of in¬ dustrial depression and of Civil War. Still the parson pondered on that idea. Its very novelty gripped him. During all those years he thought it out and to clarify his own mind, he wrote it out. Then came David Whitcomb to broach an unnamed donor’s wish to make $100,000 serve the boys of Worcester County. The par¬ son’s vision of earlier years, be¬ came the “Worcester Idea.” After taking counsel with one or two other men, he drafted the pro¬ gram for the new institution. With hardly any modifications, John Boynton adopted that plan, as it stands in his letter of gift. Mr. Washburn naturally felt that Worcester’s acceptance of Page tivelve

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Hon. Charles G. Washburn, ’75 Page fourteen