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CLIFTON    M.    MILLER    LIBRARY 

Washington  College 

Chestertown,  MD  21620 


Presented  By 
Women's    Leaaue    of 
Washington   College 


WASHINGTON 

THE    COLLEGE    AT    CHESTER 


WASHINGTON 


FOREWORD    BY    RICHARD    HARWOOD 

COMPILED    BY    WILLIAM    L.    THOMPSON 

EDITED    BY    MAR CIA    C.    LANDSKROENER 


The  Literary  House  Press  at  Washington  College 
Chestertown,  Maryland 


ynd. 
S731 


The  Literary  House  Press 

at  Washington  College 

prnited  m  the  USA  by  R.  R.  Donnelley  (!\'  Sons  Company 

©  2000  by  The  Literary  House  Press.  All  rights  reserved. 

Library  ot  Congress  Card  Catalog  Number  99-073035 

ISBN  0-937692-16-6 


/  am  iiiticli  iiidcbred  for  the  lioiior  coiifeiivd  on  iiic, 

by  oirino  my  name  to  the  Collcoc  at  Chester. 

—  George  Washington 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2011  with  funding  from 

LYRASIS  members  and  Sloan  Foundation 


http://www.archive.org/details/washingtoncollegOOharw 


Table  of  Contents 


Preface  &:  Acknowledgments ix 

FOFLEWORD  xh 

Founding  &  Early  Development 

William  Smith  Forges  Ambitious  Beginnings 4 

Trials  by  Fire 

Rasing  from  the  Ashes 26 

The  Drums  ot  Wir 38 

Milestones  &  Cornerstones 

Presidential  Visits  Put  College  in  the  Spothght  54 

Coeducation  Changes  Attitudes  Toward  Women 68 

Rich  History  Resides  in  Hynson-Ringgold  House 82 

Campus  Landmarks  Recall  Historic  Ties 94 

Celebrating  Our  Past 106 

People  Who  Shaped  Washington  College 

The  Early  Presidents 1 18 

The  Modern  Age 1 44 

Friends  and  Benefactors 176 

Athletics 

It  All  Started  With  a  "Social  Game":  Sports  at  Washington  College 214 

Rttrospectives 

Voices  Through  Time 252 

Faculty  Portraits 
Teachers,  Mentors,  Friends 302 


Appendix 

George  Washington's  Honorary  Degree  320 

Honorary  Degrees  Granted  by  Washington  College 322 

Distinguished  Teaching  Awards 326 

Awards  for  Excellence 327 

George  Wishington  Medals  and  Awards  328 

Sophie  Kerr  Awards 329 

The  Washington  College  Mace 330 

Washington  College  Alumni  Citations 331 

Wishmgton  College  Presidents 334 

Donors  of  $1  Million  or  More  Through  1999 335 

Endowed  Chairs 335 

hidex 336 


Preface  &  Acknowledgments 


IN  THE  SPRING  OF  1998  the  Literary  House  Press  proposed  its  most 
ambitious  undertaking — the  compilation  and  publication  of  a  large- 
tormat,  richly-illustrated  volume  in  celebration  ofWashmgton  College. With 
encouragement  from  the  administration  of  College  President  John  S.  Toll,  the 
project  was  launched  as  part  ot  the  College "s  commemoration  of  George 
Washington's  life. 

William  L.Thompson  "70  coiiciucted  an  e.xhaustix'e  search  ot  archix'al  records 
and  photographs  and  interviewed  ciozens  of  people  representing  every  constitu- 
ency of  the  College.  The  College  Relations  publications  team,  led  by  Mereciith 
Davies  Hadaway  M'96,  organized  the  compilation  of  materials  into  book  form 
for  publication.  Diane  D"Ac|uino  Landskroener  "76  M"S1,  book  designer  and 
page  layout  artist,  and  Marcia  C.  Landskroener,  writer  and  editor,  were  instru- 
mental in  the  successtul  completion  ot  this  project.  While  by  no  means  a  com- 
prehensive chronological  account,  this  volume  does,  we  believe,  capture  the  es- 
sence ot  Washington  College  through  two  centuries  ot  history. 

Most  attempts  during  the  past  century  to  assemble  a  College  history  were 
hampered  by  a  lack  ot  resources. When  valuable  documents  unic]ue  to  the  school 
were  destroyed  in  1916,  College  President  James  W  Cain  set  about  replacing  the 
archives  in  hofies  ot  providing  the  material  necessary  tor  such  a  history.  Presi- 
dent Gilbert  W.  Mead  and  Dean  W.S.  William  Jones,  Class  of  1.SS9,  continued 
those  efforts,  hi  1952.  the  Visitors  and  Governors  authorized  tundmg  tor  a  Col- 
lege history.  Dr.  Charles  B.  Clark  "33,  chairman  of  the  Department  of  History 
and  Political  Science,  was  selected  to  oversee  the  project.  When  he  took  an 
academic  position  elsewhere,  the  project  lay  dormant  until  Frederick  "Dutch"" 
Dumschott  "27  turned  himself  to  the  task  m  1973.  Se\en  vears  later,  the  tlrst 
history  ofWashington  College  was  published  m  book  form. 

The  Literary  House  Press  trusts  that  this  new  book  is  proof  that  those  efforts 
by  the  Cains,  the  Meads,  the  Joneses,  the  Clarks,  and  others  throughout  the 
College's  218-year  existence  who  sought  to  preserve  pieces  ot  its  history  were 


not  in  vain.  Much  of  their  material  is  printed  here  for  the  first  time.  Where 
appropriate,  portions  of  Dumschott's  out-of-print  narrative  are  recycled.  Selected 
articles  from  Washitioton  CoUe^^e  Magazine  and  other  campus  publications  reap- 
pear. And,  of  course,  there  is  much  new  material. 

We  are  especially  indebted  to  Robert  Janson-La  Palme, Washington  College's 
professor  emeritus  of  art  history,  for  his  significant  contributions  as  an  historical 
scholar  to  our  unclerstandmg  ot  the  earliest  College  history.  We  are  also  grateful 
to  W  Robert  Fallaw,  long-time  professor  of  history,  and  Joseph  L.  Holt  '83,  vice 
president  for  administration,  both  ot  whom  reviewed  the  entire  manuscript. 

In  addition  to  the  text  contributors  listed  below,  the  following  people  helped 
m  ways  large  and  small:  Bruce  Alexander  '94,  Charles  B.  Clark  '34,  Annie  B. 
Coleman,  Mackey  Metcalfe  Dutton  '51,  Margaret  Fallaw,  Ernion  Foster,  Cynthia 
Grimaldi,Jack  Hamilton,  Richard  Hai'wood,  Roy  Hoopes,  Madeline  E.  Howell, 
Maureen  Jacoby,  Bennett  J.  Lamond,  Jim  Landskroener  M'91,  Loretta  Lodge, 
Jennifer  Lubkin  '00,  Bette  Lucas,  Maureen  K.  Mclntire,  Kate  Meagher  '97,  Rob- 
ert Mooney,  Regina  Moore,  Marion  Quick,  Bob  Rickel,  Susan  H.  Russell,  Patricia 
V.  Smith,  Dr.  Nate  Smith,  Gretchen  Kratzer  Starling  '73,Jodie  A.Taylor,  Susan  M. 
Tessem,  P  Trams  Hollingsworth  '75,  Dr.  John  S.  Toll,  William  J.  Tubbs,  Laura 
Johnstone  Wilson,  and  Cheryl  Wolfson. 

Most  of  the  photographs  reprinted  here  are  owned  by  the  College  and  come 
from  the  archives  maintained  in  Miller  Library,  Bunting  Hall,  and  the  Alumni 
House.  We  are  grateful  for  the  work  of  photographers  Art  Baltrotsky,  Carl 
Goldhagen,  and  James  Martinez,  who  are  responsible  tor  nearly  all  the  tour- 
color  reproductions  of  portraits,  artitacts,  and  contemporary  campus  scenes.  We 
also  gratefully  acknowledge  the  individual  contributions  of  those  photographers 
credited  on  page  343. 

The  Editorial  Board 
LiTEio\RY  House  Press 
Richard  Harwood 
Meredith  Davies  Hadaway  M'96 
Robert  Day 
Maureen  Jacoby 
William  L.Thompson  '70 


Text  Contributors 

James  M.  Cam  "lU 

Sue  De  Pasquale  '87 

H.  Hurtt  Dennger  '59 

FredW.  Dumschott  '27 

Elizabeth  Sutton  Duvall  '30 

Douglas  Hanks  III,  former  Media  Associate 

P  Trams  Hollingsworth  '75 

Joseph  Holt  '83 

Ernest  A.  Howard  '05 

Robert  J.  H.Janson-La  Palme,  Professor  of  Art,  Emeritus 

Marcia  C.  Landskroener,  Associate  Director  of  College  Relations 

Bryan  Matthews  '75 

Davy  McCall,  Lecturer  m  Economics,  Emeritus 

James  A.  Pearce,  College  Trustee  1 863- 1917 

Nate  Smith,  Professor  of  History,  Emeritus 

William  L.Thompson  '70 

Marshall  WiUiamsM  '92 

Martin  E. Williams  '75 

Phillip  J.  Wmgate  '33 

Marv  RuthYoe  '73 


Foreword 


IF  ONE  WERE  TO  W  RI T  E  the  history  ofWiishington  College  as  a  novel  or 
screenplay  it  would  be  a  thriller.  tuU  ot  suspense,  nnraculous  rescues  and  happy 
endings.  For  years,  it  lurched  from  crisis  to  crisis — fires,  financial  calamities,  po- 
litical disappointments,  internal  struggles  tor  power,  and  more  than  one  anguished 
search  tor  an  institutional  identirv'. 

None  of  this  was  foreseen  in  the  beginning.  For  the  school's  founder,  Will- 
iam Smith,  1782  was  an  auspicious  time  to  launch  the  enterprise.  Interest  in 
higher  education  was  spreading  throughout  the  colonies;  only  a  handful  of  other 
colleges  existeci  (all  but  one  m  the  Northeast)  to  serve  a  population  that  had 
doubled  in  size  between  1775  and  1790  and  soon  would  be  doubling  every 
twenty-tour  years.  On  the  Eastern  Shore  ot  Maryland,  wealthy  landowners  with 
sons  to  eciucate  anci  new  preachers  and  teachers  to  tram  were  enthusiastic  over 
Smith's  proposal  for  a  college  at  Chestertown.They  created  an  endowment  for 
the  school  (roughly  ^5( )()())  which  was  more  than  ten  times  larger  than  the 
original  endowment  for  Harvard.  George  Washington  not  only  donated  money 
but  lent  his  name  and  prestige  to  the  College,  serving  on  its  Board  ofVisitors  and 
Governors.  Equally  important,  the  Maryland  Assembly  voted  m  1784  to  subsi- 
dize the  College  "annually  and  forever."" 

But  like  most  colleges  m  America,  it  soon  encotintered  tlnancial  difficulties. 
A  ma)or  cause  was  the  lack  ot  enough  tuition-paymg  students  to  keep  these 
institutions  afloat.  In  an  agricultural  societ\-  based  on  physical  labor  and  craft 
skills,  demand  tor  higher  education  was  \irtLially  non-existent  outside  circles  ot 
the  aristocracy  and  the  religious  hierarchies. The  mass  of  people — including  most 
doctors,  lawyers,  surx'eyors  and  engineers — learned  their  trades  and  acquired  their 
skills  through  apprenticeships  and  trial  and  error,  not  m  college  lecture  halls. 
William  &  Mary,  founded  m  1693,  had  an  enrollment  of  only  three  students  at 
the  time  Wishington  College  began  operations.  Princeton  had  forrv',  Dartmouth 
eighty-one.  Harxard  in  its  early  years  and  during  tough  economic  times  was 
forced  to  accept  "farm  produce,  clothing  and  cattle  on  the  hoof"  in  lieu  of  cash 
for  tuition.  Richard  Ringgold  lamented  in  1 853  that  after  twenty-one  years  as 
president  c:)fWashington  C^ollege,  he  had  only  twenr\--seven  paying  students.  As 


late  as  1940  only  tour  percent  ot  the  population  over  twenty-five  had  completed 
college.  Even  today  roughly  three  out  of  four  adults  have  not  acc]un-ed  an  A. 15. 
degree. 

It  was  obvious  then  (and  still  is)  that  m  order  to  survive,  colleges  needeci 
other  sources  ot  income.  Many  ot  them  relied  on  the  sponsorship  ot  religious 
denominations.  Harvard  was  toundeci  and  supported  by  Puritans, Yale  by  Con- 
gregationalists,  Princeton  by  Presbyterians,  Brown  by  Baptists  and  Cieorgetown 
by  Cathohcs.  Washington  College  and  St.  John's  at  Annapolis  were  often  de- 
scribed as  "Episcopalian"  institutions  because  ot  their  connections  with  promi- 
nent Anglicans  such  as  William  Smith,  the  Parish  priest  in  Chestertown.  But 
there  were  no  formal  tmancial  ties  to  the  church  and,  otFiciallv,  these  schools 
were  non-denominational,  open  to  students  ot  all  taiths. 

Governmental  tunding  was  meager  and  unreliable  as  William  Smiths  succes- 
sor, Colin  Ferguson,  learned  m  18(J5  when  the  College's  state  grant  ("annually 
and  forever")  was  cut  ott.The  historian  Samuel  Eliot  Morison  has  written  that, 
"It  was  typical  of  the  liberal  spirit  ot  the  South  m  this  era  that  she  pioneered  in 
state  universities  tree  trom  sectarian  control."  But  that  spirit  was  not  evident  in 
Maryland  for  many  years  to  come.  Even  today  state  thiancial  aid  to  its  private 
colleges  is  modest. 

Gifts  anci  endowments  trom  wealthy  patrons  and  ordinary  alumiu  have  taken 
on  considerable  importance  in  the  tlnancmg  ot  higher  education  in  our  time. 
But  It  was  not  until  this  century  (and  the  last  tew  years  ot  the  nineteenth)  that  a 
sutEcient  number  ot  great  tortunes  were  amassed  to  have  significant  impact  on 
colleges  and  universities. The  Washington  College  endowment,  so  impressive  in 
1782,  evaporated  within  a  tew  years. 

Against  all  these  odds,  the  Cc^Uege  has  sur\'i\'ed  tor  more  than  two  centuries 
and  m  e\"ery  measurable  \\ay  is  healthier  and  stronger  than  at  any  time  in  its  long 
history. The  paintul  but  triumphant  struggle  to  reach  high  ground  is  a  principal 
theme  of  this  volume.  But  there  is  more  than  stiiiiii  mid  divii'^  to  the  story.  The 
College  is  our  iiliim  iiuitci;  which  literally  means  "tostenng  mother."  It  is  a  place  ot 
socialization  and  discovery,  a  "dream  factory"  where  many  ot  our  important 
relationships  begin  and  informed  perceptions  ot  the  world  are  born. Those  di- 
mensions of  our  lives  are  retlected  here,  calling  upon  memories  that  outlast  stone 
and  brick  and  the  stubbed  toes  ot  our  youth. 

Richard  Harwood 
Chestertown,  MD 
June  1999 


We  gratefully  dcknowledge  the  folloit'iiig  donors  whose  generosity 
made  this  hook  possible: 


Dorothy  Jordan  Chadwick  Ftind 

Nora  C.  and  Arthur  W.  Liebohl 

Margaret  M.  and  John  A.  Moag  '77 

Carolyn  ami  Kevin  M.  O'Keefe  '74 

Robert  G.  and  Joyce  Hnbcr  Smith 

Howard  and  Mary  D.  ]]bod  '68 

Aim  and  Matthew  T.  Weir  '90 


^      --^  ■-'■  &  -:  "■'      ■ 


«    9     I 

f  I  a 


it-    i      s 


William  Smith  Forges  Ambitious  Beginnings 


Washington  College  was  born  at  the  dawn  of  a 
new  republic.  Its  association  with  the  infhieinial 
statesmen  of  the  late  eigliteeiith  century  in 
general,  and  witli  George  IVashington  in 
particular,  portended  a  bright  future  Jor  an 
institution  of  higher  learning  at  the  nation's 
demographic  center  The  school  was  then  distinct 
among  its  peers  in  its  secular  mission  as  well: 
llashington  College  was  chartered  in  1782  to 
educate  responsible  citizens  of  the  new 
democracy — citizens  who  could  lead  government , 
start  businesses,  and  promote  peace  and 
knou'ledge.  In  the  first  blush  of  its  early  days, 
Uashington  College  had  eivrything going  for  it: 
the  blessing  of  the  most  popular  man  in  Anicrica, 
and  the  educational  fervor  of  its  founding 


WASHINGTON  COLLEGE,  like  all  of  the  early  colleges  in  North 
America,  began  life  as  an  academy  for  boys:  the  Kent  County  Free 
School,  established  by  an  act  of  the  Maryland  Assembly  in  1723.  It 
offered  basic  courses  in  literacy  and  mathematics  to  its  youngest  students  and 
secondary  schooling  to  older  boys  with  an  aptitude  for  Latin  and  Greek. 

The  school  was  taken  over  late  in  1780  by  a  new  headmaster, William  Smith 
of  Philadelphia,  a  noted  preacher,  educator,  land  speculator,  and  acquaintanceof 
Benjamin  Franklm.  Smith  had  arrived  on  the  Eastern  Shore  six  months  earlier  as 


1723 


Dr.  WilliiVit  Smith  had  HViictliini;  to  prove,  to  liiiii<clt  ii<  iivll 
as  his  colh'dgiics  and  associates.  Diirino  his  iiiiic-ycar  tenure, 
he  set  the  highest  academic  standards  for  Washington  College. 
After  seeing  to  the  constrnction  of  a  massive  college  building 
and  then  conferring  an  honorary  degree  npon  George 
Washington  in  1789,  Dr  Snnth  retnrned  to  the  College  of 
Philadelphia. 


Kent  County  Fflee 

School  established  in 

Chestertown  to  serve 

Maryland's  Upper 

Eastern  Shore  and 

Delaware. 


1775 

June  la  • 
c  iEORGE  Washington 

ELECTED  commander- 
in-chief  OF  the 

Continental  fcirces. 


1778 

December  28  • 

Dr.William  Smith, 

attending  a  Masonic 

festival  and  services 

AT  Christ  Church, 

Philadelphia, 
refers  to  george 
Washington,  WHO  is 

PRESENT,  as  THE 

'"American 
Cincinnatus." 

July  •  Dr.  Smith 

arri\  es  in 
Chestertown;  six 

MONTHS  later  IS 

named  head  of  kent 
County  Free  School. 

1780 

nove.mber  • 

Dr.  S.mith  con'venes 

IN  Chestertown  a 

meeting  of  clergy 

who  agree  to  rename 

Church  of  Engl.and 

the  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church. 


A  plaque  dt  the  lower  end 
of  ]]'iiiliiin;ton  Ai'einte  in 
Chcsieitown  iiidiks  the  site 
()/  the  Kent  C^oinn]'  Free 
School. 


rector  of  the  Anglican  parish  at  Chestertown.  He  combined  that  position  with  his 
duties  at  the  school. 

Smith  was  a  man  ot  great  energy  and  ambition  and  within  two  years  had 
devised,  with  support  troni  the  local  gentry,  a  plan  to  upgrade  the  school  by 
adding  a  collegiate  department  and  obtaining  a  charter  trom  the  Maryland  As- 
senibly.The  charter  was  granted  on  May  24.  1782,  with  the  proviso  that  "the  sum 
of  _£5,0(J()  beyond  the  value  of  the  Kent  County  school  was  to  be  raised  within 
five  years." 

The  tireless  Smith  was  up  to  the  task.  He  mounted  his  horse,  Wiishington 
College  historians  Gilbert  W.  Mead  and  Charles  B.  Clark  tell  us,  and  "canvassed 
the  wealthy  planters  of  the  Eastern  Shore  counties  and  those  of  the  Virginia 
Eastern  Shore,  with  such  success  that  the  whole  amciunt  was  secured  within  five 
months...." 

One  of  the  subscribers  was  General  George  Washington,  an  old  friend  ot 
Smith's,  who  agreed  to  allo\\'  the  College  to  be  named  in  his  honor.  Washington 
pledged  fifty  guineas  to  the  school's  founding  "as  an  earnest  of  my  wishes  tor  the 
prosperity  of  this  seminary."  He  also  accepted  a  place  on  the  College's  Board  ot 
Visitors  and  Governors.  It  \\as  the  only  college  board  on  which  he  ever  served. 
He  relinc]uished  that  position  atter  becoming  the  tirst  President  of  the  United 
States  m  1789. Three  months  later,  on  June  24,  he  received  an  honorary  degree  of 


Ga'/\'r  ]]'iiihiii'^toii's  {^if}  of  fifty  i^iiiiicds — valued  at  87 
poimdi,  10  shillings — was  the  laivcst  ol  all  the  foiindiin^  <^ifts 
and  iihis  used  to  purchase  scieiitifle  equipment  joy  eoitise 
offetiiii^s  ill  sinreyiiii;,  iiai'i{;atioii,  and  astroiioiiiy. 


May  1  (j  • 

Legislator  and 

College  subscriber 

Edward  Lloyd 

introduces  petition 

TO  Maryland 

Gener-al  Assembly 

requesting  charter 

for  a  college  in 

Chestertown. 

May  24  •  Generju. 
Assembly  i'Asses  bill 
granting  charter 

FOR  first  college  IN 

Maryland. 
Summer  •  Dr.  Smith 

CANVASSES  the 

Eastern  Shore  and 

RAISES  £  10.1  ion  to 

start  College. 

August  18  •  In  a 

LETTER  to  DR.  SMITH. 

Gen.  George 
Washington  writes. 

"...I  AM    MUCH 

indebted  for  the 

honor  conferred 

upon  me,  by  giving 

my  n.ame  to  the 

collec;e  .at  Chester." 

nove^lber  26  • 

Visitors  and 

Governors  inform 

Genei^^l  Assembly 

that  FUNDING 

requirement  of 

charter  has  been 

obliged. 

1783 

"His  Excellency 
George  Washington. 
Esq."  pays  sub- 
scription to 
Washington 
College  amounting 
to  ;£87/1:  payment 
made  through 
Dr.  Smith. 


AVAsni]^ errors"  ColIjEGE  /..  //„■ '^m.-  <•/.  M 4Jii>^jL,AJV-^. 


llic  fint  C{>//(\'c  hiiildiin;.  <liou'ii 
in  lliii  aiohU'iin;,  ints  dcstwycii 
by  fiivjannaiy  II,  1827. 


n    1 


Doctor  ot  Laws  trom  Washington  College.  It  was  the  first  degree  he  accepted 
after  becoming  president  and  was  presented  to  hini  m  New  York,  then  the  seat  of 
Congress,  by  Dr.  Smith  and  two  members  ot  the  College  Board  ofVisitors  and 
Governors — U.S.  Senator  John  Henry  and  Congressman  Joshua  Seney.The  origi- 
nal diploma  of  the  degree,  Meaci  and  Clark  have  written,  is  now  "a  treasured 
Item"  in  the  Manuscript  Division  of  the  Library  of  Congress. 

On  July  1  1,  Washington  wrote  a  letter  of  appreciation  to  Dr.  Smith: 

It  affords  me  peculiar  pleasure  to  know  that  the  Seat  of  Learning  under 
your  direction  has  attained  to  such  proficiency  in  the  Sciences  since  the 
Peace;  and  I  sincerely  pray  the  great  Author  of  the  Universe  may  smile 
upon  the  Institution,  and  make  it  an  extensive  blessing  to  this  country. 


Before  the  year  was  out,  Smith  had  left  Washington  College  and  returned  to 
the  College  of  Philadelphia  as  provost,  a  position  he  had  held  for  twenty-five 
years — frc:)ni  1754  until  177') — before  moving  to  Chestertown. 

Smith,  a  Scottish-born  Episcopal  minister  etiucated  by  Anglicans  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Aberdeen,  had  come  to  the  American  colonies  in  1751  as  the  impecu- 
nious tutor  to  the  sons  of  a  wealthy  Long  Island  family.  He  was  twenty-five  years 
old.  Two  years  later  he  published  A  General  Idea  of  the  College  of  Mimiiia,  a  pam- 
phlet outlining  the  aims  and  types  of  courses  he  thought  an  American  college 
should  offer.  Hiniianity,  he  wrote,  is  divided  into  two  classes:  those  who  i"ec]uire 


a  classical  education  because  they  are  "designed  tor  the  learn'd  Profession;  by 
which  they  understand  Divinity,  Law,  Physics,  Agriculture,  and  the  Chief  Offices 
of  the  State.  The  Second  Class  are  those  designed  for  Mechanic  Professions  and 
all  the  remaining  People  ot  the  Country."  For  those  channeled  into  the  "me- 
chanic" or  vocational  school.  Smith  believed,  time  spent  on  classical  studies — 
Latin  and  Greek  in  particular — would  be  wasted. 

The  pamphlet  so  impressed  Benjamin  Franklin  and  other  trustees  of  the 
Academy  of  Charitable  Schools  of  Philadelphia  that  they  offereci  Smith  the  job 
of  creating  a  college  atop  the  school  system.  He  agreed  in  May  1753  but  waited 
a  year  before  beginning  work.  He  spent  that  time  m  England  where  he  was 
ordained  a  priest  in  the  Episcopal  Church;  six  years  later  he  was  awarded  divinity 
doctorates  from  Oxford,  Aberdeen,  and  Trinity  College  m  London. 

In  May  1754  he  assumed  his  duties  in  Philadelphia  as  provost  of  the  Acad- 
emy, which  a  year  later  became  the  College  ot  Philadelphia  (now  the  University 
of  Pennsylvania).  He  soon  became  a  prominent  preacher  and  leader  m  the  intel- 
lectual community  of  Philadelphia  and  acquired  a  large  estate  outside  the  city 
through  land  speculation.  During  the  hard  winter  ot  1777-1778  he  befriended 
General  Washington  and  preached  to  his  troops  at  Valley  Forge.  When  his  "best 
horse"  and  cattle  were  requisitioned  by  the  Army,  a  personal  appeal  to  Washing- 
ton secured  the  return  of  the  cattle  and  payment  for  the  horse. 

All  in  all,  however,  he  was  not  a  popular  man.  Historian  Mead,  who  was 
president  ofWishmgton  College  from  1933  to  1949,  writes:  "Twice  in  jail  for 
libel  while  m  Philadelphia,  he  was  finally  purged  of  the  charge  only  by  a  personal 
appeal  to  the  Crown.  High-tempered,  irascible,  powerfully  contixwersial,  he  was 
either  friend  or  enemy  of  every  man  of  importance  in  the  colonies  between  the 
Carolinas  and  Massachusetts.  Vocally,  his  critics  outnumbered  his  triends."  He 
was  hostile  to  Quakers  anci  broke  with  his  patron  by  insisting  that  Franklin  de- 
served no  credit  tor  discovering  the  principle  ot  electricity'.  He  also  opposed 
Franklin's  application  for  an  honorary  ciegree  from  Oxford  Universirv'. 

Franklin  later  said:  "I  made  that  man  my  enemy  by  doing  him  too  much 
kindness.  'Tis  the  honestest  way  of  making  an  enemy.  And  since  "tis  convenient 
to  have  at  least  one  enemy  who  by  his  readiness  to  revile  one  on  all  occasions 
may  make  one  careful  of  one's  conduct,  1  shall  keep  him  an  enemy  tor  that 
purpose." 

In  1779  the  Pennsylvania  Assembly,  offended  by  Smith's  ambivalence  toward 
the  Revolution  and  his  loyalist  rhetoric,  withdrew  the  charter  tor  the  College  of 
Philadelphia,  leaving  Smith  without  a  job. 

He  turned  his  eyes  to  the  Eastern  Shore  of  Maryland  where  he  had  wealthy 
friends,  most  notably  General  John  Cadwalader  who  had  married  into  the  rich- 
est family  on  the  Shore,  the  Lloyds. 

Cadwalader,  art  historian  Robert  J.  H.Janson-LaPahne  writes,  had  been  one 


1783 


May  14  • 

First  College 

commencement  and 

first  collegiate 

graduation  in 

M'Ui.YLAND;  CEREMONY 
HELD  IN  "THE  CHURCH 

IN  Chester- Town": 

GUEST  OF  HONOR  IS 

Gov.  William  Paca,  a 

member  of  THE  BOARD. 
May  1 5  •  GOVERNOR 

Paca  lays 

cornerstone  for 

FIRST  College 

building. 

August  16  • 
Dr.  Smith  elected 

FIRST  bishop  of 

Maryland's 

Protestant  Episcopal 

Church. 

December  23  •  George 
Washington  flesigns 

commission  as 

commander-in-chief 

OF  Continental  Army 

at  State  House  in 

Annapolis. 

1784 

January  14  • 

Congress  meeting  in 

Annapolis  ratifies 

Treaty  of  Paris, 

ending 

Revolutionary  War. 

Lottery  ticpcets, 
approved  by 
Maryland 

legislature,  SOLD  TO 

raise  funds  for 
College. 

May  •  George 

Washington  visits 

THE  College. 


--12^ 


/ 


,A 


is^  Lin  .'l!"i  ^«  Ml!  '  '""■  • 

>'  uM  '^(i"  /i- '-  ^  "  />il%'^'* 


1  Ik Ji^S  u 


The  first  W'lisliini^toii  Collci^c  coiiiiiuihriiiciii.  cf.'''  licpiitcii  hy 
iirtist  Guy  Steele  Fairlaiub,  ituiiiiled  a  foniuil  piocessioii 
duel  stiiileiit  ilebtites. 


of  Smiths  students  in  Philadelphia  and,  along  with  the  Lloyd  flimily  and  other 
large  landholders,  invested  heavily  in  Smith's  plan  for  Wishmgton  College,  which 
was  closely  patterned  after  the  Cx^llege  ot  Philadelphia. The  curriculum  included 
algebra,  the  twelve  books  ot  Euclici,  geometry,  astronomy,  navigation,  logic,  Latin 
anci  Greek,  ethics,  natural  history,  philosophy,  rhetoric,  poetry,  agriculture,  history, 
plant  study  and  anatomy  and  biblical  history. 

"The  first  commencement,'"  Mead  and  Clark  write,  "held  on  May  14,  1783, 
was  in  the  best  academic  traditions  ot  the  day,  with  orations  in  the  classical  tongues, 
as  well  as  m  English;  debates  and  a  great  procession  to  the  present  campus,  where 
the  cornerstone  of  the  tlrst  College  building  was  laid  by  Gov.  William  Paca  [a 
tormer  student  ot  Smith"s|.  whti  received  a  [thirteen-gun  salute]  to  greet  him." 
Four  bachekir's  degrees  were  awarded  that  year  and  the  testivities  were  capped 
by  the  marriage  ot  Smith's  daughter,  Williamma  Elizabeth,  to  Charles 
Goldsbcirc^ugh,  son  ot  a  wealthy  Eastern  Shore  planter. 


10 


Geor<iC  ]]'d<liiiiotoii.  pdiihtdkiiioly  ciiihroiilcrcd  in  d  Ficihli  conrcni  iinvv  than  150  ycdis  dgo 
by  dii  dihc^tor  of  Mdiyldud's  PacdJdiuHy.  The  drtwork  wds  pnscntcd  to  the  Cohc};c  by 
]]llhdni  \]:PdCd  Jr.  '42  atid  Hckii  Pdca  BldcknrU  '78. 


11 


George  Washiiigtou  attended  coiiiniciurincnt  ccrciiionies  in 
May  1784.  It  was  on  this  occasion  that  he  took  his  scat  and 
siihsciil'cd  Ins  name  as  a  incud'cr  of  the  I  Isitois  and 
Governors.  This  depiction  of  a  campus  visit  is  one  of  two 
paintings  tliat  decorated  tlie  main  reading  room  of  Bunting 
Library  in  tlie  mid- 1 900s. 


12 


raise 


William  Smith's  plan  in  1784.  to 

College  funds  through  the 
sale  of  lottery  tickets,  tailed. 


Spreading  Seeds  of  Education 


SMITH  HAD  HIGH  H O P E S  that  Washington  College,  together  with  a 
college  to  be  founded  on  Maryland's  Western  Shore,  would  constitute  a  "Uni- 
versity ot  Maryland."  It  Smith  had  remained  at  Wishington  College  another  year 
or  two,  it  might  have  come  to  pass. 

He  was  instrumental  in  the  movement  to  establish  St.  Johns  College  at  An- 
napolis in  1784,  and  the  act  granting  St. John's  its  college  charter  stipulated  that  the 
two  colleges  would  be  united.  According  to  Fred  W  Dumschott's  history  ot"Wish- 
ington  College,  the  governor  ot  Maiyland  was  designated  temporary  chancellor  of 
the  proposed  university.  Smith  delivered  the  address  at  the  dedication  of  Mainland's 
second  college  on  November  11,1 789,  and  the  governor  scheduled  the  tirst  con- 
vocation of  the  two  colleges  to  take  place  a  year  later,  on  November  10,  179U. 

The  governor  summoned  the  respective  representatives  to  meet  with  him  in 
Annapolis  to  formalize  the  University'  of  Maryland  as  prescribed  by  law.  But 
before  that  meeting  couki  take  place,  the  College  of  Philadelphia  regained  its 
charter  and  Smith  eagerly  returneti  to  the  city  as  the  school's  provost. The  meet- 
ing never  happened.  Washington  College  tailed  to  send  a  representative  to  a 
second  meeting  the  governor  called  a  year  later.  For  whatever  reason,  the  notion 
of  a  statewide  university  that  sprung  from  these  early  Maryland  coUeges  was  not 
pursued  further. 


1784 

July  6  •Thi<.£e  youths 
receive  bacca- 

LAUl-CEATE  DEGli^ES 

DURING  College's 

SECOND 
COMMENCEMENT. 

1788 

April  28  •  Maryland. 

the  seventh  state, 

ratifies  u.s. 

Constitution. 

1789 

April  14  •  George 

Washington  accepts 

election  as  president 

OF  the  new  United 

States;  l.ater  resigns 

his  position  on 

C^ollege  board. 

June  24  •  George 
W.ashington  granted 
honorary  degree  of 

ll.d..  which  he 
RECEIVES  IN  New  York 
City,  then  the  capital 
OF  the  United  States. 

Dr.  Smith  is 
reinstated  as  provost 

OF  TFIE  college  OF 

Pennsylvania:  he  is 

succeeded  at 

Washington  College 

by  THE  Rev.  Colin 

Ferguson. 

1790 

M.AY  •  Dr.  Smith 

returns  to 
Cfiestertown  to 
.attend  his  last 

College 
commencement. 


13 


Wliy  Washington  College  is  the  Nation's 
Tenth  Oldest  Institntion  of  Higher  Learning 


By  Marcia  C.  Landskrocner 

By  Itself, Washington  Colleges  association  with 
founding  patron  General  George  Washington 
gives  it  status  as  one  of  the  oldest  colleges  m  the 
country.  Because  in  1782  the  Maryland  General 
Assembly  granted  a  corporate  charter  establishing 
on  the  foundation  of  the  Kent  County  Free  School 
a  new  college  to  be  named  after  General  Wishmg- 
ton,  the  institution  lays  claim  to  three  historical 
milestones — it  is  the  first  college  founded  in  the 
newly-formed  United  States,  it  is  the  first  college 
chartered  m  Maryland,  and  it  is  the  country's  tenth 
oldest  institution  of  higher  learning. 

Yet  this  latter  claim  is  one  that  often  has  been 
questioned.  Some  accountings  of  historical  rank  have 
relegated  Wasliington  College  to  the  eleventh,  thir- 
teenth, fifteenth,  even  twentieth  position  in  the 
acadenuc  processional  hne-ups  for  presidenrial 
inaugurations  and  in  college  directories  and  other 
references. 

Ironically,  the  College "s  historic  reputation  has 
been  challenged  because  the  institution  has  taken 
the  high  road  in  using  the  date  of  college  charter  as 
a  founding  date,  instead  of  using  the  date  of 
inception  of  the  earliest  educational  institution 
with  which  the  college  or  university  could  be 
linked.  In  Washington  College's  case,  that  would  be 
the  Kent  County  Free  School,  established  in  1723 
by  act  of  the  Maryland  General  Assembly. 

Respected  institutions  like  St. John's  College, 
Washington  and  Lee  University,  and  Washington 
and  Jefferson  claim  earlier  founding  dates  than 
Washington  College,  but  ifWashington  College 
were  to  follow  their  logic,  its  delegates  would  be 
marching  fifth — behind  only  Harvard,  William  and 
Mary,  St. John's,  andYale — not  tenth,  or  fifteenth. 
St.  John's  College  claims  1696  as  a  founding  date, 
even  though  its  predecessor,  a  state-mandated 


county  free  school  known  as  the  King  Williams  School, 
was  not  granted  a  college  charter  until  1784.  Washing- 
ton and  Lee  evolved  from  the  Augusta  Academy 
founded  in  1749  and  renamed  Liberty  Hall  in  1776, 
but  not  empowered  to  grant  college  degrees  until 
October  1782.  Washington  and  Jefferson  College, 
which  evolved  from  two  log  cabin  schoolhouses,  uses  as 
its  founding  date  178LThese  two  academies — Jefferson 
and  Wishington — were  granted  college  charters  in 
18(12  and  1806,  respectively,  before  merging  in  1865. 

Claiming  the  number  sLx  position  in  historic  reckonings, 
Moravian  College  in  Pennsylvania  traces  its  origins  to  a 
preparatoiT  school  for  girls  founded  in  1742,  though  the 
girls'  school  and  its  companion  institution  for  boys  were 
not  granted  a  charter  to  award  college  degrees  until  1863. 
Likewise,  Salem  College  began  as  a  school  for  girls  in  1772 
and  eventually  was  granted  college  status  more  than  1 00 
years  later. 

The  University  of  Delaware  is  a  good  example  of 
common  sense  prevailing.  According  to  standard 
practices,  UDEL  could  claim  1743  as  its  founding  date. 
After  all,  the  university  can  trace  its  origin  to  a  free 
school  opened  by  a  Presbyterian  minister  at  New 
London,  PA,  m  1743.  After  twents-  years  the  school 
moved  to  Delaware,  where  it  was  chartered  in  1769  as 
the  Academy  of  Newark.  By  1833,  the  impoverished 
academy  finally  became  the  basis  of  a  college  when  the 
state  legislature  authorized  a  lottery  to  raise  funds  for 
this  purpose.  Eighty  years  had  elapsed  since  that  first 
whisper  of  education.  To  its  credit,  the  University'  of 
Delaware  uses  1833  as  a  founding  date. 

Similarly,  Washington  College's  position  is  that  the 
date  of  college  charter  is  a  more  authentic  indication  of 
when  a  school  actually  became  an  institution  of  higher 
learning.  America's  earliest  colleges  unquestionably 
sprang  from  humble  beginnings. These  efforts  to 
introduce  education  into  the  new  colonies  were  noble. 
But  schools  teaching  six-year-olds  to  do  their  sums  and 
those  preparing  older  students  for  degrees  are  two 


14 


different  things.  When  a  school  was  granted  a 
college  charter,  its  educational  mission  entered 
a  higher  realm.  Like  other  colonial  schools, 
this  institution's  college  charter,  granted  by  the 
Maryland  State  legislature  on  May  24, 1782, 
enabled  it  to  raise  money  and  to  begin  per- 
forming the  functions  ot  a  college.  Thus, 
Washington  College  became  a  college,  and 
was  founded  as  a  college,  on  that  date. 

Donald  G.Tewksbury  s  monograph,  77it' 
Founding  of  American  Colleges  and  Universities  Before 
the  Civil  War,  published  by  Arno  Press  and  Tlic 
NewYbrk  Times  in  1969,  gives  credence  to 
Washington  Colleges  asserrion  as  the  nations 
tenth  oldest  college.  Tewksbur^'  uses  the  date  of 
college  charter  to  determine  the  order  of 
founding.  His  order  ot  rankings  appears  in  the 
chart  below. 

Washington  College  may  not  be  the  tenth 
oldest  school  that  ever  ottered  educational  instruction 
are  much  older  than  that- 
learnincr  in  the  nation. 


Tlie  Washington  College  seal  is 
based  on  a  design  believed  to  have 
been  created  by  Charles  ]]'illson 
Peak's  daugliter  Elizabeth,  ivho 
taught  art  at  the  College  in  the  late 
1 700s. 


in  fact,  its  earliest  beginnings 
but  it  remains  the  tenth  oldest  institution  ot  hitrher 


IN.STITUTION 

1  Harvard  Uiiiversirv' 

2  College  of~WiIliani  and  Mary 

3  Yale  University 

4  Princeton  (CoUege  ot  New  Jersey) 

5  Columbia  University 

6  University  of  Pennsylvania 

7  Brown  University 

8  Rutgers  (Queen's  College) 

9  Dartmouth 

10  Washington  College 

1 1  Washington  and  Lee  University 

12  Hampden-Sydney  College 

13  Transylvania  CoUege 

14  Dickinson  CoUege 

15  St.  John's  CoUege 

16  University  of  Georgia 

17  CoUege  of  Charleston 

18  Franklin  and  MarshaU 

19  University  of  North  Carolina 

20  University  ofVermont 


c:harter  date 
October  28,  1636 
February  8,  1693 
October  16,  1701 
October  22,  1746 
October  31,  1754 
June  16,  1755 
October  24.  1765 
November  10,  1766 
December  13,  1769 
May  24,  1782 
October  _,  1782 
May  _,  1783 
May  5,  1783 
September  9,  1783 

November ,  1784 

January  27,  1785 
March  19,  1785 
March  10.  1787 
December  11,  1789 
November  3,  1791  f\ 


1799 

October  \i  -William 
Paca,  signer  of  the 

Declaration  of 
Independence,  third 

governor  of 

Maryland,  member  of 

College's  first 

BOARD,  dies  at  HIS 

HC>ME  IN  Queen 
Anne's  County. 

December  14  • 
George  Washington 

DIES  of  "QUINSY,"  AN 

inflammation  of  the 

throat,  at  his  mount 

Vernon  home. 

1803 

May  14  •  Dr.  Smith 
DIES  AT  .age  7(1  in 

PHILADELPHIA:  HE  IS 

BURIED  IN  A  VAULT  AT 

HIS  ESTATE  AT  FALLS  OF 

SCHUYLKILL. 

1805 

November  •  Maryland 
legislature 
discontinues 

FlNANCLAL  AID  TO 
WASHINGTON  COLLEGE 

AND  St.John's  College. 

March  10 -rev. 
Colin  Ferguson  dies 
AT  his  home  in  Kent 

County  after 

resigning  as  College 

principal;  nephew 

Colin  Ferguson  is 

put  in  charge  of 

SCHOOL. 


I8I2 


Maryland  legislature 
renews  financial 
commitment  to 
College  WITH  AN 

annual  APPROPRI.WION 
OF  $800. 


15 


Some  historians  have  speculated  that  each  institution  was  reluctant  to  concede 
leadership  to  the  other.  Others  considered  that  the  ciifficulty  of  travel  and  the  pre- 
carious financial  situadon  at  Washington  College  were  factors.  Most  likely,  the  de- 
parture ot^WiUiani  Smith,  the  architect  of  the  plan,  doomed  the  prospect.  Any  glim- 
mering hope  of  an  early  Uni\'ersit\'  ofMaiyland  was  snuft'eci  endrely  m  1805,  when 
the  General  Assembly  eliminated  the  States  annual  support  of  the  two  colleges. 


Built  on  a  Grand  Scale 

SMITH  OVERSAW  the  construction  and  opening  in  17S8  of  the  first  Col- 
lege building,  a  huge  structure  tor  the  day,  KM)  teet  m  length  along  the 
terrace  on  the  upper  campus,  overlooking  the  river  and  the  town. The  central 
section  was  KKJ  feet  deep  and  the  two  wmgs  were  60  feet  each. The  building  was 
four  stories  high  plus  an  attic,  making  the  overall  height  approximately  53  teet. 

Plans  tor  the  new  building  were  prepared  by  Rakestraw  and  Hicks  ot  Phila- 
delphia, Contracted  by  Robert  Allison  ot  Philadelphia,  the  building's  cost  of 
construction  was  estimated  at  $28,000. 

As  successful  as  Smith  had  been  in  tincling  start-up  tunds  tor  the  College, 
however,  he  was  less  successful  m  tundmg  the  cost  ot  what  may  have  been  the 
largest  building  in  Maryland  at  the  time.  According  to  a  travelogue  published  in 
1796  by  Due  de  la  Rochefoucault-Liancourt,  the  huge  College  building  was  "in 
a  deplorable  state  ot  decay,  although  it  is  not  yet  finished. There  is  no  glass  in  the 
windows,  the  walls  have  fallen  down  in  many  places,  and  the  doors  are  without 

steps Twelve  or  fifteen  hundred  dollars  have  already  been  expended  on  this 

building.  It  IS  constructed  on  a  plan  large  enough  to  receive  five  hundred  schol- 
ars. Funds  are  wanting  to  complete  it  and  like  almtist  all  buildings  in  America  it 
will  be  in  ruins  before  it  is  finished." 

The  French  writer  reporteci  that  the  College  was  enciowed  with  $3,330  a 
year.  "It  maintains  a  president  and  three  masters;  the  number  of  scholars,  how- 
ever, is  not  more  than  forty  or  fifty,  though  for  sixteen  dollars  all  the  branches  of 
learning  which  are  taught  there  may  be  acquired.  Bciarders  pay  eighrv'  c:>r  ninety 
dollars  for  their  boaixf." 

Enrollment  had  never  been  enough  to  support  the  cost  of  the  building,  and 
the  Board  of  Visitors  anci  Governors  were  still  trying  to  pay  it  oft  when  Smith 
stepped  down  as  presicient  and  returned  to  Philadelphia  in  1789. 

To  raise  a  portion  ot  the  tunds  needed  to  meet  the  costs  ot  construction,  the 
land  holdings  of  the  College,  extending  from  the  campus  to  the  edge  of  Ches- 


16 


tertown,  embracing  both  sides  of  Washington  Avenue,  had  been  divided  into 
sixty-three  lots,  to  be  disposed  oi  at  pubhc  auction  under  a  lease  arrangement. 
The  charter  provided  that  the  trustees  set  aside  ten  acres  of  land  to  meet  the 
needs  of  the  institution.  The  remainder  of  the  lanci  of  the  Kent  County  Free 
School  was  to  be  leased  out  tor  a  period  of  niners'-nine  years,  or  such  other  term 
as  the  Visitors  and  Governors  of  the  College  might  ]udge  most  beneficial  for 
advancing  the  interests  of  the  College. 

As  the  sale  ot  leaseholds  did  not  provide  sufficient  funds  to  meet  their  needs, 
the  Visitors  and  Governors  received  permission  to  conduct  a  lottery  m  August 
1784.  Under  the  plan  presented  to  the  public,  the  prizes  ranged  from  one  of 
$4,000  down  to  3,000  at  eight  dollars  a  piece. Ten  thousand  tickets  were  autho- 
rized to  be  printed  and  the  cost  to  the  purchaser  was  four  dollars  each.  Of  the 
total  number  ot  tickets  to  be  sold,  3,187  earned  prizes.  There  is  no  record  that 
indicates  the  amount  realized  trom  this  lottery. 

Continuing  their  efforts  to  secure  funds  for  the  operation  of  the  College,  m 
November  1784,  the  Visitors  and  Governors  rec]uested  an  annual  appropriation 
trom  the  General  Assembly  that  would  be  sufticient  to  meet  the  salaries  ot  the 
faculty,  as  only  a  fraction  of  the  yearly  expenses  could  be  expected  from  tuition 
and  rental  tees.  The  General  Assembly,  m  accepting  the  report  ot  a  legislative 
committee,  enacted  that  "the  sum  of  twelve  hundred  and  tifty  pounds  current 
money  be  annually  and  torever  hereafter  be  given  and  granted,  as  a  donation  by 
the  public,  to  the  use  ot  Washington  College,  to  the  payment  ot  salaries  to  the 
principal,  professors,  and  tutors  of  the  said  College." 

To  provicle  the  necessary  tunds,  the  act  imposed  ta.xes  on  marriage  licenses, 
on  hcenses  issued  to  hawkers  and  peddlers,  and  on  the  sale  of  liquors.  The  sums 
derived  from  such  taxes  collected  on  the  Eastern  Shore  were  to  be  deposited 
with  the  treasurer  ot  the  Eastern  Shore,  who  would,  upon  requisition  ot  the 
Visitors  and  Governors,  pay  to  the  College  an  amount  equivalent  to  the  grant 
specified  in  the  legislation. 


Facing  Colossal  Disappointment 

WITH  THE  P  RO  M  I S  E  of  state  support  m  perpetuity,  tnrancial  prospects 
appeared  promising,  but  those  prospects  dimmed  m  succeeding  years 
owing  to  diminishing  enrollments,  inadecjuate  funds  for  the  development  ot  the 
College,  and  the  ever-present  danger  that  the  state  might  \Mthdraw  its  annual 
donation. 


I8l2 

June  18 -US. 
Congress  declares 
WAR  ON  England. 

i8i6 

September  16  • 
College  board  agrees 

TO  HIRE  REV.JOAB  G. 

Cooper  as  "principal" 

or  president  at  no 

less  than  si, 000  a 

year;  he  and  his 

family  occupy  east 

end  of  the 
College  BUILDING. 

October  16  •  College 

adopts  new 

curriculum  of 

"LATIN.  GlCEEK. 
M.ATHEMATICS.  BELLES 

Lettres.  AND  Physics." 
Under  "Belles 

LETTFLES,"  STUDENTS 

STUDY  Moral 

PHILOSOPHY.  Logic, 

Natel's  Law  of 

Nations,  and  English 

Grammar. 

November  16  • 

Cl^llege  President 

Cooper  announces 

th.a,t  a  student  who 

sleeps  late  and  does 

not  answer  to  roll 

call  is  to  be  fined  12 

1  /2  cents:  that  any 

student  who  might 

"trifle  away  his  time 

in  any  way"  is  subject 

to  the  same  fine;  th.w 

a  student  who  conles 

to  recitation 

unprepared  will  be 

fined  50  cents  (with 

private  admonition 

for  the  first  offense, 

pliblic  admonition 

for  the  second.  and 

expulsion  for 
additional  offenses). 


17 


i^;m^ 


77;('  original  College  hulliiiiig  is  evident  at  left  in 

"A  I  lew  of  Chesiertown  fioni  Wliite  House  Farm," 

a  late  eiohteeiitli-ceinnry  painting  giren  to  the  College  by  the 

Reverend  Richard  Hooker  ]]'ihiier  The  College  structure 

burned  in  1827. 


19 


E  U  L  O  G  I  U  M 

O  N- 

MjfjdJiSjr  d^MAj\rjaj-jf^ 

L.  L.  D. 

PRESIDENT  OF  THE  AMERICAN  PBlLOSOTRKjIL  SOCIETT, 

HELD  AT  PHILADELPKA,  FOR  PROMOTING  USEFUL  KNOWLEDGE, 

FELLOW  OF  THE  ROVAL  SOCIETY  OF  LOUDON, 

MEMBER  OF  THE  ROYAL  ACADEMY  OF  SCIENCES  AT  PARIS, 

OF  THE  ROYAL  SOCIETY  AT  GOTTINGEN, 

THE  BATAVIAN  SOCIETY  IN  HOLLAND, 

AND  OF  MANY  OTHER  LITERARY  SOCIETIES  IN  EUROPE  AND 

AMERICA  ; 
LATE  MINISTEK  PLENIPOTENTIARY  FOR  THE  UNITED  STATES 

OF  AilERICA  AT  THE  COURT  OF  PARIS, 

SOMETIME  i'J!£^/D£-VT,  AND  FOR  MORE  THAN  HALF  A  CENTURY^ 

A  REVERED  CITIZEN,  OF  THE  COMMONWEjU-TH  OF 

FENNSrLVANhi. 

3»ELlVEltED  ilARCn   I,  179!,    IN    THI    GEXVAN    LUTUERAK  CHURCH  oV  TH£ 

E    AMERICAN     PHILOSOE 
TBEIK   a: 

BY    VV  I  L  L  I  A  M   S  M  I  T  H,    D.  D. 


THE   MEMORY  OF    THE   DECEASED    WAS  HONORED    AL  =  0,  AT    THE    DELITEItT 

OF    THIS   ECLOCIOM,  WITH   THE  PRESENCE  OF 

THE   PRESIDENT,  SENATE  AND  HOUSE  OF   REPRESENTATIVES  OF   THE 

DNITED  STATES  OF    AMERICA,  , 

THE   SENATE  AND  HOCSI    OF    Rr-ERESENTATr\*£S    OF     THE*  COMMONWEAETE 

OF    PENNSYLVANIA, 

THE   CORPORATION,    AND    MOST  OF     THE  PCCEIC    SODIES,    ASWELI.  AS    RES- 

PECTADEE  PRIVATE  CITIZENS,  OF   PHIE ADEEPHIA- 


BENJAMIN    FRANKLIN    SACBE, 


Althoiii;li  diiin^ivcniaits  bctiivcti  Dr.  W'lUiani  Smith  and  Bciijaiiiiii 
r-raukliu  were  iiiiiiiciviis,  Siiiitli's  ciiloi^y  on  Franklin  was  so  popular  that 
it  was  published  as  a  pamphlet. 


20 


As  early  as  1785,  several  members  of  the  House  of  Delegates  proposed  that 
the  act  be  rescinded.  Although  the  motion  was  niitially  defeated,  opposition  con- 
tinued tor  the  next  twent\'  years. 

In  1792,  a  House  committee  accused  the  College  of  misusing  the  state  funcis 
that  were  appropriated  to  meet  faculty  salaries.  Those  funds,  they  charged,  were 
being  used  to  pay  College  debts  and  to  make  payments  on  the  contract  to  com- 
plete the  building.  The  report  recommended  that  the  appropriation  to  the  Col- 
lege be  discontinued  and  that  the  funds  be  used,  instead,  to  promote  literature 
among  the  several  counties  on  the  Eastern  Shore. The  report  probably  confirmed 
the  viev,'  that  the  College  taced  serious  problems.  It  also  indicated  the  desire  of 
some  members  ot  the  committee  to  eftect  a  wider  distribution  ot  state  tunds  for 
the  encouragement  ot  local  schools. 

In  November  1797  a  Senate  committee  tound  that  the  College  \\'as  not  mak- 
ing satistactory  progress  and  recommended  that  the  funds  allocated  to  the  insti- 
tution be  distributed  to  Washington  Academy  in  Somerset  Countv',  Easton  Gram- 
mar School  in  Talbot  County,  and  Washingtcin  College.  The  recommendation 
was  designed  to  encourage  the  establishment  of  three  academies  on  the  Eastern 
Shore. The  Senate  did  not  accept  the  recommendation. 

A  year  later,  the  General  Assembly  enacted  a  bill  that  reduced  the  grant  to 
Washington  College  by  p(^5Ull.Those  tunds  were  to  be  distributee!  among  Wash- 
ington Academy  in  Somerset  Countv;  Charlotte  Hall  m  Charles  Counrv-,  and  an 
academy  in  Frederick  Count)'.  Additional  tunds  were  to  be  made  available  tor  the 
establishment  ot  academies  m  Talbot  Countx;  Baltimore  or  Hartord  County,  and 
one  in  Allegany  Counrv'. 

The  inevitable  blow  came  m  1805.  A  bill  terminating  the  annual  grants  to 
Washington  and  St.  John's  colleges,  introciuced  m  the  House  ot  Delegates,  was 
received  tavorably  m  both  houses.  Before  tlnal  passage  of  the  bill,  the  two  colleges 
were  given  the  opportunity  to  show  cause  why  the  grants  should  not  be  termi- 
nated.The  appeals  were  made,  but  they  tailed  to  alter  the  views  of  the  legislators. 

Jedidiah  Morse,  writing  in  18(15,  stateci  that,  "from  the  repeated  attempt  ot 
the  Legislature  to  take  away  annual  tunds  trom  [Washington]  College,  it  has  in 
some  measure  lost  its  reputation,  though  it  is  provided  with  the  most  able  tutors." 

The  act  rescinding  the  donations  stipulated  that  the  tunds  be  retained  in  the 
state  treasury  and  be  distributed  only  by  enactment  for  the  acivancement  ot  lit- 
erature in  the  several  counties,  and  for  no  other  purpose.  It  \\'as  not  until  1811 
that  the  General  Assembly  enacted  legislation  for  the  distribution  ot  tunds  to  the 
counties  for  the  establishment  of  acadenues.  An  allocation  ot  $80( )  for  Kent  County 
was  made  to  Washington  College,  with  the  uncierstanding  that  the  tunds  would 
be  used  to  conduct  an  instructional  program  provided  by  the  academies  m  other 
counties. 


1817 

May  8  •  College 

raises  price  of 

TUITION  IN  English 

SCHOOL  TO  S5  PER 
QUARTER. 

June  16  •  FCev.  Cooper 
dii^cted  to  launch 

LClTTERY  TO  R^MSE 

S30.000. 

July  19  •  College 
President  Rev. 
Cooper  resigns. 

October  lu  ■  Ger,^ld 

E.  Stack  is  m.ade 
temporary  College 

HE.AD. 

December  3i  i  •  The 

Rev.  Francis  Waters  is 

n.amed  "princip.al"  of 

THE  College. 


1818 


September  28  • 
College  trustees 
reject  Rev  .Waters' 

request  for 

construction  of  a 

smoke  house  for  use 

by  the  stew.ard  in 

prep.aring  meals. 


1819 


July  8  •  With  few 

exceptions,  all 

students  are 

ordered  to  board  at 

THE  College  .a.t  the 

COST  of  S120  A  year. 


21 


Was  William  Smith  a  Tory? 

By  Mary  RutliYoc  '73 

Was  Rev.  William  Smith  a  Tory?  The 
Washington  CoUege  catalog  maintains  that 
he  was  a  friend  of  George  Washington  and  pre- 
sumably of  the  colonial  cause.  Indeed  the  General 
subscribed  fifty  guineas  to  the  College  and  gave  his 
permission  for  "the  College  at  Chester"  to  receive 
his  name.  Some  historians,  however,  claim  that  Dr. 
Smith  was  the  author  of  a  1776  pamphlet  written 
as  a  rebuttal  to  Tom  Paine's  Common  Sense.  The 
work,  Plain  Truth,  flew  the  English  flag  proudly: 
"American  independence  is  as  illusory,  ruinous, 
and  impracticable,  as  a  liberal  reconciliation  with 
Great  Britain  is  safe,  honorable,  and  expedient." 

If  the  good  Reverend  did  write  those  words,  he 
was  mindful  enough  of  expediency  to  be  on  the 
winning  side  at  war's  end. 

Washington  CoUege  historians  would  be  happy 
to  describe  an  educator  who  spent  nine  years  in 
the  Eastern  Shore  river  town  singlemindedly 
working  toward  an  ideal  he  had  described  thirty 
years  earlier  in  an  educational  Utopia  called  .-4 
Genera]  Idea  of  the  College  of  Mirania.  But  through- 
out his  time  there  his  goal  was  to  regain  the 
College  ot  Philadelphia's  charter  and  thus  to  regain 
his  old  position  as  provost. 

Smith  had  a  consuming  interest  in  another 
project  as  well.  While  in  England  during  the  1750s 
and  1760s — trips  prompted  by  political  disagree- 
ments with  the  Pennsylvania  legislators — he  had 
been  awarded  the  Doctor  of  Divinity  degree  by 
the  universities  of  Oxford,  Aberdeen  and  Trinity. 
With  such  credentials.  Smith  thought  he  was  well 
qualified  to  become  America's  first  Anglican 
bishop.  Prominent  in  church  politics,  he  called  a 
conference  ot  church  dignitaries  in  Chestertown, 
where  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  of  America 
received  its  name.  But  secular  toibles — including 
some  ill-timed  drunken  high  jinks — kept  the 
clergyman  from  the  cathedral. 

One  contemporary,  Ezra  Stiles  ofYale,  called 


Smith's  moral  character  "very  exceptionable  and 
unbecoming  of  a  minister  of  God."  Worse,  "when 
angry,  he  swore  in  the  most  extravagant  manner." 
Even  Smith's  deathbed  manner  flouted  contempo- 
rary religious  etiquette:  "He  never  spoke  upon  any 
subject  connected  with  religion...,  nor  was  there  a 
Bible  or  Prayer  Book  to  be  seen  in  his  room." 

Religious  character  aside.  Smith  had  his  critics.  He 
was  "haughty," "slovenly  ...  often  offensive  in  com- 
pany," and  "toward  the  end  of  his  life,  an  habitual 
drunkard."  The  final  damning  fact?  None  of  his 
children  attended  his  funeral. 

Once  the  funds  had  been  secured,  Smith  turned 
his  attention  to  making  Kent  County's  parish  school 
into  a  college.  In  two  years  the  former  grammar 
school  acquired  more  than  140  pupils,  and  in  1783 
Gov.  William  Paca  laid  the  first  building's  corner- 
stone. 

The  four-story  structure  rivaled  Princeton's 
Nassau  Hall  and  had  a  cost  of  $28,000,  a  large  sum 
in  post-Revolution  days.  While  a  thousand  ten- 
penny  naUs  could  be  had  for  twelve  shillings  and  six 
pence,  the  cost  of  labor — and  of  Dr.  Smith's  pre- 
scription for  smooth  labor  relations — was  more 
expensive. 

One  account  explains  the  transplanted  Scot's 
incentive  plan  this  way:  "The  Reverend  William 
Smith  was  the  moving  spirit  ot  those  early  days.  He 
brought  the  workmen  tor  the  College  building  by 
boat  trom  Philadelphia  to  Appoquinomink  Hun- 
dred, then  to  Chestertown  in  huge  wagons.  The 
ditficulty  of  keeping  these  laborers  content  far  away 
from  their  homes  and  families  must  have  been  great; 
but  Dr.  Smith  was  a  profound  student  of  human 
nature,  besides  being  a  most  eminent,  divine,  and 
successful  educator  and  his  method  of  overcoming 
this  difficulry  is  roseate  and  efiectual." 

He  used  rum.  The  Washington  College  ledger 
shows  seven  entries,  totaling  165  half-gallons  and 
one  barrel  of  rum,  along  with  a  lone  bottle  of  wine 
(perhaps  for  the  foreman),  a  cost  of  forty-three 
pounds,  four  shillings,  two  pence.  The  historian  who 
made  the  tally  dryly  concludes,  "From  this  it  will  be 
seen  that  erection  of  the  building  required  three 
years."  |w| 


22 


The  termination  ot  the  state's  grant  was  a  serious  blow,  forcing  the  Visitors 
and  Governors  to  dismiss  all  but  one  professor.This  action  resulted  in  the  curtail- 
ment of  the  coUegiate  program,  thus  temporarily  reducing  the  effectiveness  of 
the  College  as  an  institution  of  hiu;her  learnins;. 


Smith's  Final  Years 

ALTHOUGH  HIS  I M  PAC  T  on  the  educational  direction  of  Washington 
College  was  tremendous,  the  business  of  the  College  was  only  one  of  Smiths 
many  interests  during  his  tenure.  He  was  one  ot  the  founders  of  the  American 
Philosophical  SocieD^',  organized  the  Grand  Masonic  Lodge  ot  Maryland,  and 
presided  over  a  convention  of  Episcopal  leaders  at  which  the  denomination  was 
formally  renamed  "The  Protestant  Episcc^ipal  Church."'The  meeting  was  held  in 
what  is  now  the  Emmanuel  P.E.  Church  of  Chestertown. 

Smith  moved  back  to  Philadelphia  to  advance  his  educational  career,  but  his 
appointment  as  provost  at  the  College  of  Philadelphia  lasted  only  a  year.  When 
the  College  was  absorbed  by  the  University  ot  Pennsylvania  in  1791,  Smith  was 
not  retained. 

He  spent  his  final  years  preaching  to  various  groups,  especially  Masonic  Lodges 
and  church  conventions,  continued  to  speculate  with  land  and  canal  schemes, 
and  took  a  hand  m  Indian  affairs  and  water  works  improvements  for  Philadel- 
phia. He  died  in  May  1803  at  the  age  of  seventy-five.  His  official  biographer, 
Horace  Wemyss  Smith,  a  great-grandson,  said  of  him:  "He  never  threw  the  first 
stone.  But  if  any  one  threw  a  first  stone  at  him,  he  did  not  always  stop  with  a 
second  stone  m  return."  fwl 


1819 


July  17  •  Students 
filing  into  th£  newly- 
organized  dining 
hall  find  new  rules 
POSTED:  "There  shall 

BE  NO  RUNNING  ABOUT 
IN  THE  DINING  ROOM, 
NOR  ANY  PULLING  OR 
THROWING  VICTUALS 
DURING  MEALS.  As 
SOON  AS  THANKS  SHALL 
HAVE  BEEN  RETURNED 

AFTER  MEAT,  THE 
STUDENTS  SHALL  LEAVE 
THE  DINING  ROOM  IN 
THE  MOST  RESPECTFUL 
ORDER,  AND  SHALL  NOT 
CARRY  OUT  WITH  THEM 
ANY  VICTUALS,  NOR  ANY 
PROPERTY  BELONGING 
TO  THE  STEWARD." 

NOVEMBER  22  • 

TRUSTEES  BUDGET  S20  A 

YEAR  TO  PAY  SERVANT 

TO  MAKE  FIRES  IN  THE 

SCHOOL  ROOM  AND  TO 

SWEEP  FLOORS. 

1820 

April  23  •  Trustees 
announce  that 
board  will  be 

LOWERED  TOSllHI  A 
YEAR. 


I82I 


MARCH  9  •  After 

marching  to  the 

courthouse  with 

their  professors  and 

steward,  students 

arje  informed  by 

College  Board 

President  Thomas 

Worrell  that  their 

complaints  about 

food  served  in  the 

dining  hall  will  be 

attended  to. 


23 


tmmi 


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JP'  ■'%:: 


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f    ^^ 


1 


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*.T.-*^   *ii-«!e>*%  "-*•    %         ^     "  y.^  -^ 


s**,.   ^-^.gv^-t^J,- 


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jS^S** ' 


,J^ 


Rising  from  the  Ashes 


Perhaps  what  is  most  ivnuirkahlc  about 
lVashiii{iton  Cohc<^c  is  its  tenacity.  The  College's 
only  hiiihiing  burned  to  the  ground  in  1827. 
The  original  IViUiain  Smith  Hall  was  destroyed 
in  1916.  The  destruction  of  facilities  and 
equipment  was  compounded  by  the  devastating 
loss  of  the  school's  earliest  records.  Bolstered  by  its 
connection  to  the  birth  of  the  new  nation  and  its 
faith  in  its  mission  as  a  small  liberal  arts  college, 
Washington  College  persevered. 


A  Great  and  Tragic  Blow:  The  Fire  of  1827 


O 


N    THE    EVENING    OF   JANUARY    11,    1827.    a  fire  nearly 
closed  Washington  College  forever.  In  the  Friday,  January  12,  1827 
Overleaf:  To  niiniiiii:c  the  ^^^^'^    Board  minutes,  the  calamitv'  was  distilled  to  simple  sentences: "Yester- 

tUreat  of  yet  aiiodier  fire,  the         day  evening  about  halt  past  seven  o'clock  it  was  discovered  that  the  College  was 
Colkije  builds  a  .^epanite  on  fire.  The  fire  commenced  among  a  parcel  of  corn  blades  belonging  to  Mrs. 

Iieiitiin;  plant  to  serve  all  Sarah  B.  Blake  and  then  in  the  cellar  under  the  common  hall.  In  a  few  hours  the 

campus  facilities.  The  ivater  whole  building  was  destroyed."  Mrs.  Blake  was  appointed  the  stewardess  at  the 

toiver,  Cain  Gyiiiiiasiuiii,  College  in  March  1826.  She  occupied  the  quarters  vacated  by  her  predecessor 

and  the  burned  shell  of  and    was    entitled    to    use    the    nearby    grounds    to    raise    vegetables. 

W'illiani  Smith  Hall  are  Years  later,  in  a  briet  account  of  the  College,  Rowland  Watts,  Class  ot 

visible  ill  the  hachi^roiiiid.  1886,  suggested  that  the  blaze  was  unintentional:  "The  building  is  supposed 


26 


c"'^; -"'',, '7.'-/  ''':'//'' '■/ 


/% 


Workers  diiH^im;  the  fouudatiou  for  the  ori{;iiuil  W'illidiii  Smith 
Hall  ill  1905  iiiuvivrcd  this  iron  spike,  hchcrcd  to  hare  hccii 
part  of  rlic  ori{;iiial  Cohere  hiiihiiii^i  crated  in  1784  and 
destroyed  by  fire  in  1827. 


to  have  been  accidentally  set  on  fire  by  one  ot  the  students  who  went  into  a 
basement  room  to  get  some  fodder  which  was  stored  there.  It  is  thought  that 
the  fodder  was  ignited  by  a  lamp  which  he  carried  in  his  hand  or  by  sparks 
from  his  pipe." 

The  day  on  which  the  fire  occurred.  College  Presuient  Timothy  Clowes 
was  away  from  the  campus  engaged  in  pertbrming  a  marriage  ceremony.  As  he 
was  returning  home,  he  saw  the  glow  of  the  fire  on  the  horizon.  By  the  time 
he  reached  the  campus,  it  was  too  late  to  save  all  his  belongings.  Clowes's  loss 
in  the  mutilation  of  books  was  near  $1,000.  Joseph  Duncan,  the  vice  principal, 
suffered  the  heaviest  loss,  as  the  fire  consumed  every  article  ot  property  he 
possessed.  Presumably  lost — if  they  still  existed — were  the  air  pump  and  opti- 


1823 


octciber  i  i  •  r£v. 

Waters'  term  as 

principal  expirjes  and 

he  departs  college. 

October  IS  -To  fill 

VACANCY  Cl^ATED 

upon  departure  of 
Rev  .Waters  .Trustees 

elect  Rev.Timothy 
Clowes  from  among 

NINE  candidates  AS 

"principal"  of  the 
College;William  H. 
boriuey  is  interim 

HEAD  OF  C:oLLECE  AT 

$12  A  WEEK. 

1827 

January  1 1  •  Fire, 

believed  to  have 

started  in  a  parcel  of 

corn  blades 

belonging  to  the 

steward,  destroys 

original  college 

administration  and 

classroom  building, 

which  sat  atop  the 

Hill;  students 

CONTINUE  their 
studies  IN  TOWN  AND 

THE  College  appeals 

TO  THE  MARYLAND 
legislature  for  AID. 


1829 

Peter  Clark  is  named 

PRICIPAL  of  THE 

College. 


27 


cal  instruments  purchased  by  the  College  with  the  financial  contribution  made 
by  General  George  Washmgton. 

The  Board  wasted  very  little  time  in  providing  accommodations  tor  the  prin- 
cipal and  his  family  and  tor  the  continuation  ot  classes.  An  agreement  was  made 
to  rent  a  house  in  Chestertown  for  the  year  1827  at  a  cost  of  $130,  of  which  $50 
was  to  be  expended  for  the  repair  of  the  buikiing. 

The  Clicsrciiou'ii  Tclc^y|^apll  reported  that  Dr.  Clowes  had  been  commissioneci 
to  seek  aid  from  the  liberal  citizens  ot  the  United  States.  Part  ot  his  assignment 
was  to  proceed  to  Washington  to  contact  prominent  people  there.  Evidently 
that  mission  failed,  as  there  is  no  eviclence  to  indicate  otherwise.  In  the  mean- 
time, a  petition  was  submitted  to  the  General  Assembly  recjuesting  legislative 
approval  of  a  grant  for  the  erection  of  a  new  building.  The  concluciing  para- 
graphs ot  that  petition  read:  It  is  one  ot  the  oldest  literary  establishments  in  the 
State.  It  is  also  the  Alma  Mater  ot  many  ot  its  most  distinguished  sons.  It  is  the 
only  College  in  the  extensive  peninsula  East  of  the  Chesapeake  Bay.The  bene- 
factions of  individuals  to  a  very  large  amount  have  been  given  under  the  pledge 
of  state  protection  and  support.  It  has  had  to  encounter  great  and  peculiar 
difficulties  bv  fire,  it  addresses  itself  at  this  moment,  with  peculiar  claims,  to  the 
liberal  sympathies  of  the  Legislature. 

A  resolution  to  appropriate  $10,000  for  the  rebuilding  of  the  College  was 

introducecl  in  the  Hciuse  ot  Delegates, but  its  sponsors  \\ere  unable  to  secure  the 

nctLssin   \'otes  tor  its  passage.  Unable  to  obtain  assistance  to  proceed  with  a 

icbuildmg  program,  the  College  was  destined  to  survive  on  the  most  meager 

resources,  conducting  classes  for  the  next  tweim'  years  in  rented 

houses — includinLT  the  Custom  House — m  Chestertown. 


Scvaihrii  years  after  the  orii^iiial  Collei;e  hiiildiii{;  was  destroyed  by  fire, 
Middle  Hall — ereeted  on  the  same  site  hut  much  smaller  in  size — mas 
opened  to  aciommodate  hoarders  and  classes,  llie  Middle  Hall  cornerstone 
was  remotvd  in  198 1,  revealhiii  a  metal  time  capsule  containiw^  ei};lit 
coins  and  a  hadly  deteriorated  bundle  of  papers. 


28 


I'd'/;  o'cloih  it  was  discoirrcil  thai  the  Collci^c  was  on  ftrc 


In  the  meantime,  the  Visitors  and  Governors  continued  to  direct  their  eftorts 
to  the  problem  ot  reconstructing  the  building.  A  committee  was  appointed  to 
examine  the  condition  ot  the  walls  ot  the  two  wings  to  determine  whether  or 
not  either  wing  might  be  rebuilt.  After  extensive  examination,  it  was  agreed  that 
this  was  not  possible. The  committee  was  then  authorized  to  sell  the  bricks  trom 
the  ruins  at  a  price  ot  four  dollars  per  thousand.  h\  addition,  an  advertisement 
was  placed  in  the  local  paper  rec]uesting  those  persons  who  had  remo\'ed  prop- 
ert)'  trom  the  College  premises  to  return  the  same. 

The  )'ears  bersveen  the  fire  anci  the  erection  ot  Midcile  Hall  in  1844  were 
more  than  once  perilous  to  the  possible  future  of  the  College.  The  devoted 
enthusiasm  of  a  few  men  restored  the  spirits  of  their  fellows,  thciugh  moments  of 
optimism  in  the  Board  and  faculrs'  were  few  and  far  between. 


1832 

M.M<CH  Id  • 
RicHAiuD  Ringgold. 

Esq.,  IS  NAMED  TCT 

SUCCEED  Clark  as 

PRLNCIPAL. 

1837 

AUGUSi  5 -The 
Board  of  Visitors 
an15  govekjsiors 

agrees  to  INCREASE 

student  v.ac.ation 

periods,  reasoninc; 

"that  in  the  heat 

c1f  su.m.mer  the 

bc^dies  and  minds  of 

pupils  require 

prolonged 

rel,\xation.  .and 

that  their  progbiss 

is  so  comparatively 

SLOW  AND 
INCONSIDER.^BLE  AS 
TO  RENDER  THE  LOSS 
OF  TIME  BY  VACATION 

UNIMPORTANT." 

VACATION  CONSISTS 

OF  FOUR  WEEKS  OF 

SUMMER.  A  WEEK 

DURING  Christmas. 

AND  ANOTHER  WEEK 

DURi.NG  Easter. 

1844 

M.W  4  • 
Cornerstone  is 

laid  FOR  WHAT  WILL 

BE  Middle  H.all: 
Elijah  Reynolds  ol 
Port  Deposit,  MD.  is 

the  architect. 


29 


By  I860,  Middle  Hall — rlic  cciircr  Iniildiin^  iritli  a  pennant 
flyiw^  fivin  the  cupola — was  joined  by  East  and  West  halls,  as 
seen  in  this  engraving/min  the  1890  catalog. 


30 


The  Second  Great  Fire:  William  Smith  Hall  Burns 


ALICIHT  SNOW  WAS  FALL  INC.  upon  the  already  whitened  ground 
.ni  the  early  morning  hours  of  Sunday,  January  16,  1916,  when  James 
Lecates — the  watchman  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  yard — spied  an  orange 
glow  in  the  du'ection  ofWashington  College.  Sensing  calamity,  Lecates  sounded 
an  engine  whistle  that  tore  the  silence  over  sleeping  Chestertown. 

About  the  same  time,  Wilham  J.  Wallace,  president  oi  the  College  sopho- 
more class,  was  awake  in  his  Middle  Hall  room  helping  a  sick  roommate  when, 
looking  out  a  window,  he  saw  flames  leaping  from  the  rear  side  of  the  northern 
wing  ofWilliam  Smith  Hall. 

Wallace's  shouts  woke  everyone  m  Middle  Hall  and  other  students  quickly 
roused  classmates  and  professors  living  m  East  and  West  halls.  Within  halt  an 
hour  a  crowd  of  students  and  townspeople — alerted  by  the  locomotive  whistle 
and  the  subsequent  ringing  ot  church  hells — had  gathered  around  Smith  Hall. 
Flames,  which  apparently  had  originated  m  the  janitor's  basement  utility  room, 
spread  throughout  the  structure  so  quickly  that  by  the  time  the  volunteer  fire 
company  reached  campus.  Smith  Hall  was  nearly  fully  enveloped. 

Some  students  tried  connecting  the  fire  hoses  m  Middle,  East  and  West  halls  m 
order  to  direct  water  onto  the  blaze,  but  they  were  unable  to  coax  anything  from 
the  pipes.  Dragging  the  hose  to  the  tow^n  water  plugs  at  the  foot  of  the  campus, 
students  were  dismayed  to  discover  that  the  fittings  were  not  compatible. 

Meanwhile,  College  President  James  W  Cain  and  a  few  students  attempted 
to  enter  the  building  by  the  front  steps. The  heat  foiled  that  attempt.  At  the  rear 
ot  the  building.  Dr.  I.S.W  Jones  and  student  DonaldTydings  succeeded  in  rescu- 
ing the  large  oil  pamtmg  ot  William  Smith,  tounder  ot  the  College  tor  whom 
the  building  was  named,  from  a  rear  wall  of  the  auditorium  stage.  In  addition  to 
the  valuable  pamtmg,  tour  mahogany  chairs  locateci  on  the  auditorium  stage  and 
a  chapel  Bible  were  pulled  from  the  tire. 

Heavy  winds  trom  the  south  steered  the  tkimes  m  the  direction  ot  the  new 
$50,000  gymnasium.  Local  firemen,  sensing  that  Smith  Hall  could  not  be  saved, 
turned  a  water  hose  onto  the  gym  and,  aided  by  the  continuing  snowfall,  kept  a 
second  structure  from  catching  tire. 

As  daybreak  revealed,  all  that  remained  of  William  Smith  Hall — only  nine 
years  old  and  the  architectural  and  academic  centerpiece  of  the  campus — was  a 
smoldering  shell  of  brick  and  granite. 

To  a  writer  for  Tlic  Enterprise,  a  county  newspaper.  Smith  Hall  resembled 
"one  of  the  ruined  piles  of  French  and  Belgian  masonry  that  stand  m  the  path  ot 
the  German  armv  m  their  march  through  those  war-devastated  countries." 


1845 

January  •  Faculty 
and  students  move 
INTO  Middle  Hall. 

1847 

February  22  • 
Students  form  the 

Mt.Vernon 

LiTEi!j\RY  Society, 

one  of  the  earliest 

CtlLLEGIATE  LITER-^RY 

ORGANIZATIONS  IN 

THE  SIATE. 

1854 

To  ACCOMMODATE  A 
GROWING  STUIJENT 

BODY,  College 

ERECTS  East  Hall 

AND  West  Hall. 

President  Ringgold 

RETIRES  AND  TFIE  REV. 

Dr.  FrjAncis  Waters 
returns  as 
president. 

1855 

January  16  • 

Scholarship 

beneficiaries  are 

charged  s3  a  year 

for  washing,  fires, 

lights,  and 

furniture  for 

ROOMS. 

1856 

December  16  • 

TRUSTEES  AGRJEE  TO 

SUPPLY  STEWARDESS 

WITH  A  COW. 


31 


'dl       k 


Amon^  the  few  iiieiiieiiios 
saved  from  the  Williiini 
Smith  f  re  iiiv  (top)  the 
chiirred  P'Hies  oj  the  BiNe 
used  during;  chapel  meetinp, 
and  (hottoiii)  (I  pair  oJ  hi^lit 
bulbs.  Tlie  chiined  paiies  of 
the  Bihh'  were  used  iu  the 
hist  ineetiiii;  iu  the  ohi  West 
Hill  I  chapel  before  it  was 
uioi'ed  to  the  new  U'illiaui 
Smith  Hah  ill  1907. 
College  President  James  11.' 
Cain  rescued  the  bookjrom 
the  19 16  f  re. 


The  financial  loss  ofWilliam  Smith  Hall  was  put  at  $71 ,000  ($53,000  would 
be  recovered  by  insurance).  Except  for  the  few  items  saved,  everything  inside  was 
destroyed.  Classroom  desks  and  chan-s,  dozens  of  settees,  shelves,  cabinets,  tables, 
roll-top  desks  and  reading  tables — most  of  them  oak  or  maple — were  reduced  to 
ashes. 

The  blaze  was  so  intense  that  eight  class  shields — metal  plaques  listing  names 
of  past  graduating  class  members — had  been  twisted  into  almost  unrecognizable 
lumps.  (Within  days  after  the  tire,  Cain,  with  all  the  other  demands  now  upon 
him,  sent  personal  notes  to  alumni  asking  if  they  wc^iuld  pay  to  replace  the  shields.) 

Because  Smith  Hall  was  the  heart  and  brains  of  the  campus,  it  housed  under 
one  root  all  the  accouterments  that  make  a  college.  And  all  were  lost:  a  dozen 
microscopes  anci  other  apparatus  essential  to  biological  and  chemical  inquiry  in 
the  laboratories;  display  cabinets  and  500  books  m  the  bookstore;  125  hymnals 
and  an  upright  piano  in  the  auditorium;  a  mineral  display  case  and  a  bust  of 
George  Washington  in  the  corridor;  1(10  tons  of  coal  and  a  heating  pump  m  the 
basement;  school  stationery,  tiling  cabinets,  clocks,  rugs  and  a  dozen  framed  pic- 
tures in  the  administrative  offices;  3,500  volumes  of  books  m  the  library. 

Those  Items  could  be  replaced.  What  could  not  were  records  and  artifacts 
unique  to  Washington  College.  Despite  the  burning  of  the  original  College  build- 
ing and  all  its  contents  in  1827,  school  officials  and  friencis  had  managed  to 
accumulate  some  important  documents  pertaining  to  the  institution's  founding. 

Before  the  ashes  of  Smith  Hall  had  cooled.  Cam  and  the  trustees,  who  had 
discussed  routine  College  business  in  Cains  office  until  ten  o'clock  the  night  of 
the  fire,  held  an  emergency  meeting  in  the  gymnasium. The  group  quickly  agreed 
to  rebuild  Smith  Hall  as  soon  as  possible.  In  the  meantime,  the  gym  would  be 
outfitted  as  temporary  administration  headquarters  and  classes  would  be  held,  if 
necessary,  in  the  old  wooden  gym. The  board  also  agreed  to  suspend  classes  and 
to  send  students  home.  The  fire  destroyed  the  heating  plant  and  the  Hill  dorms 
were  too  cold  for  comfort.  Students  were  to  return  m  two  weeks  when  a  new 
system  was  expected  to  be  in  operation.  Looking  ahead  to  lune,  Cain  concluded 
that  commencement  would  have  to  be  held  in  the  gym. 

Notices  \\'ere  sent  to  alumni  ox'er  the  signature  of  James  A.  Pearce,  the  Board 
chairman,  asking  them  to  attend  an  emergency  meeting  in  Baltimore's  Rennert 
Hotel  on  January  28.  "This  is  the  greatest  crisis  in  the  affairs  of  the  college 
during  the  memory  of  any  man  now  living,"  the  elderly  Pearce  wrote. 

Even  before  the  fire,  Pearce,  son  of  the  late  Senator  Pearce  and  a  student  in  the 
College  preparatoiy  ciepartment  in  1 853,  haci  spoken  of  resigning  from  the  Board. 
He  had  been  appointed  to  the  vacancy  created  by  his  father's  death  in  1 863  and 
had  been  active  in  College  matters  ever  since.  He  agreed  to  stay  on  during  the 
rebuilding  period,  but  on  occasion  the  stress  of  not  knowing  if  the  Maryland 
le2;islature  would  continue  to  aid  the  CoUeee  wore  dr)wn  his  stamina.  "We  must 


1857 


March  26  •  Citinc;  a 

"number  of  diseases 

prjevailing  in  our 

section,"  students 

ask  permission  to 

vacate  schoc1l 

immediately;  board 

refuses  "on  ground 

no  disease  prevalent 

around  college." 

i860 

The  Rev. Andrew  J. 
Sutton  heads 

COLLECiE  DURING 

Civil  War  period; 

Judge  Ezekiel  F. 

Chambers  serves  as 

president  oh  the 
Board; tuition  and 

board  ranges 

between  S175  and 

SIS5. 

DEt;EMBER  1  1  • 

Boar,d  instructs 
President  Sutton  to 

HIRE  A  tutor 

qualified  to  drill  A 
student  company  in 

MILITARY  tactics. 


I86I 


April  •  Genehj\l 
Assembly  passes  Joint 
Rescilution  Number 

(1,  granting  the 
College  75  muskets 
and  accouterments 

"fit  for  parade." 


33 


1 1  'ilium 

ill   ill  is  /)( 

iiiiil\;c.  u'l 

sdlllC  SpCi 

iropcncil 


Smith  Hiill,  slnnrii        recognize  and  the  State  must  recognize  that  we  are  essentially  a  State  College — 
,,„,/,„  postuird  dependent  upon  the  State  tor  actual  existence,"  Pearce  wrote  in  July  to  tellow 

li  rebuilt  to  the  trustee  Harry  J-  Hopkins  of  AnnapoHs.  "Personally,  at  my  age,  I  cannot  continue  to 

■ificiirioiii  tvid  he.w  the  strain  and  responsibility  of  constant  harassing  debt."  he  added. 

,„  /  y  /  s.  Hopkins,  who  was  president  of  Farmers  National  Bank,  tried  to  reassure  Pearce. 

He  wrote:"!  realize  that  our  College  is  in  a  very  crucial  period  of  its  existence.We 
ha\'e  had  many  setbacks,  but  when  you  stop  anei  consider  tor  a  moment  the  Insti- 
tution as  It  IS  today,  and  what  it  was  a  tew  years  ago,  there  is  awakened  in  my  heart 
and  mind  the  utmost  gratitude  and  delight  at  the  progress  that  has  been  made." 

Pearce's  worries  about  College  tlnances  were  not  entirely  groundless.  News- 
paper articles  in  The  (Baltimore)  Sim  m  early  1916  questioneci  the  wisdom  of  the 
legislature  giving  money  to  Washington  College,  St.  John's  College,  and  other 
private  schools  around  the  state.  The  paper  noted  that  of  the  126  students  en- 
rolled m  W^ishmgton  College,  titty-one  were  residents  ot  Kent  Cc:)unt)'  with  many 
others  trom  nearby  Eastern  Shore  counties.  "It  is  reasonable  to  ask  whether  it  is 
sound  pubhc  policy  for  a  large  sum  of  the  money  of  the  whole  people  to  be 
devoted  to  the  maintenance  of  a  college  which  serves  principally  the  people  of 
one  small  couim*  and  its  immediate  environs,"  wrote  The  Sun. 


34 


William  Wallace,  Witness  to 
History 

For  William  J.Wallace,  the  student  credited  with 
first  spotting  the  William  Smith  Hall  fire  from 
his  dorm  room,  the  conflagration  he  viewed  that 
cold  January  1916  night  would  not  be  his  last. 

Wallace,  a  Church  Hill  native,  joined  the  U.S. 
Marine  Corps  shortly  afi:er  he  graduated  fi-om 
Washington  College  in  June  1918.  He  was  com- 
missioned second  lieutenant  the  next  month  and 
received  his  flight  training  at  Pensacola.  Florida,  in 
1921.  He  served  with  the  Second  Marine  Brigade 
in  Santo  Domingo  until  his  return  to  the  States  in 
1924.  In  the  late  1920s  he  was  a  squadron  com- 
mander m  China.  When  the  Japanese  attacked 
Pearl  Harbor  on  December  7.  1941,  Wallace  was 
among  those  defending  Ewa  Airfield  on  Oahu.  He 
was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  colonel  and  was 
commanding  oflicer  of  air  groups  at  the  Battle  of 
Midway  and  on  Guadalcanal,  where  he  was 
wounded.  FinaOy,  as  a  lieutenant  general,  Wallace 
was  commanding  general  of  Aircraft,  Fleet  Marine 
Force,  in  Santa  Ana,  California.  He  retired  in  1 952 
and  died  m  1977. 

Wallace  was  one  of  the  most  decorated  military 
veterans  in  College  history.  He  was  awarded  a 
Distinguished  Service  Medal,  a  Legion  ot  Merit,  a 
Bronze  Star,  a  Purple  Heart,  a  Presidential  Unit 
Citation  with  Star,  an  Expeditionary  Medal  with 
Bronze  Star,  an  American  Defense  Service  Medal, 
an  American  Campaign  Medal,  and  a  World  Wir  II 
Victory  Medal. 

In  June  1948,  Wallace  returned  to  his  alma  mater 
where  he  delivered  the  commencement  address 
and  was  given  the  honorary  degree  of  Doctor  of 
Laws.  iWl 


Miijor  Gencrdl  Wllliiiiii  [Ij/Zwic,  left,  who  was  iinioni;  the 
fust  to  spot  the  I916]]'ilhdiii  Smith  Hall  fur,  rctiiriicd 
to  his  alma  mater  on  June  6,  1948  to  deliver  the 
coninieiiceiueiit  address  and  to  receive  an  honorary  degree, 
preseined  here  by  College  President  Gilbert  ]]' Mead. 


35 


Variations  of  tliat  argvinient  and  its  periodic  success  at  swaying  legislative  appro- 
priations had  plagued  Washington  College  for  more  than  a  centuiy  But  in  1916  state 
lawmakers  approved  expenditures  to  the  College  totaling  $28,275  for  maintenance 
and  $10,000  tor  helping  rebuild  Smith  Hall  for  each  of  the  next  two  years. 

Cain  was  so  busy  deahng  with  contractors,  insurance  agents  and  salvage  collec- 
tors and  preparing  for  commencement  that  he  arranged  to  have  a  substitute  teacher 
take  over  his  teaching  responsibihties.  Cain  was  faced  with  another  fire  of  sorts — 
criticism  by  some  students  of  how  the  Chestertown  volunteer  firemen  handled  the 
January  16  blaze  was  threatening  to  sour  town-gown  relations. 

In  the  February  issue  of  the  student  publication  The  Collegian,  firefighters 
were  blamed  in  part  for  not  getting  the  situation  under  control: 

"About  an  hour  after  the  alarm  had  been  given,  some  firemen  arrived  pulling 
a  hose  truck.  One  truck  had  been  left  at  the  lower  end  of  the  campus  by  some  who 
were  apparently  more  anxious  to  witness  the  glorious  sight  than  to  aid  in  extin- 
guishing the  tire.  There  was  absolutely  no  system  in  the  work  o(  the  volunteer 
firemen  of  Chestertown;  eveiy  one  was  a  boss,  some  did  not  know  what  to  do 
themselves,  and  were  nervously  suggesting  what  should  be  done  by  others.  Some 
of  the  students  got  the  hose  truck  which  had  been  left  by  some  over-enthusiast  at 
the  foot  of  campus,  and  brought  it  where  it  could  be  of  some  use." 

Determined  not  to  infringe  upon  Tlie  Collegian's  editorial  prerogatives.  Cam 
wrote  the  publication  a  letter  designed  to  soothe  both  sides. "If  the  town  appara- 
tus seemed  slow  m  arriving,  it  should  be  borne  in  mmd  that  the  hour  was  most 
unfavorable  for  the  quick  assembling  of  men,  and  that  perhaps  our  anxiety  made 
the  time  seem  longer  than  it  actually  was,"  he  wrote.  "If  there  appeared  to  be  a 
lack  of  a  directive  hand,  may  this  not  have  been  due  to  a  belief  that,  the  College 
being  a  community  in  itself,  some  one  in  authority'  m  the  College,  myself  per- 
haps, should  direct  the  work?" 

The  next  issue  of  llie  Collegian  carried  an  editorial  note  commending  the 
tire  department. 

Bad  luck  seemed  to  follow  Dr.  Cam  that  year,  even  when  he  traveled  in 
October  to  Baltimore  to  attend  theW;ishington-Gallaudet  football  game,  which 
Washington  lost.  Cain  was  struck  by  a  car  owned  by  the  Monumental  Brewing 
Company.  Slightly  shaken  and  bruised,  he  was  helped  across  the  street  to  the 
Rennert  Hotel  where  he  dusted  himself  off. 

By  December  construction  of  the  new  William  Smith  Hall  had  reached  the 
first  floor  and  Cain,  anxious  that  work  was  not  moving  as  quickly  as  he  had 
hoped,  urged  the  contractor  to  employ  more  men. 


36 


lAM  jjVJJ-rf 


_r. 


The  Co!lc(;c  coniplcicd  cxiciisiiv  mioi'iitioiis  of  ]]'illiiVii 
Smith  Hall  in  1998,  hriiiiiiin;  the  75-yctir-old  hiiildiii(;'s 
iiicdhviicdl  systcnis  up  to  date  and  prcscn'itu;  historic  detail. 


The  rebuilding  of  a  nearh'  identical  Smith  Hall  included  two  features  not  m 
the  original  structure.  One  walk-in  sate  was  installed  on  the  first  tloor  anci  an- 
other in  the  basement.  And  on  top  of  the  roof  a  cupola  was  built.  While  work 
progressed  on  Smith  Hall  under  a  contract  with  Henry  S.  Ripple,  a  new  heating 
plant  was  erected  and  outfitted  m  a  new  and  separate  building  by  contractor 
Clarence  E.  Stubbs.The  final  cost  of  the  entire  project,  including  a  $3,500  hot 
water  system  tor  the  gym  and  the  dormitories,  was  $76,000. 

In  early  February  191 8,  students  and  the  aciministration  moved  into  the  new 
William  Smith  Hall.  On  the  morning  ot  June  19,  the  College  witnesseci  its  tirst 
commencement  in  the  new  structure.  jW] 


37 


The  Drums  of  War 


Wlicii  war  was  waged  on  Aiiicricaii  soil  and 
abroad,  the  effects  reverberated  on  campus. 
During  tlie  Civil  War  the  loyahtes  of  College 
trustees  were  questioned  by  Union  soldiers.  With 
each  World  War  the  College  did  everything  it 
could  to  prepare  young  men  to  contribute  to  the 
war  efforts,  even  as  student  enrollments  dropped 
perilously  low.  Just  as  it  happened  all  over 
America,  the  return  of  GIs  at  the  end  oj  World 
War  II  ushered  in  an  era  of  unprecedented 
growth  and  prosperity  for  Washington  College. 


College  Officials  Profess  Unionist  Alliance 

BY    THE    TIME  South  C^arolina  troops  fired  upon  Federal  soldiers  in- 
side Fort  Sumter  on  April  12,  l(S6l,  many  Kent  Count}'  residents — in 
eluding  some  students  at  V^ishmgton  College — had  been  honing  their 
military  skills. 

That  year,  to  celebrate  the  anniversary  of  George  Washington's  birth  on  Feb- 
ruary 22,  members  of  four  volunteer  companies  gathered  at  ten  o'clock  under  a 
cloudless  but  breezy  morning  sky  and  paraded  through  downtown  Chesterto\vn. 
The  soldierly  display  included  Reed's  Rifles,  the  Chester  Blues,  the  Cavalry  Com- 
pany of  the  Columbian  Hussars,  and  the  Wiishington  College  Cadets. 

Accompanied  by  the  KennedyA'ille  Brass  Band,  the  parade  stopped  briefly 
outside  town  at  White  House  Farm,  where  owner  judge  James  B.  Ricaud — a 


38 


^^k--'^---'-'' ''  i'^lMi^^^^^-'^x 


Tltc  years  before  and  during  the  Civil  War  sdir  nidiiy 
Kent  County  men,  includiinJ  Wdsliim^ton  Colle(;e  students, 
participate  in  paraniilitary  oroani:ations  similar  to 
Reed's  Rifles,  pictured  liere  on  a  farm  somewhere 
outside  Cliestertown. 


College  trustee  who  had  received  a  degree  at  Washington  College  m  1846 — 
greeted  them  and  gave  them  retreshments.  At  mid-atternoon  the  men  returned 
to  formation  and  marched  to  the  Washington  College  campus,  where  they  spent 
the  rest  of  the  day  in  drilling. 

Despite  the  excitement  ot  haxmg  a  brass  hand  and  umtormed  soldiers  on 
campus,  scholarly  pursuits  continued  as  usual.  That  same  evening,  a  Dr.  Cox  ot 
Easton  came  to  the  College  to  deliver  an  address  at  the  invitation  of  the  Mount 
Vernon  Literary  Society'.  Dr.  Cox  chose  to  title  his  talk  "Demagogues  and  Their 
Arts,"  a  subject  the  students  no  doubt  found  appropriate  to  the  troubled  times. 

At  the  start  of  the  Civil  Wu".  Washington  College  found  itself  in  transition. 
Unable  to  persuade  Dr.  Francis  Waters  not  to  resign  as  president  at  the  end  ot 
1860,  the  Board  found  a  successor  in  the  Reverend  Andrew  J.  Sutton,  the  schools 
vice-principal  and  the  instructor  of  ancient  and  modern  languages  since  1856. 
The  Board  agreed  to  pay  him  an  annual  salary  of  $1,000  and  to  prox'ide  him 


39 


with  the  use  of  either  the  north  or  the  south  end  of  East  Hall  as  a  residence. 

The  College  had  enrolled  about  forty  students,  all  but  a  dozen  from  Kent 
County.  Including  Sutton,  who  also  taught  moral  and  mental  science,  there  were 
seven  members  ot  the  taculrs'.  Judge  James  A.  Pearce,  a  United  States  senator  and 
a  longtime  Board  member,  taught  law  until  illness  left  him  bedridden  in  late 
1 862.  He  died  on  December  20  and  was  the  first  to  be  buried  in  the  new  Chester 
Cemetery  at  the  edge  of  town.  His  son,  James  A.  Pearce  Jr.,  had  attended  the 
College  as  a  preparatory  student  and  taught  Latin  and  Greek.  Upon  his  father's 
death,  he  was  elected  to  the  Board.  Also  on  the  faculty  was  the  respected  and 
elderly  physician.  Dr.  Peregrine  Wroth,  an  1803  graduate  who  returned  to  his 
iiliihi  iiiiircr  late  m  life  to  teach  chemistry  and  geology  and  to  serve  on  the  Board. 

Perhaps  the  best-known  member  of  the  College  Board  was  its  president, 
Ezekiel  Forman  Chambers.  Born  in  Chestertown  on  February  28,  1788,  he  was 
graduated  from  Washington  College  at  the  age  of  seventeen.  He  studied  law  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1808. 

Chambers  was  active  m  the  local  militia  and  attained  the  rank  ot  captain 
when  the  Battle  of  Caulk's  Field  was  fought  m  the  War  of  1812.  A  member  of 
the  Maryland  Senate  from  1822  to  1825  and  of  the  Senate  of  the  United  States 
from  1826  to  1834,  he  resigneci  his  seat  to  accept  the  appointment  as  chief  judge 
of  the  Second  Judicial  District  of  Maryland  and  member  of  the  Maryland  Court 
ot'Appeals.  In  1 864,  he  was  the  Democratic  candidate  for  governor  of  Maryland, 
but  was  defeated  by  Thomas  Swan,  the  candidate  of  the  Unionist  Party.  He  was 
the  recipient  of  the  honoraiy  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws  from  Yale  University  in 
1833  and  from  the  College  of  Delaware  in  1852. 

During  the  Civil  War,  Chambers  was  assailed  by  local  Unionists,  who  ques- 
tioned whether  the  judge  was  truly  faithful  to  the  North  or  harbored  sympathies 
with  the  South.  He  was  accused  of  making  a  secession  speech  to  a  gathering  of 
citizens  at  the  court  house  on  February  9.  1861,  and  wrote  a  fourteen-page 
pamphlet  defending  his  position. 

At  a  Union  convention  in  Baltimore,  Chambers  said:  "I  am  for  the  Union 
just  so  long  as  it  can  be  maintained  consistently  with  the  honor  and  dignity  of 
Maryland.  Is  there  a  right-thinking  man  who  can  consent  upon  questions  of 
honor  to  regulate  and  control  his  actions  by  pecuniary  considerations?  Or  is 
there  a  Nation  which  could  consent  to  fill  in  the  eyes  of  the  world,  a  position  at 
once  dishonorable  and  cowardlv  for  the  sake  of  tilling  its  treasury  with  gold  and 
silver?" 

Like  many  Eastern  Shoremen,  Chambers  found  himself  caught  between  con- 
flicting loyalties.  Mar\-land  sta\'ed  with  the  North,  but  its  agrarian  population — 
including  the  Shore — had  more  in  common  with  the  South  than  it  had  with,  for 
example.  New  England.  Presumablv  most  of  the  students  at  Washington  Col- 
lege— being  native  Shoremen — held  similar  beliefs. 


40 


Ezckicl  F.  Clhviihcrs,  a  proininciit  Liwycr  and  I'liitcd  States 
Senator,  served  as  president  of  the  Board  of  I  Isitors  and 
Governors  from  1843  until  his  death  in  1867. 


i86i 


February  22  •  On 

the  anniversary  of 

Washington's 

birthday,  a 

gathering  of  local 

Union  military 

CORPS,  including  the 

Washington 

College  Cadets, 

marcfles  through 

town  and  DRILLS  ON 

THE  College  campus. 

May  16  •  Board 

admonishes  steward 

not  to  use  profane 

language  wfien 

speaking  to 

students. 

October  7  •  Federal 

soldiers  of  the  2nd 

Eastern  Shore 

Maryland 

Volunteers  encamp 

FOR  four  months 

ON  Dr.Wh.aland's 
farm  at  edge  of 
Chestertown. 

1862 

November  24  •  Cost 
OF  board  per  session 

IS  $55  FOR  summer 
and  $70  for  winter. 

December  2ii  •  Judge 

James  Alfred  Pearce, 

College  Trustee 

and  U.  S.  Senator 

WHO  taught  law  at 

Washington 

College,  dies  in 

Chestertown;  he  is 

the  first  to  be 
buried  in  the  new 
Chester  Cemetery. 


41 


A  Triple  Hanging 


One  otthe  most  curious  events  in  pre-Civil 
War  Kent  County  history  occurred  at  mid- 
morning  on  Friday,  August  8,  1851,  when  three 
men  sentenced  to  death  for  murdering  a  family 
near  the  Sassafras  River  were  hanged  on  a  farm 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  outside  what  then  were  the 
limits  of  Chestertown. 

Accompanied  by  rsvo  troops  of  armed  dragoons 
from  Kent  County,  another  troop  from  Queen 
Anne's  Counts',  a  civil  corps  of  two  hundred  men 
and  a  crowd  estimated  to  be  in  the  thousands,  the 
three  prisoners  were  taken  in  an  open  cart  from  the 
Chestertown  jail,  past  the  location  for  the  new 
Chester  Cemetery,  and  to  a  farm  where  a  scaffold 
with  three  nooses  awaited  them. 

The  ropes  were  adjusted  around  the  men's  necks 
and  hoods  were  pulled  over  their  heads.  At  twents'- 
one  minutes  before  eleven,  the  traps  were  opened 
and  the  three  men  fell  earthward.  Two  died  in- 
stantly, but  the  noose  of  the  third  man  slipped  and 
he  fell  to  the  ground.  When  he  gained  conscious- 
ness, he  was  taken  back  to  the  top  of  the  scaffold 
and  allowed  to  sit  in  a  chair  as  his  two  companions 
were  pronounced  dead  and  their  bodies  removed. 
In  shock  and  suffering  considerable  pain,  he  asked 
for  and  got  water,  but  was  unable  to  drink.  At 
twenty  minutes  past  eleven,  another  noose  was 
placed  around  his  neck,  the  trap  was  sprung  and  he 
fell  again,  this  time  to  his  death. 


What  has 
this  unusual 
incident  got 
to  do  with 
Washington 
College? 
Four  of  the 
principals 
involved  were 
members  of  the 
College  Board  of 
Visitors  anci  Governors: 
Ezekiel  F.  Chambers,  an 
1805  College  graduate  and 
president  of  the  Board,  was 
the  judge  in  the  triakjames 
B.  Ricaud,  a  Board  mem- 
ber who  was  involved  m 
the  rebuilding  of  the  Col- 
lege in  1844,  was  one  of  the 
prosecutors;  Sen.  James  A. 
Pearce,  a  longtime  Board 
member  and  one  of  the 
best  known  politicians 
111  the  county,  was  among 

the  defense  attorneys;  and  Dr.John  Whaland,  a  trustee 
whose  son  Charles  graduated  from  the  College, 
owned  the  farm  where  the  hangings  took  place.  iWj 


John  ]]lialaiid,  whose 
portiait  was  painted  circa 
1825,  was  a  College 
trustee  who  owned  the 
farm  on  the  outskirts  of 
Chestertown  ii'hcre  three 
coni'ictcd  murderers  were 
hanged  in  1851. 


In  1861,  the  Maryland  legislature  approved  a  resolution  directing  the  state 
adjutant  general  to  send  Washington  College  "sevenry-fne  cadets"  muskets  anci 
accoutrements,  including  percussion  caps,  together  with  twelve  sergeants'  swords 
and  twelve  lieutenants"  swords,  fit  tor  parade."The  catalog  for  1862-63  Hsts  a  mili- 
tary department,  where  instruction  in  drill  "is  given  to  a  limited  extent  to  those 
who  desire  it.""  Since  the  number  of  muskets  appropriated  by  the  state  was  nearly 
r^^'lce  the  schoc:)rs  enrollment,  it  is  hard  to  guess  what  was  done  with  the  surplus. 

At  the  war's  outbreak,  slaves  comprised  nineteen  percent  of  Kent  County's 
13,344  residents.  Of  the  entire  Eastern  Shore,  seventeen  percent  were  slaves  anci 


42 


of  the  state,  twelve  percent.  Even  those  locally  who  might  ultimately  support 
President  Lincoln's  emancipation  of  slaves  did  so  under  the  condition  that  slave 
holders  be  compensated  for  their  loss  of  propert}'. 

John  W.  Crisfield,  a  College  alumnus  who  was  elected  from  the  Eastern  Shore 
to  Lincoln's  special  session  of  Congress  in  1863,  believed  that  while  secession  was 
illegal,  the  Constitution  placed  the  decision  of  what  to  do  with  slaves  solely  in 
the  hands  of  the  states. 

Even  those  who  professed  their  staunch  Unionism  sometimes  had  their  true 
colors  questioned.  Jucige  Ricaud,  a  College  trustee  who  in  1862  was  named  to 
oversee  the  Kent  County  militia  draft,  was  among  several  men  who  were  arrested 
a  year  later  by  Union  soldiers  sent  trom  Baltimore  to  ensure  that  rebel  sympathiz- 
ers did  not  influence  county  elections.  The  men  were  released  and  their  arrest 
was  attributed  to  an  embarrassing  overzealousness  on  the  part  ot  some  Union 
officials. 

While  the  war  ravaged  other  parts  ot  the  state,  the  Eastern  Shore  remained 
relatively  unciisturbed.  Political  sniping  aside,  life  m  Kent  County  moved  along 
almost  normally  The  draw  section  ot  the  Chester  River  bridge  was  widened  to 
allow  passage  of  bigger  vessels  and  townspeople  argued  about  whose  cattle  were 
left  to  graze  on  the  court  house  green. 

Well  into  the  war,  a  Chestertown  newspaper  commented  on  the  pace  ot  local 
business:  "It  is  rather  surprising  that  a  spirit  ot  enterprise  should  have  seized  our 
citizens  m  the  midst  ot  the  present  untortunate  condition  ot  the  country,  but  we 
doubt  whether  this  has  affected  unfavorably  the  pecuniary  resources  of  the  people 
of  this  community.  The  large  crops  and  good  prices  realized  last  year,  and  the 
equally  abundant  harvest  of  the  present  season,  have  maintained  the  agricultural 
community'  in  easy  circumstances,  and  as  the  mercantile  and  mechanical  interests 
are  regulated  in  no  small  degree  by  the  prosperits'  ot  the  agricultural,  they  have 
enjoyed  a  corresponding  measure  of  success." 

The  College,  attempting  to  turn  what  sometimes  was  a  geographical  liability 
into  an  asset,  touted  its  location  in  newspaper  ads: 

By  Its  elevated,  healthful  and  beautiful  situation;  its  remoteness  from  the 
track  of  War;  its  daily  communication  with  Baltimore  and  Philadelphia, 
and  its  very  low  charges  for  board  and  Tuition;  this  Institution,  now  in  its 
83rd  year,  offers  advantages  not  surpassed  by  any  similar  College. 

It  cost  $145  a  year  to  board  at  the  College  and  an  additional  $3U  or  $41),  depend- 
ing upon  the  class  grade,  for  tuition. 

The  annual  commencement  exercises  were  public  affairs  and  lasted  three 
days,  beginning  with  the  examination  of  classes  and  an  evening  meeting  of  the 
Mount  Vernon  Literary  Society.  On  one  occasion  the  younger  )ames  A.  Pearce 


1864 

December  1  • 

President  Sutton 

TELLS  Board  that 

while  he  was  in 

Baltimore 
rec:ently,"much 
injury"  TO  West 
Hall  was  done  by 
students,  who  are 
ordered  to  pay 
for  repairs. 

1865 

April  •  Until  the 

very  end  of  the 

Civil  WAR, 

Washington 

College  advertises 

IN  local 

newspapers  that  its 

"remoteness  from 

the  track  of  the 

War"  IS  one  of  the 

benefits  of 

attending  the 

SCHOOL. 

July  4  • 

Independence  Day 

passes  in 

Chestertown 

without  a  single 

public  observance; 

residents  SPEND  THE 

day  fishing  and 
crabbing. 

1873 

August  16  • 
College  trustees 

ELEt:TWlLLL'\Mj. 

Rivers,  A  professor 
at  THE  University 
OF  South  Carolina 

FOR  17  YEARS,  as 

president. 


43 


entertained  the  gathering  with  an  address  titled  "Characteristics  of  Genius."The 
second  day  was  reserved  for  the  junior  class  exhibition — usually  a  play — that  was 
so  popular  among  townsfolk  that  only  ticket  holders  were  allowed  entrance  and 
children  were  specifically  prohibitecl.  Students  were  graduated  on  the  third  day 
with  the  baccalaureate  address  delivered  by  the  Reverend  Sutton. 

Two  months  after  the  Civil  War  ended,  the  Maryland  General  Assembly 
agreed  to  continue  tniancial  assistance  to  Washington  College  on  condition  that 
the  funds  be  used  to  pay  for  scholarships. Washington  College,  St. Johns  College 
in  Annapolis,  the  Maryland  Agricultural  College  in  Prince  George's  County,  and 
the  state  Law  School  were  considered  to  constitute  the  University  of  Maryland. 

Even  with  state  assistance,  the  College  suffered  financial  and  administrative 
problems.  Rowland  Watts,  Class  of  1886,  described  the  condition  of  the  school 
in  a  brief  history  he  wrote:  "It  commenced  to  cieclme  under  the  administration 
ot  Protessor  Sutton.  Professor  Sutton  was  a  man  ot  excellent  eciucation  and  a  fine 
gentleman,  hut  entirely  unfit  to  govern  a  college.  He  was  afflicted  by  that  deadly 
malady  consumption,  and  at  length  acquired  a  habit  of  drinking  to  excess,  thus 
rencHering  him  even  less  capable  of  properly  filling  the  position  which  he  held." 

Sutton  resigned  on  November  30,  1867,  and  was  succeeded  by  Robert  Carter 
Berkeley,  who  had  served  in  the  Confederate  Army  and  was  wounded  in  the 
Battle  of  Seven  Pines  in  1862. 


Military  Arts  Ottered  as  Nation  Enters  World  War 


THE  OUTBREAK  OF  WORLD  WAR  I  in  1914  m  faraway  Europe 
did  not  go  unnoticed  at  Washington  College.  President  James  W  Cain,  re- 
porting to  the  school  trustees,  spoke  of  the  sentiment  that  appeared  to  be  grow- 
ing in  the  United  States  favoring  some  form  of  preparedness  program.  He  cited 
the  establishment  of  camps  for  military  instruction  as  well  as  the  introduction  of 
similar  programs  in  many  American  schools.  He  also  informed  the  Board  that  in 
the  course  of  a  conversation  with  the  commander  of  the  Maryland  National 
Guard,  the  advisability  of  introducing  some  form  of  military  instruction  at  the 
College  had  been  suggested.  Expressing  his  opinion  on  the  matter,  Cain  wrote: 

I  think  that  much  good  may  result  to  young  men  and  incidentally  to  the 
State  and  Nation,  from  teaching  them  the  rudiments  of  the  military  arts. 
In  order  that  this  matter  may  be  given  the  consideration  that  so  serious  a 
matter  deserves,  I  recommend  that  a  committee  be  appointed  with  au- 


44 


Dcpartiiu'iil  of  Militdiy  Siiciicc  ami  'liutiis,  poic  on  the  steps 
h'iuHiijitoWcst  Hall  in  1917. 


thoriU'  and  instruction  to  consnit  with  the  State  and  Federal  authorities 
and  report  at  the  next  quarterly  meeting. 

Contacts  were  made  with  officials  m  Washington,  but  nothing  came  otthis  early 
recommenciation.  Several  years  later,  C^,ain  reported  that  the  tacult\'  had  adopted 
a  resolution  expressing  the  opinion  that  the  College  should  take  whatever  action 
toward  preparedness  the  executixes  ot  the  federal  anci  state  governments  might 
consider  helpful,  recommending  that  the  principal  be  instructed  to  ascertain 
what  that  action  might  be. The  Board  agreed  that  a  course  ot  military  instruction 
should  be  introclucecl  at  once  and  requested  federal  authorities  to  detail  an  of- 
ficer to  Washington  College  tor  that  purpose.  It  offered  the  use  of  the  buildings 
and  grounds  of  the  College  for  that  purpose,  and  it  also  offered  to  extencH  the  use 
ot  the  College  grouncis  and  buiklings  to  the  federal  and  state  governments  for 
such  military  purposes  as  they  deemed  appropriate. The  principal  was  instructed 
to  go  to  Wishington  to  secure  the  necessary  information  to  assist  the  Board  in 
establishinir  militarv  traininti  at  the  Colleee. 


1875 

July  14  •  For  the 

scholastic  period 

just  ending,  3(1 

students  aice 

enrolled;  half 

attend  tele  college 

on  scholarships 

mandated  by  state 

LAW. 

1876 

February  7  • 
Trustees  resolve 

that  in  ADDITION  TO 

STUDENTS' 

INTELLECTUAL 

TRAINING,  I  HE 

CliLLEGE  PRINCIPAL  IS 

OVERSEER  OF  THEIR 

"BODILY  WELFARE  AND 

COMFORT." 

1887 

Dr.  E.J.  Clarke. 

WHEN  ORDERING 

UNIFORMS  FOR  THE 

BASEBALL  TEAM. 

DISCOVERS  THAT 

THERE  ARE  NO 

OFFICIAL  SCHOOL 

COLORS:  ELAVING  A 

PREFERENCE  FOR 

MAROON  AND  BLACK, 

HE  HAS  THE  SUITS 

TRIMMED  WITH  THOSE 

COLORS. 

June  25  •  College 
Board  Act;EPTS 
resignation  of 

President  William  J. 

Rivers,  effective  in 
four  days. 


45 


r I (')/(/  ]]di  II  vctcraiii,  .'^oiiic  piaitrcd  licic, 
flooded  the  Ci'/Ztyc  ill  Will's  end. 


The  catalog  for  1917-18  announced  the  establishment  of  a  Department  of 
Military  Science  and  Tactics  for  the  ensunig  year.  The  course  consisted  of  mili- 
tary drills  and  classes  ni  the  theory  and  the  art  ot  war.  Capt.John  E.  Ryan  was 
appointed  to  direct  this  department.  The  corps  was  to  be  dressed  in  a  unitorm 
similar  to  that  of  the  United  States  Army.  The  insignia  on  the  unitorm,  however, 
was  to  be  unlike  that  on  the  regular  army  unitorms. 

At  a  meeting  ot  the  taculty  on  September  17,  1917,  it  was  moved  that  recita- 
tions atter  dinner  on  Tuesday,  September  22,  be  discontinued  in  order  to  permit 
the  cadets  under  Captain  Ryan  to  participate  in  a  parade  in  Chestertown  honor- 
ing those  inductees  departing  tor  Camp  Meade. 


Schedule  Accelerated  with  Escalation  ofWorldWar  II 


1888 


PRESIDENT  Gilbert  W.  Mead  advised  College  trustees  in 
February  1942  that  the  Selective  Service  and  the  increased  demand  for  la- 
bor in  the  defense  industries  were  seriously  affecting  college  enrollments.  As 
many  of  the  young  men  at  Washington  College  were  eligible  for  induction,  the 
administration  and  the  faculty  prepareci  a  plan  to  meet  this  crisis.  A  Faculty  Emer- 
gency Committee,  in  cooperation  with  the  Curriculum  Committee  and  the 
faculty',  decided  to  accelerate  the  academic  program  by  "the  shortening  of  vaca- 
tion periods,  and  the  consequent  ahbrex'iation  of  the  term  so  as  to  advance  graciu- 
ation  to  May  25. This  is  to  be  followed  by  a  summer  term,  openingjune  8.  If  the 
war  continues,  and  the  changed  program  remains  in  force,  the  average  student 
will  be  able  to  fniish  all  his  work  m  three  years." 

The  summer  session  in  1942  was  held  as  planned.  It  consisted  of  two  five- 
week  sessions,  beginning  on  June  8  and  running  through  August  1 5.  At  the  close 
of  the  session,  tour  young  men.  Jerome  Calvert  Jones,  Francis  Walter  McNiff. 
Francis  Hudson  Mead,  and  William  Winchester  Paca  Jr..  received  their  degrees. 
In  each  case  the  degree  enableei  the  men  to  c^jualifs'  as  candidates  for  officer 
training.  In  addition,  mid-year  exercises  were  held  in  January  1943  and  1944  for 
other  students  who  had  completed  their  requirements  tor  graduation  under  the 
accelerated  program.  The  summer  session  of  1942  was  fairly  well  attended,  but 
that  for  1 943  was  a  great  disappointment.  A  survey  made  in  the  fall  ot  1 943 
indicated  that  the  students  expressed  little  interest  m  a  summer  school  tor  1944. 
In  \"iew  of  this,  the  faculty  voted  to  go  on  record  as  opposing  the  continuation  of 
the  summer  session. 

In  the  tall  ot  1943  the  tacult\'  appointed  a  Post-War  Plans  Committee  to 
consider  a  possible  revision  ot  the  academic  program.  During  the  course  of  that 
academic  year,  the  committee  recommencied  the  following,  all  of  which  were 
adopted: 

1.  Organization  of  the  curriculum  on  a  divisional  basis 

2.  Adoption  of  the  upper  and  lower  level  of  classes 

3.  Publication  ot  an  outline  of  lite  career  programs 

4.  Discontinuance  of  the  accelerated  program 

5.  Return  to  the  requirement  limiting  the  average  student  to  a  class  load  ot 
fifteen  to  seventeen  hours 

6.  Return  to  the  practice  of  having  only  one  commencement  each  year. 


June  27  •  Alumni 
Association  forms 
WITH  Eben  F.  Perkins 

as  pr£sident. 

ncivember  24  • 

Shoremen  lose  first 

football  (~,ame  in 

C:iULE(;E  HISTORY  TO 

St. John's  College. 


1891 


Sei'te.mber  •  College 

President  Ch.^iRles 

W.  Reid  presents 

convincing 

arguments  to 

Visitors  and 

Governors  that 

FEMALE  students 
should  BE  ADMITTED. 

The  board  .agrees 

and  women  join  men 

IN  THE  classroom 

FOR  THE  1891-1892 

SESSION. 

1895 

JUNIOR  Class 

PUBLISHES  THE.-iLPm, 

the  SCHOOL'S  FIRST 

YEARBOOK.  AND 

DEDICATES  IT  Tt~) 

College  founder 
"willia.m  s.mith. 

Mary  L.  Matthews 
of  Kent  County  is 

FIRST  woman  to 

graduate  from  the 
Collec;e. 


47 


The  C('//(;(3(' <i7i/'  impnYcdciitcd  (iivu'th  iliiriii^^  the  posl-]]'orld 
]]'(ii  II  ycdis.  Ailiiio  CAi//('i_'c  President  l-redeiick  G. 
Lii'iii'^ood,  ii'eiiriii{i  hat,  ceremoiiiaU]'  hieaks  (iioiittd  for  the 
Garret!  Foxieeh  dorDiitory. 


The  acceleration  program  and  the  nidiiction  ot  young  men  nito  the  armed  ser- 
vices were  responsihle  for  the  small  enrollment  in  the  years  1943-44  and  1944- 
45.  In  those  two  years  only  193  and  190  students,  respectively,  attencied  the 
C^ollege,  the  smallest  enrollment  in  over  a  ciecade.  Fortunately,  the  enrollment  of 
women  increased  during  those  two  years,  as  105  and  1 18  were  in  attendance  as 
compared  with  88  and  72  men.  This  was  the  first  time  m  the  history  of  the 
Colleiie  that  more  women  were  m  attendance  than  men. 


48 


Anticipating  an  enrollment  of  125  veterans  when  the  College  opened  in 
September  1946,  the  admmistration  filed  an  application  with  the  Federal  Hous- 
ing Authorit)'  tor  an  assignment  ot  surplus  army  barracks.  The  application  was 
denied  and  plans  were  then  made  to  erect  a  frame  dormitory  that  could  house 
fifty  men.  In  addition,  a  house-to-house  canvass  was  made  in  Chestertown  to 
determine  the  number  ot  rooms  that  might  be  available  for  students  not  other- 
wise provided  tor  on  campus.  By  October  1946,  the  president  could  report  that 
the  frame  dormitory  was  ready  tor  occupancy.  As  the  structure  was  to  be  occu- 
pied entirely  by  veterans,  the  building  was  named  G.  I.  Hall. 

Enrollment  in  1946-47  was  51 1.  As  this  number  placed  a  hea\T  burden  on 
existing  classroom  facilities,  application  was  tiled  with  the  Federal  Works  Agency, 
Bureau  ot  Commumrs'  Facilities,  recjuestmg  allocation  ot  surplus  army  trame 
buildings  tor  classroom  use.  Upon  review  anci  recommendation  of  the  U.  S.  Of- 
fice of  Education,  the  College  received  5,000  square  feet  of  space  consisting  of 
two  rectangular  buildings. These  were  erected  by  government  engineers  during 
the  summer  of  1947  and  were  ready  for  occupancy  when  the  tall  term  opened. 

In  1948  the  Board  considered  the  idea  of  constructing  a  dormitory,  similar 
in  design  to  G.  I.  Hall,  on  a  site  just  south  of  the  athletic  tleld.  adjoining  the 
Richmond  property.The  chairman  ot  the  Buildings  and  Grounds  Committee, 
Elias  W.  Nuttle,  proceeded  with  securing  plans  and  specitlcations  tor  the  pro- 
posed building. The  chairman  ot  the  Legal  Committee,  Lester  Baldwin,  deter- 
mined that  the  tunds  derived  trom  the  Garrett  Fox\\ell  estate  could  be  ex- 
pended for  this  project. This  building  was  ready  tor  occupancy  at  the  opening 
of  the  fall  session  m  1949.  Wl 


luuucdiatdy  on  the  outbreak  of  the  imr,  the  College  progwvu 

was  ycvised  to  meet  the  deDiaiids  of  the  Yonng  )}ieii  ooino  into  service, 

by  providing  an  accelerated  schedule,  one  feature  of  which 

is  a  ten-week  sunniier  term.  The  average  attendance 

for  this  sunwier  was  over  100. 


From  President  Gilbert  W.  Mead's  "Report  to  the  Visitors  and  Governors," 
October  10.  1942. 


1896 

NOI-UvL^L  H.'U_L. 
DESIGNED  TO  HOUSE  70 
WOMEN,  OPENS  IN  TIME 

FOR  College's  first 

RESIDENT  COEDS. 

1898 

JUNE  15  •  The 

esterprise 

newspaper 

announces  that  the 

College 

comnlencement 

dance  will  feature 

electric  lights  and 

fans  for  the  first 

TIME. 

1889 

February  •  The 

Washisctos 

collecus.  the  first 

stltoent  newspaper, 

is  published  under 

the  editorship  of 

Leon  Davis. 


I9OI 

Septe.mber  23  • 

STUDENTS  organize 

Adelphia  Literary 
Society. 


1903 

May  20  •  College 

Board  accepts 

resign.ation  of 

Princip.al  C.W  Reid. 


49 


Remembering  a  Hero: 
Benjamin  Hays  Vandervoort  '38 

By  W'illiaui  L.TIioinpson  '70 

The  Normandy  Invasion.  Operation  Market- 
Garden.  The  Battle  of  the  Bulge.  One  Wash- 
ington College  alumnus  was  there  in  the  thick  ot 
these,  and  many  other  battles. The  late  Benjamin 
Hays  Vandervoort  "38.  the  highly-decorated 
military  officer  with  the  tamed  United  States 
Army's  82nd  Airborne  Division,  was  one  of  very 
few  soldiers  to  be  awarded  three  Distinguished 
Service  Crosses  for  bravery  in  combat.  In  addition 
to  three  Purple  Hearts  and  the  Bronze  Star  with 
"V"  for  valor,  he  was  also  decorated  by  France, 
Holland,  and  Belgium. 

His  bravery  is  legend,  his  heroics  under  enemy 
fire  the  stuff  of  books  and  movies.  Hollywood's 
hero,  John  Wayne,  played  the  role  of  Lieutenant 
Colonel  Ben  Vandervoort  in  the  1962  movie 
version  of  Cornelius  Ryan's  Tlic  Loiiiicst  Day.  His  is 
the  story  of  a  true  hero. 

On  D-Day.  his  leg  was  broken  and  his  ankle  was 
so  painful  that  he  couldn't  support  his  own  weight 
on  it,  much  less  the  80  pounds  of  gear  strapped  to 
his  back.  Still,  Benjamin  Hays  Vmdervoort  was  one 
ot  the  fortunate  ones. 

He  had  survived  the  bumpy  flight  across  the 
English  Channel  and  had  parachuted  to  his 
assigned  drop  zone  near  the  orchards  outside  the 
old  village  of  Sainte-Mere-Eglise. 

Many  ot  the  sky  soldiers  who  had  jumped  with 
him  into  the  dark  morning  hours  otjune  6,  1944, 
o\-er  France's  Cherbourg  peninsula  descended  onto 
tloocied  farm  fields  and  muddy  marshes. Tangled  in 
their  chute  lines,  some  of  the  men  drowned  in  less 
than  five  feet  of  water.  They  never  saw  the  enemy. 
Never  fired  a  shot. 

His  injury  was  serious  enough  that  he  could 
have  taken  himself  out  of  the  fight. Yet  despite  his 
broken  leg,  Vandervoort  still  had  plenty  of  fight  left. 
He  laced  his  jump  boot  tightly  and,  using  his  rifle 
as  a  crutch,  set  about  assembhntr  his  men  tor  their 


first  objective — securing  the  road  betvveen  Neuville- 
au-Plain  and  Sainte-Mere-Eglise. 

By  the  year's  end, Vandervoort  would  make  all  the 
82nd's  World  War  II  combat  jumps — he  would  be  one 
of  the  division's  famed  "four-jump  bastards" — and  see 
bloody  action  in  Holland  and  Belgium. 

What  astoundedVandervoort's  men  on  D-Day  was 
the  sight  ot  an  officer  so  determined  to  lead  his 
battalion  against  the  enemy  that  he  refused  to  suffer 
his  pain  openly.  Still,  he  couldn't  hide  his  injury  and 
for  the  next  39  days  he  moved  with  the  aid  of  a 
crutch.  Once,  when  part  of"Vandervoort's  battaHon 
was  sent  to  relieve  a  platoon  by  bringing  enemy  fire 
upon  themselves.Vandervoort  did  his  part  from  the 
back  of  a  Jeep.  With  his  legs  hanging  over  the  back 
and  crutches  beside  him,  he  calmly  drew  enemy  fire 
with  the  machine  gun. 

During  the  Battle  of  the  Bulge  in  late  December 
1 944, Vandervoort  and  his  E  Company  were  dis- 
patched to  the  tiny  rural  Belgium  village  ofTrois 
Fonts,  where  they  had  no  advance  knowledge  ot 
either  friendly  or  enemy  forces. 

What  they  found  when  they  crossed  the  Salm  River 
was  the  fearsome  1st  S.S.  Panzer  Division,  the  spearhead 
of  a  German  counter  offensive  sent  by  Hitler  to  break 
through  the  American  front  along  the  Ardennes. 

Vandervoort's  men,  whose  hand-held  weapons  and 
mortars  were  no  match  against  the  German  tanks  in 
open  terrain,  were  ordered  to  withdraw  to  the 
opposite  bank  of  the  river  and  hold  off  the  Nazi 
Grenadiers. 

Throughout  the  night  the  Americans  used  anti-tank 
guns,  machine  guns,  and  mortars  against  the  Germans. 
In  his  own  words, Vandervoort  described  his  men's 
actions: 

"For  t\velve  long  hours  they  held  back  the  highest 
priorits',  best  equipped  division  in  the  German 
Army — convincing  the  1st  S.S.  Panzer  Commander  to 
turn  awav  and  seek  an  easier  route  to  the  west  than 


50 


through  the  SOSth  defenders  at  Trois 
Fonts." 

Vandervoort  was  especially  proud 
of  his  men  at  Trois  Fonts.  But  it  was 
memories  of  the  awtul  battle  over  a 
disputed  bridge  three  months  earlier 
in  Nijmegen,  Holland,  that  had  the 
deepest  effect  on  the  battalion 
commander. 

U.S.  and  British  paratroopers 
teamed  up  for  the  largest  Allied  air 
assault  of  the  war  in  what  was  called 
Operation  Market-Garden.  At  the 
end  of  two  weeks'  fighting,  more  than 
10,000  Allies  would  be  killed, 
wounded,  or  missing. 

Fierce  battles  took  place  in  and 
around  Arnhem  near  the  Dutch- 
German  border.  Several  miles  to  the 
south  in  Nijmegen, Vandervoort's 
men  fought  side  by  side  with  British 
Tommies  to  gain  control  ot  a  steel 
railroad  bridge  held  by  the  resolute 
Germans. 

In  the  end,  the  Americans  and 
British  secured  the  bridge.  But  the 
carnage  was  so  terrible  that  30  years 
later,  when  Vandervoort  and  his  wite 
returned  to  Nijmegen  as  guests  of  the 
Belgian  government,  the  sight  ot  the 
bridge  made  an  old  soldier  weep. 

In  January  of  1945,  U.S.  and  German  soldiers  were 
engaged  in  ferocious  firelights  along  the  snow-covered 
Ardennes  Forest.  It  was  Europe's  coldest  winter  in  25 
years  and  German  Fanzer  units  relied  upon  their  new 
tanks  and  the  weather  to  help  their  offensive. 

A  shell  exploded  near  Vandervoort,  spraying  the  area 
with  hot  shrapnel.  A  fragment  struck  him,  leaving  a 
hole  in  his  lorehead  the  size  of  a  silver  dollar.  He  lost 
his  left  eye  and  his  sinuses  were  badly  damaged. 

Four  months  later,  with  Hitler  dead  and  his  military 
machine  in  shambles,  the  end  came  to  the  Anglo- 
German  war.  Vandervoort  was  already  stateside  in  a 


Bcnidiiiiii  ]diidcn'oort  '38  icpicscnts  the  bar  of  the 
Army's  ]]lvld  ]]dr  II  eombat  officers,  in  the  Coiiiinaiid 
and  General  Staff  College  Hall  of  Fame. 

hospital  near  Indianapohs,  where  he  would  spend 
the  ne.xt  1 8  months  recovering  fi-om  his  wounds. 

For  his  bravery  and  leadership  under  fire, 
Vandervoort  was  awarded  three  Distinguished 
Service  Crosses — the  first  one  presented  personally 
by  General  Omar  Bradley  amidst  the  ruins  ot 
Sainte-Mere-Eglise.  'W\ 


51 


^  .    i-^^ 


'Si^ 


II: 


*  !.# 


1^     ' 


/^^ 


•--*»«■ 


5-    4 


^rife 


i'A 


s^     t 


V-  f^^'- 


'Ji  «■.■„-,■. 


i>D 


•  ."^w* 
*-    '*.*'i? 


'^]m». 


Presidential  Visits  Put  College  in  the  Spotlight 


The  Collc<^c's  association  with  the  nation's  first 
president  has  resonated  with  subsequent  campus 
visitors,  particularly  an  elite  {^roiip  of  men  who 
have  also  held  the  nation's  highest  office.  In 
1789,  George  Washington  had  just  begun  his 
frst  term  as  sitting  president  of  the  United  States 
when  the  College  presented  him  with  an 
honorary  Doctor  of  Laws  degree  in  NeivYorlc. 
Since  then,  fve  other  men  who  were  or  who  later 
became  Presidents — Franklin  D.  Roosevelt, 
Harry  STriiman,  Dwiglit  D.  Eisenhower,  John  F. 
Kennedy,  and  George  H.  U' Bush — brought 
national  attention  with  their  campus  visits. 


FDR  attends  the  Inauguration  of  Gilbert  W.  Mead 


Overleaf:  In  the  iiiidsr  of  the 

Great  Depression.  Fraiihliii  ■      l  RANKLIN    DELANO    ROOSEVELT    was  the  first  sitting  United 

D.  Rooseivh  pitched  his  I     i  States  president  to  visit  Washington  College. 

New  Deal  to  thoiisiiitds  of  JL       On  that  crisp  and  breezy  October  21  in  1933,  FDR  was  expected  to 

spectators  i^athered  for  the  accept  his  honorary  degree  of  laws  and,  with  little  more  than  a  wave  and  a  smile 

iiiam^niatioii  ofColh'i^e  to  the  crowd,  leave  the  campus  and  return  to  the  White  House  aboard  his  official 

Ptesideiif  Gilhett  Mead.  yacht,  the  Sequoia. 


54 


Aiuoiii^  ilic  honored  oitcsis  iittcndino  the  .\k\id  iihuii;tirinioii 
were  delegates  from  serciny-five  coUcges  and  universities,  and 
three  tornicr]]ashiiigioii  College  presidents:  Dr  James  IV 
Cain,  Clarence  P.  Gould,  and  Paul  E.  Titsworth. 


It  wasn't  in  the  script  for  Roosevelt  to  address  the  thousands  of  spectators — 
the  largest  crowd  in  College  history — who  had  gathered  on  the  campus  lawn  to 
see  him  and  to  witness  the  inauguration  of  Gilbert  Wilcox  Mead  as  nineteenth 
president  ot  the  College.  But  something  Mead  said  in  his  prepared  remarks 
apparently  inspired  Roosevelt  and,  following  his  hooding,  the  President  stepped 
to  the  microphone. 

"The  wider  we  can  ha\'e  a  distribution  ot  the  wealth  in  the  proper  sense  of 
that  term,  the  more  we  can  make  it  possible  for  everv  man,  woman,  and  child 
throughout  the  land  to  ha\'e  the  necessities,"  Roosevelt  saicl.  "And  when  they 
find  themseh'es  m  such  shape  that  they  do  not  have  to  he  awake  nights  wonder- 
ing where  the  tood  tor  the  morrow  is  coming  trom.  then  we  shall  have  the  kind 
ot  securit}'  which  means  so  much  to  the  progress  and  the  spirit  ot  the  country." 

Roosevelt's  proposed  New  Deal  antidote  to  Hft  the  country  out  of  the  De- 
pression was  under  territic  attack  trom  many  quarters  and  he  hati  been  in  oftice 
only  about  half  a  year.  FDR  looked  for  support  where  he  could  tind  it,  and  he 
found  some  in  Mead's  words  that  day  on  the  inaugural  platform  in  tront  ot 
WiUiam  Smith  Hall. 


1903 

June  27  •  College 
Board  elects  James 
W.  Cain  as  president. 

He  had  been  vice 

PRINCIPAL  OF  St. 

John's  College. 

September  16  • 

College  opens  fall 

session  with  115 

students.  OF  WHOM 

24  ARE  IN 

PREPARATORY  CLASSES 

.\,ND  51  IN  THE 

Normal  School. 

September  28  • 

Students  object  to 

carrying  coal  and 

making  their  own 

FIRES:  President 

Cain  suggests 

hiring  a  second 

j.anitor. 

December  1 1  •  Dr. 
Cain  slib.viits  his 

quarterly  REPORT 

TO  the  Board,  the 

first  time  in 

College  history 

th.^t  sut:H  A 

communication  has 

been  set  ON  A 
TYPEWRITER;  the 

Board  continues 

TO  KEEPS  ITS  minutes 

by  hand. 


1904 

M.AY  9  •  Board's 

Committee  on 

RiPAiRS  IS  directed 

TO  have  laid  a 

sidewalk  along  THE 
EAST  SIDE  OF  C.\MPUS. 


55 


Colonel  Hiiiiiii  S.  Brotrii  (far  rii^lit).  a  political  friciui  of  Rooscirll,  wai  ivspoinihlc  for  ciiticiin; 
Pivsiiicnt  Rooscirlt  to  risit  liiiiipus.  Pictured  on  board  the  Sequoia,  ii'liiih  docked  at  Brown's 
Chester  Rirer  estate,  are.  left  to  i/jj/;r,  First  Lady  Eleanor  Roosevelt,  President  Roosevelt, 
Maryland  Governor  Albert  C.  Ritchie,  and  Colonel  Brown. 


"I  dare  express. ..the  hope  that  the  youth  who  pass  h"oni  these  portals  will 
remember  the  duty  which  presses  on  us  from  every  side,  ot  fitting  themselves  as 
speedily  into  the  cooperative  machinery  of  the  new  order  in  America,  wherein 
lies  our  common  salvation."  said  Mead.  "The  example  of  our  vigorous  national 
administration  since  last  March  is  sufficient  warrant  for  this  exhortation. This  is  a 
new  kind  of  pioneering  to  which  we  must  yoke  ourselves.  Let  us  not  forget  that 
the  praiseworthy  'rugged  individualism'  ot  our  frontier  ancestors  has  ot  recent 
years  been  succeeded  by  a  'ruthless  individualism"  m  which  were  the  seeds  ot 
incalculable  disaster." 

Washington  College  was  certainly  not  immune  from  the  Depression.  Its  ad- 
ministrators managed  to  keep  the  budget  balanced  that  year,  but  only  by  cutting 
back.  Paychecks  for  the  tacult)-  and  administrators  were  slashed  by  as  much  as  ten 


56 


percent.  Some  of  the  savings,  no  doubt,  helped  cover  the  cost  of  Meads  inaugu- 
ration. The  $1,574.37  expenditure  was  $500  more  than  the  annual  salary  of  an 
instructor  in  the  biology  department.  It  helped  that  student  enrollment  was  up 
by  twenty  over  the  previous  year's  268. 

Both  Roosevelt's  and  Mead's  words  were  broadcast  nationally  on  the  NBC 
and  CBS  radio  systems.  Western  Union  installed  a  direct  wire  immediately  in 
front  of  the  platform,  and  dispatches  describing  the  ceremony  were  sent  to  news- 
papers as  soon  as  reporters  handed  their  copy  to  the  telegrapher.  An  RKO  cam- 
eraman was  with  the  press  entourage,  too,  and  moviegoers  saw  a  news  reel  of  the 
day's  events  in  theaters  throughout  the  United  States  the  next  week. 

Some  1,600  seats  for  spectators  were  set  up,  but  the  crowd  that  turned  out 
was  thousands  more  and  the  majont)'  of  people  stood  for  the  entire  ceremony. 
Several  hundred  uniformed  members  of  the  Maryland  National  Guard,  repre- 
senting all  nine  counties  ot  the  Eastern  Shore,  were  on  hand.  A  presidential 
cannon  salute  was  fired  by  a  battery  of  the  Sixth  Field  Artillery,  the  unit  which 
fired  the  first  shot  trom  an  American-manned  gun  in  World  War  I. 

The  Chestertown  Volunteer  Fire  Company  Band,  upon  the  arrival  of 
Roosevelt,  played  "Hail  to  the  Chiet"  ,\nd  "The  Star  Spangled  Banner." 

Accompanying  her  husband  to  the  platform,  Eleanor  Roosevelt  was  presented 
with  a  corsage  by  College  senior  Sarah  Ellen  Byrn  ot  Cambridge,  Mai-yland. 


Press,  finest,  and 

parking; passes  for  FDR's  visit. 


1906 

June  19  -James  A. 

Pearce,  president  of 

Visitors  and 

Governors,  lays 

cornerstone  for 

William  Smith  Hall 

on  ciround 

lormerly  used  as  a 

baseball  field. 

1907 

June  14  •  Randolph 
Smith,  represen  itng 

THE  DESCENDANLS  OF 

Dr. William  Smith, 
attends  dedication 

of  new  itassroom 

and  administration 

building  named  for 

THE  College 

FOUNDER. 
I9IO 

The  Normal 

Department  is 

dropped  from  the 

CURRICULUM.  Coeds, 

WHO  MADE  UP  THE 

MAJORITY  OF  NORMAL 

STUDENTS,  ARE 

reclassified  as  DAY 

STUDENTS. 


57 


Piv<ii1ciit  Roosevelt,  the  Fiisr  Lady,  and  Govcnuv  Riicluc 
nioioivd  hcru'ccii  iiiiiipiis  and  Colonel  Bioii'ii's  ii'dtciiroiit 
cstdic  ill  ail  open  coiirertible. 


Roosevelt  was  presented  with  a  leather  tolder  containing  a  photostatic  re- 
production of  the  honorary  degree  the  College  gave  George  Washington  in 
1789  as  well  as  the  diploma  ot  the  same  degree  conferred  upon  him  that  day.  In 
what  probably  was  his  first  official  act  as  president  of  the  College,  Mead  hooded 
FDR  while  Brown  announced  the  presentation  of  the  degree. 

Following  the  ceremony,  Roosevelt's  party.  President  Mead,  and  Governor 
Ritchie  were  driven  out  to  Brown's  estate  for  lunch.  The  College  crowd  gath- 
ered inside  the  gym  to  dine  and  then  walked  the  short  distance  to  Kibler  Field 
where  the  Washington  football  team  would  face  the  University  ot  Delaware  m 
an  S-( )  defeat  before  3,000  people,  the  largest  group  to  witness  an  athletic  contest 
111  the  school's  history  at  that  time. 

Roosevelt  sailed  back  across  the  Chesapeake  Bay  that  afternoon.  He  never 
returned  to  Washington  College,  although  his  wife,  Eleanor,  came  back  on  May 


58 


25,  1942,  to  receive  an  honorary  doctor  of  laws  degree  durnig  the  fiftieth  anni- 
versary celebration  ot  coeducation  at  the  College. 

To  honor  Roosevelt's  1933  visit  to  campus,  a  Class  of  1 934  committee  headed 
by  John  A.Wagner  of  Baltimore  arranged  to  have  a  bronze  marker  placed  on  the 
steps  leading  into  William  Smith  Hall. 


Harry  Truman  Charmed  by  Town  and  College 


HA  R  RY  ST  RU  MAN,  thirty-third  President  of  the  United  States,  was  the 
second  sitting  Chief  Executive  to  receive  an  honorary  degree  in  person  at 
a  Washington  College  commencement. 

The  eight\-mile  trip  trom  Washington,  D.C.,  to  Kent  County  on  June  1, 
1946,  was  a  leisurely  excursion  tor  Truman  and  his  party.  Alerted  in  advance  o{ 
his  schedule,  small  groups  ot  well-wishers  greeted  him  as  he  motoreci  through 
the  little  towns  on  the  Eastern  Shore. 

The  day's  activities  seemed  to  progress  eftortlessly,  giving  no  indication  ot 
the  ten-months-long,  behind-the-scenes  enterprise  by  well-connected  tViends 
ot  the  College  to  secure  the  appearance  ot  a  second  United  States  President 
during  Mead's  term. 

Writing  to  Mead  m  late  September  of  1 945,  Dudley  G.  Roe,  a  1 9(1 1  graduate 
of  the  College,  secretary  of  the  Board  and  at  the  time  the  Eastern  Shore  repre- 
sentative in  Congress,  said  that  recently  he  had  been  on  the  privately-owned 
Jetterson  Island  in  the  Chesapeake  Ba\'just  ott  the  Talbot  Cciunr\'  shoreline. The 
island  was  a  popular  getaway  tor  prominent  Democrats  and  had  been  visited  by 
Roosevelt  and  some  of  his  cabinet.  Following  suit,Truman  took  advantage  of  the 
retreat's  seclusion. 

■"I  chatted  with  President  Tnaman,"  wrote  Roe,". ..in  reterence  to  coming  to  Wash- 
ington College  next  June.  He  asked  me  to  wTite  lum  about  it.  winch  I  ha\-e  done." 

Upon  receiving  Roe's  note.  Mead  dispatched  a  flurry  of  letters  enlisting  the  aid 
ot  others  in  the  cause.  He  contacted  Shore  native  and  former  U.S.  District  Court 
Judge  T.Alan  Goldsborough."It  you  can  help  us  to  advance  our  cause,  I  should  be 
greatly  pleased,"  he  said.  (Goldsborough,  who  graduated  from  the  College  in  1899, 
served  ten  successive  terms  representing  the  Shore  in  the  U.S.  Congress.  He  held 
the  distinction  ot  receiving  two  honorary  law  degrees  trom  his  alum  iiuitcy — the 
first  granted  in  1935  and  the  second  in  1949,  two  years  before  his  death.) 

Mead  wrote  to  Truman  of  the  "sentimental  relationship  between  Washing- 
ton CoUesj-e  and  the  center  of  our  national  s^-overnment."  He  sent  letters  to  MiUaixl 


I9IO 

March  1  •  "Ledger 

a,"  the  first 

itnancial  r£c:ords 

book  of  the 

College,  is 

discovered  in  a  loft 

of  a  granary  being 

razed  on  the 

Chestertown 

wharf;  historic 

document  is 

presented  to  the 

ccillege  by  hope  h. 

Barroll.This 
ledger,  listing  the 
first  subscribers  to 

THE  College, 
INCLUDING  George 
Washington,  is  lost 

FOREVER  in  THE  FIRE 
that  DESTR(.1YED 

William  Smffh  Hall 
SIX  years  later. 


I9II 


March  1  •  College 
Board  appoints 

ProfessorJ.S. 
William  Jones  as 

""KEEPER  of  the 
CXILLEGE  RECORDS," 

the  first  recorded 

mention  of  the 

office  later  named 

registrar. 


I9I2 

september  23  • 

President  James  W. 

Cain  sets 

cornerstone  Ft^R 

new  gymnasium. 


59 


Cc'/Zfijc  Prcsiilnit  Gilhcri  Mciid  (left)  walks  tloii'ii  rlic  steps  of 
Williiiiii  Smith  Hall  ifitli  Prcsitlciit  Hiiny  Tniiiidii. 


E.Tydings  and  George  L.  Radclitte,  Maryland's  U.S.  senators.  He  wrote  to  Mary- 
land Governor  Herbert  O'Conor.  And  he  wrote  to  College  Board  Chairman 
Hiram  S.  Brown,  the  man  most  responsible  for  Roosevelt's  visit  twelve  years 
earlier. 

"Unotficially,  and  on  the  side."  he  wrote,  "1  am  enlisting  the  support  of  a 
good  friend  ot  nnne,  Mr.  Sam  O'Neal,  Dn-ector  of  Publicity  tor  the  Democratic 
National  Committee,  who  has  a  direct  line  open  all  the  time  to  Mr.  Truman's 
Secretary  Charles  Ross.  O'Neal,  inciclentally,  is  a  native  Missourian,  as  Mrs.  Mead 
is...." 

Mead's  hopes  tor  an  unprecedented  second  presidential  visit  during  his  term 
were  buoyed  when  he  received  a  letter  from  Truman  dated  October  5.  "I  do 


60 


hope  that  circumstances  will  work  out  so  that  I  may  have  an  opportunity'  to 
come  in  person  to  Wiishington  College  next  Sprmg,"  wrote  Truman. 

By  the  end  ot  October,  Mead's  network  of  friends  in  high  and  influential 
places  was  having  an  eftect.  "The  understanding  arrived  at  on  the  side. ..is  that 
the  invitation  is  accepted  tentatively,"  Mead  wrote  his  friend,  Sam  O'Neal. 

Mead  was  kept  waiting  tor  the  answer  he  desired  until  early  April  the  next 
year,  after  Roe  brought  the  matter  up  again  during  a  meeting  with  the  President 
at  the  White  House.  Truman  had  accepted  the  invitation. 

When  Truman  arrived  on  campus  on  June  l.he  came  by  car,  via  the  Matapeake 
ferry  across  the  Chesapeake  Bay.  Truman's  appearance  in  Chestertown  went  ac- 
cording to  plan. Truman  donned  his  cap  and  gown  m  Mead's  office  and  walked 
with  Mead  out  ot  William  Smith  Hall  to  a  plattorm  erected  in  tront  of  the 
building.  The  Chestertown  Volunteer  Fire  Company  Band  played  "The  Star- 
Spangled  Banner"  and  "America"  and  degrees  were  awarded  to  t\\'enrv-tour  se- 
niors. Colonel  Brown  read  the  citation  tor  Truman's  honorary  degree  and  the 
College  hood  was  placed  over  the  President's  shoulders  by  faculrs'  members  Dr. 
WiUiani  R.  Howell  and  Dr.  Frank  Goodwin.  Although  he  \\"as  not  scheduled  to 
speak,  a  relaxed  and  sometimes  nostalgic  Truman  addressed  the  crowd  of  3,00(J. 

Following  the  commencement.  Truman's  parrs'  returned  by  auto  to  Wash- 
ington early  that  evening. 


Eisenho'wer  Flashes  His  Famous  Smile 


THE  DATE  ORIGINALLY  PLANNED  for  a  visit  to  Washington  College 
by  President  Dwight  David  Eisenhower  was  June  6,  1954,  the  tenth  anni- 
versary of  the  landing  by  the  Allied  Expeditionary  Force  on  the  beaches  ot 
Normandy,  France.  But  Eisenhower,  who  had  commanded  the  D-Day  opera- 
tion, decided  to  spend  the  occasion  quietly  at  his  Catoctin  Mountain  retreat — 
later  named  Camp  David — in  western  Maryland.  College  officials  accommo- 
dated the  change  of  plans  and  rescheduled  commencement  tor  the  next  day, 
Monday,  June  7. 

President  Eisenhower,  the  third  U.S.  president  to  come  to  Washington  College 
in  twenty-one  years,  flew  into  Dover  Air  Force  Base  shortly  after  noon  and  was 
driven  the  forty  miles  to  Chestertown,  arriving  just  before  the  start  ot  the  r\vo 
o'clock  ceremony.  He  was  ushered  into  CoUege  President  Daniel  Z.  Gibson's  of- 
fice in  William  Smith  Hall  where  he  donned  his  cap  and  gown. The  part\'  emerged 
onto  the  firont  steps,  where  they  had  immediate  access  to  a  canopied  platform 


1913 

January  31  •  New 
gymnasium  opens, 
later  named  for 
President  Cain. 

I916 

January  28  •  Alumni 
rally  .'\t  dinner  in 

Balti.more's 

Rennert  hotel  to 

support  rebuilding 

ofWilllam  Smith 

Hall. 

March  21  •  Fire 
danl^ges  basement  in 

school  GYMNASIUM, 

"which  was  saved 

from  loss  by  the 

j-/\nuary  blaze  that 

destroyed  smith 

Hall. 

March  31  •  Small 
fir£  discovered  in 
MIDDLE  Hall;  Pr£s. 
Cain  suspects  all 
thr£e  fires  this  year. 

including  THE  ONE 

that  destroyed 
Smith  H.all,  are 

.4RSON. 


I9I7 


J.\NU\RY  1  7  •  A  YEAR 
and  A  DAY  AFTER  FIRE 

destroyed  william 

Smith  Hall  and  its 

contents, 

Princeton 

University  sends  the 

College  morje  than 

300  books  to  help 

RJEBUILD  LIBR.\RY. 


61 


//;  iiacptiii'^  the  lioiioiciry  dc{;ivc,  President  Di('/(j/;f  D. 
Eisenhoirer  leiiidyked:  "I  diii  deeply  touched  hy  the 
coiiiphiiieiit  pdid  me  hy  this  i^reat  and  veiiewdde  iiistitiitioti. 


62 


erected  for  the  day.  Joining  Eisenhower  and  Gibson  on  the  platform  were  Mary- 
land Governor  Theodore  R.  McKeldin,  U.S.  Senators  John  Marshall  Buder  and  J. 
Glenn  Beall,  Congressman  Edward T.  Miller,  Chestertown  Mayor  Philip  G.Wilmer, 
Episcopal  Diocese  Bishop  Allen  J.  Miller,  College  Dean  Joseph  Doyle,  Registrar 
Ermon  N.  Foster,  and  Board  Chairman  John  H.  Hessey.  Of  the  estimated  5,000 
people  in  the  audience,  fifty-seven  were  Washington  College  seniors. 

The  presence  ot  McKeldin  was  appropriate  not  only  because  he  was  gover- 
nor of  the  state,  but  because  he  nominated  Eisenhower  for  president  at  the  1^52 
Republican  Convention  m  Chicago. 

Eisenhower,  who  was  granted  an  honorary  doctor  of  laws  degree,  spoke 
extemporaneously.  He  saicl  the  role  of  government  should  be  to  provide  essential 
services  to  the  public,  but  not  act  as"busybodies  ...  taking  over  those  tunctions  of 
individuals'  lives  that  must  be  sustained  if  we  are  to  remain  the  great  country  we 
have  become."  Before  coming  to  Chestertown,  Eisenhower  said  he  would  not 
talk  about  the  conflict  between  Wisconsin  Sen.  Joseph  R.  McCarthy  anci  the 
executive  branch  ot  government  and,  true  to  his  word,  he  devoted  most  ot  his 
remarks  to  the  College  ceremony. 

Eisenhower's  stay  on  campus  was  brief  Ten  minutes  after  the  end  ot  com- 
mencement, he  was  at  the  rear  ofWiUiam  Smith  Hall,  where  he  got  into  the  back 
seat  of  the  convertible  that  was  to  return  him  to  Dover.  Standing  to  wave  to  the 
crowd  that  had  gathered,  Eisenhower  nearly  toppled  c^ut  of  the  car  when  it  lurched 
forward.  He  ciuickly  caught  himself  and  avoided  tailing  onto  the  parking  lot. 


Preside  I  It  Eiiciilioit  'cr 
(sciilcd,  left)  was 
ih'eeiiiipiViied  in  tlie 
iiiotoredde  liy  Miwyliind 
Goiviiioi  Tlieodore  R. 
McKeldin.  Stdndini^  on 
the  ii\iht  is  President 
Daniel  Z.  Gibson. 


1917 

April  •  W.m*. 

declaiced;  seven 

students  from 

College  enroll  in 

military. 

I918 

June  6  •  President 

c:ain  advises  College 

Board  he  will 

RESIGN  AT  end  OF 

session. 

september  •  college 

becomes  army 

training  ground. 


1920 

September  1 1  • 

Alumni  from  as  far 

AWAY  as  Baltimore 

quarrel  with  Board 

ofVisitors  and 

Governors  over 

FUTURE  of  the  AILING 

College  during 

"Get-Together 

Dinner"  in  the 

gymnasium. 

November  6  • 

Washington 

College's  "padded" 

football  te.am, 

joined  for  the  day  by 

3  lettermen  from 

Dickinson  and  a 

FULLBACK  FROM  PENN 

State,  defeat  Drexel 
Institute,  41-(). 


63 


Joliii  F.  Kennedy  (pictuycd  hoc  with  Kent  (lonnty  Dcuiociatic  leader  Qeonie 
Riisin  Jr.  '37)  was  dssassindted  hefore  he  conld  fulfill  his  pivniiie  to  yetnrn  to 
ainipiis  lis  1/  sittini;  president.  His  son,  John  F.  Kennedy  Jr.Oiire  the 
connneneeiiieiH  address  at  the  Q'/Zt'sjc  /';;  1999. 


64 


JFK  Kicks  Off  Maryland  Campaign  at  College 


JOHN  F.  Kennedy,  the  Democratic  senator  from  Massachusetts  favored  to 
he  his  party's  presidential  nominee,  kicked  off  his  Maryland  campaign  on  May 
1 1,  1960,  with  an  evening  visit  to  Washington  College. 

Kennedys  private  plane  landed  on  the  airstrip  at  Great  Oak  and  the  candidate 
motored  the  few  miles  to  the  campus.  Entering  Russell  Gymnasium,  he  was  greeted 
by  800  people,  many  of  them  students.  He  had  intended  to  read  a  prepared  speech 
on  the  subject  ot  nuclear  disarmament,  but  he  tossed  the  document  asitie  and 
spoke  extemporaneously,  covering  a  range  ot  subjects  trom  the  value  of  primaiy 
elections,  civil  rights,  and  President  Eisenhowers  golf  swing  to  the  difficult  chal- 
lenge posed  by  upcoming  summit  talks  between  the  United  States  and  Russia. 

Although  prominent  state  and  local  Democrats  were  in  attendance,  the  meet- 
ing was  chaired  by  College  students.  The  event  was  sponsored  by  the  Student 
Assembly  Committee  and  the  International  Relations  Club. 

After  his  remarks,  Kennedy  strolled  across  campus  to  a  reception  tendered  by 
the  Women's  League  otWishmgton  College  m  Mmta  Martin  Hall.  He  chatted, 
shook  hands  and  posed  tor  photographs,  then  was  driven  back  to  Great  Oak  tor 
his  return  to  Washington,  D.C.Withm  days  he  would  come  back  to  the  Eastern 
Shore  to  continue  his  campaign. 

For  years  attervvards,  students  and  townspeople  would  remember  Kennedy's 
visit  by  a  response  to  a  question  posed  by  Harry  S.  Russell,  ot  The  Kciir  Xcws. 

"If  elected  president,  wiU  you  follow  the  precedent  of  your  three  immediate 
predecessors — Roosevelt,  Truman  and  Eisenhower — and  come  back  to  Wash- 
ington College  tor  a  talk  and  an  honorary  degree?"  asked  Russell. 

"I  make  every  effort  to  steer  clear  of  if  questions,  particularly  where  they 
concern  the  presidency,"  Kennedy  replied.  "But,  it  I  may  be  permitted  an  'it' 
answer,  we  can  say  that  I'll  come  back  next  year,  if  invited." 

Kennedy,  who  was  elected  the  thirty-tifth  president  the  following  year,  never 
remrned  to  the  College.  He  was  assassinated  in  Dallas  on  November  22, 1963. Three 
days  later.  College  President  Daniel  Z.  Gibson  issued  the  tollowing  statement: 

The  place  of  President  Kennedy  m  history  it  is  much  too  early  to  assess. 
It  IS  not  too  early,  however,  to  look  withm  ourselves.  This  is  a  time  ot 
griet.  It  is  also  a  time  of  shame  and  penitence.  The  presumed  assassin  is 
gone.  But  as  a  people  we  must  share  his  guilt.  The  vicious  hatred  that 
animated  him — or  him  and  his  fellow  plotters,  it  they  exist — is  not  new 
to  our  American  society.  Brutal  or  blind  disregard  ot  law  and  peace  we 
know  IS  among  us,  even  in  high  places.  No  one  ot  us  is  innocent.  |W) 


1922 

Marc:h  •  Maryland 
Legislature  grants 

530,000  SPECIAL 
APPROPRIATION  TO 

HELP  College  defray 

excess  cost  of 

rebuilding  william 

Smith  Hall, 

DESTROYED  BY  FlRi  IN 

1916. 

June  9  •  Trustees 
n4eet  for  the  first 
TIME  SINCE  College 

CHARTER  WAS 

.\MENDED  TO  INCREASE 

BOARD  TO  24 

MEMBERS,  INCLUDING 

12  ELECTED  BY 

ALUMNI. 

June  19  •  Dr.  Mary  C. 

BURCHINAL  '96,  a 
FORMER  LANGUAGE 
AND  ART  TEACHER  AT 

THE  College,  is 

named  first  female 

College  trustee: 

BOARD  elects  DR. 

Clarence  P.  Gould 

PRESIDENT:  TRUSTEES 

resolve  TO  launch 

5250,000  ENDOWMENT 
C.A.MPAIGN. 


1923 


June  18  •  Maryland 

Gov.  Albert  C. 

Ritchie  receives 

honlirary  degree  of 

LL.D.  AT 

commencement. 

June  30  • 

resignation  of 

President  Clarence 

P  Gould  becomes 

EFFECTIVE. 


65 


Bush  Encourages  Students  in  Public  Service 


BY  1960  THREE  SITTING  AND  TWO  FUTURE  presidents  of  the  United 
States  had  visited  Washington  College.  Four  of  them — Roosevelt,  Truman, 
Eisenhower  and  Kennedy — were  successive  presidents  whose  appearances  on 
campus  occurred  within  a  period  of  twenty-seven  years.  What  appeared  to  be  a 
budding  tradition  at  the  College  abruptly  came  to  a  halt  and  nearly  four  decades 
had  passed  when,  on  January  29,  1 999,  former  President  George  H.W  Bush  and 
his  wife  Barbara  were  the  featured  speakers  at  the  winter  convocation. 

The  Bush  visit  to  Washington  College  coincided  with  the  approaching  de- 
nouement of  President  William  Clinton's  impeachment  trial  m  the  U.S.  Senate. 
The  outcome  was  but  a  week  away  and  opinions  ot  how  it  would  end  were  as 
plentiful  as  stars  at  night.  The  presence  of  a  former  White  House  occupant  on 
campus  heightened  interest  in  the  historic  events  taking  place  in  the  nation's 
capital.  Would  Bush  weigh  m  on  the  plight  of  his  successor?  After  all,  former 
President  Jimmy  Carter  and  Republican  presidential  candidate  Bob  Dole  had 
voiceci  their  feelings  about  the  whole  sordid  matter. 

Before  nearly  1 ,500  spectators  and  a  battery  ofTV  cameras  and  print  report- 
ers inside  Russell  Gymnasium,  Bush,  who  haci  agreed  to  answer  stucients'  writ- 
ten questions  following  his  speech,  got  the  opportunity  everybody  wanted  to 
give  him  to  talk  about  impeachment  and  presidential  misbehavior. 

But  there  was  something  Bush  had  said  before  he  took  the  questions  that 
forewarned  the  audience.  When  he  occupied  the  White  House,  he  noted,  he 
accepted  it  as  part  of  his  job  to  answer  even  the  toughest  "zmgers"  from  the 
press.  "Now,"  he  declared  with  a  satisfied  but  playful  grin,  "if  I  don't  like  your 
question,  the  hell  with  you.  I'm  not  going  to  answer  it." 

And  he  didn't.  At  least  not  the  two  questions  students  posed  about  Clinton's 
troubles.  "I've  assiduously  tried  to  stay  out  of  this,"  Bush  said,  almost  apologeti- 
cally."! don't  think  any  editorializing  by  me  is  helpful.  ...let'sjust  let  the  Consti- 
tution work  and  get  on  with  the  country's  business." 

No  one  seemed  to  mind  that  Bush  sidestepped  the  Clinton  c]uestions.  He 
did  It  with  grace  and  statesmanship,  and  the  audience  rewarded  him  with 
hearty  applause.  "It's  a  spirit  of  liberation,  total  liberation,"  said  Bush,  describ- 
ing the  satisfaction  of  no  longer  inhabiting  the  innermost  circles  of  American 
politics. 

In  his  prepareei  remarks,  the  fbrtx'-tirst  president  said  the  country  should 
maintain  its  role  as  a  super  power  in  the  post-Cold  War  era.  He  also  urged  the 
students  to  become  actively  involved  in  issues  that  affected  their  lives.  "Don't 
just  criticize,"  he  said. 


66 


Foniicr  U.S.  President 
G('(>i\'c  Bush  (left,  ii'itli 
College  Pivsidciii  John 
Ibllj  luipcd  Luiudi  an 
lH-niouth-loi)}i 
Lclchiiition  of  the  hfe  of 
Gt'i'/\'f  Wd.'ihin'^ton.  His 
appearauie  iras  the  first 
of  mail)'  events  luarl^ing 
the  201  )lh  auuii'ersary  of 
llie  deatli  of'tlie  first 
president. 


In  an  aside.  Bush  gave  advice  to  Student  Gownunent  Association  President 
Eric  B.Johnson  jr.,  who  had  told  the  crowd  he  hoped  to  return  to  the  College 
atter  graduation  as  a  College  trustee.  "Why  shoot  low?"  asked  Bush.  "Why  not 
1600  Pennsylvania  Avenue?" 

Both  Bushes  were  granted  honorary  doctorates  in  public  service.  13r.  James 
D.Watson,  the  Nobel  Prize-winning  scientist  who  co-discovered  the  double- 
helix  structure  ot  DNA,  was  awarded  an  honorary  doctorate  ot  science.  Edward 
L.  Athey,  the  convocation  marshal,  performed  the  hooding  of  each  degree  re- 
cipient. While  he  did  not  speak  at  the  convocation,  the  scientist  delivered  two 
lectures  that  day  to  chemistry  and  biology  students. 

Prior  to  the  convocation,  the  Bushes  and  Dr. Watson  were  among  1 44  guests 
at  a  private  luncheon — oyster  stew  and  rockfish  were  featured — held  in  the 
Casey  Academic  Center  and  catered  by  the  Washington  College  Dining  Ser- 
vice. 

The  convocation  was  videotaped  by  C-SPAN  and  was  broadcast  nationally 
as  part  of  the  cable  network's  February  15  Presidents  Day  programming.  Iw] 


67 


Coeducation  Changes  Attitudes  Toward  Women 


Since  women  were  fust  adiiiitted  to  Wlishinqton 
CoIle<^e  in  189 1,  they  have  cUaUen^cd  cultural 
attitudes  toward  women  in  education,  in  spxvts,  and 
in  professions.  Most  early  female  students  were 
enrolled  in  the  "Normal"  departmeiU,  studyin<^  to  be 
teachers.  That  department  was  closed  when  it  became 
too  popular  In  the  mid-  1930s  one  ii'oman  was 
considered  talented  enoui^h  to  compete  at  the  varsity 
level; she  joined  the  men's  teiniis  team.  Today,  female 
students  outnumber  men  and  have  proven  their 
intellectual  abilities.  Eioht  of  the  past  ten  recipieins  of 
the  Georoe  Washim^tou  Medal,  the  College's  higliest 
academic  award,  have  been  women. 


By  Sue  Dc  Pasqualc  '87 

De  Pasqualc  is  editiir  ot  the  lolim  Hopkins  I'nivcrsily  Ma(;a:iiu\ 

HOW  WAS  Professor  P  roc:  tor  to  know,  when  he  boarded 
the  Chestertown  steamer  bound  for  Baltimore,  that  his  trip  this  day  m 
early  September  189 1  would  set  off  such  an  unexpected  chain  ot  events? 
He  had  been  teaching  biology-  and  chemistry  at  Washington  College  now  tor 
several  years,  and  making  the  daily  ride  to  Baltimore  to  visit  relatives  whenever 
time  and  the  weather  permitted.  As  the  steamer  pulled  away  from  the  dock,  he 
sat  down  on  his  customary  bench  to  bask  in  the  sunlight,  his  mind  contentedly 
dritting  ott.  But  today's  journey  was  not  to  prove  as  smooth  as  he  had  hoped. 


68 


1923 


Coeds  pose  on  the  steps  ot  Xoniuil  Hall  in  1902  ii'ith, 
at  top.  Professor  J.  Edward  Clark. 


Jarred  trom  his  re\'enes  by  the  rustle  ot  petticoats,  he  opened  one  eye  to  see  a 
band  ot  young  women  clustered  about. 

I3id  he  teach  at  Washington  College?  they  inquired.  Why,  yes.  Proctor  re- 
sponded pleasantly.  Their  next  question  was  not  as  easy:  Why  aren't  women  al- 
lowed to  attenci  classes  at  the  College?  Proctor  had  no  ready  answer.  He  knew 
the  College's  charter  did  not  deny  them  the  opportunity. Yet  up  to  now, Washing- 
ton College,  like  many  other  colleges  of  the  day,  was  the  unchallengeci  realm  ot 
the  "stronger"  sex.  (Getr^'sburg  College  had  enrolled  its  tirst  women  only  six 
years  earlier.The  College  ot"William  and  Mary  woulcl  not  follow  suit  until  1918.) 

Sensing  the  professor's  hesitation,  the  young  women  jumped  in  with  a  friendly 
barrage  ot  reasons  as  to  why  thev  should  be  able  to  enrt^iU  at  Washmirton  College. 


Auc.usr  22  •  Trustees 
ELECT  Dr.  Paul  E. 

TiTSWORTH  NEW 

College  president. 

September  1  -The 

constitution  of  the 

Student 

Government 

Association  goes 

INTO  effect. 

1924 

April  1 1  •  Dr.  Paul  E. 

TiTSWORTH  IS 

inaugurated 
president  during 

CEI-!iMONY  inside 

WiLLi.AM  S.mith  Hall. 

June  •  College  ends 

Preparatory 

Department;  no 

longer  will  some 

students  BE  CALLED 
"PREPS"  AND 
"FRESHIES." 


1925 


OCTOBER  17  -The  177 

students  beginning 

the  fall  semester 

represent  THE 

l.argest  freshman 
class  anl3  total 
enrollment  in 

College  history. 


Soi'Diiil  Hall  u\i<  the  first  Colhyc  hiiihiino  spaifwdlly  dcsioiidtcd 
for  use  by  iiviticii.  It  Wiis  Liter  named  Rcid  Hall  in  honor  of 
College  President  Charles  ]]'  Reid.Tlie  dormitory  ii'as  remodeled 
in  1929  and  snhseqnently  nndenrent  an  areliitectnral  makeover  to 
refleet  the  lolonial  style  of  Mt.  \  ernon. 


They  were  sincere,  their  arguments  well-executed,  and  Proctor  found  hnnselt 
unwittingly  warnnng  to  then-  cause.  He  pronnsed  to  take  then-  case  before  Col- 
lege President  Charles  Reid  once  he  got  back  to  Chestertown. 

Reid,  too,  was  easily  won  over.  On  September  18.  1891,  he  proposecl  to  the 
Board  otVisitors  and  Governors  that  females  be  acimitted  to  classes  and  lectures 
ot'Washington  College  as  day  students. The  Board  adopted  the  resolution  (mostly 
for  pecuniary  reasons,  historians  speculate  today),  and  the  first  eleven  young 
women  became  members  ot  the  student  bt^idv  at  Washint^ton  Colleo;e. 


70 


In  the  years  that  have  passed  since  that  day  in  1891,  the  College  has  seen  a 
succession  ot  strong-willed  women,  both  students  and  faculty  members,  push 
for  continued  progress  tor  the  "tan-er"  sex.  Like  their  predecessors  on  the  Ches- 
tertown  steamer,  these  women  have  been  guided  by  a  steely  determination  to 
speak  up,  and  to  continue  speaking  up,  until  their  voices  are  heard. 

Today's  coed  would  laugh  in  disbelief  if  told  she  could  not  run  for  the  Stu- 
dent Government  Association,  that  she  had  to  be  m  by  10  p.m..  and  get  written 
permission  to  leave  campus  tor  the  weekend,  even  though  her  male  classmates 
could  do  as  they  pleased.  But  it  wasn't  so  long  ago  that  such  inequities  were 
inextricably  woven  into  the  social  tabric  of  the  times. 

Margaret  "Maggie"  Horsley,  protessor  ot  sociology,  had  her  work  cut  out  tor 
her,  both  in  the  classroom  and  m  Reid  Hall  dormitory,  where  she  spent  a  stint 
from  1960  until  1965  as  Dean  ot  Women.  "I  tried  to  get  the  young  women  to 
consider  that  life  is  not  just  getting  engaged  and  then  getting  married,  raising  a 
family  and  having  your  husband  looking  alter  you  tor  the  rest  ot  your  lite.  But  it 
was  difficult,"  she  recalled.  "They  thought  I  was  crazy." 

Horsley's  students  were  not  the  tlrst  to  have  that  reaction.  Her  ad\-iser  at 
Berkeley  was  shocked  when  he  learned  that  she  yearned  to  do  graduate  wt:)rk  m 
anthropology.  His  advice?  Give  up  the  idea  and  get  married.  Horsley  ignored 
the  tirst  part  ot  his  suggestion  and  went  on  to  earn  her  Ph.D.  trom  Columbia 
Universirv'.  She  taught  at  Hotstra  Universit}'  betore  coming  to  Washington  Col- 
lege in  1956;  she  would  remain  until  her  retirement  thirrv'  years  later. 

Horsley  came  on  board  around  the  same  time  as  modern  language  protes- 
sors  Gerda  Blumenthal  and  Esther  Dillon,  names  well-known  to  a  generation  ot 
Washington  College  students. The  three  women  became  tast  triends  and  c^juickly 
established  themselves  as  leaders  withm  the  predominantly  male  faculty.  All  three 
would  go  on  to  serve  as  department  chairs. 

"Anytime  we  spotted  a  bright  woman,  we  would  encourage  her  to  go  on  to 
an  M.A.  or  a  Ph.D.,  or  to  anything  else  she  telt  inclined  to  do,"  Horsley  said  ot 


Most  of  the  girls  have  been  not  only  sheltered  but  petted. 

It  is  hard  to  beheve,  yet  ti'e  have  afreshinaii  this  year  ii'ho, 

not  knowing  hoiv  to  manage  a  shower,  was  the  cause  of  a 

ceihng  falhng  from  wet  plaster.  Her  motlier  bathed  her 

until  recently  and  always  told  her  what  to  eat. 

From  1931  report  by  Dean  ofWbmen  Margaret  G.  Brewer. 


1925 

November  20  •  The 

Commission  on 

Institutions  of 

Higher  Education 

GIVES  THE  College  a 

"Class  A"  rating, 

SIGNlPflNG  THAT  IT 

APPEARS  ON  THE  LIST 

OF  ACCRJEDITED 

COLLEGES. 

1926 

January  9  •  College 

PR-ESIDENT 

titsworth  leads 

organization  of 

Chestertown 

Rc^T.ARY  Club  and  is 

elected  ITS  FIRST 

president. 

June  12  •  College 

trustees  elect 
J.S.William  JONES 

dean  AND 

A.  Roy  Woodland 
registrar. 

August  5  •  Ne.arly 
400  farmers  and 
their  wives  from 
Fr-Anklin  County. 

Pa.,  SPEND  THE  night 

on  campus  DURING  A 

TWO-DAY  AUTO  TOUR 

OF  THE  SHOFi.E. 


1927 

June  •  The  PECisvs, 
THE  College 

YEARBOOK.  IS 

published  FOR  THE 

FIRST  TIME  SINCE  1910. 


71 


Eleanor  Roosevelt  and  the  50th 
Anniversary  of  Coeducation 

While  preparing  for  the  spring  1942  com- 
mencement exercises,  it  was  decided  that 
the  College  should  commemorate  the  fiftieth 
anniversary  of  the  founding  of  coeducation  at  the 
school.  The  highlight  of  the  program  was  the 
conferring  of  the  honorary  degree  upon  three 
distinguished  women — Mrs.  Eleanor  Roosevelt, 
Miss  Adele  France,  and  Mrs.  Sophie  Kerr 
Underwood. 

Mrs.  Roosevelt,  m  addition  to  her  position  as 
the  First  Lady  of  the  land,  was  honored  because  of 
her  national  prominence  as  a  leader  in  the 
women's  movement,  her  interest  in  the  proper 
education  ot  women,  particularly  young  women, 
and  for  her  many  humanitarian  activities.  She  had 
accompanied  FDR  during  his  visit  to  the  school 
in  1933  for  the  inauguration  of  Gilbert  W.  Mead 
as  president. 

France,  Class  of  1900,  was  honored  as  a  distin- 
guished graduate. The  College  conferred  the 
master's  degree  upon  her  in  1902.  After 
a  considerable  period  of  time  in  the 
field  of  education,  she  earned  a  Master's 
Degree  from  Teachers  College,  Colum- 
bia University,  in  1923.  She  became 
principal  of  St.  Mary's  Seminary,  where 
she  directed  that  institution  successfully 
and  later  saw  the  addition  of  a  junior 
college  to  its  program. 

77/c  1942  commencement  cclcbiiitcd  the 
fiftieth  cinnii'ersary  of  coeducation  at 
]]'ashin{;ton  Colle<^e  hy  lionoiiui^  three  it'onien. 
Pictured  left  to  ri\;ht  are  Board  Cliairniaii 
Colonel  Hiram  S.  Broit'u;  Maryland 
Goi'ernor  Herbert  O'Conor;  First  Liuly 
Eleanor  Roosevelt;  Collei^e  President  Gilbert 
Mead;  teacher  Mary  Adele  France;  and  author 
Sophie  Kerr  Undeni'ood. 


Sophie  Kerr  Underwood  (she  later  parted  with 
her  husband  and  dropped  his  surname)  was  hon- 
ored as  a  distinguished  writer  of  novels  and  short 
stories,  as  well  as  an  editor  of  women's  magazines 
for  many  years.  A  native  of  Denton,  Maryland,  she 
attended  the  Women's  College  of  Frederick  (now 
Hood  College),  later  completing  her  education  at 
the  University  ofVermont.  For  some  years  she  was 
the  editor  of  the  Women's  Home  Companion.  She  was 
the  author  of  more  than  a  dozen  successful  novels 
and  a  very  large  collection  of  short  stories  that 
appeared  in  the  best  American  magazines. 

Hope  H.  BarroU  Jr.,  Class  of  1918,  used  his 
position  as  executive  vice-president  of  radio  station 
WFBR  to  get  a  national  broadcast  of  portions  of 
the  day's  ceremonies. 

Mrs.  Roosevelt,  addressing  a  large  crowd  inside 
Cain  Gymnasium,  spoke  ot  the  first  coeds  to  attend 
Washington  College. "...those  first  girls  who  came 
here  had  a  great  sense  ot  their  privilege  and  also  of 
their  responsibility',"  she  said.  "Perhaps  some  ot  us 
who  have  had  that  same  privilege  have  forgotten 
the  responsibility'  which  always  goes  with  higher 
education."  (Wj 


72 


the  late  1950s.  "The  problem  was,  that  was  not  consielered  a  proper  female  role." 
Women  were  supposed  to  be  "passive,  sweet,  and  not  too  bright,"  she  recalled. "If 
you  wanted  a  date,  you'd  better  keep  quiet  that  you  were  getting  As." 

During  those  years,  tew  ot  her  female  students  joined  m  class  discussions.  It 
often  was  not  until  the  semester's  first  blue  book  exam  that  she  would  discover 
"that  young  woman  m  the  corner  who  kept  her  mouth  shut  really  did  know 
what  was  going  on."  Even  then,  grades  could  be  deceiving.  "Sometimes  very 
intelligent  girls  would  get  D's  and  F's,  rather  than  A's.They  weren't  going  to  be 
bothered  with  studying — there  was  no  point  to  it.  It  wouldn't  get  you  a  date.  It 
wouldn't  get  you  a  man.  So  they  would  settle  for  a  nice,  ladylike  C." 

Academically,  women  too  often  had  a  low  opinion  of  themselves,  said  the 
sociologist. They  neecled  encouragement,  and  Horsley  tried  her  best  to  give  it  to 
them. Together  with  professors  Guy  Goodfellow  and  Nancy Tatum,  for  example, 
she  helped  establish  the  Senior  Women's  Honor  Society,  which  was  eventually 
melded  with  Omicron  Delta  Kappa. 

There  were  exceptions,  of  course — women  who  would  not  have  dreamed 
of  hiding  their  scholarly  light  under  a  barrel — like  Christine  Pabon  '62.  She 
became  director  ot  Wishmgton  College's  Study  Skills  Program. 

"I  knew  there  were  other  women  who  were  holding  back,"  she  said,  "but  I 
was  an  aberration.  I  was  vocal  from  the  moment  I  walkeci  into  the  College.  I  had 
my  hand  up  all  the  time — you  couldn't  shut  me  up,"  said  Pabon,  who  graduated 
second  in  her  class. 

Speaking  up  was  not  always  easy,  however.  In  her  freshman  year,  Pabon  tied 
for  the  class's  top  spot  with  triend  and  classmate  Patrick  Cullen  '()2.  Since  the 
two  had  identical  GPA's,  they  both  receivecl  the  customary  Fox  Meclal  at  Fall 
Convocation  award  ceremonies.  After  they  had  left  the  stage  and  returned  to 
their  seats,  Cullen  showed  her  the  check  that  accompanied  his  medal.  He  was 
appalled  to  find  she  haci  not  gotten  one. 

"You  might  ask, 'Why  didn't  you  go  in  and  raise  the  root?'"  she  said."  Well,  part 
of  it  was  the  atmosphere  ot  the  times.  Somehow,  women  weren't  as  conscious  ot 
those  abuses.  I  knew  that  it  hurt,  but  I  didn't  teel  I  could  go  and  raise  a  ruckus." 

Despite  the  incident,  she  pushed  ahead  in  her  study  of  Spanish  and  French, 
thanks  in  large  part  to  the  mtluence  ot  professors  DiUon  and  Blumenthal."They 
were  my  two  mentors,  the  women  who  formed  me,  the  ones  I  admired.  They 
had  a  lot  to  do  with  my  intellectual  development." 

Blumenthal,  who  taught  French  and  world  literature,  would  be  the  tirst  re- 
cipient of  the  College's  Lindback  Awaici  for  Distinguished  Teaching  m  1964. 
Dillon,  together  with  Horsley  anci  history  professor  Nate  Smith,  was  a  "prime 
mover"  for  curricular  change,  Pabon  said.  "She  was  one  ot  the  principal  archi- 
tects of  the  Four  Course  plan.  Her  leadership  affected  the  faculty,  the  curricu- 
lum, and  the  student  body  in  a  profound  way." 


1927 

June  6  •  Filling  in 
FOR  U.S.  Secretary 

OF  Commerce 

Herbert  Hoover, 

whose  time  is 

devoted  to  the 
terrible  flooding 

OF  THE  Mississippi 

River,  Senator 
Millard  E.Tydings  is 

commencement 

SPEAKER. 

October  25  • 
Registrar  William 
R.  Howell  adopts 
THE  Kardex  Visible 
Filing  System  to 
help  keep  trjvck  of 
grades  and  class 
assignments  of  the 
SCHOOL'S  241 

students. 

1928 

January  13  •  Collec.e 

benefactor  and 

Board  member 

C^olonel  Clarence 

hcidson  dies. 

June  3  •  During 

Baccalaureate 

exercises  in  William 

Smith  Hall,  31 

students THE 

largest  senior  class 

IN  THE  College 

history — receive 

diplomas. 


73 


As  uvnicii  of  the  late  iiiiictcciitli  cciittiiy  were  permitted  to  join  neither 
the  .Mount  I  (■///('/)  Literary  Society  nor  the  Phihviiatlieaii  Society,  they 
tonued  tlieir  own  club,  tlie  Pieria  Literary  Society,  in  1894. 


Horsley  recalled  sharing  a  special  camaraderie  with  Dillon  and  the  other  female 
members  ot  the  faculty.  "One  of  the  great  myths  in  American  culture  is  that  women 
are  isolated  and  unsupportive  of  each  other,"  she  said."Women  who  went  into  higher 
education  at  that  time  had  been  through  the  mill.  They  all  stuck  together."  Miss 
Bertha  M.  Sriles,  instructor  of  English,  mathematics,  and  German,  was  the  veiy  first 
woman  to  grace  the  faculty  of  Washington  College,  in  1893.  Not  surprisingly,  she 
became  the  College  s  first  housemother,  when  Normal  Hall  opened  in  the  spring  of 
1897.  By  establishing  a  Normal  Department  to  tram  women  as  pubHc  school  teach- 
ers, the  College  could  justifiably  ask  the  Maryland  General  Assembly  to  underwrite 
the  cost  of  building  the  dormitoiy  (known  today  as  Reid  Hall).  The  sum  agreed 
upon  was  $6,UO0.  Normal  Hall  "sat  on  a  hill,  ninety  feet  above  tidewater,"  from 
which  there  was  "a  beautiful  view  of  the  town,  Chester  l\iver,  and  the  surrounding 
counti-y,"  according  to  a  1897-98  course  catalog.  The  basement  held  a  dining  room, 


74 


kitchen,  and  pantry.  On  the  first  floor  were  apartments  for  female  faculty. The  upper 
floors  could  accommodate  up  to  thirtv'-t\vo  students. 

With  the  dormitory's  construction  came  a  set  of  rules,  dracoman  by  later 
standards,  which  forbade  "social  intercourse  between  gentlemen  and  lady  stu- 
dents except  in  the  presence  of  one  or  more  teachers."  Only  on  Friday  evenings, 
between  8  and  10  p.m.,  could  the  young  women  host  a  reception  for  their  male 
classmates. 

During  those  early  years  of  coeducation,  most  women  opted  to  take  the 
two-year  Normal  Course,  which  enabled  them  to  earn  a  certificate  to  teach  in 
Marylanci's  elementary  schools.  By  the  spring  of  191 1,  Washington  College  had 
awarded  normal  certificates  to  132  women.  By  contrast,  only  fourteen  women 
had  earned  bachelor's  degrees.  (One  went  on  to  earn  her  Ph.D.  from  Johns  Hopkins 
University,  another  to  be  head  of  a  Maryland  junior  college.)  The  Normal 
curriculum's  popularity  ultimately  proved  to  be  its  undoing.  Fearing  that  the 
College's  liberal  arts  curriculum  was  being  overshadowed,  the  administration 
discontinued  the  department  that  same  year.The  program's  demise,  coupled  with 
the  increasing  "disciplinary  problem"  of  housing  men  and  women  on  the  same 
campus,  prompted  the  closing  of  Normal  Hall  as  well.  The  few  women  who 
continued  to  enroll  at  Wishmgton  Coflege  were  day  students. 

The  windows  of  Normal  Hall  remained  darkened  until  1919,  when  the 
Board  of  Visitors  and  Governors  affirmed  its  commitment  to  assuring  "ecjual 
provisions"  for  the  education  of  both  sexes,  hi  those  intervening  years,  women 
had  worked  alongside  men  in  factories  during  World  War  I  anti  had  fought  for 
the  right  to  vote.  When  they  returned  that  fall  to  renew  their  role  as  boarders, 
they  came  this  time  expecting  to  share  fuUy  in  the  liberal  arts  experience. 

Becky  Brown  Owens  '25  enrolled  at  Washington  College  during  the  same 
decade  that  Normal  Hall  was  enlarged  and  renamed  to  honor  Charles  Reid,  the 
president  who  had  pushed  coeducation  through. 


/  believe  the  small  colleqe,  whether  or  not  coeducational,  has  a 
distinct  advantaq^e  over  the  larger  institutions  in  at  least  one  point. 

It  permits  greater  freedom  of  intercourse  among  students  and 

teachers,  the  former  thus  receiving  the  benefits  of  direct  and  frequent 

contact  witli  more  mature  and  experienced  minds. 


1930 

June  8  • 
Commencement 
week  features 

I  nSPLAY  ON  S  lAGE  OF 

William  Smith  Hall 
OF  an  authentic 

REMBRANDT  PEALE 
PORTRAIT  OF  GEORGE 
WASHINGTCIN,  ONCE 

owned  by  p.t. 
Barnum. 

October  9  • 
Students  polled 

DURING  chapel  HOUR 

overwhelmingly 

VOTE  TO  change 

name  OF  WEEKLY 

College  newspaper 

FROM  The  Collegian 

TO  The  Elm:  some 

STUDENTS  PR-EFER 
PAPER  TO  BE  named 

The  Flying 

I'ENTACiON  TO  HONOR 

SUCCESSFUL 

BASKETBALL  TEAM. 


I93I 


January  20  •  Opera 
STAR  Helen  Jepson 

MAKES  AN  UNUSUAL 

TRIP  TO  THE  EASTERN 

SH01*i  WHERE,  AS 

guest  of  the  kent 

County  Musical 

Society,  she  sings  to 

a  full  house  in 

William  Smith  Hall 

auditorium. 


Eleanor  Roosevelt  in  an  interview  with  sophomore  Dorothy  Clarke  ot  Baltimore 
during  the  First  Lady's  first  visit  to  Washington  College  in  1933. 


75 


Teaching  and  Housing 
the  New  Coeds 

College  President  Charles  W.  Reid,  on  August 
12,  1895,  strongly  recommended  that  steps 
be  taken  to  erect  a  dormitory  for  coeds,  stating 
that,  durnig  his  canvass  of  the  Eastern  Shore,  he 
was  assured  by  prospective  female  students  that 
they  would  attend  the  College  if  suitable  accom- 
modations were  available.  The  Board  suggested 
that  the  principal  secure,  from  at  least  two  build- 
ers, plans  and  specifications  for  a  building  to  be 
erected  at  a  cost  not  to  exceed  $3,000,  including 
everything  except  the  plumbing. 

On  November  9,  1895,  Jlie  Kent  News  wrote: 

Neither  the  Eastern  Shore  nor  Delaware  has 
any  institution  where  those  who  wish  to 
teach  in  public  schools  can  make  special 
preparation.  Teachers  must  therefore  be 
employed  who  have  had  no  proper  training, 
or  they  must  seek  it  either  outside  the  State 
or  at  the  Baltimore  Normal  School.  If  they 
are  not  fortunate  enough  to  obtain  a  "nor- 
mal" scholarship,  which  gives  them  free 
tuition,  the  cost  is  so  great  that  very  many 
who  would  gladly  take  a  special  training  for 
this  work  are  obliged  to  get  on  as  best  they 
can  without  it.  The  result  is  that  many  who 
have  made  honest  efforts  to  prepare  them- 
selves fail  at  the  county  examinations;  while 
the  ranks  of  the  teachers  in  public  schools  are 
necessarily  recruited  from  those  who  are 
poorly  qualified  to  teach.  Only  70  free 
scholarships  are  distributed  among  the 
counties  of  the  Eastern  Shore,  although 
nearly  600  teachers  are  employed.  As  the 
course  lasts  three  years  about  20  normal 
school  graduates  are  prepared  for  the  Eastern 
Shore  each  year.  A  very  small  proportion  of 
our  teachers  hold  normal  school  diplomas. 


At  a  meeting  ot  the  Board  on  February  1,  1896, 
the  members  decided  to  ask  the  General  Assembly 
to  authorize  the  College  to  establish  a  Normal 
Department  to  train  public  school  teachers.  A  bill 
was  prepared  and  a  motion  made  to  request  C.T. 
Westcott,  the  senator  representing  Kent  County,  to 
introduce  the  biU  in  the  Maryland  Senate.  On 
March  1 9  the  General  Assembly  voted  to  em- 
power the  Visitors  and  Governors  ofWashington 
College  to  establish  "in  said  college  or  seminary  ot 
learning,  a  department  ot  pedagogy  tor  the 
instruction  and  practice  ot  teachers  in  the  science 
ot  education." 

Later  in  the  same  session  the  General  Assembly 
approved  an  appropriation  of  $5,000  to  be  appHed 
to  the  erection  of  a  "suitable  building  upon  the 
college  grounds  for  the  reception  of  female 
boarding  students." The  act  directed  that  an 
additional  $1,000  be  granted  for  scholarships. The 
College  was  to  supply  free  tuition  and  books  in 
the  Normal  Department  to  one  "indigent"  female 


76 


student  in  each 

county  on  the 

Eastern  Shore  of 

Maryland.  In  return 

the  recipient  was  to 

sign  an  agreement  to 

pay  the  College  $25 

for  each  session  she 

attended  at  the 

College  should  she 

fail  to  teach  in  the 

public  schools  of 

Maryland. 
Subsequently  the 

Board  proceeded 

with  building  plans. 

President  Reid 

negotiated  for  the 

purchase  of  a  portion  of  the  Bell  lot.  A  building  com 

niittee  secured  plans,  specifications,  and  bids  for  a 

building  to  accommodate 

thirty  female  boarders. 

The  committee  was  ^"^ 

instructed  to  secure  bids 

comparing  the  cost  of  a  pi' 

brick  building  to  that  of  ^  '  -i| 

a  wooden  structure.  (^ 


Clocki  me  from  opposite, 
left iTIiree  Alpha  Chi 
sorority  members  rchix  in  a 
typical  coed  dorm  room  of 
the  1950s.  Fourteen  coeds 
ill  gowns  and  dresses  vie  for 
the  1959  Best  Dressed 
Contest.  A  barefoot  coed 
reads  in  her  room  in  the 
1960s. 


1931 


August  •  College 
business  manager 

James  W.Johns 
reports  that  the 
net  worth  of 
Washington 
College,  including 
grciunds  and 
buildings,  is 

5629,693.04. 

1932 

February  •  Coach 

J.Thomas  Kibler 

urges  students  to 

stop  booing  visiting 

BASKETB.'ilL  SQUADS; 

a  referee  av/.\rds  a 
St.John's  player  a 
free  throw  after 

Shoremen  fans 
heckle  the 

opposing  team. 

M\RCH  5  •  The 

College  orchestra, 

directed  by  Dr. 

Frederick 

livingood. 

broadcasts  live 

over  station  WFBR 

IN  Balti.more. 

M.arch  31  •  During 

AN  assembly  at  THE 
Cc^LLEGE.MRS. 

H.arve\W.Wiley, 

head  of  the 

N.ATioN,\L  Council 

OF  THE  National 

Woman's  Party, 

URGES  passage  OF  AN 

amendment 
guaranteeing  equal 
rights  for  women. 


77 


Residents  of  Xoiiiiiil  Hall  in  1925  expected  equal 
educational  oppoitiinities. 


"We  kept  our  rooms  very  clean,  because  the  Dean  ot  Women  had  her  suite 
there,"  recalled  Owens.  "We  would  sit  in  her  living  room  and  have  nice,  friendly 
chats  about  whatever  might  be  bothering  us.  From  four  until  six  o'clock  m  the 
afternoon,  the  bcn'S  woulci  come  ewer  and  we  would  ciance  to  records,  hi  the 
evening,  we'd  sit  out  on  the  front  porch  and  talk  a  while." 

A  political  science  major,  Owens  played  intramural  tennis  and  was  president 
of  the  Girls'  Student  Council.  Later,  as  the  first  female  president  of  Washington 
College's  Alumni  Council,  she  was  instrumental  in  establishing  the  Alumni  House. 
"When  I  was  president,  the  Alumni  Council  had  the  best  attendance  ever,"  she 
said.  "All  the  men  came  to  watch  me  so  I  wouldn't  put  anything  over  on  them." 

When  basketball  games  were  held  at  Cain  Gymnasium,  everyone  gathered 
aftenvard  for  a  bonfire  rally.  "The  boys  would  stand  on  boxes  and  make  speeches 


78 


around  the  bonfire.  When  it  was  tnne  to  go  home,  they  would  snig  'Good 
Night,  Ladies'  and  start  putting  the  tire  out.  Do  you  know  how  they  did  that?" 
she  asked,  her  voice  lowering  conspiratorially."They  would  all  pee  on  it!  That's 
when  we  knew  it  was  time  tor  us  to  go." 

No  one  questioned  obvious  differences  in  the  way  men  and  women  were 
treated,  Owens  said.  "In  those  days,  you  didn't  think  about  male  chauvinism.  It 
never  entered  our  minds,"  she  says. "Men  were  presidents  of  all  the  clubs,  but  that 
didn't  worry  us. We  were  allowed  to  be  in  the  clubs  and  pla\'s.  And  we  supported 
them  in  sports  as  cheerleaders." 

The  situation  hadn't  changed  all  that  much  by  the  inid-i93Us,  said  Miriam 
Ford  Hotfecker  '36.  Men  fielded  the  \-arsirs'  sports  teams  that  traveled  to  other 
colleges,  w'hile  women  remained  at  home  to  compete  m  intramural  basketball, 
tennis,  archery,  and  field  hockey.  "We  recognized  that  money  was  scarce  and 
there  was  no  way  m  the  world  they  could  support  any  more  \"arsir\'  teams,  so  we 
enjoyed  what  we  had,"  she  said. 

Hoflecker  couldn't  help  feeling  gleeful,  though,  when  her  field  hockex'  team 
challenged  the  football  men  to  a  hockey  match — and  won.  Or  when  tennis  great 
Jean  Harsha\\'  Lesko  "37  became  the  first  woman  ever  named  to  a  men's  varsirv' 
team. "That  was  one  of  our  victories,"  said  Hofi"ecker."She  could  beat  all  the  men." 


1932 


April  •  Playing 

horseshoes  is  a 

popular  diversion 

on  campus; 

freshn4an  louis  l. 

Goldstein  starts  the 

fad  when  he  drives 

two  stakes  into  the 

ground  and 

challenges  all 

TAKERS. 

April  21  • 

UPPERCLASS  MALES 

i'rotest  a  proposed 

rulinc;  that  they 

u'EAR  c;oats  during 

THE  evening  ME.AL; 

student 
government  leaders 

CHASTISE  Middle 

Hall  residents  for 

using  "slugs'"  in  the 

telephone. 


Barred  from  the  all-uiak 
Studtiir  Coimcil.  fciiuilc 
inidciiis  formed  rlicir  otfii. 
Pictured  here  is  the  1931 
Girls'  Student  Council. 


May  5  •  A  College 

delegation  led  by 

President  Titsworth 

visits  President 

Herbert  Hoover  in 

THE  White  House  in 

hopes  of  securing 

HIS  appearjusice  at 

THE  June  11 
Commencement. 


79 


As  the  ihiiioiidl  cioiioiiiy  nrorcrf  citid  Aiiicriuin  iiiivlrciiiciir 
ill  f  I (')//(/  Win  II  is  yet  to  lOiiic,  siiidctits  like  these  1938  coeds 
fnlly  enjoy  the  Luii'iiiitdi^es  of  the  hberal  iirls  experience. 


Her  )iinior  year,  Hottecker  and  some  friends  decided  the  time  had  come  to 
breach  the  all-male  bastions  of  the  Student  Council. They  selected  Dorothy  Clarke 
Cliffoix"!  "36,  blessed  with  a  flair  for  the  ciramatic,  to  make  their  case  before  the 
councils  faculty  adviser,  Dean  Jones.  According  to  Hoffecker,  the  meeting  didn't 
last  long. To  the  suggestion  that  women  be  allowed  to  run  tor  ofhce,  he  replied, 
"Why,  Miss  Clarke,  that  is  impossible." 


80 


"But  why  IS  It  impossible?""  she  pressed. 

"Because  there  has  never  been  a  woman  on  the  student  council,"  he  said  in 
dismissal. 

Just  a  tew  years  later  m  1 942.  Eleanor  Roosevelt,  the  nation's  First  Lady,  came 
to  Washington  College  to  speak  at  Commencement  on  May  25.  Her  address, 
carried  nationwide  by  the  Mutual  Broadcasting  Systein,  was  the  crown  jewel  in 
the  College's  celebration  ot  its  first  fitty  years  of  coeducation.  For  the  first  time 
ever,  three  women  were  chosen  to  receive  honorary-  degrees  at  a  Washington 
College  Commencement:  Roosevelt,  Man,' Adele  France,  the  1900  graduate  who 
was  principal  ot  St.  Mary's  Seminary  and  junior  College,  and  writer  Sophie  Kerr 
UndeiAvood,  a  Denton  native. 

Contemporary  gender  relations  are  a  world  apart  trom  what  they  were.  "It 
was  in  the  late  1960s,"  said  Horsley,  "that  you  started  to  see  a  real  difterence  in 
attitudes.  Women  grew  more  talkative  in  class,  and  more  interested  m  doing 
something  with  their  li\-es  beyond  getting  married." 

America  was  gripped  in  the  throes  ot  soci.il  upheaval.  Up  until  1966—67.  men 
were  not  allowed  to  cross  Route  2 1 3  to  the  women's  dormitories  atter  6:31 )  p.m.That 
changed  a  year  later  when  "open  house  hours"  went  into  etJect.  Members  ot  the 
opposite  sex  (provided  they  were  dressed  in  "good  taste")  could  visit  up  until  mid- 
night on  weekend  nights.  Doors,  however,  had  to  remain  open  and  rooms  kept  "neat 
and  orderh'." 

The  next  year,  doors  could  be  closed  as  long  as  the  light  remained  on.  In 
197 1  the  tloodgates  of  permissiveness  opened  wide,  washing  away  entorced  mo- 
ralit)'  anci  leaving  behind  a  twenr\'-t"our-hour  visitation  policy,  ^n 


The  present  IVashinoto}!  Collcoe  oirls  arc,  I  believe,  striviiiii 

To  keep  their  ti'its  and  to  improve  them  iiseftill]'  in  this  place  that 

God  and  our  Board  have  set  them.  And  to  any  toundi)ii^  fi-^thcrs 

li'ho  may  be  tnrnino  in  their  graves,  we  say  today, 

"Rest,  perturbed  spirits,  rest. " 


From  speech  by  Dean  ofWomen  Amanda  Bradley  on  the  occasion  of  the  ground- 
breaking ceremony  for  Minta  Martin,  a  new  women's  dormitor)',  on  April  29,  1954. 


1932 

June  1 1  •  College 

commemorates 

200th  anniversary 

OF  George 

Washington's  birth 

AND  150th 

anniversary  of 

College's  founding; 

Maryland  Gov. 

Albert  C.  Ritchie 

and  German 

Ambassador 

Friedrich  von 

Prittwitz  are 

GUESTS. 


1933 


March  23  • 

Honorary 

scholastic 

fraternity  Sigma 

Sigma  Omicron  is 

founded  at  College 

by  Dr.  Frederick 

LiVINGOOD  FOR 
JUNIORS  .'VND  SENIORS 

H.WING  .\N 
ACCUMUL.^TIVE  INDEX 

of  2.25  or  higher. 

October  3 1 • 
Washington 

Chemical  Society 
./^ttfu^cts  25 

students  and  two 

FACULT\'  ME^LBERS  TO 
ITS  FIRST  MEETING. 


1935 


Mw  18  •  N.WIONAL 

Society  of  the 

Daughters  of 

Cincinnati  dedicate 

m-arker  on  campus 

in  .memory  of 
George  Washington. 


Rich  History  Resides  in  Hynson-Ringgold  House 


Hyiisoji-Riiio^i^old  House,  a  stately  bi'ich  stnictuiv  on 
Cliestertoii'ii's  Water  Stivet,  was  acqitiyed  by 
Washington  College  in  1944  and  has  served  as  the 
residence  for  the  College  president  and  his  family 
since  1946.  Btfore  then,  nearly  all  the  College 
presidents  lived  on  campus.  Built  during  the  first  half 
of  the  eighteenth  century,  the  presidential  home  is 
considered  one  of  the  finest  residences  on  the  Eastern 
Shore.  In  1988  the  College  and  the  Kent  County 
Historical  Society  published  Three  Centuries  of 
Anuiican  LifeiTlie  Hynson-Ring^iold  House  of 
Chestertown  by  College  alumna  Elizabeth  S. 
Dui'all.  The  following  is  taken  from  that  book. 


by  Elizabeth  Sutton  Diivall  '30 

nuv.ill,  whii  died  111  1*'S'),  sei"\cd  eight  ye.irs  on  the  Board  otVisitors  jnd  Governors. 

WASHINGTON  COLLEGE  HAD  H  U  R  N  E  D  IN  1827,  and 
rooms,  probably  including  one  in  the  house,  were  rented  about 
town  tor  classes.  After  Isaac  Spencers  death  m  1832,  the  College 
considered  buying  the  house  tor  $3,00(1  to  use  as  its  main  buikimg.  but  the 
Board  decided  against  it.  It  stretches  the  imagination  to  contemplate  how  the 
College  would  have  developeci  from  a  Wiiter  Street  campus. 

Instead  it  was  sold  to  James  Edmondson  Barroll  and  his  wife  Henrietta.  Mr. 
BarroU  was  a  member  of  a  family  originating  m  England,  where  they  owned 


Historic  preservationist  Wilbitr  Rosi  Hubbard  ciKouiaocd  the  Board  to 
purchase  the  Hyusoti-Riiiggold  House  and  the  wateifront  property  across 
the  street.  Tlie  toriiial  front  i^ardeu  is  bordered  by  Cliester  Riirr  wetland. 


"Byford  Court.""  Like  Isaac  Spencer,  he  was  a  member  of  the  Board  otVisitors  and 
Governors  of  "Washington  College  tor  twenrv'-toiir  years.  James"  first  wite.  Maiy, 
had  been  the  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Rachel  Ringgold  of"Ringgold  Manor"  and 
a  direct  descendant  otThomas  [Ringgold]  the  Merchant.  His  second  wife,  Henrietta 
Jane  Hackett,  was  the  daughter  ot'John  Hackett  and  Sarah  "Von  Solingin  Bedford. 
The  Bedfords  were  a  Delaware  family  of  architects — one  member  \\'as  one  ot  the 
founders  of  Carpenter's  Hall  in  Philadelphia.  There  were  no  children  ot  the  tirst 
brief  marriage,  but  the  second  marriage  produced  nine,  ot  whom  the  eldest  was 
eleven  years  of  age  when  the  house  was  bought.  Four  ot  her  siblings  were  born  m 
the  house.  Mr.  Barroll  loved  his  home.The  propert\'  extended  to  withm  about  titty 


1935 

May  25  -William  O. 

b.\k£r  is  the 

unanimous  choice 

by  a  committee  of 

students  and 

teachers  to  be 

senior  orator  at 

commencem£nt, 

September  27  • 
Entire  community 
shocked  to  le.arn 

that  thelm.a 

Buxton,  WIFE  OF 

College  chemistry 

TEACHER  Dr. 

Kenneth  Buxton, 
murdered  her  live- 
in  mother-in-l.aw  in 
their  W.^TER  Street 

■apartment. 

Nc~)VEMBER  5  • 
Students  p.ay  30 
cents  a  ye.ar  to 

COVER  costs  of 

"blue  books"  to  be 
distributed  by  the 
faculty  members 

BEFCIfCE  E.ACH  TEST. 
NOVE.MBER  9  •  Dr. 

Mary  C.  Burchinal, 

one  OF  THE  FIRST 
WOMEN  TCT  GRADUATE 

FROM  THE  College 

AND  THE  FIRST  WOMAN 

TO  SERVE  AS  A  TRUSTEE, 

BEQUEATHS  30O  BOOKS 

TO  THE  LIBRARY. 


83 


feet  of  High  Street,  taking  in  more  than  three-fourths  of  the  entire  block. 

Mr.  Barroll  made  many  improvements.  It  was  probably  he  who  added  the 
front  and  side  porticoes — a  picture  painted  at  that  time  shows  them,  with  the 
house  whitewashed. The  porticoes  were  added  probably  in  the  1840s. The  water 
lots  in  front  of  the  house  were  filled  in,  "thereby  turning  an  unsightly  and  un- 
pleasant dock,  which  was  exposed  at  low  tides,  into  what  was  then  a  beautiful 
and  attractive  outlook." 

Mr.  Barroll  was  an  erudite  scholar  with  a  large  library;  tor  instance,  he  owned 
a  fift^'-volume  set  of  the  "Works  of  the  British  Poets."  There  must  have  been 
books  all  over  the  house  then,  and  the  rooms  must  have  looked  very  different 
filled  with  shelves.  Mr.  Barroll,  who  had  attended  Washington  College,  had  fin- 
ished his  education  atYale,  read  law  in  his  father's  office  and  become  an  attorney. 
He  soon  became  recognized  as  one  cit  the  leading  lawyers  on  the  Shore  and 
acquired  considerable  wealth.  He  never  ceased  to  love  literature  and  prepared  a 
four-volume  bounci  collection  "of  the  best  thoughts  and  writing  of  the  Latin, 


James  A.  Pcanr.  a  Colk^^c 
Boiird  member  from  1835 
until  his  death  in  1862, 
purchased  the  Hyiisoii- 
Riii(H;old  House  in  1853. 


84 


Jtidi^c  Pcairc's  flute  was  ictiinicd  to  the  Hyiisoii-Riiiiigold 
House  (iitriiii;  the  Cater  adiiiiiiistiatioii. 


Greek,  French,  Italian  and  English  authors,"  tided  "Nugae  Literanae,"  making  his 
own  translations  and  comments.  We  picture  Mr.  Barroll  writing  at  a  table  large 
enough  to  hold  all  his  references,  probably  m  the  Western  Parlor  since  that  was 
where  Senator  Pearce  later  had  his  office. 

In  the  War  of  1  <S  1 2.  Mr.  Barroll  was  secretary  and  adjutant  of  the  Troop  of  the 
Horse  of  Kent  County,  and  kept  a  meticulous  minute  book,  describing  in  detail 
the  activities  preceding  and  during  the  Kent  Count}'  night  battle  ot  Caulk's 
Field,  in  which  he  took  part. 

Mr.  Barroll  wrote  to  a  friend  m  Easton,"my  venerable  domicile  looks  much 
like  an  old  abbey," giving  the  house  the  naine'"The  Abbey,"  which  it  retained  for 
108  years,  although  it  was  also  called  by  the  names  of  subsequent  owners. 

In  1853,  Mr.  Barroll  retired,  sold  the  house  to  Senator  Pearce,  and  moved  his 
flimily  first  to  Baltimore,  and  later  to  Holly  Hall  in  Elkton.  During  his  tenure  in 


1936 

March  28  •  Beta 
Omega  chapter  of 
Kappa  Alpha  order 

establishes  first 

n.^tional  fr.aternity 

AT  College. 

May  4  • 

Construction 

begins  on  hodson 

Hall,  THE  BUILDING 

which  will  provide 
student  dining 

services  currently 
offered  in  the 

lower  level  of  cain 
Gymnasium. 

October  24  • 

Charles  H. Watts, 

Hudson  Trust 

chairman,  is  speaker 

AT  dedic;atic)n  of 

S53,0(MI  Hodson 

Hall:  music  is 

furnished  by 

student  trumpet 

quartet. 

1937 

February  19  • 
Seventy-five  couples 
dance  in  the  gym  to 
THE  music  of  Bob 
Craig's  orchestra 
during  the  school's 
first  Junior  Prom. 

April  30  •  Pcirtraits 

of  College 

benefactors 

Colonel  and  Mrs. 

Clarence  Hodson 

are  unveiled  in 

Hodson  Hall. 


85 


Perhaps  the  most  distiw^uisliiii',;  interior  feature  of  the 
Hyiisoii-Riiif^olil  House  is  the  "iintler"  stdircdse,  haudcarved 
Jroiii  u'dliiiil  under  llie  direction  of  architect  ]]'iUiaui  Bnckland. 
In  this  I '^<S.^  photo.  Winston,  Doin;  and  Lihby  Cater's  Irish 
setter,  relaxes  in  tlie  study  alcore. 


86 


the  house,  visitors  were  the  local  gentry,  legal  personnel  and  the  literati  of  the 
county,  the  College,  the  Shore,  and  the  rest  of  the  state. 

Now  the  house  entered  upon  a  very  ditferent  life.  Senator  James  Alfred  Fearce, 
"Jim"  to  his  many  friends,  had  a  family  also.  In  the  home  were  the  children  of  his 
first  marriage,  includingJames"Alf  "Jr.,  aged  thirteen  when  the  house  was  bought. 
The  second  Mrs.  Pearce  was  the  former  Matilda  Cox  Ringgold,  the  daughter  of 
Richard  Ringgold  and  a  tltth-generation  descendent  ot'Thomas  the  Merchant. 

Senator  Pearce  had  been  a  member  ot  the  House  ot  Representatives  for 
eight  years,  and  was  now  in  the  U.S.  Senate.  He  had  played  a  crucial  part  in  the 
Compromise  of  1850,  and  was  credited  with  making  the  Compromise  possible, 
avoiding  Civil  War  for  a  decade.  It  was  he  who  offered  the  amendment  to  Clav's 
Omnibus  Bill,  designed  to  settle  the  dispute  over  the  new  lancis  won  m  the 
Mexican  Wiir.  Senator  Pearce's  amendment  defeated  Clay's  bill,  but  settled  the 
question  ot  the  boundary  between  New  Mexico  and  Te.xas.  Visitors  of  national 
prominence  came  to  the  house — Daniel  Webster  and  Henry  Clay  had  visited  on 
the  farm  at  EUerslie,  but  died  before  Senator  Pearce  acc]uired  the  house.  Sam 
Houston  came  to  visit  and  ate  crabs  and  oysters;  the  directors  of  the  Smithsonian 
and  the  Botanical  Gardens  came  and  ad\Msed  on  plantings  and  discussed  the 
Wilkes  Expeditionary  Force,  which  Congress  had  sent  to  chart  and  map  the 
West  Coast  and  the  Pacific  Isles.  Rembrandt  Peale  was  a  friend. 

Many  senators  ancijudges  came.  First  among  them  was  a  teUow  Chestertownian, 
Ezekiel  Forman  Chambers,  who  had  served  in  the  U.S.  Senate  before  becoming 
judge  of  the  Court  of  Appeals  of  Marvlanti.  Mr.  Pearce  was  especially  interested  in 
science,  agriculture,  inventions — and  the  course  of  the  United  States.  He  sen'eei 
through  the  difficult  expansionist  perioci  when  vast  tracts  ot  land  had  been  ac- 
quired from  Mexico  and  dissension  had  arisen  over  their  status  and  over  the  insti- 
tution ot  slavery.  OtFered  a  cabinet  post  and  a  federal  judgeship,  he  declined,  saying 
he  could  do  more  tor  the  country  by  remaining  a  senator. 

While  these  statesmen,  and  perhaps  their  wives,  had  been  calling  in  Chester- 
town,  the  fannly  was  growing  up.  "Alf "  attended  Washington  College  and  was 
graduated  from  Princeton  when  he  was  nineteen  years  old.  Charlotte  married 
and  became  a  gifted  poet.  Catherine  Julia  married  a  Dr.  Burns  from  Virginia,  so 
there  were  more  weddings  trom  the  house.  Music  was  m  the  home,  and  art. 
Senator  Pearce  was  said  to  love  all  things  beautiful.  His  tlute  is  in  the  house  now, 
and  the  chess  board  on  which  he  played  with  Daniel  Webster  and  Henry  Clay. 
The  back  attics  were  finished  in  the  lH5()s.  and  since  Senator  Pearce  owned  a 
few  slaves,  we  presume  they  were  houseci  there.  It  was  Senator  Pearce  who  addeci 
Ughtning  rods,  a  new  invention,  to  the  house. 

Senator  Pearce  suffered  from  a  long,  terminal  illness,  and  died  m  December 
of  1862.  He  had  spent  the  months  since  March,  when  he  last  appeared  in  the 


1937 

May  5  •  Ei'siLON- 

Theta  Zeta  of 

Lambda  Chi  Alpha 

SUCCEEDS  Phi  Sigma 

Tau;  founders 

INCLUDE  Dr. 

Frederick 

LiviNGOOD  and  Dr. 

Charles  Clark. 

Kappa  Cvmma 
sorority  gains 
membership  in  alpha 
Chi  Omega  and 
FORMS  Beta  Pi 
chapter. 

November  6  •  Alpha 
Psi  Circle  of 
Washington 

College  chartered. 

April  3.  1938- 

Gamma  Sigma,  a 

local  sorority 

since  1931.  IS  pledged 

TO  NATIONAL 
SORORITY  ZETA  TAU 

Alpha. 


1938 


October  12  •  L)r. 

James  W.Cain, 
College  president 

FROM  1903  TO  1918, 

dies  m  his  home  in 
Baltimore. 


87 


Before  the  CoHej^e  acquurd  Hymoii-Riiii^i^ohi  House,  the 
pivsideni  and  his  ftiiiiily  resided  in  this  biiildino,  Iniilt  on 
iiiDipiis  ill  1902  diid  rd:cd  in  1973. 


Displayed  inside  Hynson-Riini'^old  is  the  hldch  powder  rifle 
that  Ihfonoed  to  the  Rererend  Seirell  S.  Hephiini,  a  CoUe^c 
aliniiinis.  rector  at  Kent  County's  Christ  RE.  Chinrh.  and 
{grandfather  of  actress  Katharine  Hepburn. 


Senate,  enjoying  his  home  and  his  garden — he  wrote  of  his  rt)ses  and  ftnit  trees. 
The  donor  of  the  font  in  Emmanuel  Church,  he  turned  to  a  deeply  spiritual  Hfe. 

The  house  was  inherited  by  James  Jr.,  who  was  then  twenty-two,  reading  law, 
and  not  yet  married.  Probably  he,  Mrs.  Pearce,  and  Minnie  lived  on  m  the  house 
at  least  tor  a  tew  years,  until  his  marriage  in  1866. Years  later.James  Altredjr.,  who 
became  Judge  Pearce,  built  the  house  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Maple  Avenue 
and  Water  Street  and  never  lived  m  the  Hynson-Ringgold  House  after  his  mar- 
riage. Mrs.  Pearce  Sr.  lived  until  1899,  but  she  and  Minnie  did  not  live  m  the 
house  all  that  time. 

Since  1890,  the  house  has  had  a  busy  life,  sometimes  well-cared-for,  some- 
times neglected.  Lots  were  sold  off  on  the  eastern  end  of  the  property,  reducing 
the  gardens  to  their  present  size. 

During  the  Ringgold  ownership  Minnie  began  to  keep  a  boarding  house — 
a  very  difterent  lite  tor  the  house,  which  was  still  known  as  "The  Abbey."  There 
are  still  vestiges  ot  paper  on  the  walls  of  a  room  m  the  front  attic,  indicating  that 
even  these  rooms  were  occupied.  It  was  probably  during  this  period  that  the 
Cannon  Street  entrance  under  the  antler  stainvay  was  removeci  and  the  tlreplace 
installed. 

The  house  was  rented  at  least  three  times  to  widows.  Mrs.  Richard  Hynson 
had  four  or  tlve  daughters.  One  ot  them  was  Caroline,  who  married  Clifton 
Miller,  later  chairman  of  the  Board  ot  Visitors  and  Governors  of  Wiishmgton 
College. This  family  was  descended  trom  the  original  Nathaniel  Hynson  Jr.,  who 
first  owned  the  lot,  and  also  from  Dr.  Murray. When  Mrs.  Miller  died  in  1 985,  she 
left  a  bequest  for  the  preservation  ot  the  house. 

In  19 1 6,  the  house  was  sold  out  of  the  family.  It  had  belonged  to  and  been 
lived  in  by  Ringgolds  and  their  family  connections  since  1767 — a  total  of  149 
years.  The  new  owners  were  Henry  and  lima  Pratt  Catlm  trom  New  York.  Mr. 
Catlin  was  a  native  of  Chestertown,  an  attorney  who  had  risen  to  the  top  ot  his 
profession  representing  a  New  York  electrical  company.  As  a  young  man  he  had 
boarded  in  the  house.  His  career  had  taken  him  to  Mexico  and  to  Cuba  to 
oversee  the  installation  of  electricity  in  Havana. 

The  Catlins  had  no  children. They  did  much  to  restore  and  modernize  the 
house.  We  think  that  electricity,  central  heating,  and  plumbing  were  all  installed 
at  this  time.  The  porch  on  the  garden  side  was  addeci,  and  the  lot  across  Water 
Street  was  cleaned  up  and  planted  with  boxwood  and  other  shrubbery.  After  a 
few  years,  Mr.  Catlm  built  and  developed  Drayton  Manor,  and  much  ot  the 
boxwood  from  the  house  was  movecl  to  this  new  place.  Their  New  York  home 
was  retained,  and  even  though  the  Chestertown  house  was  occupied  only  inter- 
mittently, Mrs.  Catlin  took  much  pride  m  it. There  was  not  a  great  deal  ot  activ- 
ity in  the  house  now,  but  there  were  some  events.  A  graduation  dance  was  held 
for  one  of  Mr.  Catlins  young  cousins  anci  a  young  friend  from  Cuba,  when  they 


1938 


October  20  • 
College  begins  its 

157th  SESSION  WITH 
334  students,  THE 

largest  enrollment 

in  school  history; 

overcrowding 

among  the  233 

boarders  means 

some  males  sleep  in 

the  basement  of 

West  Hall. 

1939 

Marc:h  is  • 

Testimonial  dinner 

TO  HONOR  Tom 

KiBLER  FOR  25  YEARS 
AS  COLLEGE  ATHLETIC 
DIRECTOR  IS  HELD  IN 

HODSON  Hall. 

Ai'RiL  21  •  The  new 

hodson  hall 

escapes  serious 

damage  after  a 

night  watchman 

i3iscovers  a  kitchen 

fire  and  calls  town 

volunteer  fire 

department. 

Gamma  Beta 

CHAPTER  OF  ZETA  TAU 

Alpha  sorority 
forms  on  campus. 


The  HYiison-Rimioold  House  is  d  popiihiy  stop  on 
Clicstcitou'ii's  historic  home  tours. 


were  gradiuited  troin  Washington  College  in  1919.  A  Jamaican  maid  lett  to  re- 
turn home  because  she  said  a  ghost  would  not  let  her  sleep  in  her  rocrni  in  the 
back  attic.  The  ghost  kept  brushing  her  fingers  across  the  maid's  lace. 

There  have  been  other  reports  of  the  ghost,  usually  seen  on  the  lett  side  ot 
the  antler  staircase,  but  we  believe  the  last  sighting  was  by  the  maid.  Earlier, 
Barroll,  in  his  letter  to  a  friend  m  which  he  likened  his  home  to  an  old  abbey,  also 
told  of  "nursery  tales  of  ghosts  in  the  attic,"  but  he  had  not  seen  them. 

Another  widely-believed  legend  tells  ot  a  secret  tunnel  between  the  house 
and  the  Custom  House.  There  is  a  deeply  recessed  alcove  m  the  basement,  and 
collapsed  storage  rooms  under  the  front  yard  of  the  Custom  House,  but  no  evi- 


90 


dence  that  there  was  any  connection  between  the  two  has  ever  been  found,  and 
when  water  and  sewer  hnes  were  laid  under  the  street,  no  evidence  of  a  tunnel 
was  found.The  legend  says  that  the  tunnel  went  on  from  the  house  up  to  Wash- 
ington College  and  was  used  by  the  Underground  Railway.  As  children,  black 
adults  now  m  the  town  were  told  this  by  their  teachers,  and  that  Harriett  Tubman 
came  in  a  boat  to  take  the  runaway  slaves  North,  threatening  to  shoot  any  child 
that  cried.  Barroll  and  Senator  Pearce  owned  the  house  during  these  years  of 
fugitive  slaves.  Barroll  would  have  been  an  unlikely  abolitionist,  and  Senator 
Pearce  in  Congress  always  upheld  the  rights  of  Southern  owners  of  slaves,  though 
he  abhorred  slavery. 

During  this  period  ot  restoration,  a  part  of  the  house  was  lost.  Mrs.  Catlm  sold 
the  paneling,  molding,  and  fireplace  decoration  of  the  east  parlor  to  a  Mrs.  Johnson, 
who  gave  it  to  the  Baltimore  Museum  of  Ait  as  a  memorial  to  her  husband.  So 
that  the  room  would  not  appear  bare,  Mrs.  Catlin  had  copies  of  the  items  sold 
made  in  Cuba,  and  installed  by  a  Cannon  Street  carpenter,  William  Malin. 

Wilbur  Hubbarci  teared  that  the  house  might  be  dismantled  piecemeal  and 
sold,  so  in  1944  he  spearheaded  a  drive  to  raise  funds  to  buy  the  residence  to 
give  to  the  College  as  a  home  for  its  president.  Many  ot  the  Board  members 
contributed  substantially  and  this  drive  was  successful.  Much  repair  work  on 
the  house  was  needed,  as  well  as  on  the  grounds.  Several  town  residents  speak 
of  the  gardens  as  grown  up  like  a  jungle.  The  land  was  bought  tor  $3,000,  and 
the  house  for  $12,205.70.  In  August  of  1946,  Dr.  Gilbert  Mead  moved  in  with 
his  wife  and  two  sons,  and  the  house  heard  young  voices  and  entertained  more 
widely  again.  It  lost  its  name  "The  Abbey."  which  it  had  held  tor  1  10  years, 
though  during  that  time  it  had  also  been  called  the  Pearce  House,  the  Ringgold 
House  or  the  Spencer  House. The  name  Hynson-Ringgold  House  was  adopted 
by  the  College  to  honor  Thomas  Ringgoki  who  haci  enlarged  and  so  improved 
Dr.  Murray's  house,  and  to  honor  also  Nathaniel  Hynson,  the  tlrst  owner  ot  the 
lot. The  College  also  wanted  to  honor  Mrs.  Lelia  Hynson,  the  daughter  ot  Col. 
Clarence  Hodson,  because  she  haci  tor  so  many  years  turthered  the  interest  ot 
the  College  with  the  Hodson  Trust,  as  well  as  remembering  the  College  with 
her  own  interest  and  generosity,  while  a  member  of  the  Board  ot'Visitors  and 
Governors. 

The  Meads  lived  there  for  four  years,  and  many  College  tunctions  were  held 
in  the  house.  After  Dr.  Mead's  death,  the  house  receiveci  the  new  president.  Dr. 
Daniel  Z.  Gibson  and  his  tamily,  in  1950. 

Again  many  College  functions  were  held  here,  as  were  intcirmal  gatherings 
and  activities  for  youth.  Dignitaries  and  tacult\'  were  entertained  often.  Mrs. 
Gibson  was  an  accomplished  pianist.  Not  only  was  there  music  in  the  house,  but 
she  accompanied  the  Washington  College  chorus,  both  on  a  regular  basis  and 


1939 

June  5  •  Maryland 
Governor  Herbert 
r.  o'conor,  later 
to  serve  in  the  u.s. 
Senate,  is  awarded 
an  honorary 

degree  at 

commencement; 

steel  flag  pole.  gift 

OF  MRS.WW. 

Hubbard  and 

Wilbur  R.  Hubbaiu), 

IS  dedicated. 

1940 

J.'VNUARY   16  • 

College's  new 
s80,0u(j  science  hall, 

named  FOR  DONOR 

Dr.  H.A.B.  Dunning, 
IS  dediovted. 

February  24  •  New 
siiio.ikiii  bunting- 

FOXWELL  LlBI^ARY  IS 

dedicated;  Dr. 

Robert  M.  Lester. 

secretary  of  the 

Carnegie  Corp. .IS 

speaker. 

March  1  •  Theta  Chi 
fraternity  chapter 
Beta  Eta  is  installed 
on  campus; 
unofficial  group 
began  in  1928  when 

1  i  males  met 

sEci^TLY  IN  Smith 

Hall. 


91 


Tlic  \;drdcns  of  Hytisoii-Riii'^iiold  House  flourished  under  the 
care  of  Irina  aud  Karl  Aliller  They  created  a  ninetecuth-ceiitury 
styh'  i^iirdcu,  with  trees,  shrid'bery,  aud  floweriui^  phuils. 


when  they  toured  Etirope.  One  annual  aftair  was  a  Christmas  knicheon  toUow- 
ing  the  annual  bird  count  ni  the  county. 

Dr.  Gibson  retired  in  1970,  after  twenty'  years  at  the  College  and  ui  the 
house.  He  was  followed  by  Dr.  C^harles  Merdinger.  At  Dr.  Merdinger's  inaugura- 
tion m  May  1971,  more  than  lOO  learned  societies,  universities,  and  colleges 
were  represented  and  some  guests  stayed  at  the  house.  Chief  Justice  Warren  Burger 
was  the  most  nestable  ot  the  guests.  Dr.  Merdinger  resigned  in  February  1973. 

The  new  president  was  Dr.  Joseph  McLain,  inaugurated  in  February  ot  1974, 
alter  a  year  as  acting  president.  For  a  year  the  house  was  unoccupied.  The  central 
hallway  floor  had  developed  a  sag,  and  investigation  showed  extensive  work  was 
necessary  on  foundations  and  sill  supports  under  the  structure.  While  this  was 


92 


being  done  in  the  front  basement,  it  was  necessary  to  dig  back  to  the  original 
foundation. The  front  basement  is  now  as  it  was  when  Dr.  Murray  built  the  house. 

At  the  same  time,  the  old  kitchen  at  the  back  of  the  house  was  turned  into  a 
cien  tor  the  presicient's  tamily.  Long  ago  it  had  been  a  garage  with  a  covered 
fireplace,  cement  floor,  and  a  small  lavatory  for  the  maid. That  wall  was  removed; 
the  beautiful  old  fireplace  and  warming  oven  beside  it  restored;  the  cement  floor 
was  remo\-ed  and  replaced  with  brick  m  what  is  believed  to  be  the  original 
pattern;  and  the  garage  doors  were  removed  and  replaced  with  a  w'all  and  a  door 
with  antique  hardware  leading  to  Cannon  Street. The  Maryland  Historical  Soci- 
eU'  contributed  $1U,UU()  to  this  project  and  sent  as  many  as  tour  architects  to 
advise  on  the  restoration.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Karl  Miller  of  River  House,  Chester- 
town,  donated  the  hardware. 

Dr.  McLain  died  m  1981  and  was  succeeded  by  President  Douglass  Cater. 
He  and  Mrs.  Cater  had  tour  children,  all  grown  aiici  living  elsewhere,  but  one 
daughter  was  married  at  the  house. 

The  Caters  spent  many  years  m  Washington.  D.C.,  moving  m  journalistic, 
governmental,  and  social  circles.  A  conseL]uence  was  that  national  figures  were 
entertained  m  the  house,  among  them  Supreme  Court  Justice  Sandra  Day 
O'Connor,  Laciy  Bird  Johnson,  Liz  Carpenter,  Roger  Mudd,  Mortimer  Adler, 
Henrv  Steele  Commager,  Bill  Moyers,  Hodciing  Carter  Jr.,  former  Ambassador 
to  China  ArthurW.  Hummer  Jr.,  Najeeb  Halaby,  chairman  of  the  Board  ofTrust- 
ees  of  American  Universirs'  in  Beirut,  Walter  Cronkite,  Dr.  Lewis  Thomas,  Will- 
iam Styron,  and  Richard  Wilbur.  Iwl 


1940 

Al'RIL  1}  •  FtULOWING 

QUESTIONS  ,»lBOUT  THE 

EST.'iTE  OF  THE  LATE 

Sen.^tor  Gark_ett  a. 

FOXW-ELL.  trustees 

decide  new  library 

should  be  n.mvled 

FOR  George  Avery 

Bunting. 

1 941 

June  2  •  Student 

Government 

Association 

petitions  College 

trustees  for  a 

campus  infirmary 

and  a  resident 

NURSE. 

December  7  •  H.arry 
J.  Hicks,  ^L^GNA  cum 

LAUDE  member  OF  THE 

Class  OF  1939, 

ESCAPES  SERIOUS 
INJURY  ABOARD  TELE 

U.S.S.  Pelias  IN  Pearl 
Harbor  wflen  the 
japanese  attack. 

1942 

February  2 1  • 

college  .adopts 

accelerated 

academic  schedule 

to  comply  with 

FEDEI^LAL 

GOVERNMENT'S 

REQUEST  TFLCT  MALE 

STUDENTS  BE 

GRADUATED  BEFOR£ 

THEY  TURN  21 1.  THE 

AGE  FOR  MILITARY 

DRAFT. 


93 


Campus  Landmarks  Recall  Historic  Ties 


Just  as  the  scent  of  a  newly  opened  textbook 
nii'^lit  rekindle  old  Collei^e  memories,  so  too  do 
I'isiiiil  inuioes.  Some,  like  the  Brick  Walk,  the 
Elm,  and  the  statne  of  Geor<^e  Washington, 
create  pictnresqne  scenes  imbued  with  a  sense  of 
history.  Others,  like  the  old  water  tower,  possess 
pnrely  sentimental  valne.  Yet  all  have  stories  to 
tell  abont  rites  of  passable  into  adulthood. 


Dr.  Cam  and  the  Brick  Walk 


WHEN  James  W.  Cain  arrived  in  Chestertown  in 
1903  to  asume  his  new  duties  as  president  of  Washington  College, 
he  found,  among  other  thnigs,  that  the  campus  walkway  along  Col- 
lege Avenue  was  covered  with  boards.  Cam  and  the  trustees  decided  that  a  brick 
sidewalk  would  be  a  proper  addition  to  the  campus.  The  building  ot  the  walk 
had  a  profound  effect  upon  Dr.  Cain's  son,  [ames  M.  Cain,  who  graduated  from 
the  College  in  1910  and  was  a  iaculrv'  member  betore  he  pursued  a  career  m 
journalism  anci  fiction  writing.  Cain's  novels — The  Postnmii  Alirays  Rings  Twice. 
Double  Iiidenniiry  and  Mildred  Pearce — made  him  one  ot  the  most  popular  Ameri- 
can authors  m  the  tirst  halt  ot  the  century  and  several  were  prociuced  as  success- 
ful screen  productions.  Author  Roy  Hoopes,  who  was  head  of  College  Relations 


94 


Noivlist  liiinrs  Cain  wai  just  a  hoy  ii'licii  his  tathci;  who  was 
Co!lc{;c  Prcsiiicm,  had  the  hnck  ii\ilk  installed.  Yoiiii'^  Cain 
picked  np  the  eadence  ol  the  uvrhino  man's  Lun^nai^e  as  hrick 
mason  Ike  Xewton  laid  the  walk. 


95 


A  Lvtiplc  stivlh  down 
"Loi'cri]\:ilk"iii  1959. 


briefly  during  the  administration  of  President  Douglass  Cater,  described  the  sig- 
nificance of  the  brick  walk  on  American  letters  in  his  book  Caiii:Thc  Biography 
of  James  M.  Cain: 

Dr.  Cain  knew  a  bricklayer  named  Ike  Newton  who  could  do  the 
job,  and  soon  alternate  piles  of  white  sand  and  bricks  were  placed  upon 
the  route  the  walk  was  to  take.  Then  one  day  Ike  Newton  appeared.  Ike 
was  a  stocky,  powerful  man  m  jeans  and  boots,  who  would  squat  on  the 
ground  as  he  chipped  the  bricks  with  the  edge  of  his  hammer — and  talk 
and  talk  and  talk.  Anei  there  was  always  one  person  who  could  be  counted 
on  to  listen — the  presidents  son, Jamie  Cam. 

What  fascinated  Jamie,  who  had  been  coached  continually  by  his 
father  and  mother  to  use  proper  language,  was  the  way  Ike  Newton  talked. 
Not  what  he  said,  but  how  he  said  it.  For  the  first  time, Jamie  was  hearing 
the  language  of  an  uneducated  but  articulate  person.  Just  as  Jonathan 
Swift  liked  to  sit  in  taverns  and  on  the  greens  listening  to  the  talk  of 
teamsters  and  coachmen,  and  Stephen  Crane  would  sit  by  the  hour  lis- 
tening to  Bowery  bums.  |amie  Cain  listened  to  Ike  Newton  and  was 
spellbound  by  the  rhythm  and  tempo  of  his  speech.  He  began  speaking 
like  Ike  at  home,  to  the  horror  of  his  mother,  who  called  such  talk  "low." 
But  Jamie  was  carried  away  by  the  beautiful  bounce  and  rolling  cadences 
of  Ike  Newton's  speech.  He  hung  on  his  every  worci  as  "brick  by  brick 
and  sandpile  by  sanclpile,  the  brick  walk  got  built.  It  was  a  miracle  of 
perfect  slope,  grading  and  crown."  Ike  Newton's  brick  walk,  sometimes 
called  "lovers"  lane,"  is  still  there  on  the  Washington  College  campus — a 
monument  to  the  development  of  one  of  the  finest  writing  styles  in 
American  literature.  "Later,"  wrote  James  M.  Cam,  "my  dialogue  would 
be  praised  off  and  on  by  critics,  and  I  would  save  myself  argument  by 
acknowledging  debts  to  various  experts  on  the  'vulgate,'  as  H.L.  Mencken 
called  it.  But  actually,  it  a  writer  owes  a  debt  to  what  his  ears  pick  up, 
mine  would  be  to  Ike." 


The  George  Washington  Stone 


ON   October   22,   1925,  the  Old  Kent  Chapter  of  the  Daughters  of 
the  American  Revolution  presented  the  College  with  a  tablet  and  stone  to 
memorialize  the  t2;rantinii  ot  the  honoraiA'  decree  ot  Doctor  ot  Laws  to  Georse 


96 


ll'dshiin^lon  dill  110!  I'iiit  iiiiiipiis  to  nrciir  his  lioiioniry  decree 
from  Washington  Colk'ge — ]]'illiiiiii  Smith  instead  presented  it 
to  him  in  Ncii'York.Thc  Daughters  of  tiie  American  Revohnion 
phued  this  sohd  reminder  ot  that  connection  to  tlie  nation's  first 
president  on  the  leall^:  leading  to  ]]'illiam  Smitli  Hall  in  1925. 


Washington  in  1789. Tlie  stone,  ot  native  granite  fi"om  the  hills  ot  Cecil  County,  was 
placed  at  the  end  of  the  walk  leading  to  William  Smith  HaU.The  presentation  speech 
was  delivered  by  Mrs.  William  G.  Smyth,  DAR  regent.  The  tablet  was  unveiled  by 
Lillian  Brown  and  Elizabeth  Titsworth,  daughters  respectively  of  Mrs.  William  T. 
Brown,  vice  regent  of  Old  Kent  Chapter,  and  College  President  Paul  E. Titsworth. 
Titsworth  wrote  that  he  looked  forward  to  the  day  when  the  campus  would 
be  enclosed  by  a  low  brick  wall  of  colonial  pattern.  Entrance  to  the  campus 
would  be  by  way  ot  three  gateways  on  the  Washington  Avenue  side.  The  major 
gateway  would  be  placeci  over  the  driveway  leading  to  East,  Middle  and  West 
halls.  A  second  gateway  would  be  placed  over  the  projected  sidewalk,  which  was 
to  lead  to  the  proposed  dormitory,  to  be  erected  at  the  south  side  of  the  campus. 
This  sidewalk  would  parallel  the  walk  to  William  Smith  Hall. The  third  gateway 


1942 

September  21  • 

College  trustees 

vote  to  establish  a 

degree  of  bachelor 

OF  Science  in 

Education. 


1943 

October  22  •  Coach 

"Dutch"  Dumschott 

announces  that 

home  basketball 

WILL  be  played  in 

Cain  Gymnasium  this 

YEAR,  meaning 

PLAYERS  NO  Lt"lNGER 

WILL  HAVE  TO  WALK  TO 

THE  CHESTERTOWN 

ARMORY  FOR  THE 

GAMES. 

October  25  •  Red 
Cross  Mobile  Unit 

arrives  in 

Chestertown;  23 

students  respond  by 

donating  PLASMA 

for  the  war  effc^rt. 

Thanksgiving  Day  • 
College  students 

RESPOND  to  call  FOR 

help  in 
extinguishing  a 

WOtlDS  FIRE  that  HAS 

BEEN  BURNING  FOR 

TWO  DAYS  SIX  MILES 

EAST  OF  CHURCH 

HlLL. 


97 


he  planned  to  place  over  the  walk  leading  to  William  Smith  Hall,  hi  that  same 
article  Titsworth  reported  that  the  grounds  of  Reid  Hall  were  receiving  "artistic 
attention"  with  the  laying  out  of  a  brick  walk  lined  with  box  and  other  shrubs 
native  to  or  readily  grown  m  this  part  of  Marylanci. 

As  a  result  ot  the  efforts  ot  the  Blue  Key  Fraternity,  an  honoraiy  fraternity  on 
campus,  the  student  body  for  the  year  1928-29  contributed  $1,000  for  the  pur- 
pose of  erecting  an  ornamental  gateway  at  the  memorial  stone  and  entrance  to 
the  campus  leading  to  WiUiam  Smith  Hall.  Embedded  in  each  pillar  of  the  gate- 
way was  a  limestone  shield  with  the  years  of  the  four  classes — 1929,  1930,  1931 . 
and  1932 — that  had  contributed  to  this  proiect. 

The  brick  sidewalk — once  the  mam  portion  of  the  so-called  "Sacred  L"  thor- 
oughfare used  by  generations  of  students — was  pulled  up  and  the  gateway  closed 
in  1998  after  increased  traffic  on  Washington  A\'enue  made  it  unsafe  for  students 
to  cross  the  roaci  at  that  location. 


The  George  Washington  Statue 


HE  STANi:»S  AT  THE  F  O  OT  of  the  historic  Hill  Dorms,  shaded  by  trees 
and  guarded  by  boxwood.  George  Wishmgton,  the  college's  founding  pa- 
tron, presides  over  graduation  ceremonies  and  weddings.  He  is  draped  with  Christ- 
mas garland,  included  m  champagne  toasts  and  traternits'  pranks,  and  photo- 
graphed relentlessly.  He  withstands  it  all  with  his  proud  militai"\'  bearing. 

Created  in  bronze  and  presented  as  a  gift  to  the  College  by  sculptor  Lee 
Lawrie,  the  George  Washington  statue  was  installed  in  1957  to  commemorate 
the  175th  anniversary  of  the  founding  ofWashington  College.  Immediately  pre- 
ceding Fall  Convocation  ceremonies  on  October  20th,  Miss  Hannah  Fairfax 
Washington,  a  direct  ciescendent  of  the  Washington  fmiily.  unveiled  the  statue. 

Among  those  present  for  the  exercises  were  120  delegates  from  American 
colleges,  universities,  learned  societies,  and  associations,  as  well  as  alumni  and 
friends  of  the  College. 


Opposite,  some  men  deserve  to  be  put  on  pedcstdh.  Here, 
workmen  lowey  the  statue  of  Geori^e  Wasliiiiotoii  into  position 
as  the  sculptor,  Lee  Laurie,  and  others  hiok  on. 


1944 

February  22  •  A 
PORTRAIT  OF  George 
Washington  painted 

IN  1803  BY 

Rembrandt  Peale  is 
presented  to  the 

College  by  James  M. 

SwARTZ  AND  James  W. 

Stevens  in  memory 
of  their  fathers. 

March  13  •  Citing 

financi.'vl  and 

scheduling  problems 

in  securing  an 

orchestra,  college 

fraternities  cancel 

the  upcoming 

Saturday  night 

DANCE. 

September  U  'After 

A  lengthy  ILLNESS, 

Dr. J.  S.William  Jones 
"84.  the  oldest 
member  of  the 

faculty.  DIES  .'VT  HIS 
HOME  ON 

Washington  Street 
IN  Chestertown. 

September  30  •  First 
Lady  Anna  Eleanor 
Roosevelt  draws  a 

CHECK  for  $25  from 

THE  Fifth  Avenue 
Bank  of  NewYorx 

AND  sends  it  to 

Washington 

College  for  the 

memorial  fund  set 

UP  in  memory  of  the 

LATE  Dean  Jones. 


99 


100 


The  Washington  Ehn 


SIXTY-THREE  YEARS  after  it  was  ceremoniously  planted  in  the  center  of 
campus,  the  Washington  Elm — a  descenclant  of  the  tree  under  which  Gen- 
eral George  Washington  took  command  of  the  American  forces  on  luly  3,  1775, 
in  Cambridge,  Massachusetts — was  felled.  The  giant  landmark  had  succumbed 
to  Dutch  Elm  disease  and  so,  on  August  7,  1991,  workers  with  chain  saws  dis- 
mantled the  tree. 

"The  elm  tree  is  dead.  An  era,  almost  a  legend,  is  gone,"  intoned  an  editorial 
writer  tor  The  Elm,  the  student  newspaper  named  for  the  tree. 

The  seedling  was  planted  as  part  of  a  l^arents  Day  program  at  the  College  on 
April  26,  1928.  The  tree  was  a  gift  ot  Mrs.  )ames  A.  Dorsey,  chairwoman  of  the 
Maryland  Daughters  ot  the  American  Revolution  Committee  on  C]onservation 
and  Thritt.  who  was  present  that  clay  with  members  ot  the  Old  Kent  Chapter, 
D.A.R. 

In  her  address,  entitled  "Presentation  ot  Grandson  ofWashmgton  Elm  to  Old 
Kent  Chapter,"  Mrs.  Dorsey  explained  that  Washington  College  was  chosen  to 
receive  the  seedling  because  the  school  had  been  visited  by  General  Wishington 
anei  is  the  only  college  in  the  country  named  tor  him  with  his  personal  consent. 

The  tree  was  rededicated  on  Saturday,  October  1 ,  1931,  when  the  Old  Kent 
Chapter  placed  a  tablet  at  the  base  of  its  trunk.  The  event  was  witnessed  by  the 
local  chapter  as  well  as  by  many  other  guests.  The  seedling  prospered  ox'er  the 
years  and  was  one  of  the  most  attractive  features  of  the  campus. 

On  September  2,  1993,  Granci  Marshal  Ermon  Foster  led  his  1 2<Sth  and  tiiial 
academic  procession  at  Fall  Convocation,  where  he  was  presented  with  a  replica 
ot  the  College  mace  carved  ot  wood  saved  after  the  Wishington  Elm  was  cut 
down.  Furniture  maker  Frank  B.  Rhodes  Jr.,  Class  of  1 983,  crafted  that  mace.  He 
subsequently  used  wood  trom  the  Elm  to  build  a  lectern  decorated  with  the 
carved  College  seal,  and  presented  it  to  the  College  in  January  1999.  Former 
President  George  H.  W  Bush  was  the  first  College  guest  to  use  that  lectern. 


Opposite,  the  ]]'dsliiin;toii  Elm  not  only  iyniholi^cd  the  Colle{;c's 
liistolii  /)(;ij//;/;;';(i;.\  but  coinrycd  a  sense  of  phuc.  Students  enjoyed 
oiitdoot'  cliisses  under  its  hniiwhes,  found  ti  quiet  iviidiu};  spot  in  its 
shihie,  and  kissed  and  eouited  in  its  sluidows. 


1944 

October  20  •  The 
Modern  Language 
Department  opens  a 

lANGUAGE 

laboratory  in  the 

basement  of  william 

Smith  Hall. 

November  3  'The 

long-awaited 
College  museum 

OPENS  ON  the  second 

FLOOR  OF  THE 

LIBRARY. 

November  •  College 

TRUSTEES  accept  GIFT 

of  "The  Abbey,"  later. 

known  as  the 

Hynson-Ringgold 

House,  AS  home  for 

I'RESIDENT;W|LBUR  R. 

Hubbard  heal:)s 

group  acquiring  the 

18th-century 

structure. 


1945 


February  21  •  Hir.am 
S.  Brown,  nearing 
his  25th  ye.ar  as  a 

College  trustee  and 

23rd  year  as  Board 
chairman,  submits 

his  resignation, 
effective  when  his 

term  e.xpires  in  Iune. 

Fall  •  FtiR  the  first 
time  in  Colle(;e 
history,  students 
from  the  western 
shore  outnumber 

students  from 

the  Eastern  Shoi^, 

143-LVi. 


101 


Ode  to  the  Washington  Elm 


dear  old  tree. . . 

Try.  Please  fight  for  your  life. 

I,  We,  beseech  thee. 

Or  are  you  tired? 

Tired  of  bearing  the  brittle  weight  of  your  age 

and  of  listening  to  the  crackings  and  rattle  ot  your 

old  limbs; 
so  patient  and  tolerant  of  our  struggles 
to  keep  you. 

You  cannot  be  made  to  stay; 

already  you  have  graced  us  for  so  long. 

If  you  are  tired,  then  go... 

freed  from  the  stab  of  our  saws  and  the  indignity 

of  our  machines. 

You'U  no  longer  be  audience  to  the  dramas  we've 

unfolded 
beneath  your  green  curtain. 

Leave  us,  it  you  must. 

But  not  to  be  parceled  off  to  the  hard  white  skies 

of  laboratories, 

and  never  to  go  to  ash  in  some  unholy  fire  lit 

by  those 

who  do  not  know  you, 

respect  you, 

or  love  you, 

unconsecrated. 

Better  to  heave  one  last  sigh 

and  fall  to  ground  here. 

With  dedication  to  molder  to  earth  ...here, 

and  be  hallowed  still, 

forever. 


Tree  surgeons  take  down  the  diseased  Elm, 
limb  by  limb,  on  August  7,  l99LThey 
found  this  poem  piinied  to  tlie  tree. 


102 


The  Water  Tower 

/))'  Marshall  IVilUanis  M'92 

Williams  is  the  former  special  events  coordinator  at  the  College. 

A  WATER  TOWER  M  A  R  K  S  almost  every  town  on  the  Eastern  Shore.  In 
this  flat  and  lakeless  landscape  each  town's  tower  has  become  a  cherished 
landmark. Yet  Chestertown's  \\-ater  tower  has  been  more  closely  associated  with 
the  College  than  with  the  town. 

Built  in  1915,  the  80-foot  tall  tower  was  erected  on  College  Hill  to  take 
advantage  ot  its  situation  as  the  highest  point  m  town.  In  1915  the  tower  was  a 
lonely  structure  hovering  over  farmhouses  and  cornfields.  In  later  years  it  was 
crowded  by  an  expanding  campus.  Finally,  with  the  removal  of  Gibson  Avenue 
and  the  construction  ot  the  Eugene  B.  Casey  Academic  Center,  the  water  tower 
was  SL^ueezed  out  ot  existence  m  1990. 

In  Its  75  years  the  water  tower  was  a  tnendly  and  helptul  neighbor  tor  towns- 
people and  college  students  alike.  For  local  citizens  returning  from  a  trip,  the 
water  tower  was  the  tlrst  sign  that  Chestertown  was  near,  and  main-  tamilies 
would  make  a  game  ot  who  would  be  the  first  to  see  the  tower.  Now  the  cupola 
ot  the  Casey  Academic  Center,  almost  as  tall,  serves  the  same  purpose. 

For  college  students,  the  tower  served  as  a  billboard  to  adx^ertise  athletic 
scores,  fraterniU'  symbols,  and  all  manner  ot  friendly  and  not-so-tnendly  mes- 
sages. An  important  rite  ot  passage  tor  many  students  was  to  climb  the  tower's 
ladder  to  the  plattbrm  encircling  the  tank.  The  reward  was  an  unparalleled  view 
ot  the  College,  the  town,  and  the  Chester's  sweep  trom  Henderson's  Whart  to 
Devil's  Reach. 

The  very  brave  student  would  stand  on  the  silver  ball  at  the  \'ery  top,  but  sitting 
was  not  impossible.  Silk  parachutes,  water  bombs,  hats,  and  chickens  are  just  some 
ot  the  things  that  have  been  launched  from  the  tower  Banners  have  been  draped 
trom  the  top,  and  deer  have  been  hung  trom  its  lower  girders  by  student  hunters. 

In  the  193()s.  '40s.  and  '50s.  football  and  baseball  scores  dominated  the  water 
tower,  and  eveiyone  kiaew  they  could  get  the  latest  news  otWCs  exploits  on  the 
tield — both  home  and  away — by  checking  the  tower.  During  World  W;ir  II  the  pre- 
vailing message  was.  "Kilroy  Was  Here."  Later,  tower  decorarions  ran  to  ti-aternit\' 
adverrisements,and  the  Sigs  most  adventurously  made  a  habit  ot  climbing  to  the  ver\' 
top  ot  the  tower  and  painring  a  message  that  cotild  be  seen  only  by  airplane. 

Like  a  magnet,  the  water  tower  attracted  all  sorts  of  pranksters.  One  student  m 
the  1950s  taped  a  walkie-talkie  at  the  top  of  the  tower  and  frightened  passersby 
with  threats  of  "I'm  going  to  jump,  I'm  going  to  jump."The  police  and  tire  depart- 
ment arrived  and  eventually  discovered  the  hoax;  the  prankster  was  never  caught. 


1945 

October  •  College 

Board  creates 

POSITION  OF  Dean  of 

Men.appointsLt. 

Col.  ■■Co.'\ch"Tom 

KlBLER  TO  POST. 

November  1 2  •  The 

HoDSON  Trust 

pledges  S50,000  for  a 

new  dormitory. 

1946 

JA.\L'AR\-  111-  Citing 

HIGH  labor  and 

materlu  costs. 

President  Mead 

confides  to  trustees 

th.»iT  the  S50,000 

Hodson  Trust 

pledge  is  not 

enough  to  erect 

pl.anned  dormitory. 

March  2  •  Local 

FRATERNITY  PHI 

SiG.MA  Phi  installed 
AS  BETA  Eta  c;hapter 

OF  N.'iTIONAL 
FRATERNITY  THETA 

Chi. 

April  12  •  Barracks- 
like  structure  west 
OF  Dunning  Science 
Hall  is  built  to  help 

ALLEVLWE  STUDENT 

overcrowding. 

May  9  •  The 
re.activ.\ted  society 
OF  Sciences  .meets  in 

WlLLL\.\l  S.MITH  H.ALL 
with  ClUEST  Dr.  Le 

Baron  to  discuss 

clairvoyance, 
psychokinesis,  and 
menxu  telepathy. 


103 


Siirpiis!ii{;ly,  no  one  ii'iis  cri'i  hint  cliuihiiio  the  wdtcr  totiri:  It<  dciiiiic  icinscd 
an  ontci'Y  of  distnay  duiono  those  who  ionsidcird  it  a  friendly  ciuouipliiC  to 
tlic  c.\phiit<  of  tou'cr-chnihcrs  and  uiiiipm  artiiti  and  piiih^soplicrs  induloini; 
in  sclj-cxpicssion. 


104 


Perhaps  the  most  provocative  writing  on  the  tower  was  m  the  turbulent  vears 
of  desegregation  in  the  early  196(Js.  Volunteer  Freedom  Riders,  college  students 
canvassing  Southern  towns  promoting  desegregation,  based  themselves  at  the 
College  when  they  arrived  on  the  Eastern  Shore.  Disgrunded  protesters  climbed 
the  tower  with  additional  ladders  and  diligently  printed  "Booker T.Washington 
College"  in  perfect  lettering. 

How  \-ital  was  the  water  tower  to  the  academic  life  ofWiishmgton  College? 
Alumni  Director  P  Trams  Hollmgsworth  '75  remembers  a  science  professor  ask- 
ing students  to  determine  the  circumference  of  the  water  tower.  After  puzzling 
over  the  seemingly  impossible  task.  Trams  came  up  with  what  she  thought  was 
the  perfect  solution — she  climbeci  the  tower  and  measured  the  tank  with  a  tape. 

The  water  tower  has  played  an  active  role  m  the  romantic  life  of  students  as 
well.  Mike  Travieso  "66  describes  a  scene  with  his  girlfriend,  Bonnie  Abrams, 
following  a  college  dance.  "We  had  a  tight."  Mike  remembers,  "and  Bonnie  and 
I  were  really  mad  with  each  other.  So  to  protest.  I  climbed  up  the  tower — I'd 
never  climbed  it  betore.  I  went  all  the  \\ay  up,  to  the  ball  on  top,  and  started 
veiling  Bonnie's  name  over  the  campus.  I  guess  her  friends  went  to  get  her.  and 
she  came  out  and  got  me  to  come  down,  and  we  made  up."  Mike  and  Bonnie, 
both  attorneys,  were  married  on  July  5,  1968. 

Chas.  Foster  '89  climbed  the  water  tower  many  times  making  experiments 
with  grattiti,  posters,  and  banners  hung  trom  the  side.  He  would  gallantlv  otter  to 
pamt  women's  names  up  on  the  tower,  and  after  seeing  the  movie  "Ferris  Bueller's 
Dav  Oft,"  Chas.  undertook  to  write  "Cathy  Jewell  is  a  Righteous  Babe"  as  a 
token  of  aftection  tor  his  girltriend. 

To  pamt  this  message  abo\"e  all  the  other  graffiti  covering  the  side  ot  the  tank, 
Chas  fashioned  a  spray-paint  holder  out  of  a  broom  handle  with  lengths  ot  string 
to  activate  the  pamt  can.  He  made  it  as  tar  as  "Cathy Jewell  is  a  Righteous  B..." 
when  the  string  broke.  Rather  than  embarrass  or  anger  his  girlfriend  with  this 
c^uestionable,  unfinished  statement,  Chas.  chmbed  up  and  stood  on  the  top  ot  the 
railing  that  encircles  the  tower  to  complete  his  message.  "I  guess  that  was  pretty 
stupid,"  he  says  looking  back  on  this  foolish  braver\-.  "Any\\ay,  Cathy  said  the 
whole  thing  was  pretty  stupid.  She  would  tien\'  that  it  was  about  her."They,  too, 
were  later  married. 

On  the  eve  of  the  tower's  demise,  three  students  claimed  to  be  the  last  to 
climb  the  water  tower.  On  April  11.1 990.  Don  Steele  '*->  1  .Jeff  Heubeck  "9 1 ,  and 
Mike  Gaucher  "91  climbed  the  tower  laeider  up  to  the  tank,  which  had  already 
lost  its  roof.  They  tbndly  touched  the  belly  of  the  tank  and  climbed  back  down. 
"It  was  one  ot  the  best."  savs  Steele.  "When  we  got  down  we  saw  a  window 
open  in  the  new  Academic  Center.  We  went  inside  and  climbeci  up  to  the 
cupola,  where  the  view  is  almost  as  good  as  from  the  tower.  We  thought  maybe 
we'd  started  a  ne\\'  tradition."  Iw| 


1946 

M.^'>■  2.T  •  Trustees 

INCREASE  S.^LARY 

SCALE  BY  15  PERCENT; 

FULL  PROFESSORS  TO 

RECEIVE  $3,450, 

ASSISTANT  PROFESSORS 

S2,875,AND 
i.nstructorss2.185. 

September  23  • 
classes  for  tfle  new 
term  begin  with  450 
students  enrolled. 

October  29  • 
fi-caternity  council 

vcites  to  allow 

women  to  visit  frat 

houses  between  2:30 

.\ND  7:00  Sunday 

afternoons. 

provided 

chaperones  are 

PRESENT. 

Halloween  •  A 

student  climbs  the 

water  tc1wer  and 

le.aves  a  large  image 

of  the  chai-cacter 

Kjlroy. 

G.I.  Hall  opens  to 

ACCOi\LMOD.^TE  50 
W.AR  VETERANS  WHCl 

RWE  ENROLLED 
UNDER  THE  C.I.  BILL. 


105 


Celebrating  Our  Past 


There  aye  iiumy  colle<^es  ami  uiiirersities 
associared  with  Geoive  Washiiiotoii,  yet 
Washington  College  is  the  only  one  to  which 
Anierica's  founding  father  gave  his  name  while 
he  was  liring  It  also  has  the  distinction  of  being 
the  only  college  on  whose  hoard  he  served. 
Chartered  in  I  782  under  his  patronage,  it  is  the 
first  college  founded  in  the  new  nation.  ]]lth  his 
death  in  1799,  George  Washington  was  revered 
as  an  heroic  soldier  and  political  leader  of  humble 
character,  and  innnediately  achieved  a  kind  of 
iumiortality  as  an  American  symbol.  As  the 
nation  commemorated  the  milestones  of  his  life — 
his  birth  and  death  and  legacy,  so  too  did 
1 1  dshington  College. 


Rememberins  the  Ties  that  Bind 


THE  YEAR  1932  marked  two  important  dates  in  the  history  ofWash- 
ington  College — the  2()()th  anniversary  of  the  birth  ot  George  Wash- 
ington, and  the  15l)th  annu'ersary  of  the  Colleges  founding.  At  Presi- 
dent Titsworth's  urging,  the  celebrations  were  held  on  the  same  day,  June  11, 
1932.  Kent  County  was  particularly  interested  in  participating  in  this  celebration 
because  of  its  close  relationship  with  George  Washington. 


106 


A  aiiiico  of  Gcoi\;v\]lisliiii'^toii  wdi  pivsciitcil 
to  the  Collc{;c  by  Baron  Iviaiciick  I'oii  Prittwit: 
mid  Gdffivii,  Geniuin  diiihdisddor  to  tlic  Viiitcd  States 
on  the  occasion  oj  the  College's  1 50th  aniiii'eisdiy. 


1947 

N(.>vEMBER  1  •  Coach 

Tom  Kibler's 

retirement  i'arty 

dr_aws  a  crowd  of 

250,  including 
Brooklyn  Dodger 
it-lesident  branch 
Rr:key  and  rwo  of 

Kibler's  former 

STARS,  Chicago  Cubs 

outfielder  bill 

Nicholson  and 

Milwaukee  Brewers 

general  manager 

Jake  Flowers. 


Records  indicate  thatNX/^ishmgton  visited  Kent  Counr\'  eight  tunes  when  he 
was  travehng  trom  Mount  Vernon  to  points  on  the  northeastern  seaboard.  The 
route  through  Kent  County  was  considered  a  more  direct  route  than  one  north 
ot  the  Elk  River.  Leaving  MountVernon.Wishington  traveled  to  Annapolis,  where 
he  boarded  a  boat  tor  Rock  Hall  in  southwestern  Kent  Count\',  From  there  he 
would  set  out  northeastward,  stopping  at  New  Town  (Chestertown)  tor  a  meal 
or  for  the  night.  From  New  Town  he  proceeded  to  Downs  Cross  Roads  (Ga- 
lena), then  to  Georgetown  on  the  Sassatras  River,  his  last  stop  m  Kent  County. 
Leaving  Georgetown  he  would  cross  the  river  to  Fredericktown  m  Cecil  Count)'. 
From  Fredericktown  he  traveled  to  Wanvick,  Delaware,  on  his  way  to  New 
Castle,  Delaware. 

The  sescjuicentennial  events  were  scheduled  tor  the  morning  as  a  part  of 
commencement  exercises.  The  afternoon  was  reserved  for  the  bicentennial,  and 
county  residents  participated  m  the  pageantry  of  the  celebration.  To  create  an 
atmosphere  reminiscent  ot  the  colonial  period,  everyone  was  asked  to  wear  co- 
lonial dress  throughout  the  perioci  of  the  celebrations. 

The  opening  event  was  a  colonial  ball  held  in  the  gymnasium  on  Friday 
evening. The  hall  was  decorated  to  resemble  the  garden  and  tre^nt  porch  ot  Mount 
Vernon,  The  evening  program  began  with  a  graceful  exhibition  ot  two  minuets 
and  a  gavotte  by  College  seniors.  Following  this,Titsworth,  representing  William 
Smith,  placed  a  crown  on  the  head  of  Miss  Elizabeth  Brice,  Class  ot  1932,  se- 
lected to  represent  the  colonial  beauts^  Betty  Fairfax,  This  was  tollowed  by  an 
evening  of  modern  dancing. 

The  following  morning,  the  College  graeluation  exercises  duplicated  as 
nearly  as  possible  those  of  the  College's  tirst  Commencement  in  May  1783, 


Fall  •  Alpha  Omega 
Nu  fraternity 

FORMS  CAMI'US 
CHAPTER, 

1948 

May  5  •  Aleivf  coeds 
in  Reil)  Hall  helf 

police  nab  a 

California  woman 

who,  posing  as  a 

student,  has  made 

her  way  thri1ugh  six 

colleges  stealing 

money,  clothes,  and 

JEWELRY. 


1949 

Mari.:h  17  •  Film  and 
stage  actor  hume 

Cronyn  is  on 

campus  to  perform 

the  lead  role  in 

Hamlet. 


107 


The  JOOth  diiiiivcridiY  of  GiWiic  l\d<liiiiotoii's  hirih  in  1932 
ami  the  1 50th  diiiiiirrsiiry  of  the  Colk]'^e'i  fouiidiiii^  was  a 
coiiiiiinnity  affair,  drairiiio  hiiiit'lretii  of  speetators. 


108 


Forty-one  graduates  were  awareled  their  diplomas.  Addresses  were  delivered  by 
Governor  Albert  C.  Ritchie;  Dr.  Ray  Lyman  Wilbur,  Secretary  of  the  Interior; 
and  Baron  Friecierick  von  Prittwitz  und  Gaffron,  German  ambassador  to  the 
United  States. 

The  afternoon  was  devoted  to  sketches  portraying  the  life  of  Washington. 
The  program  opened  with  a  parade  of  floats,  each  relating  some  phase  in 
Washington's  lite.  Arriving  on  campus,  children  from  the  various  schools  in  the 
county'  presentecl  short  plays  reminiscent  ofWashington's  visits  to  Kent  County. 
Finally,  students  ofWashington  College  reenacted  a  portion  of  the  play  Giistaviis 
lasa,  which  was  played  tor  Washington  m  17(S4  when  he  visited  the  College. 
In  concluding  its  account  ot  the  various  activities  associated  with  the  celebra- 
tions, the  Cliesterhvi'ii  Eiifcrpiisc  wrote: 

The  various  committees,  which  haci  in  charge  the  etetail  work  ot  the 
celebration,  deserve  the  thanks  and  appreciation  ot  the  citizens  ot  Kent, 
but,  atter  all,  one  man  and  one  man  alone  stands  out  as  the  guiding  spirit 
behind  both  celebrations  and  to  him  Kent  Countians  should  pay  a  just 
tribute. 

Since  coming  to  Chestertown  as  the  head  ot  Wishmgton  College 
some  years  ago.  Dr.  Paul  E.Titsworth  has  made  things  hum  at  the  old 
institution  on  the  hill  and  gradually  his  enthusiasm  and  pep  have  spread 
to  Chestertown  and  Kent  Countv. 


Stiiiinits  ill  period  costiiiiics  pciioriii  ii  loloiiidl  lidinr  ciiniin> 
the  200tli  diiiiirciiiiiy  cckiinition  of  Wa.'^liiiii^loii'i  biitli. 


1949 

August  K)  •  Colleoe 
alumni  urge 

ELECTION  OLj. 

Thcimas  "Cc^ach" 
kibler  to  succeelt 
the  late  gilbert  w. 

Mead  as  College 
president. 

September  23  • 
Construction  is 

completed  on 
Gai^rett  Foxwell 
Hall,  a  one-story 

dormitory  on 

Campus  Avenue 
OPPOSITE  G.I.  Hall. 

1950 

April  1  •  Board 

ELECTS  Captain 

Custer  as  College 

president. 

M.AY  4  •  Colonel 

Hiram  S.Brown, 

Class  OF  I'xiii, 

CHAIRMAN  of  THE 
BtlARD  AND  A 

longtime 

"watchdog"  of 

College  financial 

stability.  L1IES  BY  HIS 
OWN  HAND. 

M.AY  6  •  Unwilling 

TO  accept 

conditions 

presented  by 

Captain  Custer, 

Board  negates  his 

election  as  new 

College  president. 


109 


Actiiti^  President  Garry  CLirkc  (left,  tihiiii;  Ciimcra),  Board 
Chairman  Loins  L.  Goldstein,  Bieeiiteiinial  eo-cliairs  P  /. 
]]lii{;ate  'JJ  and  Professor  Peter'Fapke  (droppin{;  //i(i,'A  ami 
Miiliael  Macielax  '73  (lioldin<^  flaoj  were  anion^i  tliose 
attendin{;  the  closing;  ceremony  of  the  bicentennial  eelehration. 


110 


Bicentennial  Celebration  Reflects  Colonial  Heritage 


CELEBRATIONS  COMMEMORATING  the  200th  anniversary  of  the 
tounding  ofWashington  College  began  with  a  ceremonial  flag-raising  on 
the  campus  lawn  on  October  I  1 ,  1  ')<S  1 .  and  ended  with  the  flash  and  thunder  of 
more  than  two  hundred  fireworks  m  the  evening  skies  over  Chestertown  on 
May  15,1982. 

Despite  a  touch  ot  sadness — -Joseph  H.  McLaiii,  the  College  alumnus  and 
president  who  had  eagerly  anticipated  the  occasion,  had  died  two  months  ear- 
lier— the  celebration  was  filled  with  tanfare  and  festivit\'  enough  tc>  compensate 
for  a  centennial  anniversary  that  had  passed  quietly  due  to  financial  constraints. 

The  flag-raising  was  conducted  by  Maryland  Governor  Harry  Hughes,  Act- 
ing College  President  Garry  Clarke,  Student  Government  Association  President 
Arlene  Lee,  and  Alumni  Association  President  Michael  Macielag.  Representa- 
tives trom  forty  colleges  and  umwrsities  and  twenty-three  learned  societies, 
churches,  and  civic  organizations  participated. 

To  the  accompaniment  ot  the  Tench  Tilghman  File  and  Drum  Corps  of 
Chestertown  and  the  Denny  anci  Dunipace  Pipe  Band,  a  procession  of  College 
officials,  alumni,  taculrv',  stutients  and  guests  made  its  way  ciown  College  Avenue 
to  Emmanuel  Episcopal  Church  for  a  convocation  to  honor  William  Smith, 
College  founder  and  first  president.  Smith's  Scottish  heritage  was  underscoreci 
by  the  appearance  ot  Sir  Eraser  Noble,  principal  and  vice  chancellor  ot  the  Uni- 
versity ofAberdeen.  Noble  and  Whitfield J.  Bell  jr., a  Benjamin  Franklin  scholar, 
were  granted  honorary  degrees. 

Nine  speakers  addressed  the  Convocation  crowd.  Among  them  was  Mary- 
land Comptroller  and  College  Board  Chairman  Louis  L.  Goldstein,  who  an- 
nounceci  that  the  state  had  agreed  to  provide  funding  for  the  renovation  ot  the 
historic  Hill  dorms. The  College,  again  experiencing  money  woes,  had  recently 
launched  a  tund-raising  campaign  with  a  goal  ot  more  than  ten  million  dollars. 

Other  activities  of  the  day  inclucied  a  visit  to  Chestertown  by  the  Pride  of 
Biiltiinon\A  replica  nineteenth-century  clipper,  the  tlrst  ot  the  "Meaning  ot  Free- 
dom" lecture  series,  an  exhibition  of  the  photographs  of  Constance  Stuart  Larrabee, 
an  alumni  lacrosse  game,  and  a  soccer  game.  The  annual  homecoming  weekend 
was  combined  with  the  opening  of  the  Bicentennial  celebration. 

During  the  next  seven  months,  many  ot  the  College's  cultural  and  academic 
events  were  linked  to  the  bicentennial. The  Sophie  Kerr  Committee  brought  to 
campus  such  noted  writers  as  W.S.  Menviii,  Edward  Albee.John  Barth.  and  Ri- 
chard Wilbur.  William  Colby,  Central  Intelligence  Agency  director,  came  to  the 
campus  to  speak,  as  did  former  Iran  hostage  Bruce  Laingen.The  College  Music 


1950 

June  .1  •  Bi  >ard 

unanimously  elects 

Dr.  Daniel  Z.  Gibson, 

formerly  dean  at 

Franklin  AND 
Marshall  College, 

AS  COLLEr;E 

president. 


1952 

May  31   •  PRESIDENT 

Daniel  Gibson 

recommends  that 

C'ollege  diploma  be 

made  of  real 

sheepskin. 


1953 

March  14  •  College 
Board  reacts  to 
Congressional 

INVESTIG.WICIN  of 

communist 
infiltration  into 
higher  education 

WI  I  H  statement  THAT 
NO  one  with 

"communist  or 
other  totalitarian 

TIES"  is  on  campus. 

June  1  •  Amendment 

TO  OiLLEGE  CHARTER, 
SIC;NED  INTO  LAW  BY 

Gov  .Theodore  R. 
McKeldin,  increases 
Board  membership 

FROM  25  TO  ih. 


Ill 


Department  conducted  two  outdoor  "Bach's  Lunch"  concerts  and  the  Drama 
Department  produced  plays  by  Landford  Wilson  and  R.  B.  Sheridan. 

In  the  midst  of  the  celebration,  trustees  elected  Douglass  Cater  new  College 
president,  although  he  was  not  inaugurated  until  October,  several  months  after 
the  oftlcial  close  of  the  bicentennial  celebration. 

The  May  15,  1982,  fireworks  display — a  $10,000  spectacle  featuring  colorful 
weeping  \\illow  anci  humming  bird  rockets — was  dedicated  to  the  memory  of 
Joseph  H.  McLam,  an  expert  m  the  field  ot  pyrotechnics. 


Remembering  the  Legacy  of  George  Washington 


TUX'O  HUNDRED  Y  E  AR  S  after  his  death,  the  College  community  sought 
to  dispel  the  myths  surrounding  George  Wiishington  and  to  come  to  a  greater 
understanding  ot  the  man  s  true  character  and  motivaticin.  As  the  College  launched 
a  $72  million  Campaign  for  Washington's  College  to  underwrite  its  future,  it 
embarked  on  an  18-month-long  examination  of  his  life  and  his  immense  influ- 
ence on  our  identit)'  as  a  nation  and  as  a  college  ot  the  liberal  arts  and  sciences. 

"He  was  a  man  of  diverse  achievements  as  a  surveyor,  commander,  statesman, 
architect,  farmer,  and  philanthropist,"  remarked  College  President  John  Toll. 

Through  a  series  ot  lectures  and  exhibits  that  began  in  September  1998,  the 
College  commumtv'  came  to  know  him  m  all  those  roles.  Among  those  Washmg- 
tonian  historians  and  writers  \vho  visited  campus  were  Robert  and  Lee  Dalzell, 
Doris  Kearns  Goodwin,  R.  Don  Higginbotham,  Charlene  Bangs  Bicktord,  Wil- 
liam Martin,  and  Richard  Norton  Smith.  George  and  Barbara  Bush  and  John  F. 
Kennedy  Jr.  also  paid  homage  to  Washington  during  their  campus  visits. 

At  the  Fall  Convocarion  m  September  1998  Smith  shared  some  revelations  about 
the  nation's  first  President.  Washington's  penchant  for  cracking  Brazil  nuts  with  his 
teeth  was  at  the  root  of  his  dental  problems.  Early  American  dentists  ill-fitted  him 
with  false  teeth  made  ot  hippt:)potamus  tusk,  not  wood,  and  he  dosed  himself  with 
laucianum.  an  opium  deruative.  tor  the  constant  pain. Washington  liimself  disproved 
the  sentimental  tale  of  a  youth  hurling  a  silver  dollar  across  the  wide  Rappahannock 
River,  for  no  man  was  less  inclined  to  throw  money  away.  Most  significantly.  Smith 
said,  George  Washington  not  only  told  lies,he  lived  them,  by  convincing  everyone  he 
was  no  politician. Washington  was  the  narion's  first  actor-president. 

In  his  book  Patriarch:  Georj^c  IVashiiiotoii  and  the  Ncii'  American  Nation,  Smith 
portrays  Washington  as  a  politically  judicious  statesman  who  met  enormous  chal- 


lenges.  "In  short,  George  Washington  was  a  strong  leader  of  a  weak  nation," 
Smith  said.  "His  vision  of  the  American  repubhc  was  in  many  ways  an  extension 
o{  his  own  character.  Because  he  credited  harsh  self-disciphne  in  reahzing  his 
personal  destiny,  he  embraced  an  energetic  government  as  the  only  means  of 
protecting  the  American  union  from  tlying  apart.  Because  he  balanced  executive 
vigor  with  personal  restraint,  he  gave  us  a  government  strong  enough  to  lead  and 
wise  enough  to  listen." 

The  letters  and  personal  effects  ot~Washington  also  provided  insight  into 
his  character.  Through  a  partnership  with  the  Mount  Vernon  Ladies  Society,  the 
College  hosted  receptions  tor  alumni  and  tViends  to  \'iew  the  trax^eling  exhibits: 
"Treasures  h'om  Mt. Vernon;  George  Washington  Revealed"  and  "George  Wish- 
ington:The  Man  Behind  the  Mask"  at  the  New-York  Historical  Societ\'  and  at 
the  Virginia  Historical  Society  in  Richmond. 

Former  First  Lady  ot  Virginia  Jeannie  Baliles  '62  remarked,  "These  exhibits 
at  the  Historical  Society  ottered  manv  illustratic^ns  ot  George  Washington's  dedi- 
cation to  the  education  of  American  citizens.  Washington  College  alumni  are 
proud  ot  their  unicjue  relationship  with  the  father  of  our  country.  Lm  also  con- 
tldent  that  George  Washington  would  be  proud  of  our  College  and  its  217-year 
legacy  of  educating  students  tor  leadership  roles." 

On  Wishmgton's  birthday  m  Februai"y  1999,  presidential  historian  Dons  Kearns 
Goodwin  otfered  a  walking  tour  ot  presidential  history,  with  anecdotes  and  per- 
sonal gUmpses  ofWashmgton,  Lincoln,  FDR,  Lyndon  Johnson,  and  Bill  Clinton. 

George  Washington's  regal  bearing  brought  instant  tjmi'/to-  to  the  tledgling 
oftlce  of  president,  she  remarked.  She  corroborated  Smith's  \'iew  ot  Washington 
as  a  pohtically  savA'-y  man  who  publicly  distanced  himselt  from  politics.  "The 
president  must  be  above  politics  yet  intensely  political,"  she  said.  "Only  the  great 
presidents  |like  George  Washington]  have  been  able  to  hold  within  themselves 
those  contradictorv  demands." 


Both  u'cir  war  Iteros,  both  served  as  President  of  the 

United  States,  and  both  are  recognized  for  their 

intei^rity  as  true  men  of  honor  But  only  my  Geor^ie  has 

jumped  out  of  an  airplane  at  12,500  feet. 

Barbara  Pierce  Bush,  in  noting  the  similarities  between  "my  George  and 

your  George"  during  Winter  Convocation  in  January  1999.  She  and  her 

husband  were  awarded  honorary  doctor  of  public  ser\nce  degrees. 


1954 

June  5  •  Board 
ChaifuvianJohn  H. 
Hessey  announces  a 

s75,000  gift  from 
Glenn  L.  Martin  for 
construction  of  a 

NEW  women's 
RESIDENCE  HALL; 
COLONIAL-STYLE 

DORM  WIIJ   BE  NAMED 

MiNiA  Martin  Hall 

AFTER  THE  DONOR'S 
MOTHER. 

C)t:TonER  2,1  •  Board 
agrees  to  move 
snac:k  bar  from 

basement  of  william 
Smith  Hall  to 

basement  ( )f  hodson 

HALL. 


1955 


January  29  •  College 

joins  student 

exchange  program 

with  100  other 
schools,  allowing 
children  of  faculty 
to  attend  nlember 
schools  tuition- 
FREE. 

October  22  •  B<,)Ard 

LEARNS  TH.AiT 

President  Daniel 
Gibson  has  declined 

OFFER  to  be 

president  OF 

Martha  Washinc;ton 

college;  increases 

his  salary  by  s2,000; 

MiNTA  Martin  Hall 

IS  dedic:ated. 


113 


JFK  Jr.  Encourages  Graduates  to 
Pursue  Lives  of  Service 

John  F.  Kennedy  Jr.,  founding  editor  of  George 
magazine,  caused  a  flurry  ot  media  attention  on 
campus  when  he  appeared  during  Commencement 
ceremonies  on  May  23.  1999. Tragically,  it  was  one 
of  his  last  public  appearances  before  he  was  killed 
in  a  plane  crash  in  July  1999. 

The  seniors  cheered  loudly  when  Kennedy 
described  his  "little  epiphany"  that  morning.  "Here 
I've  named  my  magazine  after  you,  you've  got  this 
nice  town  KennedyviUe  down  the  road,  and  I'm 
thinking:  why  didn't  I  go  to  Washington  College?  " 

Kennedy  was  awarded  a  citation  for  his  charitable 
work  with  Reaching  Up,  a  nonprofit  organization 
he  founded  that  helps  tram  and  educate  the  work- 
ing poor  in  order  to  advance  their  careers  m 
providing  health  services  for  people  with  disabili- 


ties. Kennedy  praised  Wash- 
ington College  students  for 
their  own  acts  of  service — 
tutoring  schoolchildren, 
volunteering  for  Casey  Time, 
maintaining  trails  and 
beaches,  and  volunteering 
with  Special  Olympics. 

"  You  have  learned  a  great 
deal  at  this  college,  but  your 
learning  must  continue  to  be 
a  lifelong  experience  that  is 
informed  by  your  direct 
involvement  in  the  lives  of 
your  fellow  citizens," 
Kennedy  said.  "As  George 

Washington  wrote  dozens  of  times  over  and  over  to 
practice  his  penmanship  when  he  was  a  young  man, 
'Labor  to  keep  alive  in  your  breast  that  little  spark 
of  celestial  fire  called  conscience.'"  [Wj 


During  Reunion  1999  weekend,  military  iTistorian  R.  Donaki  Higginbotham 
gave  a  lecture  focusing  on  Washington's  remarkable  abilities  to  hold  together  a 
ragtag  army  and  a  struggHng  new  nation.  "His  army  became  a  band  of  brothers. 
The  army  was  the  mcist  visible  symbol  ot  units'  tor  the  country,"  he  remarked. 
"In  the  same  way,  he  sought  to  unifv'  the  13  states  by  cementing  ties  and  em- 
phasizing'union'  as  a  dominant  message." 

In  September  1999,  the  College  organized  an  exhibition  of  material  from 
the  National  Numismatic  Collection  of  the  Smithsonian's  National  Museum 
ot  American  History,  which  surveyed  images  ot  George  Washington  on  cur- 
renc)'  from  the  time  ot  the  United  States'  founding  to  the  post-Civil  War  pe- 
riod. Featured  m  the  exhibition  were  an  English  guinea  and  a  recent  issue  of 
the  U.S.  Mint  ot  a  com  commemorating  the  2()()th  annuersary  otW^ashington's 
death. 

The  practice  ot  using  the  image  otAVashington  reflects  the  enormous  admi- 
ration 19th-century  Americans  hati  for  their  first  president  and  his  broad  appeal 
as  an  icon  tor  various  ideologies,  noted  Donald  A.  McColl,  the  assistant  professor 


114 


of  art  history  at  Washington  College  who  curated  the  exhibition  with  the  assis- 
tance of  students  from  the  departments  of  art  and  history.  McColl  also  arranged 
a  visit  by  noted  art  historian  Christopher  Johns,  who  gave  a  presentation  on  the 
neoclassical  image  ot  George  W^ishmgton. 

From  Indian  Peace  medals  to  Civil  War  "dog  tags,"Washington  has  been  seen 
as,  among  other  things.  Pater  Patriae,  new  Cincinnatus,  friend  of  commerce,  and 
model  ot  temperance.  At  the  same  time,  his  changing  image  bears  witness  to  a 
progi"ession  m  the  quality  ot  American  currency  from  the  period  of  dominance 
of  British  and  other  mints  to  the  time  when  the  United  States  boasted  some  of 
the  finest  designers,  engravers,  and  die  cutters  m  the  world. 

Audiences  also  learned  a  lot  about  George  Washington  and  early  American 
culture  by  looking  at  Mount  Vernon.  Robert  and  Lee  Dalzell,  the  co-authors 
ot  George  Wasiiingtou's  Mount  lemon:  At  Home  in  Rerolutionary  America,  talked 
about  the  significance  ot  Mount  Vernon  in  shaping  a  new  nation.  By  portray- 
ing Washington  at  home  as  he  designed  and  shaped  Mount  Vernon  to  meet  his 
needs,  the  Dalzells  prox'ided  unexpected  insights  into  his  prixate  and  public 
personas. 

"There  is  nothing  casual  or  random  about  Mount  Vernon,"  the  Dalzells  said. 
"It  Its  individual  parts  tail  to  cohere,  one  still  senses  that  each  ot  them  was  thor- 
oughly thought  out;  that  alternatives  were  considered  and  rejected;  that  what  we 
see  is  what  we  were  meant  to  see.  And  because  ot  this,  the  place  does  seem  to 
speak  of  the  man  whose  will,  choices,  and  objectives  did  so  much  to  give  it  shape, 
and  who  was  himself,  after  all,  a  singularly  complex  human  being." 

Historical  fiction  writer  William  Martin  shared  some  lively  stories  from  his 
book  Citizen  Washington.  This  account  ot  a  young  reporter's  search  to  discover 
George  Wishington's  true  nature  shortly  after  Wishingtons  death  introduces  read- 
ers to  many  characters  who  had  obser\'ed"America"s  first  ictin."  His  interviewees 
range  from  Jacob,  a  slave  at  Mount  Vernon,  to  such  famous  figures  as  AJe.xander 
Hamilton,  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette,  and  even  Lady  Washington.  Martin  pieces 
together  a  wide-lens,  multitaceted  portrait  of  citizen  Wishmgton,  speaking  through 
the  voices  of  his  various  "testifiers." 

The  scope  of  the  Washington  celebration  included  music  and  dance  as  well 
as  history.The  Washington  College  Concert  Series  offered  a  concert  ot  colonial 
music.  The  historical  dance  ensemble  Choregraphie  Antique  ot  Goucher  Col- 
lege and  the  Early  Music  Ensemble  ofTowson  State  University  performed  a 
program  ot  dance  and  music  popular  during  George  Washington's  lifetime. 

The  celebration  cuhninated  on  December  14,  1999 — the  200th  anniversary 
of  Washington's  death,  with  a  bell-ringing  and  the  presentation  ot  a  wreath  be- 
fore the  bust  of  George  Washln^ton,  a  eift  of  the  Class  of  20(10.53 


1956 

January  23  • 

Sculptor  Lee  Lawrie 

offers  seven-foot 

plaster  statue  of 

George  Washington 

FROM  WHICH  a 

MARBLE  STATUE  WAS 

MADE  FOR 

Washington 

CATHEDRj\L. 

Cathedral  has 

granted  PERA4ISSION 

to  cast  bronze 

statue  of 

Washington  which 

Lawrie  intends  to 

I'BiSENT  to  College. 

April  7  •  Top  faculty 

SALARY  for  A  FULL 

PROFESSOR  INCREASES 

FROM  S6,500  TO 

maximum  of  $7,500. 

June  2  'With 

completion  of 

RUSSELL  Gymnasium, 

Board  decides  that 

ALL  student  dances 

WILL  BE  held  on 

CAMPUS. 

December  1  •  The 

opening  of  the  new 

5325,000  Russell 

Gymnasium  is 

marked  by  a  game 

between  the  varsity 

basketball  squad 

and  returning 

alumni  stars. 


115 


The  Early  Presidents 


It  took  more  than  a  hundred  years  to  biiiUi  a 
viahk'  institution.  Without  the  status  of  the  state 
or  national  university  that  George  Washington 
and  WiUiain  Smith  etnnsioned,  the  tiny  college 
on  Maryland's  Eastern  Shore  struggled  to 
surt'ii'e.  Because  of  its  geographic  isolation  and 
the  difficulty  of  travel,  the  College  was  removed 
from  the  world.  Thanks  to  the  sheer 
determination  of  its  presidents,  Washington 
College  persevered.  With  the  inauguration  of 
President  Gilbert  Mead  in  1933, growing 
academic  programs,  and  the  subsequent  visits  of 
two  sitting  United  States  presidents,  the  College 
gained  greater  respectability. 


Overleaf:  FaciiUy  and  Board 
members  proiced  to  ]]'illiaiii 
Smith  Hall  for  the  April  II. 
1924,  iiiainJiiration  of  Paul 
E.  Titsu'orth,  believed  to  be 
the  first  such  formal 
ceremony  of  its  kind  in 
]]'ashiii{;ton  Collci^e  history. 


Colin  Ferguson  Witnesses  Decline 

ON  A  I'  R  I  L  I  0  .  17  9  2,  Dunlap's  Aiiicrlcaii  Daily  Advertiser  earned  a 
iiotiee  that  the  Washington  College  trustees  planned  to  elect  a  princi- 
pal and  some  professors  "on  the  first  Tuesday  of  May  next."The  Board 
met  on  that  day  and  elected  Colin  Ferguson.  It  would  be  his  misfortune  to 
witness,  less  than  a  decade  later,  a  precipitous  decline  in  the  College's  fortunes. 


118 


Colin  Fci\iiisoii,  ilioini  in  j  period  sillioncllc, 
was  president  hctiivcn  179.^  and  1805. 


Ferguson  was  a  respected  scholar  well-known  to  the  Board,  ha\'nig  been  a 
member  ot  the  tactilt}'  as  professor  ot  languages,  mathematics,  and  natural  philoso- 
phy. In  addition,  he  also  served  as  vice  principal  and  for  a  time  performed  the  duties 
ot  treasurer.  In  1783  he  was  the  recipient  ot  the  honorary  degree  ot  Master  ot  Arts, 
which  was  conterred  upon  him  on  the  occasion  ot  the  College "s  first  commence- 
ment. He  was  again  honoreci  in  1787  when  the  College  conferred  upon  him  the 
honorarv'  degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity.  He  had  completed  his  academic  studies  at 
the  University'  of  Edinburgh,  uncier  the  patronage  ot  his  local  school  master,  and 
had  studied  theology  under  College  founder  Dr,  William  Smith.  When  he  was 
admitted  to  the  priests  orciers  in  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  on  August  5, 
1785,  the  Rrght  Reverend  Bishop  Seabury  conducted  the  ordination  services. 

As  president,  Ferguson  faced  a  series  of  tinancial  crises  that  threatened  to 
close  the  College,  the  most  serious  coming  in  1805. The  withdrawal  of  the  state's 
grant  torced  the  Visitors  and  Governors  to  dismiss  all  but  one  protessor. 


i960 

M.^Y  1 1  •  U.S. 

Senator  John  F. 

Kennedy,  SEEKING  the 

Democratic 

presidential 

NOMINATION,  opens 

His  Maryland 

CAMPAIGN  WITH  A 

SPEECH  IN  Russell 
Gy.mnasium. 

September  22  • 

Nearly  500 
students — the 

largest  ENROLLMENT 

IN  College  history 

EXCEPTING  THE  POST- 

WORLDW.AiR  II 

BOOM — REGISTER  FOR 

THE  NEW  SEMESTER. 


I96I 


M.arch  25  •  Board 

approves 

expenditures  for 

laying  sidewalk 

from  rear  of  s.mith 

h.all  to  north  door 

OF  LIBR.M-i.Y  .^ND 
ERECTING  FIRE 

ESCAPES  ON  Somerset 

HOUSE  AND  Hill 

dorms. 

June  3  •  College 
administrators 

RESOLVE  to  boost 

STUDENT  ENROLLMENT 

TO  750. 


119 


Soon  after  that  decision.  Dr.  Ferguson  resigned,  retiring  to  liis  farm  in  Kent 
County.  Several  months  later  he  suffered  a  stroke  and  died  on  March  1 0,  1 8(  16,  at 
age  55.  He  was  interred  on  his  Kent  County  farm  near  Galena. 

Who  succeeded  the  Reverend  Ferguson  as  College  principal?  RowlandWatts, 
Class  ot  1886,  wrote  in  a  historical  sketch  of  the  school — based  on  word-of- 
inouth  accounts,  no  doubt — that  the  man  who  shouldered  the  responsibility'  of 
keeping  the  school  open  was  Reverend  Ferguson's  nephew,  also  named  Colin 
Ferguson. 

Gilbert  W.  Mead,  president  of  the  College  from  1933  to  1949,  concluded 
that  Hugh  McGuire  held  that  position  during  the  years  1813  to  1815.  McGuire 
was  a  man  of  considerable  teaching  experience,  having  conducted  several  schools 
of  his  cnvn  as  well  as  having  taught  at  St.  John's  College  for  six  years. 


Francis  Waters  Pushes  for  Iniproveinents 

ONE  INDIVIDUAL — the  Reverend  Francis  Waters — holds  the  distinc- 
tion of  having  been  president  ofWishington  CoUege  twice,  from  1818  to 
1823  and  from  1854  to  1860. 

Waters  was  principal  ot"Washington  Academy  in  Somerset  County,  where  he 
had  studied  as  a  hoy,  when  he  accepted  his  first  College  appointment.  He  had 
earned  a  bachelor  of  arts  degree  at  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  m  1810.  Upon 
completing  his  studies,  he  entered  the  law  office  ot  Judge  Whittington,  in  Snow 
Hill,  Maryland,  where  he  proceeded  to  read  law;  however,  he  abandoned  the  law 
as  a  career  to  enter  the  Christian  ministry.  Waters  was  an  active  member  of  the 
Methodist  Church.  In  1814,  he  was  prevailed  upon  to  accept  the  appointment  at 
Washington  Acadenw. 

Prior  to  his  arrival  m  Chestertown, Waters,  in  a  letter  to  the  Board,  suggested 
that  a  smokehouse  be  erected  for  the  convenience  of  the  stewardship  that  the 
Board  planned  to  introduce  at  the  opening  of  the  next  session  in  October.  He 
also  suggested  that  repairs  be  made  to  the  building  for  the  accommodation  of 
students. 

These  repairs  were  made  during  the  vacation  period,  but  the  Board  did  not 
consider  a  smokehouse  to  be  a  necessary  addition.  Accommodations  torThomas, 
the  new  steward,  and  his  boarders  were  prepared.  A  committee  of  the  Board  was 
appointed  to  confer  with  the  teachers  anci  the  steward  to  prepare  rules  tor  the 
governance  ot  the  steward's  department. The  committee  reported  that  the  stew- 
ard and  tutors  believed  that  the  interest  of  the  CoUege  would  be  promoted  it  all 


120 


students,  except  those  living  at  home,  were  required  to  board  with  the  steward. 

The  Board  renewed  Waters's  contract  in  October  1820,  agreeing  to  pay  hnn 
$500  from  the  state  donation  and  S2(I0  from  any  unappropriated  funds,  as  well  as 
funds  realized  from  the  mathematical  and  classical  schools. 

Despite  efforts  by  Board  members  to  change  his  mind.  Waters  resigned  as 
principal  in  1823. Thirty  years  later,  he  would  return  to  serve  for  six  more  years. 

In  June  1860,  Waters  expressed  his  intention  to  resign  as  principal,  pleading 
that  his  health  was  not  equal  to  the  "arduous  and  incessant  labours"  with  which 
he  was  confronted.  He  expressed  regret  that  more  had  not  been  accomplished 
during  the  final  six  years  of  his  tenure,  but  admitted  that,  "We  have  some  fruit  to 
show  for  our  joint  efforts.  Would  it  were  much  more  abundant." 


Richard  Ringgold  Leads  Through  Fire's  Aftermath 

IN  1832  THE  Visitors  anl:)  Governors  invited  a  local  man  to 
become  principal  of  the  College.  RichardWilliamson  Ringgold  was  no  stranger 
to  the  Board — he  was  the  group's  president  and  remained  so  for  years  after  his 
election  as  head  of  the  College.  He  undertook  these  duties  and  responsibihties  at 
a  time  when  the  College  was  m  its  most  desperate  straits.  Five  years  had  elapsed 
since  tire  had  destro}'ed  the  C 'ollege  building,  and  the  debris  left  by  that  conflagra- 
tion had  not  \'ct  been  cleared  away.  Classes  were  conducted  m  rented  quarters  in 
Chestertown.The  sites  of  these  houses  ha\-e  been  variously  identified  as  the  Hynson 
Hotise,  the  Custom  House,  and  a  house  situated  at  the  corner  ot  Mill  and  High 
Streets,  where,  m  later  vears,  an  elementary  school  was  erected. 

Ringgold  was  a  direct  descendant  of  Thomas  Ringgold,  who  had  immi- 
grated to  the  Eastern  Shore  in  1650,  and  the  son  of  James  Ringgold  and  Sarah 
Williamson,  daughter  of  John  Williamson,  an  early  resident  of  Kent  County. 
Born  in  1803,  he  entered  Princeton  College  as  a  freshman  in  1817.  In  1820  he 
was  granted  an  honorable  leax^e  of  absence,  returning  m  November  1822  as  a 
junior.  He  was  gi'adiiated  in  1824  with  a  bachelor  of  arts  degree.  Princeton 
conferred  the  master  of  arts  degree  upon  him  in  1833. 

Following  his  graduation  he  returned  to  Kent  Counrv',  where,  in  1825.  he 
announced  to  his  friends  and  the  public  generally,  "that  having  been  admitted  to 
the  bar,  he  had  opened  an  ofFice  in  Princess  Street,  Chestertown.  in  the  house 
formerly  occupied  by  William  H.  Barroll.  He  trusts  that  by  strict  attention  to  his 
professional  ciuties,  he  will  give  ample  satisfaction  to  those  who  may  employ  him 
to  transact  their  business." 


1962 

February  3  •  A  c;roup 

OF  College  students 

and  four  faculty 

members  join  150 

Freedom  Riders  in 

Chestertown  to 

demonstrate 

against  racial 

discrimination  by 

some  local 

restaurjvnts;  police 

separate  picketers 

and  angry  whites 

OUTSIDE  Bud's 

Restaurant. 

February  1  o  •  A 

SECOND 

contingency  of 
Freedom  Riders 

arrives  in 

Chestertown  to 

demonstrate 

.'igainst  segregation 

in  businesses. 

February  2i  i  •  About 

100  townspeople  and 

students  .wtend 

NAACP  H„'\LLY. 

February  24  •  The 

College  librarlalN  is 

assaulted  and 

1njur£d  following 
an  anti-segreg.ation 

demonstration  in 

TOWN. 

Spring  -Tkomas 
Edg.ar  Morris,  first 

BLACK  TO  GRADC/^TE 

FROM  COLLEGE,  IS 

AWARDED  A  B.A.  IN 

MATHEMATICS. 


121 


Ringgold's  contract  was  similar  to  that  agreed  to  by  Dr.  Waters  except  for  a 
provision  enabling  the  Board  to  place  as  many  as  eight  charity  scholars  under  his 
care.  These  scholars  were  to  be  taught  by  him  free  of  charge.  For  all  other  schol- 
ars in  his  department,  Ringgold  was  to  receive  the  tuition  fee. 

On  July  20,  1853,  atter  twenU'-one  years  of  service,  Richard  Williamson 
Ringgold  informed  the  Board  otVisitors  and  Governors:"!  shall  resign  my  office 
as  Principal  at  the  end  of  the  present  year." 

Ringgold  retired  to  his  farm  in  Kent  County,  where  he  continued  to  be 
active  in  public  lite.  He  was  elected  to  the  Constitutional  Convention  of  Mary- 
land in  1867  and  actively  participated  in  the  discussions  of  that  body.  Later  he 
accepted  the  position  as  Examiner  of  Pubhc  Schools  in  Kent  County,  a  position 
he  held  until  he  was  compelled  to  resign  because  of  poor  health.  He  died  August 
23,  1 873,  at  age  seventy. 


William  Rivers  Raises  Standards,  not  Enrollment 

THAT  THE  RAIMD  D  E  C  L  I  N  E  ot"Washington  College  m  the  decade  fol- 
lowing the  Civil  War  die!  not  precipitate  its  closing  can  be  attributed  to 
William  J.  Rivers,  a  Southern  gentleman,  scholar,  and  educator  whose  efforts  to 
modernize  the  institution  laid  the  foundation  tor  its  survival  into  the  twentieth 
century.  He  served  between  1873  and  1887. 

Upon  completing  his  first  year  as  principal  at  Wishington  College,  Rivers  wrote: 

Washington  College  had  fallen  quite  low  in  the  tavor  of  the  people  be- 
tore  Mr.  Berkeley  was  elected  Principal  and  Mr.  Carlile, Vice-Principal. 
On  account  of  the  lack  of  interest  on  the  part  of  the  people  and  the 
Board  otVisitors  themselves,  and  the  lack  of  discipline  on  the  part  of  the 
Principal,  the  College  numbered  but  nineteen  students  in  July,  1873.  It 
was,  mcireover,  oveiA\'helmed  with  disrepute  on  account  of  dissipated 
habits  and  continuous  bad  conduct  of  the  students. 

There  were  no  graduates  in  the  class  of  1 887;  thus,  the  commencement  exercises 
were  limited  to  the  program  prepared  by  the  Mount  Vernon  Literary  Society, 
which  was  held  in  the  new  Stam  Hall  in  downtown  Chestertown. 

That  some  members  of  the  Board  continued  to  be  unhappy  with  the  state  of 
affairs  at  the  College  may  be  gathered  from  the  principal's  letter  to  Judge  Wickes 
on  June  20,  1887: 


122 


Prof.  Zimmerman:  Shaggy  Sideburns  and 
Outspoken  Views 


TjECB    ZimiXEEIUHAia 

Safety  Lamp  Estinguisher. 


With  the  election  ofWiUiam  J.  Rivers  as 
principal  ot"W;ishington  College  in  1873, 
the  Board  appointed  as  vice  principal  and  professor 
ot  natural  philosophy  a  man  who  had  spent  the 
previous  tour  years  on  the  faculty  at  Western 
Maryland  College  in  Westminster. 

His  name  was  WiUiam  H.  Zimmerman,  a  man 
fond  of  overgrown  sideburns  and  cutting-edge 
gadgets,  and  he  brought  to  Chestertown  a  reputa- 
tion as  a  teacher  who  sparked  the  intellectual 
curiosities  of  students.  Absorbed  in  the  latest 
technological  breakthroughs  of  his  day,  he  purport- 
edly had  a  telephone  and  a  phonograph  made, 
though  not  patented,  by  his  own  hand. 

Zimmerman's  first  task  was  to  return  the  College 
science  lab  to  a  practical  condition,  a  chore  Rivers 
described  m  his  memoirs: 

The  Chemical  &'  Philosophical  Laboratory 
was  in  worse  plight  than  the  Library.  The 
room  had  been  used  as  a  store  room  by  Mr. 
Emory.  What  with  garden  produce, 
children's  playthings  &  lumber,  generally,  it 
is  astonishing  that  we  found  as  many 
unbroken  instruments  as  we  did.  But  it 
occupied  Prof.  Zimmerman  about  sLx 
months  to  find  and  put  in  tolerable  order 
the  disjointed  and  scattered  propertv'  of  this 
room. 

The  doctrine  of  academic  freedom  was  not  yet 
part  of  the  faculty  Ucense,  and  Zimmerman,  who 
did  not  hesitate  to  tell  his  students  of  new  scientific 
developments  in  geology,  anthropology  and 
evolution,  eventually  ran  afoul  of  Rivers. 

Concerned  that  the  teaching  ot  Darwinism  and 
other  behefs  which  were,  in  his  own  words, 
"antagonistic  to  what  are  generally  considered 
orthodox  views  of  Chnstiamtv,"  Rivers  brought 


Professor  Willidin  H. 
Zintnicniiaii  marketed  his 
"Safety  Lamp.  " 


the  matter  before  the 
Board.  Although  he 
did  not  mention 
Zimmerman  by 
name,  at  least  not  in 
his  memorandum 
book,  the  president 
nevertheless  requested 
that  the  Board 
appoint  a  committee 
to  investigate  any 
faculty  member 
whose  outspoken 
views  could  lead 
students  to  skepti- 
cism. 

Pavers'  1880 
commencement 
address  was  published 

in  a  Chestertown  paper.  He  warned  the  graduates 
to  guard  against  ■'anti-religious' philosophies.  "In 
the  classroom  I  have  endeavored  to  impress  upon 
you  what  are  the  true  objects  for  which  you  come 
to  college,  and  I  hope  you  now  go  home  with 
minds  improved  and  strengthened,  and  unaffected 
by  any  ideas  that  can  make  you  undervalue  the 
lessons  ot  piety  which  you  learned,  when  little 
children,  at  the  knees  of  your  loving  mother." 

Two  years  later  the  Board  informed  Zimmerman 
that  they  would  accept  his  resignation. 
Zimmerman  returned  to  Westminster,  where  he 
chaired  Western  Maryland's  natural  sciences 
department  and,  after  two  more  years,  he  accepted 
a  position  in  the  physics  department  with  the  State 
Normal  Agricultural  College. 

Among  Zimmerman's  patented  inventions  were 
a  "self-hghting  and  self-extinguishing  hydro- 
electric lamp"  designed  for  students  and  a  cooking 
device  outfitted  with  a  heat-deflectin£r  hood.  iW| 


123 


At  the  time  of  writing  my  report  which  I  sent  you  on  the  lOth  of  May,  I 
had  written  also  my  resignation.  Learning  that  the  discussion  of  the  last 
summer  was  renewed  at  the  late  meeting  ot  the  Board,  I  send  what  I  had 
then  written. 

The  College  is  not  succeeding  in  numbers  any  better  than  hereto- 
fore. If  therefore  there  be  any  disposition  on  the  part  ot  the  Visitors  and 
Governors  to  try  some  other  plan  or  another  Principal  please  present 
them  my  resignation  to  take  effect  whenever  it  shall  be  their  pleasure  to 
accept  it. 

On  June  25  Rivers'  resignation  was  accepted,  efiective  as  ot  June  29,  1887.  The 
Board  permitted  him  the  use  of  his  residence  until  September  1. 

hi  attempting  to  evaluate  Rivers  as  principal  ot  Washington  College,  one  of 
the  tirst  things  that  comes  to  mmci  is  the  meticulousness  with  which  he  kept 
records  of  each  student  m  the  college  course.  He  was  a  scholar  of  the  first  rank, 
dedicated  to  the  liberal  arts,  and  determined  to  see  that  Washington  College 
continued  in  that  tradition.  He  was  recognized  to  be  a  tine  gentleman  by  those 
who  knew  him.  It  he  had  one  weakness,  one  would  be  tempted  to  say  that  he 
was  somewhat  aloof  and  did  not  encourage  intimacy  with  any  ot  his  colleagues. 
He  once  wrote  that  a  gentleman  m  town  had  remarked  to  him,  in  speaking  of 
the  Board,  that  "some  don't  know  how  to  treat  a  gentleman,  they  want  a  man  at 
the  College  who'll  hob  nob  with  them."  He  was  perhaps  more  friendly  with 
Judge  Wickes  and  James  A.  Pearce  than  with  any  other  members  ot  the  Board. 
His  inability  to  establish  closer  ties  with  other  Board  members  may  have  been  a 
cause  of  his  unhappmess. 

However,  it  was  with  his  tailure  to  increase  enrollment  that  was  really  the 
basis  of  the  Board's  discontent.  Recognizing  that  the  student  body  would  not 
grow  in  the  very  near  luture.  Rivers  ottered  his  resignation. 

He  remained  in  Chestertown  for  several  years  before  moving  to  Baltimore, 
where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life.  He  died  m  1909  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
seven  and  was  buried  in  the  Elmwood  Cemeterv,  Columbia,  South  Carolina. 


One  of  your  first  duties  is  to  uphold  this  institution  wliose  benefits 

you  have  enjoyed,  and  to  promote  its  extended  usefuhiess. 

Tliere  is  no  reason  why  it  should  not  become  as  a  light  upon  a  hill  to  diffuse 

its  rays  of  blessing  oi'cr  all  this  Eastern  Shore. 

From  speech  by  President  William  J.  Rivers  to  the  graduatmg  class.  July  8,  1874. 


124 


Charles  Reid  Ushers  in  Coeducation 

CHARLES  Wesley  Reid,  the  individual  most  responsible  for  bring- 
ing coeducation  to  Washington  College,  was  president  between  1889  and 
1903.  He  believed  that  the  value  of  the  small  college  was  found  in  the  oppor- 
tunity' to  develop  close  personal  relations  between  the  instructor  and  the  stu- 
dent. He  expressed  the  view  that  classes  be  limited  to  twenty-five  students  and 
thought  that  any  class  in  excess  ot  this  number  would  place  a  burden  on  the 
teacher.  He  firmly  believed  in  the  value  of  the  classics  as  an  important  part  of 
the  student's  education,  even  though  the  student  would  not  have  much  oppor- 
tunity to  use  Greek  and  Latin  in  his  chosen  vocation.  The  value  of  these  sub- 
jects, he  telt,  lay  in  developing  and  disciplining  the  mind  of  the  student.  The 
French  and  German  languages,  which  in  his  opinion  were  easier  to  learn,  did 
not  provide  the  same  degree  of  discipline. 

Reid,  an  honors  graduate  ot  Dickinson  College,  had  studied  the  ancient  lan- 
guages in  Germany.  He  spent  a  year  at  the  University  of  Gottmgen,  a  year  at  the 
University  ot  Berlin,  and  six  months  at  the  Universit\'  ot  Bonn.  During  his  stay 
abroad,  Reid  traveled  extensively  m  Germany,  France,  Belgium,  Holland,  and 


( 'iidi'r  till'  tciniiv  of 
Cliailcs\\:Rcid.tJw 
Co/Zcijc !s  first  ycdihook 
ii'ds  piihUshcd.  The 
Alplia  appeared  in 
1895. 


1963 

February  14  • 

During  a  talk  in 

Russell  Gymnasium, 

American  socialist 

Norman  Thomas 

urges  the  world 

powers  to  disarm 

their  nuclear 

WEAPONS. 

July  I  (1  •  Dr.  Edgar  P. 

gwynn,  head  of 
biology  department, 
rays  30  cents  per  100 
fireflies  for  use  in 

sctentific 
experiments  at  john 
Hopkins  University. 

1964 

JANUARY  6  • 

President  and  Mrs. 
Daniel  Gibson  begin 

A  TWO-WEEK  tour  OF 

THE  South  to 

ACQUAINT  alumni 

with  recent 

College 
developments. 

March  5  •  Former 
Massachusetts 

senator  FiENRY 

Cabot  Lodge  wins 

TFLE  student  MOCK 

Pi^PUBLICAN 

PRESIDENTIAL 

PRIMARY. 

March  13 -The 
Anchopjvien.  four 

Naval  Academy 

seniors  who  h.we 

performed  their 

music  on  national 

television,  entertain 

students  in  russell 

Gymnasium. 


Italy.  Before  returning  to  America  he  spent  three  months  in  Greece.  He  was 
forty-six  when  he  became  president  ot  Washington  College. 

At  the  urging  of  Professor  Proctor  and  on  the  recommendation  of  Reid, 
coeducation  was  adopted  in  1891  on  an  experimental  basis.  Eleven  coeds  at- 
tended as  day  students  during  that  first  year.  The  next  year  the  number  was 
doubled.  The  catalog  for  1893-94  reported  twenty  women  in  attendance.  To 
encourage  additional  female  apphcants,  the  catalog  announceci  that  "a  suitable 
house  withm  eight  minutes  of  the  College  has  been  procured  for  those  coming 
from  a  distance,  where  board,  including  room  and  fuel,  can  be  turnished  trom 
three  to  three  and  a  half  dollars  per  week.  The  building  will  afford  comfortable 
accommodations  for  twelve  to  fifteen  persons.  They  wiU  be  under  the  immedi- 
ate supervision  of  a  ladv  teacher  who  will  Board  with  them." 

The  modest  success  of  the  program  induced  Dr.  Reid  to  recommend  that  a 
female  teacher  be  employed  and  that  a  boarding  hall  for  coeds  be  provided. The 
Board  hesitated  to  approve  the  appointment  of  a  woman  to  the  ficulty  but  even- 
tually gave  its  approval.  The  first  female  professor  was  Miss  Bertha  M.  Stiles. 

In  1900  the  Board  authorized  the  installation  of  two  bath  tubs  and  water 
closets  in  East  Hall,  proxided  the  cost  did  not  exceeci  $250. 

Reid  was  known  familiarly  as  "Dutch."  He  was  very  bald,  wore  a  spreading 
chin  beard,  and,  according  to  a  contemporary,  "rode  a  bicycle  despite  a  tendency 
to  be  corpulent  and  awkward."  Cycling  was  the  rage  across  the  country  in  the 
last  decade  of  the  nineteenth  century,  and  the  tad  did  not  escape  attention  in 
Kent  Counr\'.  A  Chestertown  Cycle  Club  was  formed  and  members  paraded 
through  town,  showing  oft  their  new  pneumatic  tires. 

The  arrival  ot  women  on  campus  brought  attention  to  matters  previously 
unattended,  as  reported  in  the  local  newspaper:  "The  college  needs  improve- 
ments 111  the  way  of  pavements  just  now.  The  snow  and  ram  ot  the  last  tew  days 
have  made  the  grounds  exceedingly  muddy.This  is  very  unpleasant,  especially  tor 
the  young  ladies." 


President  Cain  Puts  Students  First 

By  James  M.  Cain  '10 

JAMES  W.  Cain,  president  of  Washington  College  trom  1903  to  1918,  was 
not  a  great  teacher,  for  in  sober  truth  the  routine  of  a  classroom  bored  him 
more  than  it  stimulated  him,  nor  was  he  a  great  scholar,  for  most  evenings  tound 
him  with  the  Saturday  Erciiiiio  Post  rather  than  the  thick  tomes  on  economics 


Jdiiics  ]]'  Cdiii.  ifitli  wife  Rose,  laiscd  fire  childieii  at 
]]'iiiltiii(;toii  Colhye.  Jdines  M.  Ciiiii  <^iadiidtcd  in  1910  and 
luiiicivd  literary  fame  as  the  author  of  The  Postman  Always 
Rinss  Twice. 


127 


which  he  imagined  were  his  favorite  reading.  And  yet  many  of  his  students  thought 
him  a  great  educator,  for  he  was  unquestionably  a  great  humanist,  and  as  such 
made  an  impression  on  them  which  was  ahiiost  unique.  For  he  knew  very  well 
that  a  college,  whatever  its  educational,  moral,  and  social  functions,  is  m  some 
degree  an  institution  of  sequestration.  A  boy's  presence  in  it  is  not  wholly  volun- 
tary. He  may  be  sent  there  by  parents  who  frankly  want  to  get  him  out  of  the 
house;  he  may  go  there  ot  his  own  h"ee  choice,  and  even  work  his  way  through. 
And  yet  he  is  the  victim  ot  a  melancholy  aspect  of  the  civihzation  we  live  in: 
From  the  age  of  seventeen  to  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  is  good  for  nothing 
whatever.  He  can't  sing,  he  can't  vote,  he  can't  support  a  wife;  he  belongs  to  a  sort 
of  "holluschickie"  which  has  to  be  pennecl  up  tor  the  good  ot  all  concerned, 
with  education  hoped  tor,  but  secondary. 

But  Dr.  Cain  remembereci  what  many  educators  forget:  that  since  he  is  there 
through  no  tault  of  his  own,  he  has  rights  which  even  a  college  is  bound  to 
respect. Thus  he  constantly  looked  at  things  trom  the  students'  point  of  view,  and 
his  interest  in  their  activities  was  ot  a  difterent  kind  trom  that  which  college 
presidents  commonly  take.  He  made  sport  his  personal  concern,  not  for  any 
selfish  reason,  but  because  it  represented  the  students'  ciesire  to  have  an  identity 
ot  their  own,  to  create  a  world  bigger  than  the  academic  world  which  had  been 
created  for  them.  He  viewed  with  icy  contempt  all  moves  to  commercialize 
sport,  or  to  subvert  it  to  the  role  of  ballyhoo  for  the  college.  It  was  for  this  reason 
that  a  lite  dedicated  in  some  degree  to  the  more  robust  activities  of  students  was 
never  associated  by  those  who  knew  him  with  the  cheaper  aspects  of  college 
athletics.  He  was  not  concerned  with  muscles,  or  gate  receipts,  or  victories  as 
such.  He  was  the  champion  ot  what  the  student  wanted  as  well  as  what  the  state 
thought  he  should  have,  and  as  a  result  had  a  following  among  students  more 
fanatically  devoted  to  him  than  anything  m  the  record  would  serve  to  explaiii. 

He  was  born  at  New  Haven,  Connecticut,  September  1,  1860,  of  Irish  par- 
ents. They  were  in  comtortable  circumstances,  yet  were  dogged  by  illnesses  that 
must  have  made  his  childhood  somewhat  unhappy.  He  was  stricken  with  ty- 
phoid at  sixteen,  and  on  recovery  tbund  that  his  mother,  who  seems  to  have  been 
a  singularly  lovely  woman,  had  died  during  his  delirium.  From  this  tragedy,  per- 
haps, emerged  a  sense  of  loneliness  which  seemed  to  tind  some  assuagement  in 
the  companionship  of  students,  for  certainly  he  needed  them  as  much  as  they 
needed  him.  He  attended  the  public  schools  ot  New  Haven,  graduated  from  the 
Hillhouse  High  School,  and  enteredYale. There  he  was  an  average  student,  rowed 
bow  oar  on  his  class  crew,  studied  economics  under  William  Graham  Sumner, 
played  football  under  Walter  Camp,  and  graduated  in  1884.  He  spent  two  years  as 
principal  of  the  Lewistown,  Pennsylvania,  Academy,  then  in  1886  went  to  St. 
John's  College  at  Annapolis,  first  as  professor,  then  as  vice  president.  He  also 
served  as  college  treasurer  and  as  chairman  of  the  Annapolis  board  ot  education. 


128 


In  1892  he  organized  and  stroked  the  Severn  Boat  Clubs  first  crew,  which  de- 
feated the  United  States  Naval  Academy's  first  crew,  which  was  stroked  by  Win- 
ston Churchill  (the  American  novelist,  not  the  English  statesman).  At  St.  John's 
he  coached  the  football  team,  laying  the  foundation  for  that  college's  football 
reputation  which  lasted  from  the  early  1900s  to  the  time  of  the  First  World  War. 

In  1903  he  accepted  the  presidency  ofWiishington  College,  and  transformed 
it  from  a  small  institution  which  was  harcily  more  than  a  rural  academy  into  the 
beginnings  of  the  modern  college  it  is  at  present.  When  he  arrived  the  College 
consisted  of  121  students,  six  professors.  West  Hall,  Middle  Hall,  East  Hall,  and 
Reid  Hall  (then  known  as  Normal  Hall),  a  small  frame  gymnasium,  three  profes- 
sors' houses,  and  a  windmill.  But  of  the  121  students  a  number  were  enrolled  m 
a  normal  department,  others  in  a  preparatory  department,  which  Maryland  col- 
leges at  that  time  had  to  maintain  on  account  of  the  state's  execrable  high  school 
system,  and  still  others  in  a  classification  known  as  "special,"  which  meant  that 
Willie  wasn't  very  bright,  but  nobody  had  the  heart  to  fire  him.  In  the  College 
proper  there  were  tewer  than  forty  students,  but  it  was  this  College  which  Dr. 
Cam  set  himselt  to  build  up,  so  that  m  a  few  years  both  normal  and  preparatory 
departments  were  gone,  and  the  rapidly  growing  enrollment  represented  a  stu- 
dent body  which  was  seeking  academic  degrees  that  met  the  average  standard.  At 
that  time  the  only  source  of  funds  was  the  state  itselt,  and  he  got  the  legislature  to 
appropriate  sums  which  made  possible  William  Smith  Hall,  the  gymnasium,  and 
various  heating  plants,  water  systems,  athletic  fields,  etc.,  which  greatly  improved 
conditions  on  the  campus. 

In  191(1  occurred  an  event  which  seemed  no  more  than  a  personal  sorrow  to 
Dr.  Cam  at  the  time,  but  was  to  have  grievous  consequences,  licit  only  to  him, 
but  to  the  College. This  was  the  death  of  Marion  Dekalb  Smith,  guiding  spirit  of 
the  Board.  He  had  sponsored  Dr.  Cain,  and  as  one  oi  the  leading  politicians  of 
the  state,  was  able  to  give  his  new  protege  a  tree  hand,  tor  none  on  the  Board 
could  challenge  his  authorirv',  or  would  even  have  tried  to.  Atter  his  death  things 
went  on  as  usual,  with  the  exception  that  the  curse  ofWashmgton  College  began 
to  make  its  appearance  again:  peanut  politics,  attempting  to  put  the  College  on 
Its  job  list  so  that  in  a  year  or  two  almost  eveiy  place  at  the  College,  from 
janitorships  to  professorships,  was  claimed  by  some  county'  boss  on  the  Board 
who  thought  that  his  man  could  shake  the  fires  as  well  as  the  nominee  of  Dr. 
Cain's.  The  burning  of  Smith  Hall  in  1916  made  this  a  bit  doubtful,  but  the 
affairs  of  the  College  were  bv  now  in  a  spiral  trom  which  they  did  not  emerge 
before  this  country  entered  the  war  then  threatening.  Local  Board  members, 
under  the  guise  of  "interest"  in  the  College,  transformed  it  into  a  private  play- 
thing of  their  own;  its  athletic  games  were  for  the  entertainment  ot  their  triends, 
its  ciances  for  the  diversion  of  their  wives,  and  its  positions  tor  the  support  of 
their  political  adherents.  The  issue  was  presently  joined  on  the  question  of  an 


1964 

October  9  •  By  a 
vote  of  367  to  84, 

students 
overwhelmingly 

ENDORSE 

CONSTITUTIONAL 

AMENDMENT  THAT 

ELECTS  SENATORS 

FROM  DORMITORIES 

INSTEAD  OF  CLASSES. 

Oc:  lOHER  23  • 

Concert  by  folk 

SINGER  Judy  Collins 

in  Hodson  Hall  is 

moved  back  an  hour 

so  students  can 

attend  talk  by 

Illinois  Senator 

Everett  Dirksen  at 

Republican  rally  in 

Russell  Gym. 

October  24  • 
Homecoming  theme 
"Bourbon  Street" 
features  the  band 
Little  Anthony  and 
THE  Imperials  in 
Russell  Gym. 

1965 

February  2  • 

President  Gibson 

informs  student 

assembly  that 

College  rules 

PROHIBITING  alcohol 

at  STUDENT  SOCIAL 

events  will  BE 

ENFORCED;  KENT 

HOUSE  STUDENTS 

IMMEDIATELY  CANCEL 

THEIR  UPCOMING 

DANCE. 


129 


athletic  director.  For  a  time, T.Alan  Goldshoroiigh  was  able  to  rally  support  for 
the  President,  but  in  1918  came  the  showdown,  with  Dr.  Cain  out,  and  the 
College  destined  to  continue  its  nose  dive  for  several  more  years  until  politics 
was  eliminated  under  the  reorganization  plan  which  now  operates. 

Then  ensued  a  struggle  in  which  Dr.  Cain's  students  might  take  pride  if  they 
knew  its  details.  At  58,  men  do  not  commonly  find  the  heart  to  begin  life  over  as 
he  now  had  to. Yet  by  the  summer  ot  1918  he  was  in  the  harness  again,  as  statis- 
tician for  the  United  States  Fidelity  and  Guarantee  Company  of  Baltimore,  and 
rose  steadily  at  this  work,  the  company  making  him  vice  president  in  1919  and 
increasing  his  responsibilities  until  it  retired  him  in  1933.  During  this  time  he 
served  as  member  of  the  Board  tor  St.  John's  College  and  Washington  College, 
and  was  active  in  ci\ic  enterprises.  His  last  years  were  enfeebled  by  ill  health, and 
he  scarcely  saw  a  dozen  visitors  a  year.  Yet  when  he  died  m  1 938,  hundreds  of  his 
former  students  attended  his  funeral,  and  seemed  to  teel  his  passing  as  a  profound 
personal  loss. 


President  Gould  is  Einbatded 

WITH  THE  END  OF  THE  WAR  in  Europe,  Washington  College  closed 
us  training  school  for  soldiers,  which  had  operated  under  the  direction 
of  the  War  Department,  and  turned  its  attention  back  to  academics.  One  of 
Clarence  Gould's  first  acts  as  president  (he  served  from  1919  to  1923)  was  to 
address  a  letter  to  the  alumni,  pledging  to  uphold  the  scholarship  of  the  institu- 
tion and  to  exert  every  effort  to  make  it  a  progressive  college  worthy  of  their 
confidence  and  support. 

He  called  attention  to  the  needs  controntmg  the  College,  m  particular  to 
increased  enrollment  and  an  adequate  endowment  for  the  library.  The  satisfac- 
tion of  these  needs,  he  stated,  must  be  met  if  the  College  were  to  prosper.  He 
reminded  his  readers  that  the  fire  of  1916  had  completely  destroyed  the  College 
library  and  that,  while  insurance  money  made  possible  the  recovery  ot  a  working 
collection,  additional  acquisitions  were  necessary  for  the  library  to  become  an 
effective  tool  in  aiding  the  growth  of  the  College.  He  proposed  that  an  endow- 
ment fund  of  $1()(),UU(J  be  established  as  a  source  of  fiiture  acquisitions.  Such  a 
goal,  he  knew,  could  not  be  realized  at  once,  but  he  advised  that  it  was  not  too 
early  to  think  about  it  as  a  future  goal.  Gould's  most  immediate  appeal  to  the 
alumni  and  their  friends  was  to  make  every  effort  tt^  encourage  students  to  at- 
tend the  Colleee. 


130 


Dr.  Clarence  Pembroke  Gotild  Wtis  at  Oi/i/>  u'liii  ilie  Board 
oi'er  the  direction  Wdsliiii'^ton  C^olleiic  iiviild  tahe  after 
]]brld  III//-  /.  He  was  ousted  I'ecaiise  lie  considered  inakiii<^  it 
a  jnnior  collei;e. 


1965 

March  3 • Two 

UNIFORMED  OFFICERS 

FROM  THE  Burns 

Detective  Agency 

are  hired  to  provide 

weerend  security 

for  the  cami'us  and 

students. 

May  15  'Three 

BANDS — SMOKEY 

Robinson  and  the 
MIRACLES, Tommy 

Vann  and  the 
Echoes.  andThe 
Admirals — play 
non-stop  music 
during  Spring 
Weekend's  Saturday 

DANCE. 

September  24  •  Town 

POLICE  respond  to 

complaints  that  40 
College  students 
attending  an  off- 
campus  party  on 
Queen  Street  are 
loud  and 
boisterous. 

September  27  •  The 

Dean  of  Men 

orders  five 

students  who  held 

Friday's  party  to 

move  back  on 

campus;  the  decision 

begins  a  debate  over 

student  rights  that 

lasts  for  weeks. 


131 


Gould's  first  recorded  meeting  with  the  Board  was  on  April  9,  1919.  His 
report  included  a  recommendation  tor  the  reinstatement  of  coeducation.  The 
Board  responded  favorably  by  agreeing  to  provide  education  to  men  and  women 
equally.  To  emphasize  the  seriousness  ot  its  mtent,  the  Board  created  free  tuition 
scholarships  for  female  residents  of  Maryland  who  had  completed  the  course  of 
study  in  the  public  schools  of  the  districts  in  which  they  lived.  Gould  also  rec- 
ommended that  only  those  students  who  had  completed  a  minimum  of  two 
years  of  high  school  should  be  permitted  to  enter  the  Preparatory  Department. 
He  also  proposed  that  candidates  for  the  freshman  class  be  required  to  present 
fifteen  units  ot  work  rather  than  the  tourteen  previously  rec]uired. 

Normal  Hall  was  refurbished  m  1921  to  receive  female  residents  for  the  first 
time  since  the  Normal  Department  had  been  discontinued  in  1910.  In  announcing 
the  reopening  of  Normal  Hall,  College  officials  stated  that  they  were  not  ex- 
pecting many  occupants  that  year.  Only  five  or  six  women  were  in  residence 
while  a  total  of  twent)'  attended  the  College. 

Early  in  January  1923.  Gould  reminded  the  Board  that  he  had  for  some  time 
been  recommending  the  abandonment  of  the  Preparatoiy  Department. The  fac- 
ult)',  atter  deliberating  this  question,  proposed  that  the  College  drop  the  tirst 
preparatory  class  and  that  the  second  preparatory  class  thereafter  be  designated  a 
subfreshman  class.  Gould  acknowledged  that  while  this  action  would  not  qualify 
the  College  for  accreditation  under  general  college  standarcis,  it  would  place  the 
College  in  a  position  to  drop  the  subfreshman  class  the  next  year. Thereafter,  the 
terms  "subfreshman"  and  "special  student"  were  applied  to  those  entering  the 
College  with  insufticient  entrance  units. 

His  report  also  indicated  that  three  additional  improvements  would  be  nec- 
essary before  the  College  could  be  accredited. These  includeei  the  improvement 
ot  the  library  and  laboratory  facilities  and  a  strengtheneci  taculrv-.  Gould  thought 
the  faculty  was  weak  m  graciuate  work  and  recommended  that  faculty  members 
be  given  the  opportunity  to  attend  summer  school  at  the  expense  of  the  College. 
He  suggested  that  longer  leaves  of  absence,  with  pay,  might  be  desirable,  in  order 
to  encourage  younger  instructors  to  complete  their  work  tor  the  doctorate. 

As  all  of  these  needs  required  additional  funds,  Gould  suggested  that  the 
Board  consicier  conducting  an  endowment  campaign.  He  was  one  among  many 
small  college  acimimstrators  who  recognized  the  potential  opportunities  facing 
American  colleges.  His  desire  for  an  improved  faculty  and  additional  library  and 
laboratory  facilities  grew  out  ot  this  vision.  Gould  predicted  that  within  the  near 
future  the  College  would  enjoy  an  enrollment  of  250,  and  he  thought  that  at  the 
end  ot  ten  years  it  was  possible  that  enrollment  would  reach  500. 

The  destruction  of  William  Smith  Hall  in  1916  haci  placed  an  unexpected 
burden  on  the  Board.  In  addition,  with  the  entrance  ot  the  United  States  into  the 
war  m  1917,  young  men  were  inducted  into  the  armed  services,  thus  affecting 


13: 


college  enrollments.  Scarcity  of  materials,  accompanied  by  rising  prices,  resulted 
in  higher  operating  costs.  The  results  ot  this  succession  of  events  caused  the 
Board,  in  April  ot  1919,  to  become  concerned  with  its  growing  fiscal  problems. 
The  toll  owing  January  a  committee  was  appointed  to  call  upon  the  governor  of 
Maryland  to  inform  him  of  the  nature  of  the  situation  and  to  request  that  the 
annual  state  appropriation  of  $30,000  to  the  College  be  increased.  When  the 
General  Assembly  met  in  1920,  the  appropriation  was  increased  by  S5,000  for 
each  of  the  years  1921  and  1922. 

Early  m  the  spring  of  1923,  Board  Chairman  Hiram  S.  Brown  and  Gould 
exchanged  letters,  the  substance  of  which  related  to  a  statement  the  presicient 
had  prepared  tor  the  Maryland  College  Commission.  Apparently  the  chairman 
read  a  newspaper  account  ot  the  president's  contribution  and  came  to  the  con- 
clusion that  Gould  was  sympathetic  to  the  program  for  the  establishment  of 
junior  colleges  in  Maryland.  Gould  responded,  giving  a  full  report  of  his  partici- 
pation in  the  College  Commission.  He  protested  that  the  substance  of  his  state- 
ment expressed  his  personal  views  and  was  not  intended  as  an  expression  of  the 
views  ot  the  College  trustees. The  chairman  replied: 

My  tear,  however,  is  that  the  Commission  may  not  ditferentiate  in  the 
matter,  and,  by  reason  of  your  position  as  President  of  the  Faculty,  may 
assume  that  your  memorandum  expressed  the  views  of  the  college  man- 
agement. 

It  I  understand  your  letter  correctly  you  are  in  sympathy  with  the 
suggested  plan  tor  Junior  Colleges  teeding  up  into  a  centralized  graduate 
school  in  Maryland  anci  that  you  feel  such  a  policy  might  result  to  the 
ultimate  good  ot  the  smaller  colleges. 

You  will  note  trom  my  other  letter  to  you  t:if  today's  date  that  I  am 
complying  with  the  suggestion  ot  the  Curriculum  Committee  regarding 
the  calling  ot  a  special  meeting  ot  the  Board,  and  I  thmk  we  can  consider 
the  Maryland  College  Commission  situation  at  the  same  time. 

The  special  meeting  of  the  Board  w^as  held  on  March  10.  The  first  order  ot 
business  the  minutes  record  was  a  discussion  ot  Gould's  correspondence  with  the 
Maryland  College  Commission. This  discussion  was  followed  by  the  adoption  ot 
a  resolution  that  declared  the  Board  to  be  "unalterably  opposed  to  the  reduction 
ot  the  College  to  an  Educational  Institution  ot  Junior  Grade." 

Having  disposed  of  that  question,  the  Curriculum  Committee  recommended 
that  the  courses  in  domestic  science,  which  had  been  introduced  the  past  Septem- 
ber, be  discontinued  at  the  close  of  the  academic  year.  Gould  vigorously  opposed 
this  recommendation,  contending  that  the  department  had  not  received  a  tair  trial 
and  that  it  had  not  been  given  sufficient  time  to  demonstrate  its  value  to  the  total 


1965 

November  4  'Thf 

Women's  Residence 

Association  is 

conducting  a 

"Cheer  John" 

campaign  to  send 

Christmas  gifts  to 

u.s.  servicemen  in 

Vietnam. 

November  4  -The 
College  tuition  fee 
is  to  be  raised  to 
si. 450  next  fall;  it 
COSTS  THE  College 

ABOUT  S1.800  A  YEAR 
TO  EDUCATE  EACH 

STUDENT. 

November  8  •  The 

Student  Senate 

passes  resolution 

supporting  u.s.  role 

inVietnam. 

1966 

January  23  •  B\  a 

16-TO-15  VOTE. 

College  trustees 

PERMIT  fraternities 

AND  SORORITIES  TO 

RETAIN  THEIR 

NATIONAL  STATUS  AND 

REMAIN  AS  SOCIAL 

ORGANIZ./VTIONS  ON 

CAMPUS. 

February  13  • 

students  n.ame  their 

new  literary 

magazine 

MiSCELL-iW  184 

(THE  SCHOOL  IS  184 

YEARS  OLD). 


133 


curriculum.  He  miplied  that  the  committee  had  been  mfluenced  by  several  mem- 
bers of  the  faculty  who  were  opposed  to  the  introduction  of  the  experiment. 

Notwithstanding  his  vigorous  opposition,  the  Board  approved  the  committee's 
recommenciation.  Gould,  feeling  that  he  had  no  other  alternative,  submitted  his 
resignation  immediately.  The  Board  refused  to  act  on  the  resignation,  preferring 
to  defer  further  action  until  the  regular  Board  meeting  in  April. 

In  his  written  resignation,  Gould  reviewed  the  activities  that  had  transpired 
during  the  four  years  of  his  incumbency.  He  stated  that  when  he  accepted  the 
presidency  of  the  College,  he  promised  himself  to  devote  five  years  to  its  cause. 
At  the  expiration  of  that  time,  he  would  return  to  teaching  and  research,  his  first 
loves.  Since  sufficient  progress  had  been  made  over  the  last  four  years,  he  felt  it 
\vas  time  for  the  College  to  appoint  a  new  president. 

The  Board  acknowledged  the  valuable  services  rendered  by  Gould  by  adopting 
a  rather  lengthy  resolution  of  commendation. 

Following  his  resignation,  Gould  accepted  an  appointment  as  professor  o( 
history  at  Western  Reserve  University,  where  he  remaineci  until  1933.  In  that 
year  he  was  appointed  professor  of  history  and  dean  at  Kenyon  College  in  Gam- 
bler, Ohio.  His  last  academic  position  was  as  chairman  of  the  history  department 
atYoungstown  University,  also  in  Ohio.  Dr.  Gould  married  the  former  Gertrude 
Ruth  Still,  a  native  of  Denver.  He  died  on  December  16, 1971,  and  was  buried  in 
the  family  plot  in  Church  Hill. 


President  Titsworth  Oversees  Moderate  Growth 

DR.  Paul  Emerson  Titsworth,  a  professor  of  modern  languages 
and  dean  of  the  College  of  Liberal  Arts  at  Alfred  University,  served  as 
presicient  of  Washington  College  between  1923  and  1933. 

Inaugural  ceremonies  were  held  on  April  11,  1924.  Representatives  from 
many  colleges  and  universities  were  present  on  that  occasion,  believed  to  have 
been  the  first  of  it  kind  on  campus.  Special  greetings  were  delivered  by  Dr.  A. 
Norman  Ward,  president  ofWestern  Maryland  College;  Dr. Walter  Huhhan,  presi- 
dent of  the  University  of  Delaware;  Dr.  James  W  Chapman,  representing  the 
Alumni  Association;  and  Dr. William  R.  Howell,  representing  the  faculty.There  is 
no  evidence  to  indicate  that  any  of  his  predecessors  were  formally  inducted  into 
office. 

Dr.  Titsworth 's  administration  addressed  the  lack  of  adequate  housing  as  a 
major  issue. The  student  body,  which  numbered  1 6 1  m  1 923-24,  reached  298  by 
1933-34.  Lacking  the  funds  necessary  to  provide  modern  housing  accommoda- 


134 


Paul  E.  Titsii'orth  was  one  of  the  few  early  president  who 
won  the  Board's faiwr. 


tions  tor  a  growing  resident  student  body,  the  College  was  compelled  to  resort  to 
temporary  facilities.  By  1926,  m  response  to  the  increased  enrollment  of  women, 
the  Board  authorized  the  president  to  remove  the  dinmg  hall  from  Reid  Hall 
and  to  replace  it  with  a  cafeteria  in  the  basement  of  Cain  Gymnasium. This  move 
provided  space  to  accommodate  ten  additional  women.  The  relocation  of  the 
dining  hall  to  the  gymnasium  also  provided  additional  space  for  that  service. 
Later  m  1926,  Colonel  Clarence  Hodson — a  Board  member  who  became  inter- 


1966 

March  10  •  Co- 
founders  Steve 
Amick  and  Larry 
swanstrom 
announce 

FORMATION  OFYOUNG 

Republican  Club  on 

CAMPUS. 

April  12  •  Students 

GIVE  PR£SIDENT 

Gibson  copy  of 
"White  Paper."  a 

DOCUMENT  calling 
FOR  MORE  self- 
regulation  BY 

students. 

April  14  •  Student 

Government 

Association 

endorses  "White 

Paper";  The  ivE.vT 

Coc.vT^-. Veils 

DERIDES  THE 

DOCUMENT  AS 

"DRIVEL." 

April  25  •  Dr.  Fred 

G.LlVINGOOD. 
who  came  to  THE 

College  in  1925  .and 

w.AS  actlng  president 

from  1949  to  1950, 

DIES. 

April  29  •  St.ate 

Governor 

j.  mill.ard  t.awes 

signs  into  l.aw  a  bill 

granting  College 

S545,000  in  nl^tching 

state  funds  for  the 

school's  Heritage 

Program. 


135 


ested  in  the  College  during  the  Gould  administration — purchased  the  Schauber 
House  for  the  College.  The  house  was  completely  remodeled  during  the  sum- 
mer of  1927  to  provide  accommodations  for  ten  more  women.  It  was  named 
Hodson  House. 

On  June  19,  1922,  the  Board  resolved  to  launch  an  endowment  campaign  to 
raise  $25(J,(J00,but  it  was  not  until  Titsworth  assumed  the  duties  of  his  office  that 
definitive  action  was  taken.  On  the  president's  recommendation,  the  National 
Service  Associates,  an  organization  specializing  in  fund-raising,  was  employed  to 
direct  the  campaign.  Some  of  the  valuable  by-products  anticipated  from  this 
campaign  were  extensive  publicity  for  the  school,  a  heightening  of  interest  in  the 
College  by  the  people  of  Maryland,  and  an  inducement  to  increase  enrollment, 
particularly  from  the  Eastern  Shore.  Two  representatives  of  the  National  Service 
Associates  were  assigned  to  conduct  the  campaign,  which  was  a  dismal  tailure. 
Their  efiorts  netted  S24.745.  ot  which  the  consultants  collected  slightly  more 
than  $8,000  m  fees. 

In  1924,  the  General  Assembly  enacted  a  bill  creating  a  state  debt  in  the 
amount  ot  SI' II), 001),  the  proceeds  ot  which  were  to  be  donated  to  the  College, 
pro\'ided  the  College  succeeded  in  raising  $200,000  byjuly  1,  1927. This  action 
was  taken  to  stimulate  public  interest  m  the  endowment  campaign.  When  the 
College  failed  to  raise  the  requisite  funds  and  to  meet  the  deadline,  the  State 
removed  the  matching  condition  and  appropriated  $100,000  to  the  College. 

In  his  tirst  report  to  the  trustees, Titsworth  repeated  a  warning  made  earlier 
by  his  predecessor  Clarence  P.  Gould  that  the  College  must  make  every  effort  to 
meet  the  requirements  ot  the  Regional  Association  ot  Colleges  for  accreditation. 
Titsworth  warned  that  betore  such  accreditation  would  be  possible,  the  Prepara- 
tory Department  would  have  to  be  discontinued,  the  number  and  training  ot  the 
facLilrv'  increased,  and  the  library  and  laboratory  tacilities  enlarged. The  Prepara- 


I  slioiilii  like  to  add  that  I  hcliei'C  wc  here  in  this  College 

should  strive  to  inspire  the  larger  part  of  our  boys  and  girls 

with  the  wish  to  invest  their  transforniing,  creative, 

college-trained  energies  in  the  life,  not  of  the  big  city, 

but  of  the  small  town  and  of  the  country. 

Maryland,  lil^e  other  states  largely  rural,  finds  too  nnich  of  its  energy 

and  potential  leadership  drained  off' into  the  large  centers. 

From  1^*24  in.iugural  .iddrcss  by  College  President  Paul  E. Titsworth. 


136 


tory  Department  was  discontinued  in  1924.  Additions  were  made  to  the  faculty 
and  badly  needed  improvements  were  effected.  By  October  25,  1925,  the  presi- 
dent was  able  to  report  that  "one  final  requirement  for  entrance  into  the  blissful 
state,  we  are  told,  is  the  employment  of  a  trained  librarian.  It  is  largely  for  this 
reason,  therefore,  that  I  have  at  this  time  recommended  the  speedy  employment 
of  this  ree]uisite  addition  to  the  staff  of  Washington  College." 

The  Board  approved  Titsworth  s  recommendation  for  the  appointment  of 
Miss  Bahnie  C.Wedekmd  as  librarian;  she  began  her  duties  November  1,  1925. 
On  November  26, 1925,  when  the  Association  of  Colleges  and  Seconclary  Schools 
ot  the  Middle  States  and  Mar\'land  met,  the  commission's  recommendation  to 
place  Wiishmgton  College  on  the  accredited  list  was  adopted. 

During  the  summer  months  of  1 926,  the  library,  which  had  previously  occu- 
pied two  rooms  on  the  second  floor  ot  William  Smith  Hall,  was  mo\'ed  to  the 
basement  ot  the  building.  The  reading  room  was  placed  in  the  area  directly  be- 
neath the  entrance  to  the  building,  and  the  stacks  occupied  the  space  below  the 
auditorium.  The  move  pro\'ided  additional  space  tor  the  librarv  while  at  the 
same  time  making  the  two  vacated  rooms  available  tor  classroom  use. 

The  decade  1923-33  saw  a  moderate  increase  in  student  enrollment  and  in 
extracurricular  actnities.  The  Student  Council  was  responsible  tor  the  proper 
conduct  ot  the  students  and  the  administration  ot  the  honor  code.  It  ser\-ed  as 
the  students"  voice  in  all  matters  pertaining  to  their  interests.  Only  male  students 
were  eligible  tor  election  to  the  Student  Council.  In  1924,  the  Ciirls'  Council  was 
formed  to  promote  the  interests  ot  the  residents  ot  Reid  Hall. 

The  MountVernon  Literary  Society  and  the  Adelphia  Literary  Society  pro- 
vided opportunities  for  training  m  oratory,  public  speaking,  impromptu  speak- 
ing, debating,  and  parliamentary  law.  By  the  end  ot  the  1 93(>s,  the  literary  societ- 
ies tound  they  were  competing  with  such  organizations  as  the  Debating  Socierv, 
the  Oratorical  Association,  and  the  Dramatic  Club.  The  Dramatic  Club  usually 
presented  three  or  four  plays  each  year,  and  their  productions  attracted  many 
townspeople  as  well  as  students. 

The  Wasliiiigtoii  Collegian,  the  student  publication,  gave  students  interested  in 
journalism  an  opportunity  to  gain  experience  in  that  field.  For  many  years  it 
appeared  monthly  as  a  magazine,  but  in  the  193(ts  the  publication  was  converted 
into  a  bi-weekly  newspaper  called  the  W'asliiiigtoii  £/;/;.  The  Washington  College 
yearbook  was  revivecl  in  1927  largely  through  the  etTorts  ot  John  Calvin  Copper, 
a  member  of  the  senior  class.  The  yearbook  was  called  Pcga.<ii<,  recalling  the  title 
given  to  the  yearbooks  published  in  1909  and  191(1. 

For  some  time  Titsworth  had  observed  that  young  people  were  leaving  then- 
homes  in  rural  areas  to  tnid  employment  in  the  cities.  While  he  recognized  that 
this  treiici  could  not  be  halted  completely,  he  was  convinced  that  greater  ettorts 
should  be  directed  to  developing  programs  that  would  encourage  young  people 


1966 

May  14  •  Highlights 
OF  Sprinc;  Weekend 
INCLUDE  Shoremen 

LACROSSE  VICTORY 

OVER  University  of 

Delaware,  12-2,  and 

Al-LMORY  DANCE  TO 

MUSIC  OF  THE 

SHIRELLES  AND  A 

second  group,  the 
Hot  Nuts. 

October  8  • 
students  board 
THE  Port  Welcome 

at  the  foot  of 
High  St.  for  a  five- 
hour  I'RLTSE  along 
I  HE  CHES  I  LR  RIVER; 
MUSIC  IS  PROVIDED  BY 
THE  E.XOT  ICS  AND 

THE  Van  l:)ykes. 

October  13 -The 

Student  Health 

Service  moves  from 

the  Kent  County 

Hospital  to  the 

FIRST  floor  of 

Richmond  House. 

October  24  • 
"Espresso  priest" 
Malcolm  Boyd. 
WHO  writes  pl.ays 

filled  with 
expletives,  .attacks 
org.anized  religion 

from  the  st.age  in 
William  Smith  Hall. 

October  3 1  •  Zeta 
Tau  Alpha  sorority 

SPONSORS  debate  IN 

Hodson  Student 
Center  on  where 
second  span  of  the 

BAY  bridge  should  BE 

built. 


137 


to  consider  the  opportunities  available  in  rural  areas.  With  this  in  mind,  the 
baccalaureate  address  in  1926  was  given  the  title  "Joys  and  Responsibilities  of 
Country  Living."  During  the  course  of  his  remarks,  Titsworth  suggested  to  those 
graduates  who  were  not  as  yet  under  contract  to  seriously  consider  employment 
in  a  rural  setting.  He  reminded  them  that  many  ot  the  conveniences  of  city  life 
were  becoming  commonplace  in  the  more  progressive  rural  communities. 

This  address  markeci  the  opening  ot  a  campaign  to  establish  a  chair  in  coun- 
try living.  In  discussing  this  proposal  with  the  Board,  he  reminded  them  that  the 
College,  situated  m  a  rural  area  and  drawing  approximately  9(J  percent  of  its 
students  from  the  open  country,  was  an  appropriate  place  to  establish  a  chair  in 
country  life.  He  proposeci  that  the  new  course  be  presented  both  as  a  science  and 
as  an  art — something  to  know  and  something  to  do.  Rural  soclolog^^',  rural  eco- 
nomics, standards  of  living,  work,  and  play  would  constitute  a  portion  of  the 
curriculum. The  program  was  intended  to  show  how  country  life  was  the  foun- 
dation upon  which  the  national  life  rests.  The  same  knowledge  that  makes  city 
life  and  effort  attractive  and  successful,  it  applied  to  the  small  town  and  open 
country,  would  be  equally  attractive  and  successful.  Titsworth  was  careful  to 
emphasize  that  his  proposal  was  not  intended  to  supplant  or  duphcate  the  work 
of  an  agricultural  college. 

Realizing  that  the  College  could  not  tund  a  chair  trom  its  operating  budget, 
he  recommended  that  a  campaign  be  launched  to  raise  $6(),(K)(J.  He  felt  that  a 
fund  of  that  amount  earning  tive  percent  interest  annually  would  be  sutficient  to 
meet  the  needs  ot  the  program.  Although  his  proposal  was  favorably  received  in 
many  quarters,  he  was  unable  to  raise  the  needed  funds.  Tlic  Kent  News  made  the 
following  comment  on  the  proposed  program: 

Washington  College  is  receiving  more  publicity  today  than  ever  before 
m  Its  history.  The  News  referred  to  Dr.  Titsworth 's  idea  of  educating  the 
boy  and  girl  back  to  the  farm  instead  of  the  city.  Metropolitan  newspa- 
pers, magazines  and  feature  syndicates  have  heralded  the  iciea  far  and 
wide  as  a  most  excellent  solution  to  one  ot  the  biggest  anci  most  vital 
problems  controntmg  agricultural  communities. 

In  December  1932  Titsworth  notified  the  Boarci  that  he  had  accepteci  the  presi- 
dency of  Alfred  University,  his  alma  mater,  effective  June  30,  anci  requested  the 
Board  to  accept  his  resignation.  In  his  notification  he  wrote: 

It  was  only  after  much  deliberation  and  with  the  greatest  regret  that  he 
thus  severs  his  relationship  with  Washington  College.  He  feels  deeply 
obliged  to  this  institution  for  the  opportunity  given  him  to  serve  as  its 
president.  He  feels  a  personal  obligation  to  every  member  of  the  Board 


138 


and  to  all  the  friends  and  students  of  Washington  College  who  have 
cooperated  splendidly  with  hiin  in  this  joint  effort  of  putting  Washing- 
ton College  over. 

The  Board  accepted  the  resignation  reluctantly  and  appointed  a  committee  to 
draft  "such  a  resolution  of  regrets  as  were  expressed  at  this  meeting." 

Shortly  following  his  inauguration  as  the  sixth  president  of  Alfred  University, 
Titsworth  suffered  a  fatal  heart  attack.  On  that  day,  being  scheduled  to  deliver  a 
sermon  at  Christ's  Church  in  Hornell,  New  York,  he  went  to  his  garage  to  get  his 
car.  His  wife,  noting  the  unusual  amount  of  time  he  was  taking  to  get  it  started, 
went  out  to  learn  the  reason  tor  the  delav  and  disco\-ered  his  hodv. 


Mead  Guides  Colles-eThroug-hTouo-h  Years 

IN  SUBMITTING  HIS  RESIGNATION  as  president  ofWashmgton  Col- 
lege m  1932. 13r.  Paul  E. Titsworth  advised  the  Board  to  "attract  an  outstand- 
ing nran"  to  head  the  College.  He  stated  that  "while  undue  haste  m  the  matter 
was  unwise,  the  morale  ot~Washington  College  reejuires  prompt  action  and  pub- 
lic announcement  thei"eot."The  Board  appointeci  a  committee  ot  five  to  proceed 
with  the  task  of  finding  a  suitable  candidate.  On  April  8,  1933,  the  chairman  of 
the  Selection  Committee  presented  the  name  ot  Gilbert  Wilcox  Mead,  a  tormer 
protessor  ot  English  and  comparative  literature,  dean  at  Birmingham-Southern 
College.  As  College  president  between  1933  and  1949,  Mead  directed  unprec- 
edented institutional  growth. 

President  Franklin  Delano  Roosevelt  accepted  an  invitation  from  the  Board 
ot~Visitors  and  Governors  to  be  present  at  Mead's  inauguration  on  October  2, 
1933,  and  to  receive  the  honorary  ciegree  of  Doctor  ot  Laws.  Upon  public  an- 
nouncement of  the  intended  visit  of  FDR,  the  residents  of  Chestertown  began 
feverish  preparations  to  properly  welcome  him.  As  Tlie  Kent  News  wrote  in  its 
editorial  on  October  2 1 : 

There  is  no  precedent  to  be  tound  m  the  files  ot  the  newspapers  ot  Kent 
Count)'  as  to  the  procedure  to  be  tbUowed  m  welcoming  a  President  in 
our  province.  There  hasn't  been  a  President  near  us  since  the  first  Kent 
News  came  on  the  streets  back  in  1823.  George  Washington's  visit  here  in 
1789  was  the  first,  and  the  last,  up  until  today  when  Franklin  Delano 
Roosevelt  has  honored  Chestertown  and  Wishmgton  College  by  com- 
ing to  spend  the  day  with  us. 


1967 

January  3  • 
Although  a  few 
finishing  touches 

are  13UE.  THE  NEW 

Caroline  House  is 

OPEN  ro  RECEIVE  ITS 

first  female 
residents. 

January  8  • 
President  Gibson 

announces  an 

experimental  open 

HOUSE  polic:y;  dorm 

rooms  will  be  open 

to  all  visitors  for 

three  hours  on 

Sundays:  doors  must 

remain  open  during 

this  period. 

February  1 4  • 

for.mer  congress 

OF  Racial  Equality 

DIRECTOR  James 

Farmer  espouses 

bl.ack  power  during 

SPEECH  IN  WiLLI.AM 
S.MITH  auditorium. 

May  4  •  The 

College's 

production  of  the 

controversial 
MacBird  is  the  pl.ay's 

FIRST  since  it 
,'iTTRACTED  PFCAISE 

AND  CENSURE  DURING 

ITS  OFF-BROAL5WAY 

STINT. 

May  13  •  MOTOWN's 

Smokey  Robinson 

AND  THE  Miracles 

entertain  the 

crowd  at  tele 

Spring  Dance  in  the 

LOCAL  armory. 


139 


Weeks  of  preparation  were  rewarded  shortly  after  1 1  a.m.  on  the  appointed  day, 
when  the  president  s  party  was  whisked  through  the  gaily  bedecked  streets  of 
Chestertown  to  the  College.  As  the  party  approached  the  campus,  the  presiden- 
tial salute  ot  twenty-one  guns  was  fired  by  a  detachment  ot  artillery  from  Fort 
Hoyle. 

The  large  crowd  gathered  to  witness  the  events  ot  the  day  included  many 
representatives  of  the  leadmg  colleges  and  universities  in  the  nation.  As  FDR 
stepped  forward  to  receive  his  honorary  degree,  the  entire  assembly  applauded 
vigorously.  Having  received  his  hood,  the  president  responded  with  a  few  re- 
marks. 

The  Chcstcitou'ii  Tniiisciipt,  m  its  issue  ot  October  28,  1933,  wrote  in  bold 
type:  "Fifteen  Thousand  Attend  Inaugural  Ceremony  at  Washington  College," 
adding  that  this  was  the  largest  aggregation  of  people  ever  to  assemble  in  Ches- 
tertown. 

Mead  assumed  his  duties  as  president  of  the  College  at  a  time  when  the 
nation  was  in  the  midst  of  a  severe  economic  depression.  Hundreds  of  factories 
were  closed,  unemployment  had  reached  staggering  proportions,  many  of  the 
unemployetl  were  roaming  the  streets,  and  people  were  losing  contldence  in  the 
nation's  economy.  Several  months  before  Mead's  arrival  in  Chestertown,  Roosevelt 
had  ordered  all  banks  m  the  nation  to  close  their  doors.  He  then  instructed 
Congress  to  enact  emergency  legislation  designed  to  alleviate  the  situation.  Un- 
der a  measure  creating  the  Federal  Reliet  Administration,  that  agency  was  autho- 
rized to  provide  funds  for  the  payment  of  wages  to  students  for  performing  part- 
time  work  in  their  respective  colleges.  The  purpose  of  this  program  was  to  keep 
the  young  men  in  the  colleges  and  off  the  streets  as  unemployed  workers. 


The  iTcurreiit  shocks  of  daily  adi'ciiturc  warn  us  to  dwell  not  too  long 

ill  the  aura  of  history-haunted  reiniiiisceiice.  Were  General  Washington 

sitting  today  with  his  successors  at  the  council  table  of  our 

Board  qfllsitors  and  Governors,  it  is  certain  that  his  eyes  would  be  turned 

to  the  future — as  ours  must  be.  The  victories  of  one  campaign 

are  strengthened  by  the  planning  of  another. 

That  was  his  way.  It  must  be  ours. 

Excerpts  from  Gilbert  W.  Mead's  1933  inaugural  address  as  nineteenth  president  of  Washington  College. 


140 


At  the  urgin^i  of  Gilbert  ]\' Mead  diid  his  linic  of  ti'iciidi,  tii'o 
sitting  United  States  presidents  visited  ]]dshiii};ton  Cohe<^c. 


1968 

January  1 2  • 
President  Daniel  Z. 
Gibson  announces 
that  senior  women 

and  THOSE  COEDS 

over  21  will  no 

longer  be  required 

to  be  inside  their 

dormitories  by 

midnight. 

April  23  •  Organized 

a  year  ago.  the 
COLLEGE  Crew  Club 

WINS  ITS  FIRST  MEET 
RACES  BY  DEFEATING 
VARSITY  AND  JUNIOR 
VARSITY  CREWS  FROM 
St. JOHN'S  COLLEGE  OF 

New  York. 
April  3n  •  Ninety 

PERCENT  OF  THE  150 
MALE  STUDENTS 

POLLED  BY  The  Elm 

OPPOSE  THE  WAR  IN 

VIETNAM;  NEARLY  75 

PERCENT  SAY  THEY 

WILL  SERVE  IN  THE 

.MILITARY  IF  DBJ^FTED. 

M.A^-  •  A  POLL  SHOWS 

THAT  College 

STUDENTS  ELIGIBLE  TO 

VOTE  IN  THE 
PRESIDENTIAL  PRIMARY 

PREFER  Senator 
Eugene  McCarthy 

OVER  Senator 

Robert  Kennedy, 

170  TO  64. 


141 


Mead  Survives  a  Close  Call 


Because  they  are  by  necessity  communities  of 
keen  intellect  and  strong  will,  places  of  higher 
education  often  are  charged  with  internecine 
drama.  Washington  College  is  no  exception  and  has 
experienced  its  share  of  political  warring,  usually 
behind  closed  doors.  Sometimes,  as  in  the  case  of 
Pres.  Gilbert  W.  Mead,  the  squabble  spiUs  into  the 
public  arena. 

In  1937,  nearly  five  years  after  he  shared  the 
spotlight  of  his  inauguration  with  President 
Franklin  Delano  Roosevelt,  Mead  came  under 
attack  from  segments  of  three  powerful  fronts — 
alumni,  the  Board,  and  the  administration. 

Spurred  on  by  criticism  of  Mead  by  some  in  the 
faculty  and  administration — notably  by  Dean  J.  S. 
William  Jones — and  aided  by  alumni  in  the  Balti- 
more, Washington  and  Philadelphia  chapters,  one 
College  trustee  drew  up  a  laundry  list  of  charges 
against  the  president  and  presented  them  to  Hiram 
S.  Brown,  chairman  of  the  trustees. 

The  allegations  were  numerous  and  serious. 
Mead,  his  adversaries  insisted,  was  unfit  to  keep  his 
job  because  he  was  routinely  rude  to  students, 
discourteous  to  taculty,  ignored  the  advice  ot  his 
administration  colleagues,  favored  his  own  sons — 
who  were  students  at  the  College — over  others  for 
academic  honors,  tolerated  drinking  on  campus, 
and  even  once  showed  up  at  an  alumni  affair 
intoxicated. 

Baltimore  alumni  were  so  concerned  about 
Mead's  alleged  character  faults  that  during  a  fall 
meeting  in  the  Munsey  Building  they  formally 
called  upon  the  CoUege  Board  to  investigate  the 
president.  Similar  requests  were  forwarded  from 
alumni  officials  m  Washington  and  Philadelphia. 

Word  of  the  discord  reached  Baltimore  News-Post 
writer  Louis  Azrael,  who  on  December  2  men- 
tioned the  development  in  his  popular  column:  "In 
this  ancient  and  honorable  school,  and  even  more 
vigorously  among  some  of  the  graduates,  there  is 
discontent  and  commotion." 


The  next  day  Mead  dashed  off  letters  to  key 
trustees,  pledging  to  run  the  school  properly  and 
expressing  surprise  with  the  movement  against  him. 
"...I  can  honestly  say  that  the  matter  of  this  discus- 
sion among  the  alumni  has  not  been  mentioned  to 
me  and  1,  naturally,  am  anxious  to  know  what  the 
criticism  is,"  he  wrote. 

Within  weeks,  Hiram  Brown's  office  was  flooded 
with  Western  Union  telegrams  calling  for  Mead's 
resignation.  Meanwhile,  Brown  pored  over  Mead's 
eight-page  rebuttal  of  the  allegations  against  him. 
One  by  one.  Mead  denied  all  the  charges. 

In  handwritten  notes,  the  Board  chairman  kept 
score  of  the  contest  between  Mead  and  those  who 
would  depose  him.  Brown,  whose  tight  control  of 
the  trustees  was  rarely  questioned,  was  eager  to 
resolve  the  embarrassing  crisis  firmly  and  fairly.  He 
concluded  that  much  of  what  was  behind  the 
contretemps  was  a  clash  of  styles  and  egos  between 
the  president  and  "Spriggy"  Jones,  an  1889  graduate 
of  the  College  who  had  been  working  for  his  alma 
niatcr  since  1892. 

"To  avoid  undue  publicity  and  harm  I  have  made 
no  statements  and  have  consulted  only  those  whose 
statements  have  been  quoted  to  me."  Brown  wrote. 
"Many,  however,  have  volunteered  comments  and  I 
find  there  is  not  unanimous  desire  for  Mead's 
retirement." 

Brown  assured  others  on  the  Board  that,  short  of 
firing  Mead,  "every  effort  will  be  made  to 
straighten  this  situation  out  as  promptly  as  pos- 
sible." And,  in  an  undisguised  slap  at  the  faction  he 
blamed  most  for  causing  the  trouble.  Brown  wrote 
in  a  letter  to  trustees  the  day  before  Christmas: 
"May  I  suggest  ...  that  Washington  College  can  in 
the  future  be  better  served  by  Dr.  Jones  and  other 
members  of  the  faculty  if  they  will  attend  to  their 
own  jobs  and  leave  the  running  of  Washington 
College,  through  the  President,  to  the  Board  of 
Visitors  and  Governors."  !W| 


142 


Washington  College  students  participated  m  this  program.  Between  Februarv' 
and  June  ot  1934.  students  earned  SI, 322. 50. The  foUowing  year  the  program  was 
transferred  to  the  National  Youth  Administration,  which  continued  to  administer 
its  affairs  until  the  United  States  entered  World  War  II.  During  those  years,  the 
National  Youth  Administration  assisted  approximately  fifty  students  at  the  college 
each  year.This  assistance  enabled  the  College  to  maintain  its  enrollment  during  the 
tn'ing  years  of  the  Depression.  Beginning  with  1935-36,  enrollment  was  consis- 
tently above  300,  until  the  United  States  finally  entered  the  war. 

During  the  commencement  exercises  of  June  1937,  Mead  aroused  enthusi- 
asm with  an  announcement  that  Dr.  George  Averv  Bunting,  Class  of  1H91,  had 
planned  to  give  the  College  a  new  library.  Ground  for  the  facility  was  broken  in 
the  spring  ot  1939  and  dedication  of  the  new  buikiing  was  on  February  24.  1940. 
the  Saturday  nearest  George  Washmgtoifs  birthdav.  Bunting  Library  served  the 
campus  community'  until  the  opening  of  the  Clifton  Miller  Library  m  1971. 
Since  that  time.  Bunting  Liall  has  housed  offices  of  the  College  administration. 

Early  m  the  tall  ot  1945.  Mead  wrote  to  President  Harrv  S  Truman  inviting 
him  to  the  College  commencement  m  1946. The  response  to  this  invitation  was 
corciial.  indicating  possible  acceptance,  contingent  upon  prevailing  circumstances. 
Mead  intormed  the  Board  ot  Truman's  tavorable  response;  he  was  authorized  to 
center  upon  Truman  the  honorary  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws  if  and  when  he 
should  come  to  the  College.  Several  days  later,  the  tacult\'  concurred  in  this 
action  of  the  Board. 

The  commencement  exercises  in  1946  were  held  on  Saturda\\  June  1 .  Presi- 
dent Truman  was  present.  ha\-ing  tra\-eled  b\'  car  to  Chestertown.  As  the  motor- 
cade passed  through  Centre\'ille.  Church  Hill,  and  Chestertown.  it  received  greet- 
ings trom  the  people  m  each  town.  Arriving  at  the  College, Truman  was  met  by 
U.S.  Senator  George  Radcliffe  and  Governor  Herbert  R.  O'Conor. 

Mead  had  been  president  ot  Washington  College  tor  sixteen  ^-ears,  less  three 
months,  when  he  died.  During  those  )ears  enrollment  had  doubled,  important 
additions  were  made  to  the  physical  plant,  and  the  reputation  ot  the  College  in 
academic  circles  had  been  greatly  enhanced.  Mead  successfully  guided  the  institu- 
tion through  the  Depression  years  and WorldWar  II.  His  achievements  during  his 
latter  years  were  particularly  notable  in  light  ot  his  poor  health.  He  exerted  maxi- 
mum effort  to  secure  the  facilities  needed  to  accommodate  the  growing  student 
body  following  the  war.  At  the  time  of  his  death,  there  was  every  indication  that 
the  future  of  the  College  wouki  be  even  brighter  than  its  past.  Circumstances, 
however,  prevented  Mead  from  realizing  that  fiature,  tor  while  planning  the  con- 
struction of  Somerset  House,  his  illness  became  more  serious.  He  died  March  25, 
1949,  and  his  bodv  was  interred  in  St.  Pauls  cemeterv,  Kent  Counrv   W] 


1968 

June  2  • 

Commencement 

ceremonies  include 

aw.m<.ding  of  first 

Sc^PHiE  Kerr  Prize 

(S9,000)  TO 

gr.aduating  senior 

Christina  Clark 

HODUM. 

SEPTEMBER  1  •  IN  AN 

EFFORT  TO 

ENCOUR.\GE  STUDENTS 

TO  EXPLORE  SUBJECTS 

OUTSIDE  THEIR 

MAJORS,  THE  COLLEGE 

I.MPLEMENTS  A 

PASS-FAIL  PLAN  FOR 

SPECIFIC  COURSES. 

1969 

March  14  •  students 
g.ather  peacefully 

AT  STEPS  OFWULLAM 

S.MiTH  Hall  to 

PROTEST  U.S.  .MILITARY 

INVOLVEMENT  IN 

ViETN.AM. 

June  1  •  Stewart  L. 

Ud.iKll.son  of  a 

Chief  Justice  of  the 

State's  Supreme 

Court  and  the 

Secretary  of  the 

Interior  under  US. 

Pi!.esidentJohn  E 

Kennedy,  receives 

honorary  degree  of 

Doctor  of  Science 

after  DELIVERING 

commencement 

SPEECH. 


143 


The  Modern  Age 


Wasliiii'^ton  Collc<^c  iimy  have  been  endowed 
with  '^reaf  pjiviiiise  thron^^ii  the  hlessiii'^  of  the 
nation's  first presidein  in  the  kite  ei^htee)ith 
century,  yet  it  was  not  nntil  the  second  half  of  the 
twentieth  centnry  titat  the  institution  truly 
blossomed  into  a  liberal  arts  and  sciences  college 
of  academic  distinction  and  national  reputation. 
Each  of  the  modern  presidents  faced  tremendous 
challeuiies  with  coura^ie  and  the  passion  of  tiis 
coiu'ictions.  Each  left  Washington  College  a  wiser, 
richer,  livelier,  more  compassionate  community. 


Gibson  Built  Foundation  of  Modern  Institution 

FEWWashinc'.TON  College  presidents  have  witnessed  such 
major  advances — troni  the  unprecedented  expansion  ot  the  physical  plant 
to  the  eventual  overhauling  ot  the  relationship  between  students  and  the 
administration — as  did  Daniel  Z.  Gibson.  The  Gibson  years  (1950-1970)  saw 
two  national  military  drafts,  a  visit  by  a  United  States  president,  the  advent  of  the 
Sophie  Kerr  Prize,  the  end  of  football  and  the  second  rise  of  lacrosse,  the  near 
demise  of  Greek  organizations  on  campus,  a  relatively  restraineci  but  determined 


144 


Daniel  Z.  Gibson  is  credited  witli  shaping  a  tiny  college  into 
a  modern  post-war  institution  of  national  respectability. 


145 


Maryland  Govcniov  Theodore  R.  McKcldiii,  left,  and 
President  Daniel  Z.  Gibson  lead  the  procession  diiriii}^ 
the  June  3,  1951,  conuiiencenient.The  Colhye  ^^ranted 
McKeldin  an  honorary  law  de^^ree  that  year  and  the 
governor  attended  many  official  ceremonies  at  the  College. 


student  political  movement,  and  the  beginnings  ot  racial  integration  among  the 
student  body. 

When  Gibson  was  elected  as  the  twentieth  president,  the  school  had  an 
enrollment  of  slightly  more  than  400  students,  the  campus  covered  twenty-five 
acres,  the  tacultv'  numbered  twenrv'-five,  and  the  endciwment  was  barely  $100,000. 

By  the  time  he  retired  twenty  years  later,  enrollment  had  increased  by  more 
than  fifty  percent,  the  campus  had  grown  to  ninety  acres,  the  faculty  had  doubled 
in  size,  anci  the  endowment  reached  $2.5  million. 

Yet  perhaps  his  greatest  legacy  was  strengthening  the  intellectual  environ- 
ment ot  Washington  College.  He  considered  the  tacult)'  to  be  the  liteblood  ot 


146 


the  institution.  He  endeavored  to  engage  them  m  intellectual  discourse,  and 
sought  out  their  company  socially  as  well.  With  virtually  no  money  to  pay  for 
visiting  speakers,  the  President  hosted  monthly  faculty  seminars,  where  he  would 
ask  iiacult^'  members  to  speak  on  various  topics.  Gibson  revamped  the  curricu- 
lum— adding  music,  drama,  and  art — and  estabhshed  the  four-course  plan  that 
today  distinguishes  Washington  College  among  its  peers.  He  also  broadened  the 
scope  ot  a  provincial  Board  otVisitors  and  Governors  to  include  intellectuals  and 
academic  leaders. 

And  it  was  Gibson  who  de\-ised  the  four-course  plan  ot  study  that  would 
encourage  students  to  explore  a  range  of  disciplines  and  then  to  complete  a 
significant  senior  research  project  m  the  major. The  academic  program  adopted 
by  the  faculty'  and  Board  in  1 959  provided  for  a  modified  tour-course  plan  based 
on  the  theory  that  eiepth  and  breadth  of  study  is  more  important  than  variety  m 
the  intellectual  experience  ot  a  college  education.  The  new  program  was  de- 
signed to  simplify'  the  mechanical  operation  of  the  curriculum,  allow  more  ef- 
fective use  ot  the  tacultv's  time,  and  encourage  the  student  to  exercise  greater 
responsibility  in  his  or  her  education. 

Gibson  was  born  at  Mitidlesboro,  Kentucky,  on  January  26.  19U8.  He  was 
graduated  from  Kentucky  Wesleyan  College  in  1929  and  received  his  M.A.  and 
Ph.D.  degrees  in  English  from  the  University  ot  Cincinnati  m  1931  and  1939. 
respectively.  After  earning  his  tirst  post-graduate  degree.  Gibson  taught  English 
composition  and  literature  at  the  Cincinnati  Conservatory  ot  Music.  From  the 
fall  of  1940  until  the  spring  of  1943,  he  was  a  member  of  the  English  Depart- 


/  know  that  what  is  called  the  "ii'oyy  ton'cr  avicepn"  of  education 

is  not  in  favor  today,  either  at  the  secoiniary  or  the  hii^her  level. 

But  the  ivory  tower  has  been  too  rudely  scorned. 

Young  men  should  dream  dreams — and  young  women,  too. 

They  should  have  an  eminence  to  which  they  can  withdraw  and  see 

the  world  in  perspective.  To  provide  that  eminence  and 

an  opportunity  to  gain  perspective  is  as  necessary  to  the  true  purpose 

of  the  liberal  college  as  a  faculty  and  a  library. 

From  the  inaugural  speech  of  Daniel  Z.  Gibson.  October  27.  1951. 


1970 

January  24  •  College 
trustees  elect 

Charles  J. 

Merdinger  to 

succeed  Daniel 

Gibson  as  College 

president;  board 

agrees  to  name  new 

Fine  Arts  Building 

AFTER  Gibson. 

April  1  •  Brother 

Masai  of  the 

Baltimore  Black 

Panther  Party 

chapter,  addressing 

STUDENTS  IN  HYNSON 

Lounge,  says  urban 

strife  may  mandate 

use  of  weapons 

against  police. 

April  3  •  Protesting 

ad.ministration's 

efforts  to  expel  a 

popular  student 

for  poor  class 

attendance. 

unknown  STUDENTS 

PAINT  GRAFFITI  ON 

THREE  CAMPUS 

BUILDINGS. 

May  5  •  U.S.  military 

.ACTION  IN  Cambodia 

prompts  mor£  than 

400  students  to 

REPLACE  classes  WITH 
A  TEACH-IN  TO  DISCUSS 

OPPOSITION  TO  War 
IN  Indochina. 


147 


Q&A  with  Helen  Gibson 


Why  did  you  and  your  husband.  Dr.  Gibson, 
decide  to  come  to  Washington  College? 
He  decided  on  it.  I  didn't.  I  didn't  want  to  come.  I 
hadn't  been  here  and  had  never  really  heard  of  the 
Eastern  Shore.  But  he  had  been  here  once  fishing 
down  at  Rock  HaU.  He  came  with  two  doctors 
firom  Franklin  and  Marshall. The  College  here  was 
looking  for  a  president  and  Dan  was  suggested.  We 
came  down  and  the  decision  was  made  very  quickly. 
I  cried  for  a  month  betore  we  came.  I  didn't  want  to 
come  at  all.  He  didn't  know  that.  This  just  seemed  to 
be  the  end  of  nowhere.  Washington  College  had 
some  good  faculty,  but  there  wasn't  much  quality 
here.  I  think  if  my  husband  had  one  talent,  he  had  a 
talent  for  getting  qualified  people  around  him.  He 
was  very  good  at  that.  But  one  of  the  first  things  he 
did  was  to  change  the  structure  ot  the  Board.  They 
changed  it  to  thirty-six  members. 

What  was  the  purpose  behind  the  restructuring? 
To  get  it  away  from  that  Eastern  Shore  mentality. 
The  College  was  advertised  as  an  Eastern  Shore 
college  for  the  Eastern  Shore.  It  was  very  parochial. 

What  to  you  recall  about  President  Eisenhower's 
visit  in  1954? 

His  brother  Milton  Eisenhower  got  him  to  come. 
The  President  had  had  a  heart  attack  before  and  he 
couldn't  come  on  Sunday,  which  was  the  day  we 
usually  had  commencements.  He  came  the  next  day. 
It  was  fianny  because  there  were  people  who  wanted 
to  make  sure  all  the  distinguished  people  from 
Washington,  DC,  were  invited  to  the  luncheon. Well, 
as  it  happened,  Eisenhower  didn't  come  for  any 
luncheon  because  he  came  just  long  enough  to  give 
his  speech  and  went  back. We  didn't  have  the  lun- 
cheon. I  took  the  children  to  the  school  and  we  met 
him  in  Dan's  ofiice.  Eisenhower  said,"  You  know,  I 
never  wanted  to  be  president.  I  just  would  like  to 
have  been  president  of  a  small  college  like  this."  He 
was  a  very  nice  man.  Genuinely  a  nice  man. 


What  was  your  first  impression  of  Hynson-Ringgold 
House? 

Wilbur  Hubbard  took  us  through  the  house  and 
said,  "Isn't  this  beautiful?"  And  I  said,  "Yes,  it's 
beautiful.  But  how  do  we  live  in  it?"  I  had  three 
young  children  and  I  just  couldn't  see  how  we  were 
going  to  sleep  upstairs  in  those  quarters  with  the 
great  big  hall  separating  the  two  big  rooms.  We 
finally  worked  it  out.  It  is  a  beautiful  house,  but  it's  a 
hard  house  to  live  in  with  children. You  couldn't 
send  them  upstairs  to  make  their  beds  before 
breakfast  because  you  couldn't  always  go  up  to  see 
that  they  had.  The  house  is  just  too  big  and  too 
tiresome.  There  were  no  servants  when  we  came. 
There  was  a  woman  we  got  who  worked  by  the  day. 
I  subsisted  with  a  lot  of  different  people  until  the 
College  decided  the  house  would  be  part  of  its 
maintenance  and  they  would  send  somebody  down. 
That  worked  very  well. 

What  were  the  biggest  challenges  facing  the  Gibsons 
when  they  first  came  to  the  College? 
The  school  didn't  have  much  of  an  endowment.  We 
had  just  come  from  a  fund-raising  drive  at  Franklin 
and  Marshall.  We  got  the  same  people  who  did  that 
one  to  initiate  a  drive  here. They  did  a  study  first 
and  told  us,  "There's  no  animosity  toward  the 
College,  but  the  trouble  is  nobody  knows  anything 
about  it." 

Was  it  Dr.  Gibson's  intention  to  break  the  bonds  of 

parochialism? 

Oh,  yes.  And  he  had  the  formidable  help  of  [Board 

member]  George  Olds  from  Easton.  He  helped  out  a 

lot  and  was  simply  wonderful. 

A  year  after  your  husband  became  president,  lacrosse 
was  being  returned  to  Washington  College  after  an 
absence  of  fourteen  years.  Did  your  husband  know 
anything  about  the  sport? 

He  didn't  know  anything  about  lacrosse.  But  there 
had  been  a  big  to-do  when  football  was  abolished. 
He  said  the  College  can't  aftord  that  sport  for  so  few 
students. That  was  a  big  hassle  to  get  over. 


148 


Wasliingtoii  College  joined  in  the  celebration 
of  Chestertown's  250th  anniversary  in  1956. 
In  colonial  costume  arc  Prcsidoit  Daniel  Z. 
Gibson  and  his  wife,  Helen.  In  the  center  is 
Maryland  Governor  Theodore  JR..  McKeldin. 


Your  husband  had  a  reputation  as  a  man  open  to 
different  ideas.  Can  you  shed  some  Ught  on  that? 
He  used  to  go  to  the  snack  bar  at  ten  o'clock  every 
morning  for  a  cup  of  coffee.  He  was  a  great  coffee 
drinker.  Students  would  come  in  and  sit  down  and  talk 
with  him.  He  had  an  open-door  policy  on  campus.  He 
was  always  open  to  students  at  any  time  and  he  wasn't 
used  to  a  time  clock. 

What  were  your  husband's  interests  when  he  wasn't  on 

campus? 

He  read  all  the  time.  I  always  said  it  I  married  again  I'd 

marry  a  man  who  couldn't  read.  And  then  I  went  with  a 

man  who  didn't  read  and  he  was  so  dull.  No  matter  what 

came  up  in  conversation,  Dan  would  know  about  it. 

Sometimes  your  husband's  comments  got  himself  into 
hot  water.  Remember  when  Tlie  Kent  News  reprinted 
what  he  had  told  a  Baltimore  magazine  in  1969.  that  he 
made  a  distinction  between  students  using  marijuana 
and  students  using  other  drugs? 

Oh,  boy.  And  that  was  headlined  in  Tlie  Kent  News.  It 
wasn't  so  funny  then.  But  that's  the  way  he  felt  and  he 
was  just  honest  about  it.  The  remark  was  taken  out  of 
context  a  bit,  but  he  wasn't  usually  misunderstood. 

What  were  President  Gibson's  feelings  about  integrat- 
ing the  College? 

I  remember  a  group  of  Queen  Anne's  and  Kent  alumni 
out  at  the  country  club  talking  about  this  question. 


They  just  pilloried  him  about  that.  My  husband  was 
not  a  segregationist.  Never  was.  And  they  didn't  like 
that  a  bit. 

What  do  you  think  was  your  husband's  greatest 
accomplishment  while  he  was  at  the  CoUege? 
He  kept  stressing  that  the  purpose  of  a  liberal  arts 
education  is  to  teach  people  how  to  think  anci  how 
to  reason.  I  think  he  telt  he  had  accomplished  that  in 
some  measure. 

Did  Dr.  Gibson  have  any  regrets  during  his  twenty 
years  as  president? 

I  know  one  thing  that  nearly  killed  him.  On  a 
December  night,  Glenn  L.  Martin  was  m  the 
hospital  in  Baltimore  and  Dan  was  there  tor  several 
hours  talking  to  him.  Mr.  Martin  had  great  plans  tor 
things  he  was  going  to  do  for  Washington  College. 
Dan  was  very  happy  because  he  could  use  that  kind 
of  money.  He  had  given  the  money  tor  Minta 
Martin  Hall,  you  know.  On  the  following  Sunday 
morning,  Dan  was  getting  dressed  to  go  down  to 
lunch  with  a  widowed  friend  of  his  and  he  got  a  call 
that  Mr.  Martin  had  had  a  heart  attack  and  died. 
Dan  was  just  crushed  because  Mr.  Martin  hadn't 
specified  anything  in  his  will  for  the  College.  IWI 


149 


The  Gibson  FiiicAits  Center  ums  jiis!  one  of  many  fiUilitics  added  dniinfi 
President  Gibson's  tenure.  Dnnnini;  Hall  and  Hodson  Hall  were  enlaroed. 
and  Caroline  Honse.  Queen  Ainie  Honse.  Kent  Honse.  Minta  Martin 
Hall.  Miller  Library,  and  Cam  Athletic  Center  mere  eonstrneted. 


ment  at  The  Citadel  m  Charleston,  South  Carohna,  leaving  there  to  accept  a 
commission  m  the  United  States  Naval  Reserve.  He  served  as  Executive  Officer 
tor  the  Naval  Training  Unit  at  Franklin  and  Marshall  College,  where  he  re- 
mained until  the  end  of  the  war.  After  receiving  his  discharge,  Gibson  remained 
at  Franklin  and  Marshall  and  later  was  named  dean  of  the  college. 

Dr.  Gibson,  in  partnership  with  his  wife,  Fielen,  devoted  his  energies  and 
talents  to  the  service  ofWashmgton  College  for  two  decades.  He  had  planned  to 
continue  tor  an  additional  two  years,  at  which  time  he  would  have  reached  age 
sixt>'-five,  but  his  health  had  deteriorated  to  such  an  extent  that  he  felt  he  should 
not  continue  beyond  his  twentieth  year. 

In  a  June  1969  letter  to  the  Board  ofVisitors  and  Governors  Gibson  wrote: 
"What  has  been  accomplished  at  the  College  durmg  my  administration  I  shall 


150 


leave  for  others  to  assess."  The  Class  of  1970  weighed  m  with  its  opinion;  it  asked 
Dr.  Gibson  to  be  its  commencement  speaker. 

News  of  his  retirement  was  received  with  much  regret.  Howard  Medholdt,  a 
member  of  the  Board,  expressed  the  view  of  his  colleagues  when  he  said:  "As  we 
look  back  on  the  accomplishments  ot  President  Gibson  on  the  campus  we  real- 
ize the  magnitude  of  his  accomplishments.  I  am  sorry  that  we  must  face  the 
prospect  of  losing  what  we  have  had. ..We  wish  him  well  and  pray  that  his  heakh 
will  be  improved." 

Plans  were  prepareci  for  a  program  that  would  convey  to  the  Gibsons  the 
sincere  atfection  and  deep  appreciation  felt  for  them  by  their  many  friends  for 
the  contributions  they  had  made  to  the  College  and  to  the  community.  As  they 
were  lovers  ot  fine  music,  it  was  agreed  that  a  concert  given  in  their  honor  would 
be  the  most  appropriate  expression  of  love  their  friends  could  show  them.  The 
young  concert  pianist  John  Browning  was  invited  to  give  a  recital  on  May  9, 
1 970.  Invitations  were  sent  to  close  friends  of  the  Gibsons,  members  of  the  Board, 
the  faculty,  administrators,  and  representatives  of  the  student  body.  All  were  re- 
quested to  observe  black-tie  dress.  Approximately  600  people,  the  capacity  of  the 
auciitorium,  were  present.  Following  the  recital  a  reception  tor  the  Gibsons  was 
held  in  Hyiison  Lounge. 

Shortly  after  Dr.  Gibson  retired,  he  accepted  an  otfer  to  serve  as  dean  of 
Salisbury  State  College,  a  position  he  held  tor  approximately  a  year  anci  a  halt. 
The  Gibsons  returned  to  Chestertown. 

Dr.  Gibson  clied  at  age  seventy-six  on  Monday  April  23,  I9S4,  at  Kent  i\' 
Queen  Anne's  Hospital  m  Chestertown.  Three  days  later,  inside  the  thie  arts 
center  nameci  for  him,  several  hundred  friends  and  admirers  joined  the  Gibson 
tamily  for  a  memorial  service.  "It  was  President  Gibson  more  than  any  single 


//  the  world  is  (o  be  Siwcd,  the  individiidl  will  save  it — 

not  by  some  i^reat  Napoleonic  feat,  not  by  oioaniziui^ 

sonic  new  philantlnopy  oy  sect,  but  by  the  pcvvasivc  evev- 

widenino  lipple  of  influence  from  each  man  and  woman 

living  his  daily  life  the  best  he  hnows  how, 

as  lovingly,  understandingly,  and  idealistically  as  possible.  " 

Daniel  Z.  Gibson,  in  his  conunencenient  address,  1970. 


1970 


May  6  •  AcrroR  Paul 

Newman,  whose  son 

Scott  attends  the 

College,  JOINS  students 

AND  administrators  IN 

T  awes  Theatre  to 
discussVietnam  war 

and  the  recent 

killings  at  Kent  State 

University. 

May  12 -Astronaut 

Mu:hael  Collins, 
currently  assistant 
Secretary  of  State, 
DISCUSSES  American 

FOREIGN  K')LK:Y  DURING 

a  visittoTawes 
Theatre. 

October  5  •  College 

trustees  discuss 

upcoming 

lNAUGURj\TION  OF 

newly-elected 
Pr,esident  Merdinger: 

SOME  suggest 

APPEARANCE  OF  RICHARD 

NiXON  WOULD  PUT 

College  in  national 
spotlight. 

October  9  •  The 

Writers  Union. 

organized  by  new 

English  FAt:uLrY 

MEMBER  Rt~)BERT  DAY, 

enlists  47  MEMBERS  AND 

ELECTS  David  Roac;h  as 

ITS  FIRST  PRESIDENT. 

t:)CTOBER  15  •  Library  of 
Congress  poet-in- 
residence  william 

stafford  reads  15  of  his 

poems  to  students 

gathered  in  queen 

Anne's  Lounge. 


151 


person  who  created  the  special  spirit  that  edefined  Washington  College  in  those 
years  and  that  stands  as  an  even  greater  heritage  than  the  impressive  enhance- 
ment of  its  physical  contours  for  which  he  is  so  deservedly  widely  known,"  said 
faculty  member  and  former  Acting  Dean  Nathan  Smith. 


McLain  Brings  Intimate  Knowledge  to  Presidency 

WHEN  Joseph  H.  McLain  accepted  an  intermi  appointment  to 
the  presidency  in  1973,  he  told  Board  members  he  was  eager  to  return  to 
the  classroom  and  requested  that  his  job  as  chairman  of  the  cheinistry  depart- 
ment be  made  available  to  him  when  the  College  elected  a  new  president.  But 
McLain,  who  almost  single-handedly  had  established  pyrotechnics  as  a  respected 
study  in  the  realm  ot  the  sciences,  soon  warmed  to  the  position  and  dedicated 
the  next  eight  years — the  remainder  of  his  lite — to  advancing  Washington  Col- 
lege. 

As  an  alumnus  and  a  member  of  the  faculty,  McLain  brought  a  unique  per- 
spective to  the  office  of  president.  There  was  no  doubt  that  McLain  knew  his 
aliiiii  iihitci'.  He  had  been  class  president  in  both  his  junior  anci  senior  years.  He 
earned  varsity  letters  in  basketball,  football,  lacrosse,  and  track.  He  was  one  ot  the 
first  members  of  the  College  chapter  of  Omicron  Delta  Kappa,  a  national  lead- 
ership fraternity  that  was  brought  to  campus  largely  through  the  efforts  of  Presi- 
dent GilbertW  Mead.  And  he  graduated  iiiaj^iia  ctmi  laiidc  with  the  Class  of  1937. 
He  returnecl  to  Wishington  College  to  teach  chemistry  in  1946,  after  receiving 
his  doctorate  at  Johns  Hopkins  University  and  serving  as  a  seconci  lieutenant  at 
the  Army  s  Edgewood  Arsenal  during  World  War  IL  He  was  named  heaci  of  the 
chemistry  department  m  1955  and  held  the  W  Alton  Jones  Chair  in  chemistry, 
won  a  Lmdback  Foundation  award  tor  distinguished  teaching  in  1965,  and  was 
voted  the  most  popular  professor  in  a  campus  poll. 

Fond  ot  watertowl  hunting,  golfing,  and  card  playing,  McLain  was  often  the 
most  animated  spectator  at  Shoremen  athletic  events.  He  was  able  to  quote  trom 
memory  passages  from  the  Bible,  Shakespeare's  plays,  and  the  works  ot  poet 
Robert  Burns.  He  helped  develop  rocket  propellant  formulas  and  pyrotechnic 
actuation  devices  used  for  stage  separations  in  space  tlights  and  eventually  would 
hold  more  than  thirty  patents — including  several  for  smoke  grenades  used  by  the 
Army  to  camouflage  movements  of  advancing  troops — and  would  write  three 
textbooks  in  the  tield  of  solid-state  chemistry. 

Except  for  two  sabbaticals  and  the  time  he  served  as  research  liaison  manager 
for  Olm  Mathieson  Corp.  m  New  York  m  the  I95()s,  McLain  seldom  strayed  far 


152 


Joseph  H.  McLiiii  is  the  only  ]]'dshiii(;roii  Colle(;c  dhiniiius 
to  become  president  of  his  alma  mater. 


153 


from  campus  after  his  return  in  1946.  Born  in  West  Virginia  and  reared  in  Balti- 
more, McLain  became  as  much  an  Eastern  Shoreman  as  a  non-native  can  hope 
to  be. 

McLain  arrived  on  campus  in  1933  and  was  among  the  thousands  of  specta- 
tors who  witnessed  the  visit  of  President  Franklin  D.  Roosevelt  that  faU  for  the 
Mead  mauguration.  He  later  confided  that  a  fellow  student  had  sold  him  a  pair  of 
shoes  to  wear  for  the  ceremony.The  shoes  were  too  small  for  the  taU  McLain  and 
he  slipped  one  oft  because  it  was  uncomfortable. 

McLain  s  elevation  as  president  was  the  first  and  only  time  a  graduate  of  the 
CoUege  had  been  elected  its  top  administrator.  A  year  later,  the  Board  members 
met  in  a  special  session  to  discuss  McLain  s  salary — an  item  they  had  apparently 
overlooked.  They  settled  on  $32,000  a  year. 

With  the  trappmgs  and  power  of  the  president's  office  also  came  the  liabili- 
ties. McLain  inherited  a  $280,000  budget  deficit,  a  fiscal  condition  he  and  the 
Board  were  to  confront — and  sometimes  repair — each  year  of  his  tenure.  "It's 
not  an  uncommon  complaint,"  McLain  told  a  reporter  from  a  Baltimore  news- 
paper, "but  it's  knocking  the  hell  out  of  us.  It's  difficult  when  you  give  a  faculty 
member  a  ten  percent  raise  and  he  says  that  with  inflation  and  taxes  and  all,  he's 
not  doing  any  better  than  he  was  last  year." 

McLain  died  of  cancer  on  Sunday,  July  26,  1981,  at  Johns  Hopkins  Hospital 
in  Baltimore.  He  was  sixt\'-five  and  had  eagerly  anticipated  the  College's  bicen- 
tennial celebration  set  for  the  following  year.  Hundreds  of  his  friends,  colleagues, 
and  former  students  attended  a  memorial  service  for  McLain  in  Tawes  Theatre 
on  September  9. 

Nathan  Smith,  long-time  professor  of  history  who  served  as  acting  dean 
under  Joe  McLain,  gave  a  tribute.  "No  doubt  I'm  prejudiced,  but  I  really  think 
that  I  was  privileged  to  share  with  Joe  the  very  best  years  of  his  tenure  in  that 
office.  Joe  identified  himself  with  the  College  m  a  rare,  perhaps  even  excessive 


[People  frequently]  asked  me,  "  U^liere  is  ]Vashiii0on  Colleoc?" 

I  gave  lip  saying  Eastern  Shore,  hut  I  did  say  in  Maryland. 

The  very  next  question  was,  "How  big  is  it?" 

I  [finally]  said,  "\lliy  don't  you  ask  me  how  good  it  is  and  not  how  big  it  is?" 

They  got  the  point. You  can't  equate  size  with  quality. 

Joseph  McLain  during  ,i  November  1 1.  197*^).  interview  with  Maiyland  Center  for  Public  Broadcasting. 


154 


Foiiiwr  First  Lady  Ann  Hollinosuvnli  McLdin  '40.  shoiiii  here 
with  Boiird  Chdinnan  Loiii<  L.  Goldstein  '35.  worked  side-hy- 
side  with  her  hiislhind  to  secure  the  future  ol  ]]'dsliiiii;ton  Cc'//t;cif. 
She  remains  a  rahied  frieini  of  the  Cohere. 


way.  He  wanted  it  to  have  the  things  he  had  sought  tor  hiinselt:  success,  recogni- 
tion tor  quaHt\'  performance,  financial  secunts'.  He  said  he  would  leave  no  stone 
unturned,  no  b'S'way  unexplored  in  his  ettort  to  advance  his  favorite  cause,  the 
weltare  and  reputation  ot  W^ishington  College. 

"It  was  tlin,  exhausting  but  exhilarating,  to  assist  him  in  that  vigorous  drive  to 
achieve  his  goals.  I  also  enjoyed  his  complete  lack  of  pretentiousness.  He  really 
Hked  people,  especially  those  who  did  something,  knew  something,  or  who  had 
lively  views  on  any  subject.  He  may  have  been  a  man  of  the  older  generation,  so  tar 
as  the  various  hberation  movements  ot  the  recent  times  were  concerned,  but  he 
was  never  a  snob.  Finally,  I  acimired  and  drew  great  pleasure  simply  from  my  en- 
counter with  his  mind,  hiiagmative,  creative,  and  yet  always  open  to  what  the  other 
tellow  had  to  otier.Joe  tried  hard  to  teach  me  what  entropy  meant  to  a  chemist  and 
how  to  be  more  comfortable  with  the  manipulation  of  numbers.  He  was  also  the 
best  auciience  I  ever  had,  for  Russian  proverbs  and  historical  anecdotes." 


1970 

November  14  • 
Students  and  faculty 
hell'  transfer  books 

from  bunting 

Library  to  the  new 

Miller  Library. 


1971 


March  12  •  Student 

Government 
Association  votes  to 

cancel  this  year's 
Spring  Weekend  (last 

YEAR  the  group  IRON 

Butterfly 

perfopjvied)  and 

rechannel  s5,000 

tow.ard  student 

.\c.ai5emic  aid. 

April  24  •  Nearly  50 

STUDENTS  join  SEVERAL 

hundred  thous.and  in 

Washington.  D.C.  for 

a  pe.aceful  anti-w'.ar 

demonstration. 

M.AY  1  •  Eight 

STUDENTS  ARE  AMONG 

THE  HUNDREDS 
.ARRESTED  .AT  THE  ,ANTI- 

WAR  May  Day 

DEMONSTR.ATION  IN 

Washington,  D.C. 

M.ay  8  •  Dr.  CrarlesJ. 

mer15inger  is 
installed  .as  College 
PRESIDENT;  Supreme 
Court  Chief  Justice 
Warren  E.  Burger 

DELIVERS  inaugural 

.address;  new  si. 5 
million  Clifton  M. 
Miller  Library  is 

dedicated. 


155 


Even  His  Critics  Mourned  His  Loss 

When  students  returned  to  school  in  Septem- 
ber 1981  following  the  summer  of  President 
Joseph  McLain's  death,  The  Elm,  which  had  often 
been  one  of  the  president's  sharpest  critics  on 
campus,  published  this  assessment  ot  the  man. 

McLaiii  was  a  controversial  president. Two  E]iii 
editors  called  for  his  resignation  in  the  recent 
past,  and  last  year  controversy  over  his  presi- 
dency seemed  to  peak  with  the  debate  about 
use  of  the  HiU  dorms.  McLain  judged  that  the 
renovated  dorms  should  be  returned  to  their 
former  inhabitants,  the  schools  fraternities. 

Many  students  and  taculty  members  disagreed 
with  him  on  that  issue,  as  well  as  others.  As 
many  people,  most  probably,  would  have  been 
angered  if  the  dorms  had  not  been  returned  to 
the  fraternities.  The  point  here  is  not  that  one 
decision  or  the  other  was  the  right  one,  but  that 
the  issue  had  no  easy  resolution. 

During  McLain's  presidency  the  faculty  began 
to  reahze  that  it  was  being  grossly  underpaid. 
The  pay  increases  that  McLain  managed  to  get 
for  the  faculty  did  not  satisfy  many  facultv' 
members,  and  low  salaries  were  responsible  at 
least  in  part  for  the  resignation  of  several 
professors  in  the  past  three  years. 

McLain  frequently  turned  and  pointed  to  a 
sign  behind  his  desk,  a  sign  that  said,  "Is  it  good 
for  Washington  College?"  That  motto  is  cer- 
tainly an  excellent  one  tor  a  Washington  College 
president.  But  last  spring  one  letter  to  the  editor 


of  this  paper  questioned  whether  or  not  the 
president's  actions  had,  in  fact,  been  good  for  the 
College. 

McLain  was  good  for  the  College  in  many 
ways.  His  enthusiasm  for  the  school  that  he  grew 
up  with  and  lived  for  was  unbounded.  He  was 
responsible  for  bringing  various  speakers  to  the 
College  as  well  as  for  pubUcity  for  the  school  that 
resulted  in  his  many  trips  throughout  the  country 
and  abroad.  He  was  well  respected  among  those 
who  dealt  in  his  specialty,  pyrotechnics,  the  field 
he  wanted  to  'change  from  an  art  to  a  science.'  His 
expertise  involved  him  in  everything  fi-om 
scientific  seminars  to  local  fireworks  exhibits,  and 
wherever  he  went  in  the  name  of  pyrotechnics, 
Washington  College  went  with  him. 

Even  in  the  past  few  years,  when  so  many 
people  have  been  unhappy  with  the  current  state 
of  the  College,  McLain  delighted  in  taking 
fireshmen  into  his  office  and  showing  them  his  old 
yearbooks,  page  by  page.  He  remembered  all  old 
classmates  and  students.  He  had  many  yearbooks 
on  that  shelf  in  the  corner  of  his  oSice,  and  a  lot 
of  them  had  pictures  of  him  as  a  lacrosse  player,  a 
chemisti"y  major,  a  chemistry  professor,  the  head 
of  his  department,  as  acting  dean,  and  finally,  as 
College  President.  McLain  graduated  from 
Washington  College,  but  he  never  left  it.  Even 
those  who  disagreed  with  him  can  agree  that  the 
qualities  he  possessed — dedication  and  enthusi- 
asm— are  essential  for  anyone  who  takes  his  place. 
Whatever  final  judgment  is  made  on  the  presi- 
dency of  Joe  McLain,  dedication  and  enthusiasm 
are  good  for  Washington  College,  [ffij 


In  the  years  following  his  death. Joe's  wife.  Ann  Hollmgsworth  McLain  '40, 
spearheacJed  etiorts  to  create  an  appropriate  memorial  honoring  her  husband.  In 
addition  to  his  international  renown  in  the  field  of  pyrotechnics,  McLain  was 
keenly  interested  m  conservation  issues.  Money  was  raisecJ  to  endow  a  chair  in 
the  environmental  sciences  and  to  fund  the  McLain  Scholarship.  The  environ- 
mental studies  program  has  since  evolved  into  a  popular  major.  In  acknowJedg- 
ment  of  his  passion  for  athletics.  College  ahimni  purchased  a  bronze  bell  and  had 


156 


It  installed  outside  Cam  g\-ninasium,  with  instructions  that  the  McLain  Victory 
Bell  be  run£2;  every  time  a  ColleLie  team  wins  an  athletic  contest. 


1971 

June  2  •  Nearly  luu 

STUDENTS  ENROLL  FOR 
THE  NEW  GRADUATE 
STUDIES  PROGRAM- 


Douglass  Cater  Leads  College  Into  "Higher  Orbit" 


THE  PRESIDENCY  OF  DOUGLASS  CATER.a  well-known  journal- 
ist and  former  White  House  assistant,  marked  a  turning  point  for  Washing- 
ton College.  In  Doug  Cater,  the  Board  had  found  a  man  of  extraordinary  vision, 
intense  passion,  and  inexhaustible  energy.  In  accepting  the  post.  Cater  assumed  a 
special  burden:  would  he  be  capable  of  leading  the  institution  which  bears  the 
name  ot  the  country's  first  president  into  yet  another  century?  He  used  everv 
resource,  every  connection,  every  persuasion,  every  moment  to  take  Wishmgton 
College  m  what  he  liked  to  call  "a  higher  orbit." 

The  Cater  inauguration  took  place  October  16,  1MS2.  Part  of  the  afternoon 
activities  included  a  s\'mposium  titled  "The  Future  ot  the  Small  College."  It  was 
a  theme  Cater  returned  to  time  after  time  during  his  presidency. 

In  the  nearly  eight  years  ot  Cater's  tenure  (1982- 1 990), Wishmgton  College 
saw  its  physical  plant  expanded  significantly  and,  partly  through  Cater's  high- 
placed  connections  in  the  world  ot  journalism,  its  visibility'  heightened.  Wilter 
Cronkite,  Art  Buchwald,  David  Brmkley,  Eric  Sevareid,  Mark  Russell,  historian 
John  Hope  Franklin,  and  former  First  Lady  Clauclia  Alta  "Lacly  Bird"  Johnson 
were  among  those  whose  campus  visits  attracted  outside  attention.  Cater  also 
engaged  then  U.  S.  Eclucation  Secretary  William  J.  Bennett  in  a  spirited  debate, 
using  newspaper  op-ed  pages  as  a  platform,  about  the  role  ot  the  independent 
liberal  arts  college.  Using  Washington  College  as  an  example.  Cater  defended 
small  colleges  across  the  country. 

Cater  delighted  m  overlapping  his  two  circles  of  influence  and  prestige — the 
Washington  College  community'  of  academe  he  had  adopted  and  the  Washing- 
ton, D.C.,  community  of  politics  and  journalism  he  had  recently  departed.  On 
the  evening  of  November  11,  1^W4,  Cater  presided  at  a  funcl-raismg  event  in 
downtown  Baltimore  that  put  both  worlds  at  the  same  cimner  table.  The  occa- 
sion was  the  launching  of  the  College's  new  Chair  of  Public  Policy,  named  tor 
Louis  L.  Goldstein — Maryland  comptroller  and  College  Board  chairman.  Former 
Secretary  of  State  Henry  Kissinger  was  the  draw  and  by  all  accounts,  the  event 
was  a  success.  The  dinner  netted  $250,000  and  the  next  day's  newspaper  and 
television  reports  carrieci  glowing  stories  about  Washington  College. 

Campus  critics  argued  that  Cater's  ego  was  sometimes  too  large  for  a  small 
college.  But  his  supporters  countered  that  whatever  attention  he  cirew  to  him- 


September  13  • 
Student  Government 
Association  agrees  to 

SPEND  SI 00  TO  cover 

COSTS  OF  SEX 

INFORMATION  MANUAL 

FOR  STUDENTS. 

NOVEMBER  17  • 

STUDENT  Senate  passes 

RESOLUTION 

REQUESTING 

RESIGNATION  OF  DR. 

MERDINGER. 

november  20  • 

College  trustees 

n.'vme  .athletic 

grounds  after 

"CoACH"JOHN  Thomas 

kibler,  who  died  on 

October  18. 

1972 

February  2.i  •  Police 

RAID  THE  Plaza 

Lounge  and  charge 

39  students 

attending  the 

popular  bar  with 

underage  drinking 

AND  loitering. 

M.AiuH  25  -John 
Truslow  Boathouse. 
HOME  TO  the  College 

CREW  AND  NAMED  FOR 
AN  EARLY  SUPPORTER 

OF  THE  SPORT.  IS 
DEDICATED  ON  BANKS 

OF  Chester  River. 


157 


Doti'^Liss  Cnci'i  CiiiiipiU\;ii  for  li.xicllciicc  netted 
iiioiv  than  $43  million  tor  fiicilitics  and  acadcniic 
innovationi. 


158 


selt,  he  drew  to  the  College.  "Whether  you  love  him  or  hate  him — and  unless 
you're  brain  dead,  you  have  a  definite  opmion  about  him — there's  no  denying 
that  Douglass  Cater  has  done  Great  Things  for  Washington  College,"  wrote  a 
student  m  the  campus  newspaper  The  EIdi. 

Cater,  son  ot  an  Alabama  state  senator,  was  a  Harvard  graduate  who  made  his 
early  mark  m  Wishmgton,  D.C.,  where  he  was  Washington  editor  and  later  national 
affairs  editor  tor  Tlic  Reporter  magazine  from  1950  to  1964.  Cater  was  a  special 
assistant  to  President  Lyndon  B.Johnson.  During  the  Johnson  administration.  Ca- 
ter worked,  in  collaboration  with  Dr.  John  Gardner  and  others,  on  many  educa- 
tional initiatives  that  became  law,  including  the  Higher  Education  Act,  the  El- 
ementary and  Secondaiy  EtiucationAct,the  hiternational  Education  Act,  as  well  as 
the  creation  of  the  Public  Broadcasting  Corporation  and  the  Teachers  Corps.  He 
served  as  vice-chairman  of  Englanci's  oldest  weekly  newspaper,  the  Observer.  He 
received  numerous  citations  in  Journalism,  including  the  George  Polk  Memorial 
Award  from  Long  Island  Universirv'  for  "bringing  clarity'  to  the  complexities  ot  big 
government"  anti  the  Front  Page  Award  tor  excellence  m  journalism. 

It  was  Cater  who  said,  during  a  meeting  with  Board  members  as  a  candidate 
for  the  presidency,  that  a  small  college  should  seek  its  own  identits'  and  that 
Washington  College  could  emphasize  writing  skills  as  a  way  ot  preparing  its 
students  for  the  workplace.  Cater  was  the  author  ot  several  books.-  Power  in  Wlisli- 
ingtoii  (1964);77(e  Fourth  Branch  of  Got'ennneiit  (1959),  a  study  ot  the  role  ot  the 
press  in  the  nation's  capitoka  political  novel,  DaiuvThe  Irrelevant  Man  (1970);  and 
co-author,  with  Marquis  Childs,  ot  Eiliics  in  a  Business  Society  ( 1 954).  He  also  was 
co-author  of  several  studies  ot  the  media's  role  m  socien.';  T\ '  I  'iolence  and  the 
Chih1:The  Evohition  and  Fate  of  the  Sur^ieou  General's  Report  (197 5),  Television  as  a 


It  is  yoiii'  diiuisiiio  opportunity  to  make  a  small  college  f^reat 

by  keepiug  it  small.  In  doing  so  you  will  be  swinunino  upstream. 

You  will  have  to  struggle  against  the  trend  of  the  times. 

Fortunately,  on  the  Eastern  Shore,  that  is  not  so  difficult  . . . 

Shoremen  are  conscious  that  the  tide  flows  in,  as  well  as  out. 

Here,  at  Washington  College,  I  think  that  one  might  work  back 

to  the  wellsprings  of  our  greatness  as  a  people. 

Douglass  Caters  inaugural  remarks,  quonng  FeHx  Morley  to  President  Daniel  Gibson,  October  16,  1982 


1972 

April  14  •  Students 
le.\rn  that  pets,  who 
have  been  allowed  to 

wander  residence 
h.mls  with  abandon. 

will  no  longer  be 
permitted  on  campus. 

May  20  •  PRESIDENT 

Merdinger  tells 

trustees  he  has 

NAMED  Dr.  Joseph  H. 

McLain  as  acting 

dean. 

November  18  • 
President  Merdinger 
INFORMS  Board  that 

HE  WILL  not  seek 

reelection  as 

president.  His 

resignation  is 

effective 

February  1, 1973. 


1973 


October  1 S  •  Acting 

Dean  Nate  Smith 

announces  that  a 

reserve  fund  of  up  to 

sio.ooo  has  been 

earmarked  for 

construction  of  a 

projection  booth  and 

other  improvements 

TO  THE  William  Smith 

Hall  auditorium. 

December  1  •  Bo.ard 

ELECTS  Acting 

President  Joseph  H. 

McLain  22nd  College 

president. 

1974 

September  25  ■  A  fire 

OF  SUSPICIOUS  origin  is 

extinguished  in  the 

boathouse  before 

serious  damage  is 

DONE. 


159 


Foiiiicr  MiiryLiiui  Goiviiior  Hayyy  Hii'^hcs,  Lddy  Bird 
]iihnsoii,  and  President  (^atcr  enjoy  w  li\;lit  iiioiiieiii  during;  tlie 
Fall  1983  Coni'ocdtion. 


Social  Force:  i\'eu' Approaches  to  T] '  Criticism  ( 1 975) ,  and  The  Future  of  PiiNic  Broad- 
castitt<i  (1976). 

In  1955  he  was  awarded  a  Guggenheim  Fellowship  to  study  the  interaction 
of  press  and  government  in  the  nation's  capital.  Two  years  later  he  received  an 
Eisenhower  Fellowship, and  in  1959  was  appointed  Ferris  Professor  at  Princetons 
Woodrow  Wilson  School  and  in  1 962  visiting  professor  at  Wesleyan  University 
and  fellow  and  associate  director  of  its  Center  for  Advanced  Studies.  After  leav- 


160 


ing  the  White  House  he  joined  the  tacult)'  at  the  Umversirv'  of  Cahfornia  and 
later  was  named  a  consulting  professor  at  Stanford  University'. 

He  was  a  charter  member  of  the  Paideia  Project,  examinmg  the  organizmg 
prmciples  tor  general  education  ni  the  United  States.  As  a  senior  fellow  and 
trustee  ot  the  Aspen  Institute  for  Humanistic  Studies,  Cater  founded  and  was 
first  director  ot  the  Institute "s  Program  on  Communications  and  Society. 

Born  in  Montgomery,  Alabama,  m  1923,  Cater  earned  the  A.B.  degree  with 
honors  at  Harvard  College  and  an  M.P.A.  from  the  Harvard  School  of  Public 
Administration,  as  well  as  honorary  degrees  from  the  University  of  Alabama, 
Brandeis  University,  University  of  the  Americas,  Marymount  College,  and 
Hampden-Sydney  College. 

DuringWorld  War  II,  Cater  worked  m  the  OtFice  of  Strategic  Services.  Later, 
while  on  leave  trom  Tlic  Reporter,  he  serveci  as  special  assistant  to  the  Secretary  ot 
the  Army,  consultant  to  the  Director  of  Mutual  Security  and  consultant  to  the 
Secretary  of  State. 

Cater  died  at  age  sevent\'-two  on  Friday,  September  15,  1995,  while  on  cam- 
pus to  attend  the  Saturday  presidential  inaugin'ation  ot  Dr.  John  S.Toll. 


Lihby  Carer  was  a  pouvifiil 
force  as  Pint  Lady.  I  'poii 
her  hiislhuiii's  retirenient.  the 
Cohc(;e  aivarded  her  au 
honorary  doctor  of  piihhc 
service  dei;ree  in  appreciation 
for  tier  contributions  in 
advancino  1 1  dsliin^ton 
College. 


1976 

March  25  •  Student 
Judiciary  Board  finds 

TWO  students  GU[LTY 

OF  riding  a 

motorcycle  into  the 

Hodson  Hall  snack 

bar;  the  pair  must 

write  letters  of 

apology  to  the 

campus  community. 

1977 

March  26  •  College 

Crew  celebrates  its 

10th  anniversary 

WITH  dinner  in 

HODSON  Hall. 

1978 

February  7  •  Classes 
are  canceled  after 
an  unusually  heavy 

snowfall  leaves 
drifts  as  high  as  four 

feet  on  CA.MPUS. 

April  5  •  Student 
volunteers  plant 

Sl,500  WORTH  OF 
SHRUBBERY  AROUND 

HODSON  Hall. 

M.AY  1  •  A  SOPHOMORE 
NICKNAMED  "MlAAlf  IS 
TEMPORARILY  JAILED  BY 

TOWN  POLICE  FOR 
STREAKING,  A  MAY  D.AY 

TRADITION  AT  THE 

COLLEGE  FOR  SEVERAL 

YEARS. 

M.AY  2 1  •  Novelist 

JAMES  MlCHENER 

RECEIVES  Award  of 

Excellence  during 

College 

commencement. 


161 


Q&A  with  Douglass  Cater 


Do  you  believe  the  college  president  has  a  role  as 
the  intellectual  leader  of  the  college  community? 
The  college  president,  in  this  day  and  time,  has  to 
fight  hard  not  to  be  turned  simply  into  the  chief 
fund-raiser  who  does  aU  his  work  on  the  road 
while  other  people  have  the  joy  and  privilege  of 
making  the  difference  at  a  college.  To  achieve  the 
things  that  an  independent  college  needs  can  take  a 
lot  of  money.  It  doesn't  come  easy.  I  have  tried  to 
do  both — raise  the  necessary  funds  while  still 
contributing  to  the  intellectual  purposes  of  the 
College. 

But  you  do  enjoy  tund-raising  to  some  e.xtent? 
There  is  a  blood  sport  thrill  of  the  chase  in  tund 
raising.  It's  like  big  game  hunting — you  go  out  on 
the  trail  and  look  an  elephant  m  the  eye  and  ask 
him  for  a  million  dollars. 

Do  you  see  the  president  as  the  "chief  innovator"? 
I  tnid  that  this  job,  as  I  look  back  on  seven  full 
years,  takes  thn-ty-tlve  percent  brams  and  sixty- 
five  percent  energy.  It  takes  an  enormous  amount 
of  energy  just  to  brood  about  the  College.  It's 
always  somewhere  in  the  back  of  your  mind 
clicking  away.  You  know  when  it  has  clicked  too 
much  when  you  wake  up  at  three  o'clock  in  the 
morning  and  you  find  your  brain  going  around  m 
circles  over  a  particular  problem  of  the  day. 

As  historians  look  back  on  the  Cater  Years  at 
■Washington  College,  what  would  you  most  like  to 
be  remembered  for? 

If  I  had  to  put  it  in  one  word,  it  would  be  caring.  I 
feel  that  I've  devoted  eight  years  to  a  very  intensive 
love  affair  with  a  small  liberal  arts  college.  It  will  take 
more  time  to  define  what  are  the  things  that  suc- 
ceeded or  failed,  what  lasted  or  went  with  the  wind. 
But  I  do  think  I  managed  to  bring  yeast  to  the 
College.  One  tacult)'  member  was  quoted  in 
Maryland  Magazine  as  saying  I  brought  urban 
tensions  to  Chestertown. That's  fair  commentary 


Tlic  Catcr]Valk,  so  named  as  a  (libute  ro  Dong  and  Lihby 
Cater,  was  part  of  the  Master  Plan  to  unite  and  heautify  the 
College's  landscape.  Cater's  administration  oversaw 
construction  of  four  buildings  and  the  renovation  of  six  more. 


because  I  did  bring  some  tensions  here.  But  I  hope 
that  when  we  look  back  from  a  more  distant  vantage 
point,  they  will  prove  to  be  creative  tensions. 

In  what  ways  have  you  left  your  personal  stamp  on 
Washington  College? 

When  I  came  to  the  College,  I  said  somewhat 
tacetiously  that  I  was  weary  ot  thinking  about  big 
insoluble  problems,  and  that  I  wanted  to  spend  my 
time  thinking  about  little  insoluble  problems.  And 
those  words  came  back  to  haunt  me.  The  destiny  of 
the  small  liberal  arts  college  is  not  subject  to  neat 
solutions.  It's  a  great  deal  different  coping  with  a 
problem  in  Bunting  Hall  than  it  was  helping  LBJ 
launch  a  major  elementary  or  higher  education 
program.  Looking  back  on  eight  years,  I  could  not 
have  stayed  the  course  if  it  had  not  been  for  my  wife, 
Libby,  who  has  served,  I  believe,  as  the  First  Lady  par 
excellence  of  Washington  College. 

Excerpts  from  an  interview  with  Douglass  Cater  by 
Sue  De  Pasquale,  published  in  A  Sense  of  Stewardship,  a 
collection  of  speeches  and  writings  by  Cater,  and  from  an 
imerview  with  Douglass  Cater  published  in  Washington 
CoUeaie  Magazine,  summer  1989.  iW] 


162 


Charles  H. Trout  Diversifies  Student  Body 

By  Joseph  L.  Holt 

FROM  THE  V  E  RY  START,  my  presidency  has  stood  for  a  number  of  thmgs 
in  wIiicIt  I  believe  deeply — a  student  body  that  looks  more  like  America,  a 
strengthened  academic  program,  a  plan  for  eventual  growth  of  the  College,  a 
faculty  in  which  teaching  and  scholarship  are  in  reasonable  balance,  first-rate 
academic  facilities,  a  heftier  endowment."  With  those  words,  Charles  H.  Trout 
announced  m  the  spring  of  1994  his  resignation  at  the  end  of  four  years  as  the 
twenty-fourth  president  of  Washington  College. 

By  his  own  criteria,  die  Trout  presidency  (1990-1995)  was  a  success.  But 
there  were  shortcomings,  some  of  them  difficult  to  avoid.  What  is  indisputable  is 
that  the  Trout  presidency  experienced — sometimes  in  the  harshest  manner — the 
challenges  confronting  all  of  higher  education  as  the  nation  entered  the  final 
decade  of  the  millennium. 

"C^huck"Trout  worked  his  way  up  through  the  academic  ranks.  He  received 
his  bachelor's  degree  from  Amherst  College  m  1957  and  his  master's  degree  and 
doctorate  in  American  history  from  Columbia  University  m  1961  and  1972, 
respectively.  He  began  his  teaching  career  at  the  secondary  level  at  The  Hill 
School  and  at  The  Phillips  Exeter  Academy.  He  joined  the  faculty  of  Mount 
Holyoke  College  in  1969,  where  he  taught  courses  centered  on  the  sociopolitical 
history  of  nineteenth  and  twentieth  century  America,  and  where  he  e\'entually 
served  as  chairman  of  the  history  department.  While  at  Mount  Holyoke,  Trout 
was  named  a  National  Endowment  for  the  Humanities  Senior  Fellow  and  a 
Charles  Warren  Fellow  at  Harvard  University. 

In  1977,  his  book  Boston,  The  Great  Depression,  and  the  New  Deal  was  pub- 
lished. He  also  wrote  dozens  of  articles,  papers  and  reviews  for  history  books  and 
journals.  In  19S 1 , Trout  moved  to  Colgate  University,  where  he  served  as  provost 
for  a  decade  before  he  accepted  the  presidency  at  Washington  College.  In  1984, 
while  at  Colgate, Trout  met,  courted,  and  marrietl  Katherine  Taylor  Griffiths. 

Trout's  years  at  the  College  were  marked  by  a  number  of  important  physical 
changes  to  the  campus  landscape — completion  and  dedication  of  the  Eugene  B. 
Casey  Academic  Center  and  the  Benjamin  A.Johnson  Lifetime  Fitness  Center, 
the  renovation  oi  Hodson  Hall,  and  significant  landscaping,  including  the  re- 
moval of  interior  parking. 

The  curricular  landscape  was  reshaped  through  a  number  of  initiatives.  New 
academic  opportunities  were  launched — concentrations  in  neuroscience,  gender 
studies,  and  Chesapeake  Regional  Studies;  consortial  arrangements  with  the 
Chesapeake  Bay  Maritime  Museum  and  the  Pickering  Creek  Environmental 


1979 

October  1  •  Middle, 
East,  AND  West  Halls 
are  placed  on  the  us. 

Dept.ofthe 

Interior's  Natk)nal 

Register  of  Historic 

Places. 

November  9  • 

Members  of  the 

Washington  College 

Republicans 
demonstrate  outside 
Hodson  Hall  against 
Iran  for  holding  60 
Americans  hostage  in 
Tehran. 

November  12  • 

Student  Government 

Association  votes  1 8-8 

in  favor  of 

resolution  to  ban 

smoking  in  William 

Smith  Hall. 

1980 

February  23  • 
Maryland  Governor 

Harry  Hughes  is 
Convocation  speaker; 
College  trustees 
announce  $10.25 
MILLION  "Third 
Century  Fund" 
(::ampaign. 

May  3  •  His  Royal 
Highness  Prince 
Richard,  Duke  of 

Gloucester,  is  given 
honorary  degree 

during  Queen  Anne's 

Day  in  Centreville;  it 

IS  only  the  second 

TIME  the  College  has 

presented  AN 

honorary  degree  off 

campus  (the  first  time 

was  to  George 

Washington). 


163 


All  iiLddciiUiiiin,  Clhirlcs  H.  Trout  pioinotCii  oppoitiiiiitics  for  t'loilty.  A 
backlog  of  deferred  iahhancah  iims  ciincd,  new  eiidoiniieiits  provided 
SiibhdtiCiil  leave  for  non-tenured  professors,  and  new  criteria  for  proniolion 
and  tenure  were  iiiipleiiieiiied  lo  reco\^in:e  scliolarsliip  on  an  equal  footiin; 
with  teacliiiii^  and  service.  He  also  launched  an  affiriiiative  action 
lecrnitnient  piv^raiii. 


Center;  the  integration  of  living  and  learning  through  the  founding  of  theme 
houses  devoted  to  science  and  to  internationalism;  expansion  ot  international 
studies  offerings  and  formal  exchange  agreements  with  universities  in  France, 
Spam,  and  Germany;  the  revivification  of  the  sciences,  including  expandeci  un- 
dergraduate research  opportunities;  access  to  the  Internet  and  the  completion  ot 
the  fiber  optic  cable  to  the  student  residence  halls  across  Washington  Avenue;  and 
an  automated  and  tully-mtegrated  computer  system  in  the  library. 

During  the  Trout  years,  the  overall  student  enrollment  of  84n  remained  un- 
changed. But  behind  these  numbers  is  one  c:if  Trout's  most  signiticant  accom- 
plishments— the  increased  diversits'  of  the  undergraduate  population.  The  per- 
centage ot  mmorirv'  students  tripled  from  three  percent  to  nearly  ten  percent. 


164 


and  the  percentage  of  international  students  more  than  doubled  from  slightly 
more  than  two  percent  to  more  than  five  percent.  Overall,  the  number  of  mmor- 
irv'  and  international  students  grew  from  forty-eight  to  139 — a  milestone  for 
Washington  College. 

An  avid  sports  enthusiast,  Trout  attended  most  home  athletic  contests  and 
was  responsible  tor  a  number  of  initiatives  that  enhanced  the  intercollegiate  ath- 
letic experience  for  undergraduates,  especially  women. Trout  elevated  the  status 
ot  most  College  coaches  to  tuU-time  positions  and  authorized  the  addition  of 
women's  basketball  to  the  varsit}'  level.  During  his  years,  the  College  joined  the 
new  Centennial  Conference  as  a  charter  member. 

The  Trout  administration  also  marked  the  conclusion  of  the  successful  Cam- 
paign for  Excellence.  The  natural  drop-off  that  follows  such  comprehensive 
tundraismg  campaigns  was  anticipated,  yet  his  administration  produced  record 
results  in  fundraismg  in  subsequent  years.  Overall,  $16  million  was  raised,  the 
endowment  grew  from  $19  million  to  S27  million,  and  the  value  of  the  physical 
plant  increased  by  $^.J  million.  But  it  was  not  enough  to  keep  pace  in  tough 
times. 

Despite  his  accomplishments,  the  times  seemed  to  conspire  against  Trout  on 
other  tronts.  The  Trout  years  at  Washington  College  coincided  with  major  cie- 
mographic  changes — in  1993  the  number  ot  eighteen-year-olds  was  twenty-five 
percent  less  thanjust  a  decade  earlier.The  national  economy  experienced  a  down- 
turn tollowing  the  rapid  expansion  of  the  198ns,  a  predicament  particularly  se- 
vere in  Mandand.  As  a  result,  the  College's  annual  operating  budgets  experi- 
enced unusual  pressures. 

With  tewer  students  recruited  and  with  the  College  granting  substantially 
higher  scholarship  awards,  there  was  a  dramatic  decline  m  net  tuition  revenue. 
During  the  same  period,  Maryland  lawmakers  responded  to  the  state's  own  fiscal 
crisis  by  rescinding  almost  $300, UDd  m  annual  state  aid.  the  stock  market  pertor- 
mance  resulted  in  disappointing  returns,  and  the  Board  otVisitors  and  Governors 
reduced  by  one-third  the  spending  rate  trom  endowment. These  tactors  contrib- 
uted to  annual  budget  revenue  shortfalls  approaching  one  million  dollars  a  year. 
Eftorts  to  balance  operating  budgets  were  paintul.  For  two  years  no  pay  increases 
were  awarded  for  facult\'  and  staft",  operating  budgets  were  cut,  and  statt  reduc- 
tions were  effected  through  attrition  and  terminations.  Funds  tunctioning  as 
endowment  were  depleted  through  end-of-year  transfers  to  balance  the  College 
budget. 

While  the  College  faced  serious  tinancial  difficulties,  members  ot  the  taculry 
and  staff  were  asked  to  do  more  with  less.  It  was  in  this  setting  that  the  College's 
decennial  reaccreditation  by  the  Midcile  States  Association  ot  Colleges  and  Schools 
became  a  primai-y  focus  for  the  institution.  In  an  effort  to  return  the  school  to 
financial  and  acadenuc  health,  the  College  Board  in  September  1992  directed 


1980 

Spring  •"Dutch" 
ijumschott's  history 

OF  Washington 
College  is  published. 


September  18  • 

Former  C.I.A. 

Director  William 

Colby  comes  to 

campus  as  guest  of 

William  J.\M£S  Forum. 


1981 


February  28  •  Eastern 

Shore  native  and 

Rouse  Company 

Chairman  J.AMES  W. 

Rouse,  whose 

projects  include 

Columbia,  Md..  AND 

HARBORPL.ACE  IN 

Baltimore,  is  guest 

SPEAKER  at 

Washington's 

Birthday 
Convocation. 

March  17  'A time 

capsule  sealed  for 

137  years  IN  Middle 

Hall's  cornerstone  is 

opened  to  reveal 

eight  coins  and  wh.at 

appears  to  be  a 

newspaper,  now 

rjeduced  to 

unreadable  dust  and 

fr.agments, 

March  19  -William 
James  Forum  brings 

TO  CAMPUS  Cal 

Thomas,  VICE 

president  of 

communications  for 

Moral  Majority,  Inc. 

April  6  •  Faculty' 
approves  in  principle 
A  proposed  Business 

Administration 

MAJOR. 


165 


[I  itli  III}-  tdkiit  /())  (jt>//i7/;i'r  cookiiii^  iiiid  her  fhiir  for  dniiiidlic 
j^rcsciitiiiion,  Clinch  diul  Kdthcriiic  Tioiit  ircrc  fdiiioiif  for  ilicir 
stylish  diul  clcgdiit  ciitcridiniii^  dt  the  Hynsoii-Riii^old  House. 


the  administration  to  undertake  a  planning  process  that  mckided  as  one  ot  its 
elements  the  expansion  ot  the  student  body  to  1 ,  150  students  by  the  year  2000. 
As  a  first  step,  the  tactilty  developed  a  new  mission  statement  tor  the  College 
that  was  approved  by  the  Board  m  December  1992.  A  college-wide  planning 
committee  was  convened  in  January  1993  under  the  direction  ot  Provost  and 
Dean  Gene  Wubbels.  By  tall  1993,  a  preliminary  plan  was  circulated  tor  com- 


166 


meat  within  the  College  coninuinity.  After  much  time,  only  the  weakest  of  fac- 
ulrv'  support  could  be  mustered  for  the  plan.  When  the  Midcile  States  reaccredi- 
tation  team  arrived  on  campus  m  March  1994,  campus  morale  was  low  and 
confusion  about  the  future  direction  of  the  College  was  evident. 

hi  early  May,  ciisputes  between  the  faculty  and  the  administration  boiled 
over.  The  faculty  passed  a  resolution  of  no-confidence  against  the  provost.  A 
special  meeting  of  the  full  Board  was  convened  in  Annapolis  on  June  2  to  discuss 
the  faculty  vote. The  Board  voted  a  resolution  of  support  for  the  provost.  Despite 
this  support,  the  pi'ovost  announced  his  intention  to  resign  his  position  and  to 
accept  an  appointment  at  the  National  Science  Foundation. 

This  action  was  c^uickly  followed  by  an  announcement  by  Trout  that  he,  too, 
woulci  resign  his  position  at  the  College.  In  a  parting  letter  to  parents  of  Wash- 
ingtt:)n  College  stucients.  Trout  noted  that,  "Presidents  come  and  presidents  go, 
but  institutions  endure.  The  challenge  for  Washington  College  is  for  the  faculty', 
administration,  and  the  Board  ofVisitors  and  Governors  to  cooperate  on  a  pro- 
gressive iiioiiits  Vivendi.  It  is  my  belief  that  with  the  present  groundwork  m  place 
thev  will  do  so." 


1981 


July  1  •  c:ollege  Dean 
Garry  Clarke  is 

NAMED  acting 
PRESIDENT  WHILE  DR. 

McLain  recuper.wes 
from  surgery. 

July  2(j  •  Dr. Joseph  H. 

McLain,  College 
president  since  1973, 

DIES. 

July  30  •  Maryland 
Sen.  Charles  Mathias 

inserts  TRIBUTE  TO  THE 

LATE  Dr.  McLain  into 

Congressional 

Record. 

August  4  •  Maryland 

Rep.  Roy  Dyson 

introduces 

resolution  honoring 

College  bicentennial. 


Wc  have  a  iiiiiqiic  opportuuity  to  take  ftilJ  tuh'anTaoc  of  our 

cxtraordiihuy  siin'oiiiidinos  and  to  understand  the  texture  of  our  "situation" 

in  all  its  many  forms.  To  this  enterprise,  we  nnist  at  all  times  brino  to  our  studies 

the  disciplined  modes  of  inquiry  that  are  so  special  to  the  liberal  arts — critical, 

rigorous  evaluation  of  evidence,  formulation  of  incisive  questions, 

knowing  how  to  fhid  aiistvers  to  tfiese  questions, 

knowing  how  to  comnuinicate  the  answers  to  others. 

From  in.uiii;ural  address  of  Charles  H.  Trout.  October  6.  1990. 


September  4  •  Dr. 

Nate  Smith  is  n.'uvieu 

acting  dean  of  the 

College. 

October  9-11  • 

Homecoming 

Weekend  features 

processions,  flag 

b^imsing,  convocation 

and  other  events 

special  to  the  opening 

of  the  College's 

bicentennial 

celebration. 

October  21  'A 

READING  BY  POET  .^ND 

translator  W.S. 
Merwin  attracts  1 50 
people  to  the  William 

Smith  Hall 
.auditorium. 


December  8  • 
Richmond  House, 

HOME  for  10  YEARS  TO 

College  writers,  is 

RAZED. 


167 


John  S.ToU  Connects  College's  Past  to  Its  Future 

By  Miiiria  C.  Laiidskivciwr 

AT  AGE  SEVENTY-ONE,  John  S.  Toll  had  made  clear  his  intention  to 
serve  as  acting  president  ofWashington  College  only  until  the  Board  s  na- 
tional search  for  a  hill-tinie  successor  to  Charles  H.  Trout  was  concluded.  But 
before  long,  the  trustees  realized  that  Toll — the  University  of  Maryland  chancel- 
lor emeritus  and  a  respected  physicist  with  a  reputation  tor  building  research 
universities — was  their  best  bet  at  getting  Washington  College  back  on  a  sound 
financial  tooting  and  guiding  it  into  the  next  century. 

On  September  16,  1995,  John  Toll  was  inaugurated  as  the  twenty-fifth  presi- 
dent ofWashington  College.  He  immediately  set  about  the  task  of  problem- 
solving  in  his  typical  scientific  manner.  In  addition  to  the  Colleges  financial 
crisis,  other  problems  loomed — poor  retention,  substandard  faculty  salaries,  cur- 
ricular  issues,  and  the  need  for  improved  facilities  and  up-to-date  technology. 
For  a  man  used  to  large-scale  endeavors,  the  challenges  tacing  Washington  Col- 
lege were  nothing  a  tew  dozen  million  dollars  and  a  tocused  administration  with 
a  plan  couldn't  solve. 

In  the  tirst  two  years,  the  College's  senior-level  administration,  joined  by  a 
core  group  of  faculty;  Board  members,  students,  and  alumni,  unciertook  intensive 
planning  sessions  that  resulted  in  a  ten-point  strategic  plan  for  growth  and  im- 
provement. The  College's  decade  plan  embraced  its  historic  connection  with 
George  Washington  and  its  tradition  ot  providing  personalized  education.  Among 
the  goals  were  to  increase  the  size  ot  the  student  body  and  to  boost  the  school's 
tinancial  resources. 

A  graduate  otYale  University  with  "highest  honors,"  Dr. Toll  earned  his  master's 
and  doctoral  degrees  in  physics  from  Princeton  University,  where  he  helped  to 
establish  what  later  became  known  as  the  Princeton  Plasma  Physics  Laboratory. 
He  spent  most  ot  his  teaching  career  at  the  University  ot  Maryland,  where  he  was 
chair  ot  the  Department  ot  Physics  and  Astronomy  trom  1953  to  1965.  During 
that  time  he  helped  to  launch  the  Universities  Research  Association  (URA),  a 
consortium  of  major  research  universities  that  manages  the  Fermi  National  Ac- 
celerator Laboratory,  the  world's  leading  research  t"acilit\'  m  high  energy  physics. 
After  a  thirteen-year  period  as  professor  and  president  of  the  State  University  ot 
New  York  at  Stony  Brook,  Dr.  Toll  returned  to  the  University  of  Maiyland  as 
president,  and  after  ten  years  was  named  chancellor  of  the  University'  ot  Maryland 
System.  Prior  to  coming  to  Washington  College,  he  had  served  for  five  years  as 
president  of  URA,  which  then  was  working  on  the  most  advanced  accelerator 
project  as  well  as  managing  the  Fermi  National  Accelerator  Laboratory. 


In  his  Jour  mouths  as  actiug  president, Johu  S.  Toll  was 
charmed  by  the  history  aud  character  of  the  College.  Jlic  high- 
profile  physicist  and  university  leader  agreed  to  serve  full-tiuie, 
deteriuiued  to  make  ]]ashiugton  College  "one  of  the  best  small 
liberal  arts  aud  sciences  colleges  in  the  country  " 


169 


Q&A  with  Dv.John  S.  Toll 


How  did  it  come  to  pass  that  you  were  named 
acting  president  in  1995?  Were  Wiishington 
College  Board  Chairman  Louis  L.  Gokistein  and 
Board  member  John  Moag  involved? 
Exactly  right.  Both  were  good  friends  ot  mine.  I 
was  in  charge  of  the  University'  of  Maryland 
System  for  over  1 1  years,  reporting  to  the  Board  of 
Regents.  During  that  time  Louis  Goldstein,  as 
comptroller  of  the  state,  got  an  ex  ofHcio  invitation 
to  every  meeting  of  the  board  and  he  came  almost 
every  time.  The  other  members  of  the  state  Board 
of  Public  Works — the  governor  and  the  treasurer — 
never  came.  He  was  the  only  one  ot  that  key  group 
who  knew  everything  that  was  going  on.  He'd  say 
to  me,"rm  on  your  side. What  can  I  do  for  you?" 
He  was  incredibly  helpful  to  the  University  during 
that  period  and  we  became  very  good  friends. 
When  he  heard  that  I  was  retiring  from  Ul^i^,  they 
approached  me.  John  did  so  at  first.  John  Moag  was 
the  chiet  aide  to  Congressman  Steny  Hoyer. 
Among  many  things,  Steny  was  wondertul  in 
dealing  with  any  problems  ot  the  Universir\-  ot 
Maryland.  And  the  person  who  did  much  ot  work 
was  a  young  tellow  named  John  Moag.  I  got  to 
know  John  Moag.  Steny  and  John  were  a  wonder- 
ful pair  to  work  with.  John  and  Louis  called  me 
and  I  talked  to  them  both.  I  said  sure,  because  I  felt 
obligated  enough  to  Louis  to  come  here  to  fill  in 
tor  tour  months. 

That  was  not  the  tirst  time  you  had  visited  the 
campus  m  Chestertown. 
No.  I  came  here  t'lrst  when  Joe  McLain  was 
president.  He  and  I  were  both  serving  on  the 
Governors  Science  Advisory  Committee. The  t\vo 
of  us  were  assigned  some  job — I  frankly  don't 
remember  what  the  issue  was — I  just  remember 
that  I  came  over  here  to  meet  with  him  and  we 
worked  it  out  quickly.  Then  he  took  me  for  a  tour 
ot  the  campus.  I  thought  it  was  a  charming  campus. 
I  liked  It.  It  was  a  great  place.  But  I  didn't  know  it 


well  then.  I  came  here  later  as  Acting  President  particu- 
larly because  ot  my  obligation  to  Louis  Goldstein. 

When  you  got  the  telephone  calls  from  Goldstein  and 

Moag,  were  you  made  aware  ot  the  financial  straits  the 

College  was  in? 

They  were  quite  honest  with  me  about  the  situation. 

Financial  stringency  was  the  principal  problem  they  felt 

they  faced.  The  financial  predicament  had  to  be  dealt 

with. 

You  thought  you  would  be  on  campus  only  four 
months,  enough  time  tor  the  Board's  presidential  search 
committee  to  complete  its  task. 

Right.  They  had  a  very  fine  search  committee  headed 
by  Bob  Duemling.They  did  a  good  search  and  they 
brought  in  leading  candidates  and  interviewed  them. 
But  at  the  end  of  the  search,  they  came  to  me  and  said, 
"Well,  we've  seen  good  candidates  but  we  would  prefer 
to  have  you  stay  on  as  president."  I  hadn't  intended  at 
all  to  do  that.  I  told  them  at  the  beginning  I  was  just 
here  tor  the  interim.  But  I  was  enjoying  it  by  then.  Fd 
fallen  in  love  with  the  place.  When  they  asked  me,  I  said 
they  should  get  somebody  younger  who  can  stay  10 
years. Their  response  was,  "Why  cion't  you?"  So  I  said, 
okay,  FU  try. 

During  that  period,  you  must  have  impressed  many 
Board  members  whom  you  had  only  met  four  months 
earlier. 

I  wasn't  out  courting  them,  but  I  was  telling  them  what 
I  thought  we  had  to  do  as  an  institution.  FU  say  they 
really  impressed  me.  Let  me  give  an  example.  I  went  to 
my  first  Board  meeting  and  said,  "Look.  We  face  a 
critical  financial  crisis.  Unless  we  do  something,  we're 
going  to  have  a  deficit  at  the  end  of  the  year.  I've  cut 
the  budget  as  much  as  I  think  I  reasonably  can.  But  to 
have  a  balanced  budget  without  permanent  damage, 
we're  going  to  have  to  raise  the  annual  fund — the  gifts 
we  o-et  trom  outside — for  that  fiscal  vear  which  was 


170 


going  to  end  in  six  months  by  titty  percent  above  the 
previous  year,  which  had  been  a  record  for  the  institu- 
tion. And  the  Board  agreed  and  the  Board  went  out  and 
raised  that  money. That  impressed  me!  This  is  a  board 
that  really  cares  about  the  institution.  Later  that  spring  I 
came  to  them  with  the  idea  ot'theWishington  Scholars. 
That  was  a  big  risk.  We  greatly  increased  the  scholarship 
bill.  But  they  were  willing  to  do  that.  So  I  came  away 
tremendously  impressed  by  their  willingness  to  look 
caretully  at  an  issue  and  then  to  take  a  courageous  step 
when  they  had  to. 

The  objective  of  the  Washington  Scholars  was  to  get 
out  ot  the  red  ink,  but  how  did  you  beheve  such  a  risky 
venture  would  succeed? 

I  made  projections  that  the  Washington  Scholars 
program  would,  m  effect,  pay  for  itself.  Its  a  compli- 
cated thing,  but  essentially  I  said  it'll  increase  the 
number  ot  students  who  apply,  and  so,  while  our 
scholarships  will  go  up,  the  net  tuition  revenue  wiU  go 
up.  In  fact,  it  did  go  up  by  almost  a  million  dollars  the 
first  year.  The  origin  ot  that  idea  is  from  (Vice  President 
for  Admissions)  Kevin  Coveney.  I  asked  him  what  are 
we  going  to  do  to  get  more  good  students.  We  have 
unused  capacity.  And  he  presented  several  ideas,  but  one 
ot  them  was  his  idea  of  making  a  treaty  with  the 
National  Honor  Society.  We  met  with  the  National 
Honor  Society  leaders  and  they  were  willing  to  publi- 
cize the  plan.  That  just  seemed  to  us  too  good  a  deal  to 
pass  up. 

Was  increasing  the  student  enrollment  an  early  option 
to  confronting  the  tlnancial  problems? 
Yes.  Either  that  or  reduce  expenditures  by  reducing  the 
taculty  and  so  on,  and  that's  always  very  wrenching.  The 
sensible  thing  was  to  try  to  do  it  by  increasing  enroll- 
ment and  by  filling  our  capacity. 

What  is  It  like  to  have  as  a  major  part  of  your  job  going 
out  and  asking  people  tor  money? 
That's  very  pleasant. You  only  ask  people  who  are  nice 
people,  who  are  generous  people  and  who  are  inter- 


ested in  what  you're  interested  m.  There  are  much 
more  unpleasant  things  than  asking  people  for 
money.  For  example,  a  more  ditticult  thing  is  having 
to  give  unpleasant  news  to  taculty,  who  didn't  get 
promoted  or  who  didn't  get  tenure. That's  the 
tougher  side  ot  the  job.  You  have  to  do  what  is  always 
in  the  interest  ot  the  institution  and  that  often  means 
you  have  to  turn  people  down  firom  achieving  their 
desires.  That's  the  most  painful  part  of  the  job. 

Are  there  any  ghosts  in  Hynson-Ringgold  House? 
It's  a  creaky  house. You  can  imagine  ghosts.  It  does 
have  a  lot  ot  sounds.  I've  always  said  I  am  the  ghost  of 
Hynson-Ringgold  House.  No  doubt,  on  a  windy 
night  there  are  lots  of  strange  noises  in  that  house.  It's 
a  wonderful  house.  We  enjoy  it  tremendously.  I  like 
waking  up  in  the  morning  and  seeing  the  sun  rise 
over  the  Chester  River.  It's  hard  to  beat. 

What  would  you.  the  twenty-fifth  College  president, 
like  to  leave  as  a  legacy? 

I'm  not  motivated  by  trying  to  set  my  own  record  or 
to  go  do\\n  in  the  history  books.  Each  of  us  is 
transitory.  I  just  want  to  do  the  best  job  I  can  while 
I'm  here.  I  don't  particularly  care  whether  I'm 
remembered  or  not.  Whether  you  get  your  name  on 
a  building  depends  more  on  your  successor  much 
more  than  on  you.  I  would  rather  my  successors 
work  on  getting  millions  tor  the  institution  and 
putting  the  millionaires'  names  on  the  buildings  and 
not  mine.  Once  I'm  gone,  I  don't  think  many  people 
wiU  remember  me.  I  don't  care  it  I'm  remembered.  I 
do  hope  by  the  time  I  leave  here  that  the  future  of 
Washington  College  will  be  stabilized,  that  we'U  have 
adequate  endowment  and  tacilities  and  traditions  and 
programs  and  policies  so  that  it  will  continue  to  be 
one  of  the  best  small  colleges  ot  arts  and  sciences  in 
the  country.  That's  my  goal.  1  told  the  Board  1 
thought  it  would  take  about  ten  years  to  get  where  I 
hope  to  go  and  I  still  think  that's  probably  a  good 
estimate.  I've  been  here  four  years  and  I  think 
another  six  years  is  about  what  it's  going  to  take.  [Wi 


171 


In  Chestertown,  John  Toll  was  testing  the  waters  of  Washington  College,  a 
decidedly  different  environment  from  the  sprawling  academic  systems  where  he 
had  spent  most  of  his  career.  At  an  age  when  most  people  consider  retirement, 
Toll  threw  himself  into  his  new  job,  challenging  himself  and  his  colleagues  to 
find  ways  to  increase  revenue  without  inflicting  debilitating  budget  cuts.  For 
starters.  Toll  asked  the  Board  and  the  College  development  team  to  increase  the 
annual  fund  goal  by  fift\'  percent  over  the  previous  year  to  raise  two  million 
dollars,  and  they  did.  At  his  inauguration,  he  announced  a  radical  tuition  dis- 
counting plan  that  represented  an  even  bigger  fund-raising  commitment — to 
spend  more  monev  on  merit  scholarships  as  a  means  to  attract  more  applicants, 
and  thus  to  improve  net  tuition  revenue. 

The  Washington  Scholars  program,  oftering  automatic  scholarship  awards  ot 
up  to  $4(),()(>()  over  four  years  to  all  accepted  applicants  who  are  members  of 
their  high  schools  National  Honor  Society  Chapter,  was  the  key  to  enrollment 
growth. This  partnership  with  the  National  Honor  Societx'  expanded  the  scope 
and  range  of  the  College's  admissions  efforts,  garnered  attention  m  the  national 
press,  and  helped  push  enrollment  over  the  l,l(K)-student  mark.  In  the  first  tour 
years  of  the  program. Washington  Scholars  accounted  for  more  than  half  of  each 
entering  class.  An  added  benefit  was  increased  student  involvement  in  music  and 
drama  groups  and  leadership  outlets  and  in  service  programs,  led  by  this  targeted 
group  of  high  achievers. 

In  his  inaugural  address,  Dr.  Toll  outlined  what  he  considered  "the  essential 
ingredients"  for  an  outstanding  education:  a  safe  environment  conducive  to  learn- 
ing; a  faculty  and  staff  committed  to  an  interactive  mode  of  teaching;  a  tniely- 
tuned  curriculum  that  challenges  students  to  engage  in  learning  and  to  apply 
their  knowledge;  and  technologically  advanced  learning  resources  that  permit  a 
small  college  to  have  access  to  a  world  of  information.  He  promised  to  submit 
balanced  budgets,  to  work  to  increase  faculty  salaries,  and  to  improve  curricula, 
libraries  and  laboratories.  He  vowed  to  build  Daly  Hall — a  faciliu'  to  house 
classrooms  and  facultv-  offices — and  to  renovate  William  Smith  Hall  and  the  resi- 
dence halls  "to  be  excellent  living-learning  facilities." 

Toll  quickly  made  good  on  most  of  those  promises  and  continued  to  cham- 
pion scholarships  and  endowment  as  the  greatest  priorities  for  raising  funds. 
Recognizing  the  need  for  inipro\'ed  facilities,  he  oversaw  the  construction  ot 
Daly  Hall  and  the  renovation  of  William  Smith  Hall,  and  initiated  plans  for  yet 
another  academic  building  to  be  known  as  the  Louis  L.  Goldstein  Hall  in  honor 
of  the  late  alumnus  and  chairman  of  the  College  Board.  In  September  1998,  six 
months  ahead  of  schedule,  the  College  publicly  launched  a  seventy-two  million- 
dollar  fund-raising  campaign  to  support  the  goals  of  the  Strategic  Plan,  including 
strengthening  international  studies  and  centers  of  excellence  in  the  areas  ot  cre- 
ative writing,  environmental  studies,  and  the  American  experience. 


172 


Toll's  greatest  assets  in  helping  Washington  College  achieve  its  goals  are  his 
optimism,  his  tenacity,  and  his  stamina.  When  he  accepted  the  permanent  Col- 
lege presidency,  he  was  still  acivismg  doctoral  students  at  College  Park,  while  also 
completing  his  commitments  to  the  URA.  He  frequendy  puts  m  eightccn-hour 
days  and  attends  every  College  event  he  can.  "All  it  takes  is  one  student  and  a 
viohn,  and  Dr.ToU  is  there,"  said  Vice  President  for  Administration  Joseph  Holt. 

There  is  also  his  keen  intellect  and  what  is  known  as  "the  Toll  factor."  the 
expansive  breadth  ot  his  network  ot  mtluential  political  figures  and  statesmen, 
scientists,  academicians,  and  others  who  have  known  him  m  some  capacity' 
throughout  the  titty  years  ot  his  career. 

As  past  chairman  ot  the  National  Sea  Grant  Review  Panel,  Dr.ToU  still  con- 
ducts site  reviews  around  the  country.  He  served  recently  as  president  of  the 
Washington  Academy  ot  Sciences,  and  remains  involved  with  the  National  Asso- 
ciation of  Independent  Colleges  and  Universities.  He  had  led  a  Middle  States 
Review  team  to  Washington  &  Jefferson  College,  and  also  serves  on  the  boards 
of  the  Maryland  Independent  Colleges  and  Universities  Association  and  the 
Centennial  Conference. 

"Everyone  in  the  academic  communit\',  in  political  circles,  and  in  the  science 
community  holds  Dr.ToU  in  the  highest  regard,"  Holt  said  of  the  one-time  Wash- 
ingtonian  of  theYear  and  the  individual  whom  the  Chestertown  Optimists  named 
Man  of  the  Year. 

To  illustrate  his  point.  Holt  recaUed  accompanying  Dr.ToU  to  the  tuneral  ot 
Hazel  Gokistein,  wife  of  the  Maryland  comptroUer.  "We  arrived  late,  because  I 


Tiu'ou^^hoiit  its  loiiii  and  distii{^iiislied  history, 
Washington  College  has  leinained  focused  on  the  priiHacy  of  the 

liberal  arts  as  an  ideal  undergraduate  educational  experience 

and  as  an  unparellekd  preparation  for  a  life  of  thoughtful  inquiry, 

enterprise,  and  responsible  citizensliip. 

In  1782,  Washington  College  was  the  first  college  chartered  in 

the  new  nation.  Today  it  is  increasingly  recognized  as  among  the 

first  in  the  quality  of  its  undergraduate  program . 

John  S.ToU.  in  the  19^)9-00  catalog. 


I981 

December  1 1  • 

Douglass  Cater, 

former  adviser  to 

Lyndon  B.Johnson. 

visits  campus  as 

candidate  for 

College  president. 

Fehruaky  S  •  ACTINi; 

President  c;arry 

Clarke  learns  from  a 

White  House  aide 

that  PliiSIDENT 

Ronald  Reagan 

cannot  attend 

upcoming 

celebr.AlTion  of 

College  bicentennial. 

February  20  • 

Trustees  elect  S. 

Douglass  Cater  new 

College  picesident 

EFFECTIVE  July  1. 

April  24  •  President- 
elect Douglass 
Cater  suggests  to 
trustees  that  the 

College  be  marketed 
.^s  an  institution 

WHERE  students 
learn  to  WRITE  WELL. 


1982 


October  4  •  Bo.ard 

Chairman  Louis  L. 

Goldstein  tells 

trustees  th.at 

businessman  Eugene  B. 

Casey  wants  College 

community,  including 

students,  to  tell  HIM 

how  they  want  to 
spend  HIS  anticipated 
$5  million  financial 

LARGESS,  scheduled 

TO  begin  with  a 
SI  million  gift. 


173 


Joliii  Toll  and  lii^  wife,  rlic  foiiiicr  Dcbonih  Ann  Tiiiitoi-,  nmintaiu 
busy  Sihciinici  on  both  sides  of  the  Chcsdpcakc  Bay.  She  hdd  d 
cdiver  in  ccononnes  and  join'nalisni  bcfve  beeoniino  ini'olved  in 
liiillier  edneation  as  the  wife  of  a  iniiivisity  pivsident.  She 
continues  to  work  as  a  rohinteer  for  ori;dni:ations  in  support  of 
fonrnalisni  and  the  arts. 


174 


was  driving,  and  a  former  state  senator  embraces  Dr. Toll,  walks  us  into  the  over- 
flowing church,  and  seats  us  in  the  second  row  behmd  Maryland's  two  United 
States  senators.  Meanwhile,  the  presidents  ofSt.John's  College  and  |ohns  Hopkins 
Universit}'  are  standing  along  the  wall  m  the  back  of  the  church." 

That  following  has  helped  W:\shington  College  bring  national  figures  to  cam- 
pus. Retired  Army  General  Colin  Powell,  Secretary  of  Education  Richard  W. 
Riley,  George  and  Barbara  Bush,  and  John  F.  Kennedy  Jr.  visited  Washington 
College  at  his  urging  m  1998  and  1 999.  So  did  renowned  scientists  Glenn  Seaborg, 
who  holds  patents  on  torty-three  chemical  processes  and  who  had  discovered 
more  elements  than  anyone,  and  James  Watson.  co-disco\'erer  ot  the  double  helix 
structure  ot  DNA.  Both  are  nobel  laureates  and  personal  friends  ofToll. 

Toll  s  charm  and  influence  also  extend  to  charitable  foundations,  an  impor- 
tant element  in  the  early  success  of  the  Campaign  tor  Washington's  College. 
After  securing  a  tive-million-doUar  grant  from  the  C.V.  Starr  Foundation  tor  the 
launching  ot  the  Center  for  the  Study  of  the  American  Experience.  Dr.  Toll  won 
a  $300,000  grant  trom  the  Cr\'stal  Trust,  its  tlrst  gitt  to  Wishmgton  College  since 
the  1960s,  and  another  S30(),(ll)(l  for  computer  technolog)'  upgrades  from  the 
Mellon  Foundation,  that  organization's  tirst  gitt  to  the  College  m  twenty-tive 
years.  He  is  giving  top  priority  to  the  campaign  to  raise  S72  million  in  private 
funds  to  assure  the  future  excellence  ot  the  College.  By  the  end  ot  1999,  more 
than  S54  million  had  been  committed.  Wj 


1982 

OCTODER  15  "JOSEPH 

H.  McLain  Victory 

Bell,  intended  to  be 

rung  following  team 

wins.  dedicated 

OUTSIDE  Cain 

Gymnasiu.m  in 

memory  of  the  l.ate 

Pflesident  McLain. 

October  15-16  -Two- 
day  in.\uguration  of 
S.  Douglass  Cater  as 
2.^RD  president 
includes  art 
exhibitions,  A 

SYMPOSIUM,  A  SOCCER 
GAME.AND  AN  ALL- 
CAMPUS  DANCE. 


1983 


February  2  •  P.alestine 

LiBER.a.TION 

Organization 

SPOKESMAN  KAHLIN 

fourah  discusses 

Middle  East  turmoil 

AT  William  J.AMES 

Forum. 


February  16  • 
President  Cater, 

appearing  on 
m.aryland  public 
Television's  "In 
Person"  prograa4. 
discusses  role  of 
liberal  arts  colleges 
in  contempor.ary 

SOCIETY'. 

FEBRUARY  22  •  "On  the 

Map."  AN  EXHIBITION  OF 

60  R.ARE  CHESAPE.AKE 

region  maps,  opens  in 
Miller  librajly. 


175 


Friends  and  Benefactors 


//;  the  wake  of  George  Washington's  gift  of  fifty 
guineas,  Washington  College  captured  the 
imagination  of  conntless  friends  and  benefactors 
who  believed  in  the  value  of  this  small  liberal  arts 
and  sciences  institution  and  who  wanted  to  help 
it  succeed.  A  few  of  those  people  have  provided 
the  kind  of  leadership  that  is  best  described  as 
inspired,  visionary,  even  catalytic.  The  ever- 
widening  circles  of  fortune  stenuning  from  a 
chance  meeting,  a  good  deed,  a  common  bond,  a 
shared  vision  for  a  better  future,  are  still 
reverberating  on  the  College  campus. 


Lore  and  Generosity  Link  Hodson  Trust  to  WC 

WITHIN  THE  Washing;  Tc'JN  College  c,o  mm  unity,  the 
story  of  how  benetactor  Colonel  Clarence  Hodson  and  the  school 
discovered  each  other  may  be  partly  apocryphal,  but  it  is  popular, 
too,  and  shows  no  signs  of  wearing  out. 

Hodson  and  his  driver  were  niotornig  through  Chestertown  one  day  in 
1919,  the  tale  begins,  when  they  had  a  flat  tire  just  as  they  were  passnig  the  Hill 
dorms.  Students  and  faculty  members  were  so  helpful  fixing  the  tire  that  Hodson, 
the  fifr>'-one-year-old  president  of  the  Beneficial  Loan  Society,  was  immediately 
smitten  with  the  Colleo;e. 


176 


1983 


Colonel  Clarence  Hodson,  a  dcsccndent  of  dn  edily  Anicriani 
fdinily  that  settled  on  Mdiylaiid's  Editcm  Shore,  was  d 
pioneer  in  the  comuiner  finance  indnftry  diid  dn  cdrly 
supporter  of  W'dshington  College. 


February  26  • 

National  Book 

Award-winner  Lewis 

Thomas  receives 

Washington  College 

Award  for 

Excellence  at 

convocation. 

April  23  •  President 

Cater  informs 

trustees  that  Eugene 

Casey  will  pay  for 

construction  of  an 

indoor  pool  adjacent 

to  the  gymnasium. 

May  15  •  Former  CBS 

ElE.W.VG  A'Eirs 

anchofuvian  walter 

Cronkjte  is 

commencement 

SPEAKER. 

September  7  •  Lady 

Bird  Johnson 

receives  honc^rary 

degree  during  Fall 

Convocation  in 

Gibson  Fine  Arts 

Building. 

September  24  • 
Benefactor  Eugene  B. 

Casey  .attends 
ground  breaking 

ceremony  for 
College  natatorium. 

1984 

February  14  •  Student 

Judiciary  Boarjj 
reprimands  student 

FOR  throwing  a 

snowball  at  a 

Chestertown  Fire 

Department  vehicle 

IN  January. 


177 


/;/  1936  The  tiothi^n  liii^l  luiidcd  the  coiistniitioti  of  Hi)(/mi// 
HdU,  lis  irch  lis  the  I '^64  adiiitioii  thdt  provided  spdce  for  d  iieir 
diiiiin;  room,  siuick  hdr.  hookstore.  diid  student  hiiiiioe. 


Hodson's  beneficence  rnni2;ed  from  friendly  acivice  to,  ultimately,  millions  ot 
dollars  which  have  been  used  to  purchase  land,  builci  buildings,  and  fund  schol- 
arships. Hodson  Hall,  dedicated  on  October  24,  1 936,  was  erected  through  his 
generosit)'.  An  amateur  scholar  ot  Native  American  history,  he  once  delivered  an 
address  titled  "'American  Inciians  as  Orators"  to  the  students. 

On  commencement  day  about  three  years  after  his  introduction  to  the  cam- 
pus, Hodson  was  granted  an  honorary  degree  of  Doctor  ot  Laws.  He  was  a  Boaixi 
member  for  six  years  until  his  death  in  1928.  hi  fourteen  years  the  Beneficial 
Loan  Society  had  grown  from  one  office  to  two  huncired  offices  across  the  United 
States.  After  his  death,  his  interest  in  W^tshinetcon  CoUeg-e  and  other  Mar\-lanci 


178 


schools  was  continued  by  his  wife,  their  daughter,  Leha  Hodson  Hynson,  and 
their  granddaughter,  Sally  Hynson  Hopkins,  who  represents  the  Hodson  family 
on  the  College  board  today.  By  the  close  of  the  twentieth  century.  The  Hodson 
Trust,  now  under  the  stewardship  of  Finn  M.  W.  Caspersen,  had  awarded  Wash- 
ington College  more  than  twenty-nine  million  dollars. 

The  tale  ot  the  flat  tire — some  versions  of  the  story  say  students  had  put  tacks 
in  the  road  to  entrap  a  benefactor — cannot  be  proved.  Or  disproved. What  is  known 
about  Hodson  s  first  encounter  with  the  College  comes  trom  Dr.  Clarence  P.  Gould, 
College  president  from  1919  to  1923,  who  described  the  July  1919  meeting  m  a 
letter  he  wrote  in  1952,  when  he  was  a  professor  atYoungstown  Uni\'ersit\'. 

One  summer  morning  I  started  over  to  the  mam  building  for  my  mail 
and  met  a  man  walking  down  the  drive  towards  the  mam  road  alongside 
a  large  car  with  a  chautteur.  1  asked  him  if  he  was  interested  in  seeing  the 
College  and  he  replied  that  Middle  Hall  had  attracted  his  attention  and 
he  had  just  been  going  around  it.  I  invited  him  to  go  into  the  hall  and 
also  the  rest  ot  the  College,  and  he  accepted.  As  we  went  over  the  plant 
he  would  every  now  and  then  mention  something  that  needed  to  be 
done  and  tell  me  to  have  the  work  taken  care  of  and  charge  it  to  him.  All 
together  there  were  twelve  small  items,  amounting  in  total  to  perhaps 
$400  or  $500  m  cost.  He  gave  me  his  card,  but  since  I  had  never  heard  of 
Colonel  Hodson,  I  at  first  hesitated  about  having  the  work  done.  The 
College  simply  did  not  have  $400  to  pay  in  case  he  did  not  make  good. 
Finally  I  had  one  small  item  done  and  sent  the  bill  to  the  Colonel.  A 
check  came  very  promptly  and  a  long  letter,  mentioning  each  ot  the 
other  eleven  things  that  he  had  told  me  to  have  done.  They  were  all 
promptly  attended  to  and  paid  tor. 

Hodson  was  born  in  Laurel.  Delaware,  in  February  1  (SCiS  and  lix'ed  in  Crisfield — 
the  Chesapeake  Bay  village  named  after  Washington  College  alumnus  John  Wood- 
land Crisfield — for  twenty-eight  years  betore  moving  to  Baltimore.  He  was  edu- 
cated at  Crisfield  Academy  and  under  private  tutors.  He  read  law,  was  admitted  to 
the  Maryland  bar  in  1889,  and  practiced  in  Cnstield  and  later  in  Baltimore.  In 
1 893,  at  age  t\venry'-tive,  Hodson  was  elected  president  of  the  Bank  ot  Crisfield. 
He  was  commissioned  a  colonel  in  the  Maiyland  Militia  m  1896  and  served  four 
years.  He  was  an  officer  of  loan  companies,  trust  companies  and  fire  insurance 
companies.  Hodson's  father,  Thomas  S.  Hodson,  was  an  Eastern  Shore  teacher, 
minister,  lawyer,  newspaper  pubhsher  and  politician.  Colonel  Hodson  provided 
the  assets  tor  the  Hodson  Trust  in  memory  ot  his  tather,  who  died  m  1920. 

The  Colonel's  interest  m  the  College  could  not  have  been  more  timely. The 
school  was  in  a  financial  crisis  and  still  owed  on  the  rebuilding;  ofWilliam  Smith 


1984 

February  28  •  US. 

Supreme  Court 

Justice  Sandra  Day 

O'Connor  receives 

honorary  degree 

DURING  Washington's 

Birthday 

Convocation. 

SEI'TEMBER  19  • 

Baltimore  Mayor 
William  Donald 
Schaefer  receives 
honorary  degree 
DURING  Fall 
C:<.)nvocation. 

October  5  •  The 
Casey  Swim  Center,  a 
contrlbution  of 
Eugene  B.  Casey, 
formally  opens. 

November  •  With  help 

from  a  donation  by 

Board  member  Henry 

C.  Beck  Jr. .THE 

College  acquires  a 

network  of  apple 

Macintosh 

computers. 


1985 


April  2ii  •  Lelia 
Hynson  Pavilion  and 
Truslow  Boathouse. 

ON  the  banks  of 

Chester  River,  are 

dedicated  in  honor 

of  the  daughter  of 

the  late  Col.  Hodson. 

April  27  •  Columnist 
Art  Buchwald  is 

SPEAKER  during 

Parents  Day 
activities. 


179 


Hall,  which  had  burned  m  1916.  Rumors  circulated  that  the  College  might  fail 
and  be  taken  over  by  the  state. 

Hodson  maintained  a  steady — at  times  daily — stream  of  communications 
with  College  administrators.  From  his  office  in  the  Havemeyer  Building  m  New 
York  City,  he  sent  books  and  magazines  for  the  library,  newspaper  clippings  of 
various  subjects  to  Gould,  and  unsolicited  but  well-intended  bits  of  advice  to 
Board  members  on  how  to  pull  the  College  out  ot  its  penury.  He  was  among  the 
first  to  suggest  that  the  Board  hire  a  professional  fundraiser. 

On  several  occasions  Hodson  sent  checks  to  Gould  and  other  administrators 
so  they  could  take  vacations.  Upon  learning  that  the  College  football  team  was 
to  play  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  Hodson  mailed  Gouki  a  check  for  fifteen 
dollars  for  "some  little  entertainment  or  refreshments"  for  the  players. 

Once,  when  his  investment  company  received  a  shipment  of  blackboard  chalk 
it  did  not  need,  Hocison  sent  it  off  to  Gould, "just  wondering  it  you  can  make  use 
of  any  of  it."  Not  one  to  turn  down  a  gift  of  any  size,  Gould  accepted  the  chalk. 

Hodson  was  among  the  crowd  that  attended  the  September  1 1,  1920,"Get- 
Together  Dinner"  on  campus  to  discuss  the  College's  problems.  An  Endowment 
and  Debt  Fund  Committee  was  charged,  first  of  all,  with  the  duty  of  raising 
$6U,000  to  clear  the  indebtedness  of  the  College  anci  to  look  into  raising  an 
endowment  fund. 

The  committees  first  meeting  was  held  the  next  month  m  Philadelphia. 
Hodson  attended  and  contributed  $1,000  to  cover  expenses  of  the  campaign. 
Later  on,  he  gave  another  $ !  ,000.  When  the  College  decicled  in  1919  to  provide 
housing  for  female  students  after  a  hiatus  of  a  number  of  years,  it  first  had  to  find 
funds  to  renovate  Normal  Hall,  later  renamed  Reid  Hall.  Again,  Hodson  stepped 
forward, as  described  by  an  article  in  the  Uasliiiii^toii  Colh'^^l'  Bulletin  of  September 
14,  1921:  "The  dormitory  for  women  will  be  reopened  this  year.  The  building 
has  fallen  into  bad  order  during  the  several  years  of  disuse.  But  a  generous  gift 
from  Colonel  Hodson  of  New  York  has  enabled  the  College  to  do  sufficient 
repairing  tc^  make  it  again  comfortable.  A  new  bathrocim  is  to  be  installed,  and 
the  halls  and  rooms  are  being  repainted  and  whitewashed." 

During  the  1922  session  of  the  Maryland  General  Assembly,  the  Washington 
College  Charter  was  amended,  expanding  the  Board  to  twenty-five  members, 
twelve  to  be  appointed  by  the  governor.  Governor  Albert  C.  Ritchie  appointed 
Hodson.  At  the  time  of  his  death  in  1928,  Hodson  was  chairman  of  the  Board's 
Finance  Committee. 

Hodson's  gifts  to  the  College  were  numerous  and  grew  in  size  as  his  rela- 
tionship with  the  school  intensified.  In  1927  he  gave  the  $5,800  required  for 
the  College  to  purchase  the  Schauber  property — a  house  and  the  northern- 
most triangle  of  land  on  the  campus — and  sent  $500  so  the  school  could  buy 
science  equipment.  He  even  wrote  a  check  for  $100  so  then-College  President 


Paul  E.Titsworth  could  attend  the  Association  of  American  Colleges  meeting 
in  Chicago. 

The  Schauber  propert)-  was  renovated  and  converted  into  a  dormitory  for 
women.  It  was  called  Hodson  Cottage  and  allowed  the  school  to  increase  the 
number  of  female  boarders.  The  building  was  later  used  as  a  fraternity  house  and 
a  men's  dormitory.  It  was  eventually  torn  down  to  make  way  for  a  new  dorm. 

Hodson's  affection  tor  the  College  sometimes  was  so  intense  that  he  jeopar- 
dized his  own  physical  well-being,  as  related  m  an  anecdote  told  by  Gould: 

On  one  occasion  Colonel  Hodson  invited  me  to  visit  him  in  Atlantic 
Cit\'  to  talk  o\er  the  affairs  of  the  College. When  I  arrived  he  was  already 
out  on  the  beach  and  had  left  word  for  me  to  join  him.  We  journeyed  up 
and  down  that  shore  all  morning  m  the  broiling  sun.  I  knew  I  was  getting 
badly  burned  but  thought  gaining  the  Colonel's  interest  was  worth  any 
discomfort  that  might  follow.  After  lunch,  to  my  astonishment,  he  imme- 
diately said;  "Let's  get  back  onto  the  beach."  With  the  sun  m  the  west  I 
was  able  to  keep  somewhat  shaded  by  the  boardwalk,  but  he  took  it 
straight.  On  leaving  that  night  I  stopped  at  the  first  drug  store  and  bought 
all  the  sunburn  lotion  they  could  suggest,  and  practically  bathed  myself 
m  It  at  the  hotel.  Soon  I  had  a  telephone  call  from  Mrs.  Hodson  asking  if 
I  was  all  right.  I  assured  her  that  I  was  sunburned  but  all  right.  She  then 
told  me  the  Colonel  was  in  bed.  I  expressed  surprise  that  one  living  there 
and  accustomed  to  the  sun  should  have  gotten  burned  so  badly.  She 
replied  that  he  had  never  been  accustomed  to  go  on  the  beach  but  that 
the  doctor  had  ordered  him  to  do  so  and  that  was  his  first  day  at  the  job! 
I  saw  him  in  bed  the  next  morning,  but  I  was  able  to  go  home. 


Colonel  Hodson  was  a  financial  and  educational  visionary. 
He  understood  that  neither  business  }ior  our  nation  could 

prosper  without  educated  people.  ]Ve  at  Beneficial 

remain  coniniitted  to  his  vision  and  to  the  lono  tradition 

of  support  for  Washington  College. 

Finn  M.W.  Caspersen,  Chairman  of  the  Board  and  CEO.  Beneficial  Corporation, 
in  the  Washington  CoUege  Annual  Report,  1996-1997. 


1985 


March  24  •  Rick 
sowell  shoots  game- 
winning  score  as 
Shoremen  beat 
hobart  8-7  in 
lacrosse  on  muddy 
KiBLER  Field. 

May  19  ■  Graduates  at 

commencement 
include  the  college's 
first  business  majors. 

September  19  -Ten 

YEARS  after  HIS  FIRST 

VISIT  TO  THE  College, 

former  astronaut 

Michael  Collins 

returns  to  discuss 

■■St.'W.Wars" 

(Strategic  Defense 

Initiative)  policy  with 

students. 

October  1  -After 

EXTENSI\'E 

renovations, 

Somerset  House 

dorms  are  renamed 

AND  dedicated  THE 

Thomas  W  Cullen 
Dormitory. 

October  1 1  •  Trustees 

launch  Campaign  for 

Excellence  drive  to 

raise  $26  million. 

November  8  •  A 
senior  is  injured 

WHEN  SHE  .attempts  TO 

CROSS  Washington 
Ave.  in  the  crosswalk 

and  is  struck  by  a 
car;  students  demanll 

more  visible  street 
signs  and  a  stop  light. 


181 


As  diaiiniaii  of  The  Hodson  Tnisl  since  1976, 

Film  M.  ]]'  Cdspcisen  liirccis  its  pliiLiiillnopii  iiiissioii 

ill  siipjion  of  hi{;lici'  cdiuatioii. 


182 


In  the  eight  decades  that  have  followed  Colonel  Hodson's  tirst  encounter 
with  President  Gould,The  Hodson  Trust  has  remained  first  and  foremost  among 
the  foundation  and  corporate  supporters  ofWashmgton  College. The  Trust  sup- 
ported building  projects,  academic  programs,  scholarships,  and  the  rowing  pro- 
gram. During  the  past  three  years  alone.  The  Trust  has  provided  $2.6  million 
annually  for  endowed  and  annual  support  of  scholarships,  fulfilling  a  priority 
need  ot  the  institution  and  funding  scholarships  for  approximately  seventy-five 
students.  In  1999,  The  Trust  authorized  the  College  to  use  its  grants  as  a  chal- 
lenge to  raise  endowment  funds  m  support  of  scholarships  or  faculty  positions. 
Among  the  Campaign  goals,  the  College  intends  to  create  tlve  endowed  chairs 
and  ten  named  professorships. The  Campaign  also  seeks  to  raise  $22  million  in 
support  of  financial  aid,  particularly  its  Washington  Scholars  program  and  other 
named  scholarships. The  Hodson  Challenge  is  matching  gitls  up  to  $1(J  million. 


Hiram  S.  Brown  is  Formidable  Board  Chairman 

By  Phillip  J.  Wiiioare  '33 

Dr.  Wingate.  a  chemist  and  tormcr  College  trustee,  was  a  vice  president  with  the  DuPont  Company. 

I  HATED  Staunton  Brown's  guts, "Judge  GoldsL^orough  said, 
"and  ril  tell  you  why.  He  was  a  year  behind  me  at  the  College,  hut  he  got 
elected  to  all  the  students"  offices  which  I  tried  tor  and  didn't  get.  he  got  better 
grades  than  I  did,  and  he  always  brought  the  prettiest  girls  m  Chestertown  to  the 
College  dances.  And,  finally,  he  always  had  more  money  than  I  did." 

The  man  doing  the  talking  was  Federal  Judge  T.Alan  Goldsborough,  and  the 
man  he  was  talking  about  was  chairman  of  the  Board  of~Visitors  and  Governors 
of  'V^ishington  College,  Colonel  Hiram  Staunton  Brown,  who  was  seated  right 
beside  me  at  an  alumni  breakfast  in  Hodson  Hall  in  1949.  Although  the  Judge 
kept  on  calling  him  Staunton  Brown,  he  was  known  around  Chestertown  as 
Colonel  Hiram  S.  Brown.  I  first  saw  him  standing  outside  Middle  Hall  m  1 930 
wearing  a  blue  naval  jacket  with  striped  white  pants  anci  looking  a  lot  like  an 
early  picture  ofWmston  Churchill  or  Benito  Mussolini. 

I  was  introduced  to  Colonel  Brown  by  College  President  Dr.  Paul  E.Titsworth 
that  day  m  1930,  but  I  was  too  much  m  awe  of  the  Colonel  to  carry  on  a 
conversation  with  him.  He  was  the  second  Board  member  1  had  met.  but  I  did 
not  know  at  the  time  that  the  first.  Colonel  Albanas  Phillips,  was  a  member  of 
the  Board.  To  me,  at  age  eleven.  Colonel  Phillips  was  just  a  man  bringing  two 


1986 

July  1  •  The  business 

CIFFICE  IN  Bunting 

Hall  switches  from 

manual  bookkeeping 

tct  ibm  computer 

SYSTEM. 


July  29  •  College 
benefactor  eugene  b. 
Casey  dies  at  age  82. 

October  17  -Antique 

PI^SS  ROOM  IN  R£AR  OF 

O'Neill  Liter,ary 
House  dedicated. 

1987 

February  9  • 
Management  of  the 
CAMPUS  Coffee  House 

announces  no 

alcohol  will  be  sold 

for  an  indefinite 

period  due  to 

alcohol-related  acts 

of  vandalism  by 

students. 

FEBRUAIW  19  • 

bciokstore  mascot 
George  the  Cat  trips 

ALARM  SYSTEM,  waking 

many  students  at  1:30 
in  the  morning. 

February  20  •  Coach 

Ed  Athey  "47,  who  has 

been  director  of 

.athletics  for  38 

ye.ab.s.  announces  he 

will  retire  at  end  of 

academic  year. 

February  21  • 
Renovated  Bunting 
h.all  is  rededicated; 
ground  broken  for 
Alcinzo  G.  Decker  Jr. 
SCIENCE  Center. 


183 


black  ducks  to  my  father.  Colonel  Brown  in  1930  was  a  glamorous  and  awesome 
figure  on  the  Washington  College  campus  for  several  reasons.  He  had  been  a 
New  York  banker  and  businessman  who  was  reported  to  be  a  multimillionaire, 
but  most  miportantly  he  was  president  of  the  RKO  Movie  Corporation  and 
therefore  a  friend,  associate,  or  boss  of  some  of  the  most  glamorous  stars  of  Hol- 
lywood and  the  New  York  stage.  I  did  not  then  know  that  he  was  also  a  close 
fi-iend  and  supporter  of  the  man  soon  to  be  elected  president  of  the  United 
States,  Franklin  D.  Roosevelt. 

But  the  Colonel  Brown  of  1949  was  not  all  awesome,  even  though  he  still 
had  that  jutting  jaw.  He  was  in  a  jovial  mood  as  he  listened  to  Judge  Goldsborough 
and  laughed  frequently  while  the  judge  pictured  him  as  an  obnoxious  over- 
achiever  in  his  College  days.  There  obviously  was  some  truth  to  what  the  Judge 
said  that  day  because  Hiram  Brown  graduated  from  Washington  College,  uiaoiia 
iiiiii  hutdc,  at  age  seventeen,  and  quickly  moved  on  to  a  successful  career  in  bank- 
ing and  business  in  New  York  City.  During  World  War  I  he  was  chief  of  the 
Finance  Division  ot  the  newly  created  Air  Corps,  and  in  1924  was  elected  presi- 
dent ot  the  United  States  Leather  Company.  He  held  that  position  until  1929 
when  he  became  president  ot  the  Radio-Keith-Orpheum  Corporation,  which 
later  became  the  movie  company  RKO.  During  all  this  time  Hiram  Brown  never 
lost  interest  m  Chestertc:)wn  or  Washington  College,  and  in  1922  became  chair- 
man ot  the  Board,  a  positit:)n  he  held  tor  the  next  twenty-eight  years,  longer  by 
far  than  any  other  board  chairman  in  the  history  of  the  College. 

If  Colonel  Brown  had  an  obnoxious  side  to  his  personality,  as  Judge 
Cioldsborough  jokingly  indicated,  he  did  not  show  it  that  day  in  1949.  He  seemed 
eager  to  talk  with  me  and  answered  all  my  cjuestions  about  his  relationship  with 
Franklin  D.  Roosevelt  and  his  wife,  Eleanor,  explaining  in  some  detail  why  both 
Roosevelts  had  visited  Wishington  Cxillege  to  receive  honorary  degrees. 

"Roosevelt  owed  me  something  for  supporting  him  when  he  first  ran  for 
governor  of  New  York  and  later  for  president  of  the  United  States,"  he  said,  "so, 
when  I  invited  him  to  visit  the  C^illege,  he  accepted  the  invitation." 

When  I  asked  him  it  he  had  also  arranged  to  have  President  Truman  come  to 
Chestertown  tor  an  honorary  degree,  he  said  he  had  not.  "Truman  did  not  owe 
me  anything,"  he  said,  "but  he  did  owe  Judge  Goldsborough  tor  smacking  John 
L.  Lewis,  when  Lewis  and  his  mine  workers  union  tried  to  embarrass  Truman 
atter  he  succeeded  Roosevelt." 

I  told  Colonel  Brown  that  I  had  been  in  the  audience  in  1933  when  Presi- 
dent Roosevelt  received  his  honorary  degree  and  had  reached  out  to  touch  the 
sleeve  ot  his  coat  when  he  walked  by  on  the  arm  of  his  military  escort. 

"You  were  lucky,"  he  replied,  "that  some  Secret  Service  man  didn't  break 
your  arm  when  you  reached  out  to  touch  Roosevelt  s  coat,  but  maybe  you  looked 
too  young  and  harmless  tc:)  worry  them." 


President  of  the  Board  of  I  'i<itoii  ami  Governors  for  28  years 
Hiram  S.  Broiim  ruled  in  the  style  of  a  benevolent  dictator 


1987 

March  26  •  Author 
ToNi  Morrison  JOINS 

COLLOQUIUM  ON  BLACK 

WOMEN  IN  America. 


April  7  •  Dr.  Ivar 

GIAEVER.WHO  WAS 

awarded  A  Nobel 

Prize  in  197.'%.  talks 

with  students  about 

his  work  in 

biophysics. 

May  17  •  Former 

Democratic 

presidential 

candidate  edmund 

Muskie  delivers 

commencement 

ADDRESS. 

1988 

April  •  Gibson  Avenue 

IS  closed  to  THROUGH 

TRAFFIC  AS  WORK 

BEC;iNS  ON 

construction  of 

Casey  Academic 

Center. 

1989 

September  5  • 
Students  and  faculty 
meet  WITH  Academic 

Search  and 
Consultation  Service 
TO  begin  search  for  a 

successor  to 

Presil^ent  Cater,  whct 

recently  announced 

HIS  retii^ment. 

September  27  •  music 
Department  sponsors 
ITS  first  Bach's  Lunch. 

November  12  •  Forty 
College  students 
join  thousands  in 

Washington,  D.C,  for 
an  abortion-rights 

RALLY. 


185 


We  also  talked  about  the  size  of  the  crowd  which  came  to  Chestertown  to 
see  FDR,  and  Colonel  Brown  said  it  was  by  tar  the  biggest  crowd  ever  to  as- 
semble in  the  town. 

"There  was  just  one  problem ,""  he  said. "With  that  crowd  ot  15,()(J(.)  people  in 
a  town  with  a  normal  population  of  3,000,  all  assembled  on  a  campus  with 
enough  rest  rooms  to  take  care  of  about  five  hundred  people,  it  is  no  wonder  that 
the  crowd  got  out  of  there  m  a  hurry  as  soon  as  President  Roosevelt  left  the 
podium  m  front  of  William  Smith  Hall  and  went  back  to  his  automobile." 

I  learned  a  lot  about  Hiram  S.  Brown  that  ciay  but  I  also  learned  a  lot  about 
him  trom  two  others,  Frederick  "Dutch"  Dumschott,  tormer  Washington  Col- 
lege athlete,  coach,  history  professor,  business  manager,  and  vice-president  of  the 
College,  whose  sixty-three  years  at  the  school  exceeded  even  Colonel  Brown's 
fifty-six  years  of  service,  and  from  Max  Gordon,  New  York's  fabulous  producer 
of  plays,  who  once  had  four  hit  shows  on  Broadway  at  the  same  time. 

Dumschott  gave  me  a  long  lecture  on  Colonel  Brown  shortly  alter  I  was 
electeci  chairman  ot  the  Board.  "You  can't  expect  to  manage  the  Board  and  the 
College  the  way  Colonel  Brown  did,"  Dutch  told  me,  "because  those  days  are 
gone  tbrever.  We  useci  to  call  him  the  last  emperor  because  he  operated  like  an 
absolute  monarch,  and  sometimes  told  the  Bt^ard  and  the  taculty  what  he  was 
going  to  do  after  he  had  done  it." 

Dumschott  said  that  Colonel  Brown  had  worked  closely  with  Dr.  Paul 
Titsworth  m  convincing  Colonel  Clarence  Hodson  that  the  College  was  worthy 
of  Hodson's  support,  and  that  The  Hodson  Trust  had  done  more  for  the  College 
than  any  other  group  or  person  since  George  Wishmgton  agreed  to  give  it  his 
name.  "But  he  always  wanted  to  do  it  his  way,  and  most  of  the  time  he  dici  just 
that.  He  hired  three  presidents  of  the  College  and  their  tenure  varied  from  two 
days  to  twenty  years.  Dan  Gibson  was  the  man  who  lasted  twent)'  years  anci  the 
Colonel  was  very  fond  ot  him,  but  you  won't  find  the  name  ot  the  man  who 
lasted  only  two  days  anywhere  m  the  records  of  the  College." 

Dutch  told  me  that  the  nameless  president  was  a  military  man,  a  retired 
brigadier  general  whom  Colonel  Brown,  acting  as  a  committee  of  one,  had  cho- 
sen to  become  president  after  Gilbert  Wilcox  Mead  died  in  1949.  "Colonel  Brown 
sent  the  brigadier  general  a  letter  notitymg  him  tit  his  appointment,  and  the 
general,  perhaps  acting  under  the  assumption  that  a  general  is  entitled  to  teU  a 
mere  colonel  how  and  what  to  do,  sent  a  long  letter  to  Colonel  Brown  giving 
him  a  list  of  the  powers  the  new  president  expected  to  have.  Colonel  Brown  read 
this  letter  just  once  anci  promptly  sent  a  telegram  to  the  general  telling  him  he 
was  fired. The  whole  exchange  took  place  m  two  days." 

This  account  ot  the  two-day  president  came  back  to  my  mmd  when  I  read 
Max  Gordon's  book,  which  told  how  he,  too,  had  tangled  with  the  last  emperor 
and  had  lost. This  was  when  Brown  was  president  ot  the  Radio-Keith-Orpheum 


186 


Corporation  and  Gordon  was  manager  of  the  travehng  vandeville  gronps  which 
used  to  entertain  audiences  across  the  country  from  Cincinnati  to  Boston,  back 
in  the  days  before  talking  movies  drove  vaudeville  into  oblivion. 

Gordon  called  his  book  Max  Gonloii  Pn\^ciit<  and  in  it  he  told  how  the  silent 
movies  of  the  192Us  and  earlier  were  very  much  subordinate  to  the  singers, 
dancers,  acrobats,  and  comedians  of  vaudeville.  The  Keith-Orpheum  string  of 
theaters  was  perhaps  the  most  prestigious  one  of  these  circuits  m  the  East.  But 
things  changed  when  radio  began  to  be  a  big  tactor  in  the  nation's  entertain- 
ment, and  David  Sarnoff,  a  vice-president  of  the  original  Radio  Corporation  of 
America,  then  known  as  RCA,  announced  the  formation  of  a  new  corporation 
to  be  called  Radio-Keith-Orpheum,  or  RKO. 

It  then  c]uickly  became  a  major  factor  in  Hollywood  when  it  also  began  to 
make  talking  movies.  David  Sarnoff  wanted  a  businessman  to  be  head  of  this 
new  company  and  he  chose  Hiram  Brown  instead  of  Max  Gordon,  who  had 
been  director  ot  the  traveling  vaudeville  groups,  and  thought  he  knew  more 
about  the  entertainment  business  than  the  president  of  a  leather  compan\-.  And 
he  probably  did  know  more,  although  Hiram  Brown  had  been  a  steady  customer 
ot  Broadway  musical  shows  tor  many  years  and  personalh'  knew  such  stars  of 
Broadway  as  Will  Rogers  and  W.C.  Fields. 

But  regardless  ot  who  knew  more  about  the  theater.  Max  Gordon  did  not 
like  reporting  to  Hiram  Brown  and  vigorously  told  Sarnoff  and  others  in  the 
RKO  organization  that  he  objected.These  objections  got  back  to  Colonel  Brown 
and  when  Gordon  returned  from  a  tour  of  the  RKO  circuit,  shortly  after  Brown 
became  president  ot  RKO,  tound  his  ottice  filled  with  "a  barrel  of  sawdust"  and 
some  brooms.  "I  knew  that  my  time  had  run  out,"  he  wrote.  So  Brown  and 
Gordon  parted,  but  both  ot  them  went  on  to  become  success  stories — Gordon 
with  his  Broadway  hits  and  Hiram  Brown  at  RKO  \\here  he  brought  together 
the  most  tamous  dance  team  in  the  history  of  theater. 

Atter  listening  to  Goldsborough  say  that  Staunton  Brown,  as  the  Judge  called 
him,  had  never  lost  his  eye  for  prettv'  girls,  I  asked  Colonel  Brown  who  was  the 
prettiest  girl  he  had  known  in  show  business.  He  answered:  "Ginger  Rogers,  but 
she  was  not  just  pretty.  She  was  a  marvelous  dancer  and  a  far  better  actress  than 
most  people  who  watcheci  her  dance  with  Fred  Astaire  ever  realized." 

When  I  then  asked  him  if  it  was  true  that  he  was  responsible  tor  the  torma- 
tion  of  the  Astaire-Rogers  dance  team,  he  said  he  was.  "When  I  became  presi- 
dent of  RKO  early  m  192'^-',"  he  said,  "it  was  just  about  the  starting  time  tor 
talking  movies.  But  before  that  they  were  all  silent  and  a  movie  star  just  needed 
to  be  able  to  ride  a  horse  like  Tom  Mix  did,  jump  around  like  Douglas  Fairbanks 
did,  or  tlare  his  nostrils  like  Rudolph  Valentino,  but,  when  the  movies  started  to 
talk,  they  needed  people  who  knew  how  to  speak.  So  Hollywood  turned  to 
Broadway  for  real  actors  and  actresses.  When  I  tirst  went  to  Hollywood,  I  found 


1990 

janliary  22  • 
Chesteiuown  Maydr 

Elmer  Horsey 

announc:es  that  town 

AND  College  have 

AGREELI  to  REMOVE 

cami'us  water  tower. 

February  17  • 

histcirian  and 

educator  John  Hope 

Franklin  al>dresses 

gathering  at  SI'RING 

Convocation. 

April  7  •  CoNSTANt:E 
Stuart  Lakraisee  Arts 
Center  is  dedicated. 

April  12  -Workers 

dismantle  Sll-FOOT- 

HIGH  CHESTERTOWN 

WATER  TOWER.  WHICH 

WAS  A  CAjMPUS 

landmark  since  19LS. 

October  6  •  C^harles 

H. Trout  is 

iNAUc;uRATEn  24th 

College  president. 


1991 


February  22  •  College 
senior  Donna  White 
IS  named  in  VSA  Today 

POLL  of  country's  TOP 
COLLEGE  STUL:)ENTS. 

April  27  -The  Eugene 

B.  Casey  Academic 

Center,  WHICH  opened 

IN  January  and  is 

named  for  the  late 

College  benefactor 

Eugene  Casey,  is 
formally  dedicated. 


187 


they  had  what  I  called  a  hst  ot  scouting  reports.  Ginger  Rogers  was  so  httle 
known  in  Hollywood  then  that  she  wasn't  even  on  the  list,  and  Fred  Astaire  had 
been  summed  up  as  a  'skmny  balding  actor  who  can  dance  a  little.'That  was  like 
saying  Shakespeare  could  write  a  little  or  Babe  Ruth  could  play  a  little  baseball. 
I  knew  better  than  Hollywood  just  how  good  Ginger  Rogers  and  Fred  Astaire 
could  be  because  I  had  seen  Astaire  m  several  Broadway  musicals  and  Miss  Rogers 
in  one  called  'Girl  Crazy,"  which  showed  she  was  a  marvelous  actress  as  well  as  the 
most  graceful  girl  dancer  I  had  ever  seen.  So  I  signed  them  both  to  RKO  con- 
tracts and  finally  persuaded  the  Hollywood  boys  to  give  them  a  part  in  a  movie 
called 'Flying  Down  to  Rio.'  It  was  supposed  to  star  Gene  Raymond  and  Dolores 
Del  Rio,  but  Astaire  and  Rogers  stole  this  show,  and  after  that  they  were  box 
office  magic  in  five  or  six  movies  which  saved  RKO  from  bankruptcy  during 
the  depression  years  of  the  1930s." 


Sophie  Kerr  Gives  College  Lasting  Literary  Fame 

By  W'illiiUn  L.TUoinpion  '10 

DESPITE  HER  IMPRESSIVE  CREATIVITY — she  saw  twenty-three 
novels,  hundreds  of  short  stones,  and  a  cookbook  published  during  her 
lifetime — nothing  author  Sophie  Kerr  ever  wrote  has  had  the  impact  on  lovers 
ot  literature  as  a  pair  ot  dry-as-talcum  paragraphs  buried  deep  within  her  last  will 
and  testament. 

As  anyone  familiar  with  W^ishmgton  College  knows  by  now,  the  Eastern 
Shore  native  and  New  York  City  keeper  of  cats  who  died  m  1965  shy  of  her 
eighty-fifth  birthday  designated  the  school  a  residuary  beneficiary  with  a  half- 
million-doUar  trust  fund. What  caught  College  administrators  momentarily  dumb- 
founded a  year  later  when  they  learned  details  of  the  bequest  was  Kerr's  special 
stipulation  that  half  the  annual  earnings  from  her  estate  be  handed  over  to  a 
graduating  senior  who  demonstrates  promising  writerly  instincts. 

That  part  ot  the  will  was  outlined  briskly  in  a  ninety-one-word  paragraph  of 
legalese  setting  the  terms  ot  the  Sophie  Kerr  Prize,  soon  to  be  recognized  as  the 
richest  undergraduate  cash  award  in  the  world.  The  late  13r.  Nicholas  Newlin, 
who  was  then  chairman  of  the  English  Department,  noted  the  enormity  ot  the 
task  he  and  his  senior  faculty  colleagues  faced  in  choosing  the  first  recipient  of 
Kerr's  unusual  largess.  It  was,  he  said,  "a  heavy,  even  alarming  responsibility." 

Less  known  but  arguably  having  a  greater  effect  on  more  people's  lives  is  the 
second  condition  Kerr  placed  on  her  bequest.  Overshadowed  by  the  annual 


Sophie  Kerr,  born  in  Denton,  Maryland,  in  hSSlI,  niade  Iter 
fortune  in  NcwYork  as  a  fiction  writer  Independent  and  ambitious, 
she  worked  as  managing  editor  of  the  Women's  Home 
Companion  and  tnrned  out  a  series  of  tiovels  geared  to  a  reading 
piiblie  that  knew  her  from  lier  short  stories.  Slie  died  in  1965. 


189 


spring  hoopla  given  the  Prize  is  what  the  writer-turned-benefactress  wanted  to 
be  called  the  Gift — the  other  halt  ot  the  income  generated  by  her  endowment. 
Just  as  dry  and  twice  as  long  as  its  counterpart,  this  section  of  the  will  sets  aside  a 
like  sum  ot  money  to  be  spent  at  the  discretion  of  the  Kerr  Committee — the 
College  president  and  the  English  faculty — on  student  scholarships,  library  books, 
literary  publications,  and  visiting  writers  and  scholars. 

Since  Its  inception,  the  Gift  has  made  possible  a  parade  of  visiting  authors, 
pertormers,  and  scholars  who  otherwise  might  never  have  set  foot  on  a  small 
campus  miles  from  the  traditional  literary  circuit.  Some  of  these  individuals  were 
tamous  by  the  time  they  arrived  at  the  College.  Some  were  ahead  of  their  game 
and  soon  would  attain  literary  stardom,  winning  Pulitzers  and  Nobels  and  writ- 
ing best  sellers.  Some  were  shy,  even  phlegmatic.  A  few  were  boisterous  and  bent 
on  challenging  the  students'  own  proclivities  tor  raising  hell.  Most  were  gentle 
and  warmly  receptive  to  young  writers  who  yearned  for  and  got  face-to-face 
encounters  with  the  literati  in  the  classi-oom  and,  later,  in  the  campus  literary 
house. 

All  this  did  not  happen  overnight  and,  and  in  tact,  it  had  beginnings  on 
several  fronts. 

Almost  immediately,  school  otticials  set  out  to  comply  with  Kerr's  wish  that 
scholarships  be  set  up  in  her  name. The  English  department  awards  three  incom- 
ing freshmen  each  with  $1,000.  A  recipient  can  receive  the  aid  for  four  consecu- 
tive years,  meaning  that  each  year  the  Kerr  Committee  sets  aside  $12,000  for 
financial  assistance.  For  the  record,  the  tirst  tour  students  to  receive  Kerr  scholar- 
ships were  Susan  Arnold,  Bill  Dunphy,  Reed  Hessler,  and  Susan  Marie  Wilson. 

While  1968  found  College  President  Daniel  Z.  Gibson  and  school  adminis- 
trators cautiously  pondering  the  consequences  of  Kerr's  bequest  and  its  immedi- 


Di:  Gibson  invited  Sophie  Kerr  back  to  the  College  in  1951 

to  speak  to  the  IMvncn's  Literary  Leagne,  and  he  and  Helen  Gibson 

entertained  her  at  Hynson-Ringi^old  House.  The  Gibsons  nsed  to  show 

Miss  Kerr  some  of  the  gracious  lii'ing  which  she  nsed  to  write  about. 

Also,  Helen  and  Dan  Gibson  were  literary-minded  and 

could  talk  literature  with  her  easily. 

Howard  Corddry  'dS,  longtime  College  trustee,  explaining  one  reason  why  Sophie  Kerr  included 
Washington  College  in  her  wiU. 


190 


I99I 


The  Sophie  Ken  Room  in  Milley  Lil'nny  holds  a  lolh'ttion  of 
her  books  and  personal  items,  inchidino  sereral  cat  fiiiuriiies. 


ate  monetary  value — school  officials  determined  the  first  Prize  to  be  $5,000, 
then  $7,500  and  ultimately  $9,000 — at  least  one  small  group  on  campus  saw  no 
need  to  curb  its  optimism.  Students  who  controlled  the  literary  magazine  Miscel- 
lany predicted  the  Kerr  endowment  would  help  attract  a  higher  caliber  of  under- 
graduate writers.  The  long-term  benefits,  they  believed,  were  obvious. 

With  the  initiation  of  the  senior  literary  prize  awarded  annually  by  the  Sophie 
Kerr  Committee,  one  student  writer  told  the  campus  newspaper,  "Misccllaiiy 
could  withm  a  tew  years  become  one  ot  the  finest  college  literary  publications  in 
the  country." 

By  the  tall  of  1970,  the  Sc^iphie  Kerr  Committee  had  awarded  three  ot  its 
prizes  to  graduating  seniors,  had  gi\'en  out  a  handtul  ot  scholarships,  and  was 
quickly  becoming  the  major  source  ot  funding  for  student  literary  publications. 

Miscellany  ceased  to  exist  and  was  succeeded  by  other  publications,  including 
the  \]asliiiigtoii  College  Rei'lcw  and  a  flurry  ot  poetry  broadsides  \\-hich  came  out 
more  trequently  and  w^ere  favored  by  many  of  the  fort^'-seven  stucients  who  had 


August  7  •  The  63- 
year-old  Washington 
Elm.  A  CAMPUS 
landmark  and 
descendant  of  the 
tree  under  which 

Gen.  George 
Washington  took 

COMMAND  of  THE 

American  forces  on 

July  3. 1775.  in 
Cambridge,  Mass..  is 
CUT  down  after  it 
succumbs  to  Dutch 

ELM  disease. 

September  20  • 
PresidentTrout  tells 

students  TFIAT 

College  financial 
troubles  are  tied  to 

economic  ills  of  THE 
COUNTRY. 

October  21  •  Student 

Government 

Association  ban  on 

dining  hall  smoking 

takes  effect. 

1992 

July  1  d  • 

Philanthropist  Lelia 

Hodson  Hynson.  the 

daughter  of  Sara 

Payne  and  Col. 
Clarence  Hodson 
and  for  whom  the 
Hynson  Pavilion  in 

WiLiVLER  Park  is 
named,  dies  at  age  93 

AT  her  home  in 

scarsdale.  ny. 

September  4  • 
Students  learn  that. 

FOR  the  first  TI^4E  IN 

College  history, 

DORMS  will  be 

technologically 
upgraded  to  allow 

telephones  in 
individual  rooms. 


191 


]]dshin(;ton  Collc(;c  Ihis  hosted  do:eiis  of  iniportivit 
u'ritcis  oi'cr  tlic  yctirs.  Aiiioii'^  them  uviv  (liockwisc  froiii 
top):  Toiii  Morrison,  who  read  from  her  unpublished  novel, 
Beloved,  ///  1987;  Ah:\-  Haky.  who  in  1968 gave  a  talk 
on  his  research  that  would  lead  to  the  piibheation  of 
Roots;  novelist  John  Barth,  a  Seinor  Fellow  at 
]\'ashington  College  who  wrote  a  iiieniorahle  essay 
"On  Broit'shig"  to  eonnnentorate  the  250,000th  volume 
installed  in  Miller  Library: poet  Howard  Nemerov,  who 
met  with  student  writers  and  gave  readings;  ]Villiam 
Styron,  wlio  during  his  1988  visit  discussed  his  historical 
novel.  The  Confessions  of  Nat  Turner,  with  an 
American  history  class;  novelist  John  Dos  Passos,  who  in 
1966  read  from  his  book  USA,  and  poet  Ruth  Stone, 
who  visited  in  1998  as  part  of  a  Living  Writers  course. 


192 


193 


helped  form  the  College  Writers  Union.  The  group,  whose  size  marked  the 
largest  creative  writing  organization  ever  assembled  at  the  school,  was  given  a 
start-up  grant  of  $1 ,750  by  the  Sophie  Kerr  Committee  and  another  $400  by  the 
Student  Government  Association. 

Continuing  to  follow  Kerr's  wishes,  the  English  Department  also  began  dedi- 
cating a  share  of  the  estate  earnings  for  book  purchases  and  periodical  subscrip- 
tions. In  the  mid-1980s,  the  department  set  aside  $10,500  a  year — about  fifteen 
percent  ot  the  library's  entire  budget  tor  new  books — to  buy  titles  recommended 
by  its  faculty. 

By  the  late  1960s  and  early  197()s,  interest  in  literary  exercises  had  begun  to 
spread  across  the  campus.  Facultv'  members  offered  to  help  budding  writers  and, 
m  a  demonstration  ot  how  unpatronizingly  candid  teachers  could  be,  one 
instructor's  appraisal  ot  stucient  work  published  m  the  literary  magazine  ended 
on  this  critical  note:  "Basically,  I  mean  that  those  who  contributed...  are  not  yet 
tinished  poets  and  yet  they  are  more  concerned  with  self-expression  than  with 
studv..." 

At  Washington  College,  e\'en  "not  yet  timshed  poets"  tlnd  reward. Two  ot  the 
student  writers  included  m  the  critique  went  on  to  win  the  Sophie  Kerr  Prize, 
an  experience  dramatically  in  contrast  with  the  lives  of  many  accomplished  au- 
thors who  visit  the  campus  courtesy  ot  Sophie  Kerr. 

Take  Joseph  Brodskv  tor  example.  Brodsky  tound  retuge  m  the  United  States 
in  1972  after  he  served  eighteen  months  of  a  tive-year  prison  term  in  the  tVozen 
tundra  ot  his  native  Soviet  Union.  His  crime?  Writing  poetry  without  academic 
qualifications. 


/;;  iiiinieroiis  novels  and  magazine  stories,  Sophie  Kerr  lias 

continued  to  disp)lay  what  one  reviewer  calls  "the  expert  touch  in  feinini)ic  fare.  " 

Her  work  is  slight — mainly  ro)iiances  tailored  to  the  patterns  of  a 

women's  magazine  fiction.  But  it  contains  a  peiject  combination 

of  the  necessary  elements — love,  suspense,  atmosphere,  humor; 

and  it  has  won  her  a  large  and  devoted  audience. 

Tiraitietli  Century  Authors,  1955 


194 


Brodsky,  who  died  of  a  heart  attack  m  1996  at  age  fitty-tive,  found  a  more 
appreciative  audience  in  the  United  States,  and  his  international  stature  as  a  poet 
was  recognized  in  1987  when  he  was  awarded  a  Nobel  Prize  in  literature.  But, 
like  many  \\-riters  before  and  after  him.  his  path  to  tame  brought  lum  to  rural 
Chestertown.  A  small  but  enthusiastic  crowd  gathered  inside  the  College  s  Norman 
James  Theatre  to  hear  the  man  read,  in  his  native  tongue  and  unmistakable  booming 
voice,  many  of  the  poems  that  soon  would  make  him  a  cult  figure. 

The  Sophie  Kerr  Lecture  Series  began  m  the  spring  of  1969  on  a  decidedly 
scholarly  note  with  the  appearance  of  Frank  Kermode,  then  the  Winterstone 
Protessor  ot  English  at  the  Universin,'  of  Bristol.  Kermode,  whose  books  and 
critical  essays  would  later  earn  him  chairs  at  four  English  universities  and  a  knight- 
hood, titled  his  evening  lecture  in  Hynson  Lounge,  "How  Art  Survives."  Before 
leaving,  he  gave  would-be  writers  m  the  crc")wd  a  bit  of  acivice:" Redundancy,"  he 
said,  "is  the  sin  ot  novelists." 

Kermode  was  followeci  m  the  fall  by  Polish  drama  critic  jan  Kott,  a  respected 
academic  whose  book.  Sluikcspcniv,  Our  Cotnciiipoiary,  caught  the  attention  of 
scholars  trying  to  make  the  playwrights  works  meanmgtul  to  a  generation  of 
English  students  demanding  so-called  relevancy  in  their  curriculum. 

National  Book  Award  winner  and  Librar)'  of  Congress  Poet-m-Residence 
William  StatTord  arrived  m  the  fall  of  1970,  speaking  to  a  large  audience  and 
then  spending  twent\-minute  sessions  with  individual  student  writers.  It  marked 
the  beginning  ot  a  successtul  practice.  English  teacher  and  then-Literary  House 
Director  Robert  Day  said  his  goal  was  to  ceiax  guest  writers  away  trom  the 
lectern  and  into  the  throng  of  stucients  who  turn  out  to  see  them. 

Katherine  Anne  Porter  s  stay  at  the  College  proved  that  writers  are  greater 
than  the  sum  of  their  publications.  She  talked  shop  with  the  students,  who  tound 
the  eight\'-two-year-old  novelist  anci  short-story  author  to  be  genuine  and  charm- 
ing. She  confided  that  the  emerald  rings  she  wore  were  purchased  with  the 
money  she  had  been  paici  a  decade  ago  for  movie  rights  to  her  well-known 
novel  Ship  of  Fools. 

"A  friend  asked  me,"  she  said,  "if,  at  age  seventy-two,  there  wasn't  something 
more  I  needed  than  emeralds.  I  told  her  Ed  needed  those  emeralds  since  the  day 
I  was  born.  Holes  in  mv  shoes  don't  matter  it  I  have  emeralds." 


1992 

September  1 1  • 

College  President 

Charles  H. Trout  and 

Board  members 
discuss  expanding  the 

current  student 
enrollment  of  923  to 

1.200  OVER  A  5-TO-8- 

year  period. 

c^ctouer  .'^  •  statue  of 
William  Beck  "Swish" 
Nicholson  '36.  who 

PLAYED  baseball  WITH 

the  Philadelphia 
Athletics  and  the 

Chicago  Cubs, 

unveiled  on  Cross 

Street  in 

Chestertown. 

October  31  •  Miller 
Library  celebrates 

SHELVING  OF  20(l.noOTH 

volume  with  speech 

by  novelist  and 

Eastern  Shore  native 

John  Barth. 

November  LS  • 

Campus  security 

investigate  rash  of 

small  fires  set  .at 

Literary  House; 

access  to  building  is 

restricted  to  period 

between  8  a.m.  and 

midnight. 


1993 


February  1 6  •  College 
budgetary  problems 

come  TO  THE  FORE 

WHEN  Student 

Government 

Association  meets 

WITH  President  Trout 

TO  discuss 

alterations  TO  THE 

POPULAR  Washington 
BIRTHDAY  Ball. 


195 


Louis  L.  Gohlstcin  served  on  the  Board  of  I  'isitors  and 
Governors  front  1957  iinrii  iiis  dedtfi  on  Jniy  J,  1998,  and 
was  Cfiairinan  of  ifte  Board  for  eiofneen  years.  Tlie  College's 
newest  acadetnic  hnilding  is  named  for  liini. 


196 


Louis  L.  Goldstein  was  "Mr.  Washington  College" 

LIKE  BLUE  CRABS  and  the  Chesapeake  Bay,  Louis  Goldstein's  name  is 
practically  synonymous  with  Maiyland."  So  wrote  Casper  R.Taylor  Jr.,  speaker 
of  the  Maryland  House  of  Delegates,  upon  learning  that  Goldstein — Washing- 
ton College  Class  of  1 935,  Board  chairman  since  1 980, World  Wiir  II  veteran,  and 
Maryland  comptroller  since  1958 — had  died  on  July  3, 1998,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
five. 

The  mourners  who  showed  up  at  Goldstein  s  funeral  in  his  native  Calvert 
County  (Goldstein,  who  never  relinquished  his  Southern  Maryland  patois,  pro- 
nounced it  "Culvert"  Counts')  numbered  in  the  hundreds  and  included  current 
and  former  state  governors,  U.S.  senators,  scores  of  other  political  figures.  Col- 
lege administrators  and  alumni,  and  regular  folks  who  knew  or  knew  of  "Louie" 
from  his  sixt\'  years  m  public  service. 

Goldstein,  who  served  m  both  houses  of  the  Maryland  General  Assembly 
and  was  Senate  president  h-om  1955  to  1958,  was  afforded  an  honor  unprec- 
edented in  Maryland  history  the  day  before  his  funeral  when  an  honor  guard 
placed  his  flag-draped  casket  beneath  the  State  Liouse  dome  a  few  feet  from  the 
old  Senate  chamber. That  room  was  among  Goldsteins  favorites  because  it  was 
there  in  1783 — a  year  after  Washington  College  was  founded — that  George 
Washington  resigned  his  commission  as  commander  of  the  Continental  Army. 
More  than  2,500  people  filed  past  Goldstein's  casket. 

Goldstein  was  born  on  March  14,  1913,  in  Prince  Frederick.  He  graduated 
from  Washington  College  in  1935  and  earned  a  law  degree  from  the  University 
ot  Maryland  School  ot  Law  in  1938.  A  year  later  he  was  sworn  in  as  a  member  of 
the  Maryland  House  of  Delegates.  He  left  that  legislative  body  in  1 942  and 
enlisted  m  the  U.S.  Marine  Corps  as  a  private.  He  served  m  the  Asiatic  and 
Pacific  theaters  and  was  discharged  in  1946  as  a  first  lieutenant.  His  hunger  for 
public  service  was  acute  and  that  same  year  he  campaigned  for  and  was  elected 
to  the  Maryland  State  Senate,  representing  Calvert  County.  A  Democrat,  Goldstein 
was  Senate  majority  leader  from  1951  to  1955,  when  he  was  elected  Senate 
president.  He  was  elected  state  comptroller — arguably  one  ot  the  state's  most 
powerful  positions — in  1958  and  held  that  office  until  his  death. 

Goldstein  was  a  delegate  or  an  alternate  to  fourteen  Democratic  Party  na- 
tional conventions,  and  he  was  a  member  of  the  part\''s  platform  and  resolutions 
committee  at  the  conventions  of  1964,  1968,  1972,  1984,  1988  and  1992. 

During  his  years  at  the  College,  Goldstein  stood  out  as  an  affable  and  enthu- 
siastic student.  He  sold  shoes  to  help  pay  his  expenses  during  those  Depression 
years  and,  m  addition  to  his  studies,  he  found  time  to  handle  the  business  affairs 
of  The  £'/;(i."He  sold  more  than  twice  as  much  advertising  space  as  had  ever  been 


1993 

February  20  •  Despite 
budget  cuts  of  more 
than  $1  million,  the 
College  expects  to 

END  the  fiscal  YEAR 

$600,000  in  the  red. 

Board  members 

learn;  it  will  be  the 

second  consecutive 

year  of  fiscal 

problems. 

April  5  •  President 
Emeritus  Douglass 
Cater  returns  to 
campus  to  deliver 
speech  sponsored  by 
Goldstein  Program 
IN  Public  Affairs. 

May  23  •  Pulitzer 
Prize-winning 
JOURNALIST  Bob 

Woodward,  WHOSE 
coverage  of  the 
Watergate  era 

contributed  to  the 
resignation  of 

President  Richard 
Nixon,  speaks  at 
commencement. 

September  2  •  Grand 
Marshal  Ermon 
Foster  leads  his 
128th  and  final 

academic  procession 

AT  Fall  Convocation; 

he  is  presented  with  a 

replica  OF  THE 

College  mace  carved 
BY  Frank  Rhodes  '83 

FROM  wood  of  the 

Washington  Elm. 

October  25  • 

Executive  and 

Finance  committees 

OF  THE  Board  learn 

that  the  current 

school  budget  is 

experiencing  a  deficit 

of  $52,000. 


197 


Eiii^ciic  B.  Ciiscy  is  iviiiciiibcrcd  for  his  strong;  imcllcct  and 
iivrk  clliii,  his  aviipiissioii  for  those  less  fortuiiatc,  and  his 
generous  support  of  the  Coihge's  educational  mission. 


198 


sold  before  and  the  paper  ended  the  first  year  with  a  surplus  for  the  first  time  in 
history,"  recalled  classmate  Phillip  J.  Wmgate.  Goldstein,  who  had  started  out  as  a 
chemistry  major  before  switching  his  interests  to  law  and  pohtics,  was  credited 
with  introducing  the  game  of  horseshoes  to  campus. 

Goldstein  joined  the  College  Board  ot'Visitors  and  Governors  in  1957.  He 
quickly  became  one  of  the  College's  most  visible  ambassadors  and  it  was  for  his 
roles  as  trustee,  Board  chairman,  benefictor,  and  fiscal  watchdog  that  Goldstein 
achieved  a  status  in  College  history  reserveci  for  such  heavyweights  as  Ezekiel  F. 
Chambers,  Judge  James  A.  Pearce,  and  Colonel  Hiram  S.  Brown. 

During  the  term  of  College  President  Douglass  Cater,  Gokistem  lent  his  name 
and  cachet  to  a  fundraiser  that  featured  former  Secretary  of  State  Henry  Kissinger 
and  endowed  the  College's  Louis  L.  Goldstein  Program  in  PubHc  Policy.  Goldstein 
was  able  to  solicit  significant  amounts  of  financial  aid  for  the  College,  and  he 
personally  committed  more  than  one  million  dollars  of  his  own  to  the  school. 


Caseys  Provide  Impetus  for  "Higher  Orbit" 

No  INDIVIDUAL  DONORS  have  done  as  much  for  Washington  Col- 
lege as  have  Betty  Brown  Casey,  a  1947  alumna  and  trustee  emeritus  who 
took  on  a  leadership  role  m  the  Campaign  for  Excellence,  and  her  late  husband, 
Eugene  B.  Casey,  president  of  Casey  Engineering.  Since  Mr.  Casey's  initial  plecige 
m  1982  of  $5  million  and  his  promise  to  build  a  new  campus  tacility  the  students 
wanted,  Mrs.  Casey  has  more  than  tripleci  that  amount  and  in  the  process  changed 
the  very  fice  of  Washington  College,  while  building  endowment  tor  scholar- 
ships and  facility  maintenance. 

The  students  voted  overwhehiiingly  for  an  indoor  swimming  pool,  which  was 
duly  built  and  eieciicated  m  1984,  but  the  Caseys  set  their  sights  even  higher.  They 
purchaseci  and  renovated  the  O'Neill  Literary  House,  a  literaiy  haven  for  the  College's 
creative  writing  students,  and  built  the  Casey  Academic  Center,  the  magnificent 
campus  centerpiece  Mrs.  Casey  planned  and  paid  for  as  a  memorial  to  her  late 
husband.  Their  gifts  precipitated  the  closing  of  Gibson  Avenue,  the  creation  ot  the 
Cater  Walk  and  Martha  Wishington  Square,  the  building  of  the  north  gate  entrance, 
and  wholesale  campus  beautification.  From  properties  and  renovation  fiands  to  schol- 
arships and  academic  prizes,  firom  feasibility  studies  to  computers  and  opera  tickets, 
Mrs.  Casey  has  provided  a  benefic  ence  never  before  seen,  nor  yet  matched. 

President  Douglass  Cater  called  their  first  meeting  "splendid,"  perhaps  be- 
cause the  couples  involved  understood  what  was  at  stake.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cater, 
soliciting  for  the  major  fundraismg  campaign,  were  looking  tor  major  players  to 


1994 

Februaiw  7  • 
Pi^siDENT  Trout  puts 
THE  College  deficit 

AT  $965,000;  FACULTY 

PONDERS  SALARY 

REDUCTRINS. 

February  IS  •  Hodson 

hall  student  center 

rededicated  in 

HONOR  OF  Student 

Affairs  Dean 

MAUB.EEN  KELLEY 
MClNTIRE. 

March  4  •  "Employee 

MORALE  is  at  AN  ALL 

TIME  LOW,"  A  College 
worker,  speaking  of 
problems  caused  by 
tfle  deficit,  tells  the 

June  30  •  Gene  Hessey. 

the  senior  vice 

president  for 

management  and 

Finances,  retires 

AFTER  24  years  WITH 

the  college. 

August  27  •  President 
Trout  announces 
appointment  OF  Dr. 
Joachim  Scholz  as 
acting  dean  and 
provost  following 
the  resignation  of 
Dean  GeneWubbels. 

September  3  • 
President  Trout 
announces  he  will 
RESIGN  as  OF  June  1, 

1995. 

October  31  • 

Presidential  Search 

Committee,  headed  by 

Robert  Duemling, 

begins  process  of 

finding  successor  to 

Trout. 


199 


"An  American  OriginaV 
Remembered 

by  President  Douglass  Cater 

Eugene  Bernard  Casey  was  an  American 
original.  His  was  a  genius  born  of  determina- 
tion combined  with  those  other  essential  ingredi- 
ents tor  success:  wiUingness  to  work,  to  learn,  to 
take  risks,  to  meet  challenges,  and  always  to  stretch. 
His  mind  was  open  and  the  ideas  flowed.  Never 
satisfied  with  the  status  quo,  he  sought  to  go  one 
step  further. 

Those  who  knew  him  best  marveled  at  the  sheer 
power  ot  his  mind — an  extraordinary  power  to 
retain  all  that  he  saw  and  heard,  read  and  experi- 
enced. 

As  one  friend  put  it:  "He  had  the  vision  and 
genius  to  invest  in  this  small  firming  community 
and  the  good  fortune  to  live  to  see  this  investment 
materialize  into  a  great  metropolis." 

Acquiring  and  building  has  been  the  major  part 
ot  the  Casey  genius. Yet  he  also  established  a 
private  reputation  for  cultivating  the  hard  habit  of 
generosity.  Here,  too,  he  had  the  sharp  eye  and  the 
shrewd  intuition  in  deciding  when  and  where  to 
give.  He  donated  barns  and  land  to  the  National 
Institutes  of  Health  at  a  critical  stage  of  research 
and  testing  on  the  Salk  Polio  Vaccine.  Dr.  James  A. 
Shannon,  then  director  of  NIH,  has  stated, 
"Through  (Eugene  Casey's)  generosity,  NIH  was 
able  to  participate  in  one  of  the  greatest  public 
health  achievements  of  all  dmes." 

Eugene  Casey  cared  about  people.  He  cherished 
his  family  and  his  friends.  His  interests  and  gener- 
osities were  widespread.  He  cared  about  cominu- 
nity  and  quietly  worked  to  build  parks  and  a  home 
for  homeless  boys,  community  centers,  and  low- 
income  housing. 

He  cared  about  his  country  and  its  great  patriots. 


especially  George  Washington  and  Patrick  Henry. 
Like  them,  he  served  his  country  in  war — in  his 
case  in  the  Navy — and  in  peace,  in  the  White 
House. 

He  cared  about  education.  His  generosity  and  his 
leadership  inspired  Washington  College  to  think 
anew  about  its  mission  and  its  needs. This  led  us  to 
a  master  plan  and  a  revitalized  campus.  The  swim- 
ming center  and  the  Academic  Resources  Center 
will  keep  Eugene  Casey's  name  and  memory  alive 
for  future  generations  of  our  students. 

Eugene  Casey  had  many  careers.  He  was  engi- 
neer, lawyer,  master  plumber,  financier,  developer, 
philanthropist.  He  was  a  dedicated  son  who 
worked  hard  to  help  his  father  save  his  business.  He 
adored  his  mother,  the  beautiful  Rose  O'Neill.  He 
was  a  loving  husband  to  his  dear  wife,  Betty,  and  a 
devoted  lather  to  his  six  children.  Eleven  grand- 
chikiren  brought  joy  to  his  later  years. 

To  meet  Gene  Casey  could  be  an  exhilarating 
and  riveting  experience.  His  crystal  blue  eyes  could 
pierce  your  soul,  yet  twinkling  all  the  while.  He 
seemeci  to  recognize  the  irony  and  the  humor  of 
the  human  condition  and  to  appreciate  it  to  the 
fullest.  When  he  loved  he  loved  totally,  whether  it 
was  his  family  and  trusted  friends,  or  the  land  that 
he  felt  a  part  of,  or  the  chocolate  that  he  slipped  to 
those  like  my  wife  Libby  with  whom  he  felt  a 
kinship.  Gene  could  quickly  size  up  a  person  or  an 
idea,  but  he  usually  preferred  to  sleep  on  it  before 
expressing  his  opinion. 

And  SCI,  our  friend,  adviser  and  good  citizen. 
Gene  Casey,  is  sleeping  on  it  and  we  will  forever 
teel  the  conclusions  he  reached  during  a  rich  and 
rewarding  life.  We  will  greatly  miss  you.  Gene. You 
will  be  remembered. 

Eui^ene  B.  Casey,  82,  died  July  29,  1986,  in  his 
Potomac,  Maryland,  home  after  a  hvn^  illness. 


200 


1995 


The  (;,(.<(■)'. 4c.i(/(7)i)r  C^L'iitcr  i<  one  ofjii'c  hiiihliiii^s  on 
Cdnipns  that  bear  witncif  to  the  iic\icrosity  oj  Eugene  B.  and 
Betty  Bioifn  Casey  '47. 


December  3  •  Dr. 

JohnToll, 

chancellor  emeritus 

and  physics  professor 

AT  THE  University  of 

Maryland,  is  named 

acting  College 

president. 

September  lo  •  Dr. 

John  S.Toll  is 

inaugurated  College 

president. 

1996 

April  16  •  Former 

presidential 

candidate  Gaiw  Hart 

comes  to  CAMPUS  AS 
PART  OF  THE  HARWOOD 

Colloquy. 

April  18  •  Gen.  Colin 

Powell,  former 

Assistant  to  the 

President  for 

National  Security 

Affairs,  talks  before 

1,500  PEOPLE  GATHER£D 

inside  Cain  Athletic 

Center.  He  is 

.aw.arded  an 

honorary  doctor  of 

public  service  degree. 

September  •  A 

FRESHMAN  CLASS  OF  322 

STUDENTS  IS  THE 

LARGEST  IN  COLLEGE 

HISTORY. 

september  5  •  fall 

convocation 

features  speajcer 

Russell  E.Tr.ain. 

chairman  emeritus  of 

THE  World  Wildlife 

FEDERATION. 


201 


^«k 


IVitli  the  opciiiii'^  of  the  Casey  Sienii  Center  in  1984,  the 
College  hiiih  Inghly  conipetitii'e  men's  and  iivnien's  swinniiiiii; 
progmnis  that  produced  six  AH- Aniericiins.  The  pool  is  open  to 
the  coiinininity  and  local  schools,  and  hosts  the  Sho'nien 
Aqnatics  age-oroup  swim  program  that  has  placed  fust  in  the 
Dehuarva  League  for  five  successive  years. 


202 


support  the  College's  master  plan. The  Caseys  were  looking  for  a  worthy  philan- 
thropic cause.  Mrs.  Casey  liked  the  idea  of  supporting  her  ahiia  mater.  Gene 
Casey  liked  Doug  Cater.  It  was  what  Cater  hked  to  call  a  "serendipitous"  match; 
both  men  were  tough-minded,  ambitious  visionaries  intent  on  positioning  Wash- 
ington College  among  the  tinest  liberal  arts  and  sciences  colleges  in  the  country, 
and  on  leaving  their  mark  for  posterity.  The  Caseys  wanted  this  single  gift  to  be 
significant,  a  gitt  that  would  propel  Washington  College  into  what  Douglass 
Cater  liked  to  call  "a  higher  orbit." 

"It  was  a  bold,  bold  gift,"  Sherry  MagiU,  former  assistant  to  Douglass  Cater, 
says  ol  Eugene  Casey's  $5  million  pledge,  "because  it  wasn't  absolutely  certain  at 
the  time  that  the  College  could  achieve  everything  it  wanted.  The  College  had 
gone  through  one  tailed  campaign,  and  people  hke  Gene  Casey  want  their  money 
to  go  to  winners.  This  gift  did  more  than  the  dollar  sums  would  suggest.  It 
signitied  to  Doug  Cater  and  others  that  his  vision  for  the  College  was  one  that 
others  shared,  that  people  wanted  the  College  to  be  successful.  Doug  always 
talked  about  this  gift  as  the  impetus  for  so  much  that  followed." 

The  Casey  generosit\'  resulted  in  the  Eugene  B.  Casey  Swim  Center,  the  Eugene 
B.  Casey  Academic  Resources  Center,  the  O'Neill  Literaiy  House  (named  for  Mr. 
Casey's  mother) ,  Brown  Cottage  (named  tor  Betrv-  Brown  Casey) ,  and  the  Nussbaum 
House  (named  for  Mrs.  Casey's  grandmother).  Brown  Cottage  provides  housing  for 
College  guests;  Nussbaum  House  is  home  to  select  math  majors. 

Mrs.  Casey  served  on  the  Board  for  twenty  years. Throughout  her  association 
with  the  College,  Mrs.  Casey  has  championed  educational  opportunities  for  eco- 
nomically disadvantaged  students  and  leadership  opportunities  tor  women.  She 
encouraged  students  in  volunteer  work  through  her  suggestion  of  "Casey  Time." 
She  shared  with  them  her  love  of  the  arts,  particularly  music,  by  giving  them 
tickets  to  the  Washington  Opera.  Above  all,  she  encouraged  students  to  tultill 
their  dreams  and  ambitions.  In  this  spirit,  she  established  the  Raggedy  Anne^"^ 
and  Andy  Scholarship  Fund.  She  and  her  husband  endowed  the  Eugene  B.  Casey 
Medal  to  recognize  the  most  outstanding  senior  women  tor  scholarship,  charac- 
ter, leadership  and  campus  citizenship.  Mrs.  Casey  established  tor  the  benetit  ot 
pre-law  students  the  Clark  M.  Clifford  Scholarship  in  memory  of  the  long-time 
presidential  adviser  who  served  as  Secretary  of  Defense  under  Lyndon  B.Johnson. 


1996 

October  26  •  The 
College  sponsors  its 
FIRST  Fall  Family  Day. 

AN  EVENT  PREVIOUSLY 

KNOWN  AS  Parents 

day;  on  this  day, 

journalist  and 

biographer  richard 

Ben  Cramer  discusses 

THE  presidential  PLACE 
BEFORE  AN  AUDIENCE 
THAT  FILLS  HYNSON 

Lounge. 

November  9  •  Faculty 

and  students 

dedicate  Dunning 

FIall's  new  W.M.  Keck 

Nuclear  Magnetic 

Resonance  machine. 

November  20  •  A 

broken  water  pipes 

spills  water  into  the 

student  Cove. 

creating  an 

unpleasant  smell  for 

students  on  their 

way  to  the 
Thanksgiving  feasts 
in  the  dining  hall, 

1997 

January  15  ■  Daly 

Hall,  the  new  class 

and  faculty  office 

building,  opens. 

February  1 1  •  College 

unveils  its  Center 

for  International 

Programs. 


203 


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Clifton  M.  Miller,  Board  chairmdu  Iniurcn  1963  dial 
1967,  provided  funds  for  the  library  that  Ih'ars  his  name. 
He  was  chairman  of  the  Development  Committee  dnrini^ 
the  Heritage  Campaii^n. 


204 


Monuments  that  Matter 

EARLY  COLLEGE  LEADERS  set  an  iinporUiit  precedent  when  they 
named  a  new  academic  building  after  its  founding  president  WilHam  Smith. 
What  better  way  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  someone  who  contributed  so 
much  to  education  m  general,  and  who  had  done  so  much  for  Washington  Col- 
lege in  particular,  than  to  inscribe  his  name  upon  a  lasting  monument  that  will 
serve  future  generations  of  students?  Through  the  years,  as  the  College  has  grown 
in  size  and  distinction,  many  donors  have  stepped  fonvard  to  help  the  College 
meet  critical  facility  needs — bigger  libraries,  modern  laboratories,  more  class- 
rooms, better  residence  halls.  As  the  College  strove  to  remain  competitive  with 
peer  institutions,  the  need  for  efficient  and  attractive  facihties  was  even  more 
apparent.  Donors  responded  \^•ith  classroom  buildings,  an  art  studio,  a  fitness 
center,  and  a  tennis  center.  Some  benefactors,  like  George  Avery  Bunting,  are 
graduates  of  the  College  who  wanted  to  enhance  the  learning  en\'ironnient. 
Others,  like  Alonzo  G.  Decker  jr.,  are  philanthropists  who  believe  in  the  power 
of  education  to  positively  affect  the  world. 

Bunting  Librarv,  now  Bunting  Hall,  was  the  gift  of  Dr.  George  Avery  Bunting, 
who  graduated  from  the  College  in  1891  and  developed  Noxema  skin  cream  in 
1914.  He  was  secretary  of  the  Board  ofVisitors  and  Governors  at  the  tune  of  his 
death  m  1959. 

Another  chemist,  H.A.B.  Dunnmg  of  Baltimore,  agreed  to  help  provide  new 
facilities  for  the  teaching  of  the  sciences.  At  the  January  1940  dedication  of  Dun- 
ning Hall,  he  recalled  how  that  gift  came  about: 

I  became  consciously  interested  in  the  College  through  the  efforts  of  Dr. 
Robert  L.  Swain,  in  the  fall  of  1 938.  A  conference  between  Dr.  Gilbert  W. 


The  urge  to  get  is  deeply  iuibedded  in  us.  The  urge  to  gii'e,  and 

particuhirly  the  joy  of  giving,  is  something  we  Imt'e  to  k'lirn.   I  learned 

early  in  life  that  giving  feels  pretty  good.  The  more  I  ivorked  at  it  the 

more  I  became  sure  that  it  was  a  real  joy  to  give.   So  I  tell  people, 

"Don't  give  until  it  hurts;  give  until  it  feels  real  good." 

Alonzo  G.  Decker  [r.  at  Spring  Convocation.  Fehruan'  22,  1986. 


1997 

February  22  •  Artist 
J.MV1ES  Browning 
Wyeth  receives 

Award  for 

Excellence  at 

Washington's 

Birthday 

c:onvoc:ation;  his 

FATHER,  ANDIiiW,  AND 
UNCLE  N.C.WYETH, 

received  the  same 

award  from  the 

College  earlier. 

Convocation  speaker 

IS  actress  .AND 

National  Endowment 
for  the  Arts  chair 
Jane  Alexander. 

March  4  -The 

O'Neill  Liter.ary 

House  receives 

n.wional  attention 

with  a  feature 

.article  written  by  an 

Associated  Press 

reporter. 

May  27  •  Student 
archaeologists  begin 

field  school  at 

Nanticoke  River  site 

OF  17th-century 

Indian  vill.age. 

April  4  •  1'oet  G.alw.w 

KlNNELL  REALMS  HIS 
WORKS  IN  HYNSON 

Lounge. 

October  9  •  CXillece 

President  John  SToll 

joins  11-me.mber  panel 

appointed  by  the 

governor  TO  STUDY 
THE  PFIESTERIA 

outbreak  tfiat  is 

deadly  to  fish  in  and 

around  the  eastern 

Shore. 


205 


Mead,  your  president,  and  niyselt,  led  to  a  caretul  study  of  the  extensive 
data  concerning  the  long  and  impressive  history  of  the  College,  its  pres- 
tige and  service,  and,  especially,  its  present  status  and  well-equipped  staff 
of  educators.  I  decided  to  give  serious  consideration  to  the  proposal  that 
I  make  a  gift  which  would  provide  much-needed  scientific  equipment 
and  laboratories  in  which  the  staff  could  more  ettectively  operate,  for  the 
benefit  of  the  students  coming  under  its  jurisdiction.  The  result  is  the 
science  building  which  we  now  view  and  dedicate  today. 

Nearly  half  a  century  later,  another  Baltimore  executive  made  possible  the 
construction  of  a  new  science  center,The  Alonzo  G.  Decker  Jr.  Laboratory  Cen- 
ter, as  well  as  many  other  advances  that  came  with  the  198Us  Campaign  for 
Excellence.  President  Douglass  Cater  had  compelled  Decker  and  W.James  Price, 
a  Washington  College  parent  and  an  executive  with  Alex.  Brown  and  Son,  to  join 
the  Boarci  and  to  lead  the  $44  million  tund  drive.  Under  their  direction,  it  was 
the  first  successful  campaign  in  the  history  of  the  College  since  William  Smith 
collected  the  requisite  five  thousand  pounds  in  College  start-up  money,  and  even 
surpassed  its  original  goal  by  more  than  $15  million.  The  Decker  Science  Labo- 
ratory Center,  which  opened  in  1988,  paved  the  way  tor  more  hands-on  learn- 
ing, summer  unciergraciuate  research  programs,  environmental  science  courses, 
and  a  remarkable  success  rate  for  premedical  student  appHcations. 


Remind  everyone  of  how  n'e  prepared  the  microwave  transistor 

computer  hiser  bases  of  tliis  age — working  togetlier  in 

Professor  Kenneth  Buxton's  cliemistry  hiboratory  and 

Professor  Coop's  physics  laboratory  at  ttiis  College  more  tlian  half  a 

century  ago.  Bnxton  introduced  pliysical  cliemistry  to  the  College. 

The  instrumentalities,  even  beyond  the  instruments  of  physics 

ami  chemistry,  can  enhance  this  historic  role 

for  this  third  century  of  the  College  and  the  nation. 

Dr.  William  O.  Baker  '35,  retired  chairman  of  Bell  Labs,  in  a  letter  to  President  Douglass 
Cater  on  the  occasion  of  the  dedication  of  the  Decker  Science  Laboratory  Center,  1988. 


206 


Dr.  H.A.B.  Diiiiniiii;,  an  Eastern  Shore  iiaiiir  iflio  was  a 
pharmaceutical  chemist  in  Bahimorc,  provided  the  funds  for 
Duiuiing  Science  Hall. 


1997 

October  15  •  Student 

Government 

Association  initiates 

dialogue  on  campus 

race  relations. 

1998 

MAY  24  •  Shoremen 
OVERPOWER  Nazareth 

College  16-10  at 
Rutgers  Stadium  to 

WIN  team's  FIRST 

Division  III  national 
men's  lacrosse 
championship. 

August  3(i  -William 
Smith  Hall, 

following  $3  MILLION 

renovations  that 

INCLUDE  installation 

of  an  elevator,  is 

reopened  DURING 

dedication  ceremony. 

September  2  •  Petr.'^ 
Fajerson 'Wilcox  '91 

AND  husband  are 

passengers  aboard 

Swissair  Flight  1 1 1 

that  goes  down  with 

227  OTHER  passengers 
AND  CREW  OFF  COAST 

OF  Nova  Scotia. 

September  18  • 
Geor(;e  Washington 

SCHOLAR  Richard 
Nc-irton  Smith  speaks 

AT  convocation, 

which  is  official 

start  of  College's 

year-long  tribute  to 

200th  anniversary  of 

Washington's  death. 

September  1''  • 

Virginia  Gent  Decker 

Arboretum 

dedicated  outside 

Decker  building. 


207 


]]'itli  the  new  Dunniin;  Science  Hall  that  opened  in  1940, 
]]'iishin'^ton  Ci'/Zt^'c  hnilt  upon  its  strong  reputation  for 
teiichin{;  in  tlie  natural  sciences. 


The  Constance  Stuart  Larrabee  Arts  Center  and  the  Benjamin  A.Johnson 
Lifetime  Fitness  Center  were  also  part  of  the  Campaign  for  Excellence.  Larrabee, 
a  world-renowned  photographer,  and  other  Friends  of  the  Arts  provided  funds 
for  the  creative  transformation  of  the  old  boiler  plant  into  a  center  for  the  visual 
arts.Wilham  B.Johnson  '40  and  his  fimily  led  alumni  fundraising  eiibrts  for  a 
fitness  center  named  after  his  father,  a  graduate  of  the  Class  of  191 1.  These  new 
facilities  made  a  positive  impression  on  students  shopping  for  colleges. 

"Buildings  help  sell  the  College,"  noted  Jim  Price  m  a  post-Campaign  inter- 
view. "When  a  prospective  student  visits  a  college  there  are  probably  three  things 
at  which  he  or  she  looks.  Number  one  is  the  campus,  the  environment.  It  it's 
grubby  and  rundown  and  you  don't  have  the  proper  facilities,  they're  turned  oft 
right  away.  That's  why  buildings  are  important.  The  beauty  of  the  Casey  Aca- 
demic Center  is  that  the  College  never  really  had  a  focus  or  an  entrance  betore. 


208 


If  you  drove  by  you  really  couldn't  figure  out  where  to  begin.  Now  there  is  an 
entrance  and  a  beautiful  campus." 

The  success  of  the  Campaign  for  Excellence  is  evident  everywhere  on  cam- 
pus.Yet  it  also  brought  about  less  visible  improvements  m  areas  such  as  academic 
computing,  undergraduate  research  opportunities,  and  endowment  for  scholar- 
ships and  better  faculty  salaries.  The  challenge  to  improve  campus  facilities,  raise 
endowment,  and  maintain  a  competitive  edge  remains. 

With  funds  raised  through  the  current  $72  million  Campaign  for  Washington's 
College,  launched  in  1996  under  the  chairmanship  of  Jack  S.  Griswold,  William 
Smith  HaU  was  renovated,  a  new  classroom  and  ficult^'  office  complex  was  added, 
and  a  tennis  facility  was  built.  Dorothy  Williams  Daly  '38  and  her  husband.  Ken, 
provided  the  leadership  gift  for  Daly  Hall.  Longtime  friends  of  the  late  College 
President  Dr.  Joseph  H.  McLain  '37  and  his  wife  Ann  HoUingsworth  '40,  the 
Dalys  were  also  donors  to  the  College's  Campaign  tor  Excellence,  helping  to 
fund  the  Joseph  H.  McLain  Chair  m  Environmental  Studies. The  College's  new- 
est athletic  facility,  The  Schottland  Tennis  Center,  is  named  after  Ellen  Bordley 
Schottland  '42,  whose  father,  Carl  Bordley,  graduated  in  1911.  Considerec^  the 
finest  tennis  ficilitv'  in  the  Centennial  Conference,  the  center  was  made  possible 
through  a  major  gitt  trom  her  husband.  Stanlev  with  additional  support  trom 
tamrly  and  friends. 


Alonzo  G.  Decker  Jr., 
retired  chairmau  of  the 
BIdik  and  Decker 
Corporatioij  (left),  and 
]]'  Jaiiies  Price,  niaiiagini; 
director  emeritus  of 
BTAlex.  Brown,  were  co- 
cfiairmen  of  tlie  S44  million 
Campaign  for  Excellence. 


209 


Sharing  His  Good  Name 

By  Kirk  B.  Johnson 

Johnson  is  the  grandson  of  the  man  for  whom  the  Johnson 
Fitness  Center  is  named. 

There  is  a  saying  that  "no  great  man  is  a  good 
man"  and  it  is  true  that  many  ot  our  great 
leaders  have  not  been  particularly  good  nien.  I 
think  my  grandfather,  Ben  Johnson,  was  both. 

He  was  without  question  a  lawyer  and  a  judge  ot 
great  distinction.  In  20  years  of  private  practice,  he 
never  lost  a  case  on  appeal.  When  he  was  elected  in 
1934  to  be  Chief  Judge  of  the  First  Judicial  Circuit 
of  Maryland,  he  poUed  the  largest  number  of  votes 
ever  recorded.  He  was  the  first  chief  judge  elected 
from  Wicomico  County.  As  chief  judge  he  served  as 
a  member  of  the  courts  ot  the  four  counties  ot  the 
lower  Eastern  Shore  He  wrote  hundreds  of  opin- 
ions and  affected  the  lives  and  tortunes  of  thousands 
of  Marylanders. 

He  dominated  the  First  Circuit  and  privately 
wrote  many  of  the  opinions  for  his  less  astute 
judicial  colleagues. The  parties  in  those  cases  were 
lucky  for  that.  He  was  clear,  concise,  and  exquisitely 
logical — applying  common  sense  and  legal  prece- 
dent in  a  way  that  brought  trust  and  respect. 

And  he  improved  the  process  ot  the  judicial 
system  as  well.  It  was  he  who  instituted  the  practice 
ot  psychiatric  evaluation  tor  detendants  m  the  First 
Circuit,  a  routine  part  ot  a  tair  trial  today,  and  it  was 
he  who  ended  the  procedure  whereby  children 
were  tried  like  adults  in  open  court. 

By  virtue  of  his  chief  judgeship  he  was  also  a 
member  of  the  highest  court  of  the  state — the 
Court  ot  Appeals  in  Annapolis.  His  judgments  there 
set  precedent  tor  the  entire  state.  He  was  a  wonder- 
ful judge — with  a  great  knowledge  of,  and  sympa- 
thy tor.  human  nature,  and  he  always  had  the 
courage  to  do  the  right  thing. 

When  I  got  my  first  office  as  a  lawyer  in  Chicago, 
I  hung  up  a  picture  of  the  Maryland  Court  of 
Appeals  of  the  1940s.  Among  the  men  in  that 
picture  is,  of  course,  Benjamin  Alvin  fohnson.  He 
was  a  striking  man — with  piercing  eyes  and  what 


we  have  come  to  know  as  the  Johnson  nose. 

As  a  young  lawyer  I  was  proud  of  my  grandfather 
tor  his  achievements.  Yet  the  real  source  of  inspira- 
tion tor  me  has  been  his  personal  qualities. 

When  a  scandal  arose  involving  the  misuse  of 
count\'  funds,  my  grandfather  refused  to  cover  it 
up — even  though  friends  and  colleagues  were 
involved.  He  took  the  charges  to  the  grand  jury. 
Convictions  were  returned,  and  he  appointed 
honest  men  as  their  successors. 

When  lynching  parties  were  rumored  tor  some 
unpopular  people  accused  ot  crimes,  it  was  he  who 
quietly  got  them  out  ot  town  so  they  could  be 
safely  tried  in  another  count)'. 

He  was  told  as  a  young  politician  running  tor  the 
circuit  court  that  he  must  formally  join  a  church 
and  promote  his  religious  faith. Though  he  believed 
in  God  and  respected  all  religions,  he  never  joined. 
When  he  did  go  to  church  it  was  the  Baptist 
church — often  the  black  Baptist  church — because 
he  enjoyed  the  music  and  the  people. 

My  grandfather  was  raised  on  a  farm  and  when  he 
died  he  owned  three  farms.  With  the  exception  of 
Washington  College  and  one  year  at  Baltimore  Law 
School,  he  was  a  product  of  the  simplest  country 
schools. Yet  he  was  a  self-taught  scholar  who  loved 
Latin  and  classical  studies  and,  no  doubt  to  the 
chagrin  of  my  father  and  his  friends,  he  supple- 
mented their  studies  with  his  own  classes  in  Latin. 

My  grandfather  was  an  outdoorsman.  He  also 
loved  to  dance  and  play  the  fiddle  with  his  friends. 
He  was  a  man  who  seemed  to  feel  threatened  by  no 
one,  who  could  find  the  lesson  and  hope  in  every 
hardship,  and  apparently  the  fun  in  almost  any 
occasion.  He  would  host  parties  for  the  firemen 
after  they  put  out  the  periodic  fires  on  his  roof.  He 
had  an  indomitable  spirit.  After  his  second  stroke  he 
was  told  to  have  his  arm  amputated,  but  he  refused 
and  eventually  recovered  its  full  use. 

He  was  not  a  rich  philanthropist,  nor  a  corporate 
executive,  nor  a  Wall  Street  lawyer.  He  had  few 
vanities  except  for  his  good  name  and  his  dogs.  His 
name,  I  believe,  is  the  right  name  to  place  before  the 
young  people  of  his  college  as  they  chart  their 
destinies  in  the  world  today.  'iWi 


210 


Bcnjimiin  Alriii 
Johnson  'II.  sliown 
in  this  1940s  viiitimc 
photo,  was  an 
influential  nicinhcr  of 
the  Maryland  Court 
of  Appeals. 


This  latest  campaign  seeks  to  raise  the  College's  profile  bv  taking  advantage 
ot  institutional  strengths,  including  its  environmental  setting,  its  highly  regarded 
creative  writing  program,  and  the  College  s  place  m  the  nation  as  the  first  college 
tounded  m  the  new  nation  under  the  patronage  of  George  Wiishmgton.  The 
biggest  campaign  gift  to  date,  with  $56  million  raised  by  February  2000,  is  a  $5 
million  grant  from  the  Starr  Foundation  to  establish  a  Center  for  the  Study  of 
the  American  Experience.  Two  new  centers — the  Center  for  the  Environment 
and  Society  and  the  Center  tor  Writing  and  the  Creative  Process,  are  also  being 
hmded.  Board  Chairman  L.  Clifford  Schroeder  and  philanthropist  Ted  Stanley 
are  the  two  largest  donors  tor  the  Center  tor  the  Environment  and  Society;  This 
Campaign  is  distinguished  by  several  million  dollar-plus  gifts  ti-om  past  support- 
ers such  as  James  Price,  Alonzo  Decker,  and  Bett\'  Brown  Casey,  as  well  as  new 
campaign  leaders, Jay  Gnswold  and  Shery  Kerr.  In  addition  to  a  $1  million  grant 
from  the  Grayce  B.  Kerr  Fund,  ot  which  she  is  president,  Sheiy  and  her  husband 
Breene  personally  pledged  $500,000  in  unrestricted  funds  to  the  Campaign  for 
Washins;ton's  College.  |W| 


1998 

October  4  •  Eighteen 
students  and  faculty 
n4embers  participate 

IN  THE  12th  ANNUAL 

AIDS  Walk  IN 
Washington.  D.C. 

October  10  •  students 

commemorate 

National  Coming-Out 

Day  ON  campus  to 

SHOW  SUPPORT  FOR  GAYS 

AND  LESBLANS. 

October  IQ  •  After  a 

hiatus  of  about  2(1 

years,  a  parade  of 

floats  in  downtown 

Chestertown  is 

returned  as  part  of 

Homecoming 

festivities. 

November  3 1  •  The 

Shoremen  victory 

OVER  St.  Mary's  was 

the  350th  career  win 

for  basketball  coach 

Tom  Finnegan.  Class 

OF  1965. 

December  3  • 

President  Toll  and 

the  fleads  of  the 

Eastern  Shore's  four 

other  colleges  and 

universities  agree  to 

share  resources  in 

an  experimental 

consortium  to 

provide  joint  degree 

programs  and 
specialized  training. 

1999 

January  29  •  Former 

u.s.  president 
GEORGE  Bush  and  wife 

Barbara  receive 

honorary  degrees  at 

Winter 

Convocation. 


211 


'mW''  ^^': -*-^    !■    '  T^ii 


'7'^^ 


iMwevwm^ 


^:^-f 


^*  ^ 


i^ji^B 


'•^^.  \ 


)'• 


It  All  Started  with  a  "Social  Game": 
Sports  at  Washington  College 


Wifhin  rhe  lihcml  arts  ami  sciences  setting, 
inteirollegidte  athletics  liave  pylayed  a  valuable  role  in 
inipavting  life's  lessons  that  tianscend  win-loss  yecords 
and  national  titles,  although  IVashiugtoii  College 
athletes  have  enjoyed  their  fair  share  of  successes. 
Behind  the  thrilling  victories  and  the  heart-breaking 
losses  are  coaches  devoted  to  sport  and  students  who 
play  for  the  love  of  tlie  game.  There  is  nothing  quite 
like  athletic  competition  to  forge  a  sense  of 
conmiuiuty  and  to  tie  the  bomfs  of  friendship. 
Legendary  coaches,  professional-calibre  athletes,  and 
the  aura  of  David  and  Goliatli  competition  pervade 
the  rich  athletic  tradition  at  Washington  College. 


By  H.  Hunt  Dcringcr  '59 

I  "iL-nngLT  IS  the  toriiHM-  editor  o(  The  Kent  Xeii's. 

Oi'crlctif: After  nearly 

identical  iuddcii  death  ~W~      ESS  THAN  TWO  YE  A  RS  after  Lee  surrendered  to  Grant  atAppomattox, 

ot'crtiiiic  lo.'^scs  to  \a:arctli  I         baseball  ushered  m  athletics  at  W^ishnigton  College. 

Collci^c  in  the  previous  tiiv  M     /  llie  Kent  Seu's  of  Saturday,  April  6,  1867,  tells  of  "a  social  game  played 

clmnipioiiiliip  {;anies,  the  between  the  Wissahicon  Club  ot  Washington  College"  and  the  Independents,  a 

Shoremen  filially  captured  baseball  team  from  Chestertown,  on  March  30,  1867. The  account  is  skimpy,  as 

the  XCAA  Dirision  III  marked  the  newspaper  writing  ot  the  day.  We  know  little  ot  the  weather,  or  the 

national  crou'ii  in  199S  with  size  ot  the  crowd.  We  can  belie\'e  the  game  was  played  on  the  tront  campus,  just 

a  16- to  trill  over  Xazaretli.  down  the  bank  trom  the  Hill  dorms. 


214 


The  IS'^'>  i:ollLvc Joothdll  sqiicui  irhixc.'.  on  ilu 
steps  of  d  Hill  don II. 


In  a  contest  that  took  tour  hours  and  fifty  niniutes,  Washington  C'ollege 
walloped  the  townies,  97-15.  Samuel  T.  Earle  pitched  a  complete  game,  hit  the 
only  home  run,  anci  scored  eight  runs.  He  was  ably  supporteci  by  James  E.  Carroll 
at  first  base,  who  led  all  scorers  with  sixteen  runs.  Shc:>rtstop  j.  Horton  Kelley  and 
centerfielder  S.  G.  Hull  chippeci  in  with  thirteen  tallies  each. 

Marion  deKalb  Smith,  age  seventeen  and  ftiture  Maryland  comptroller,  scored 
the  game.  Careers  as  doctors  beckoned  Earle  and  Kelley.  the  former  becoming  a 
leading  surgeon  in  Baltimore  and  the  latter  a  beloved  general  practitioner  in 
Kent.  Carroll  rose  to  be  superintendent  ot  Public  Education  m  Delaware. 


215 


1920  Athletic  Regulations 

IV.  No  student  shall  represent  the  College  in  any 

athletic  contest  who  has  participated  in 

L     No  student  ofWiishington  College  shall  repre- 

intercollegiate athletics  for  four  years  or  who 

sent  the  College  m  any  public  athletic  contest 

already  holds  a  bachelor's  degree  from  a 

except  in  those  contests  scheduled  with  the 

standard  college. 

consent  of  the  Faculty,  unless  he  shall  have 

(a)  One  year's  playing  shall  be  interpreted  to 

received  special  permission  from  the  Faculty  for 

mean  playing  in  ten  percent  of  the  total 

the  particular  contest. 

number  of  games  in  football,  basketball,  and 

baseball. 

II.   No  student  shall  represent  the  College  m 

athletic  contests  unless  he  shall  be  at  the  time  in 

V.    No  student  shall  represent  the  College  who 

good  academic  standing. 

received  remuneration  tor  athletic  services  to 

(a)  A  student  is  not  in  good  academic  standing 

the  College. 

who  has  durmg  the  preceding  month  tailed  in 

fifty  percent  or  more  of  his  work. 

VI.  The  eligibility  of  every  player  shall  be  decoded 

by  the  Faculty  m  accordance  with  the  above 

III.  No  person  shall  be  considered  a  bona  tide 

rules. 

student: 

(a)  Unless  he  shall  be  duly  enrolled  in  the 

institution  withm  one  month  atter  the  begin- 

Eligibility nilcsJor]\dsliin'^foii  Collcoc  students, 

ning  ot  either  semester. 

approved  by  Athletic  Coiiiiiiittee  and  Fdciilty 

(b)  Unless  he  is  taking  a  minimum  requirement 

January  12,  1920.M 

of  twelve  semester  hours. 

Before  baseball  captured  the  imagination  of  a  nation,  students  rough-housed 
m  dorms,  engaged  m  sporting  games,  hunted,  fished,  and  swam.  In  1864  the 
Board  at  Washington  College  had  made  its  first  conscious  bow  to  physical  edu- 
cation with  the  appropriation  ot  fitr\'  dollars  tor  weights  anci  barbells  and  the  use 
ot  the  north  end  ot  West  Hall's  basement  for  exercise.  With  the  advent  oi  the 
machine  and  its  resulting  increase  in  leisure  time,  athletics  became  a  popular 
substitute  for  chores. 

Baseball  grew  in  popularity  and  the  season  of  l(SS2  produced  a  perfect  6-0 
season  with  defeats  of  Centrevillc,  14-4;  C'rumpton,  25-^;  Galena,  32-3;  Kent 
Island,  6-1;  St.  John's  College,  1  1-6;  and  the  "Stars"  of  Annapolis,  8-4.  Catcher 
John  Y.Todd  won  the  Gold  Medal  as  the  College's  best  athlete.William  L.  Hopkins 
was  the  ace  pitcher.  Granville  Catlin,  Walter  Pippin,  Richard  Dunn  Hynson,  and 
Samuel  Windsor  rounded  out  the  infield.  Richard  Ricords  and  W  D.  Straughn 
flanked  Harry  Parr  m  center  field. 


216 


Football  made  its  appearance  on  Saturday,  November  24,  18.SH,  ni  a  not-so- 
happy  experience,  as  reported  by  The  Kent  News  : 

The  St.  John's  College  (Annapolis)  team  came  over  by  the  steamer 
Corsica  last  Saturday  morning  and  beat  our  Washington  College  boys  in  a 
game  of  foot-ball.  The  game  lasted  about  an  hour  and  a  half  and  was 
witnessed  by  quite  a  number  of  persons. The  St. Johns  boys  were  m  full 
practice  while  ours  had  never  played  together;  the  result  therefore  is  not 
surprising. 

The  following  was  the  home  team:  Rush  Line  -  H.W.  Beck,  Chas. 
Twilley,  John  Todd,  Fred  Porter,  Geo.  Perkins,  Wm.  B.  Usilton,  Jr.,  L. 
Goldsborough.  Quarter  Back  -  C.W.  Perkins.  Halttacks  -  F.W.  Gerker,  L. 
W.Wickes.  Full  Back  -J.  S.W.Jones. 

From  what  we  have  heard  of  the  game  one  of  the  most  desirable 
institutions  to  have  on  hand  when  the  "sport"  is  indulged  m  is  a  well- 
equipped  hospital.  Broken  arms,  legs,  or  necks  may  reasonably  be  ex- 
pected in  every  well  contested  game!  Several  "casualties"  occurred  here, 
none  however  was  serious. 

This  "toot-ball"  game  seems  quite  popular  m  some  sections  and  is 
claimed  by  some  here  to  be  destined  to  supersede  baseball. 

The  final  score:  St.  John's  1 16,  Washington  College  O.The  "Johnnies"  had 
been  playing  football  for  three  years  and  were  coached  by  Dr.  James  W  Cain, 
later  president  ofWashington  College  and  an  ardent  supporter  ot  football.  Laird 
Goldsborough  went  on  to  become  a  federal  judge  and  Lewin  Wickes  a  circuit 
judge. J.  S.W.Jones,  Class  of  1889,  became  dean  of  the  College. 

William  B.  Usilton  III.  writing  later  about  the  game  m  a  1935  Kent  Xews 
article,  added: 

It  IS  interesting  to  mention  the  fact  that  many  ot  the  players  on  the 
team  compiled  by  Dean  Jones  were  not  College  students.  Town  'sports' 
like  Uncle  Florace  Beck,  Charlie  Twilley,  and  Frank  Gerker  joined  the 
squad  to  complete  the  eleven  players  necessary. 

Dean  Jones  has  remarked,  m  discussing  this  game — which  he  does 
occasionally — that  he  chose  the  fullback  position  because  he  understood 
it  was  the  farthest  away  from  the  line  ot  scrimmage. 

Football  at  Washington  College,  following  this  harrowing  experi- 
ence with  St.  John's  in  1888,  suffered  a  severe  lapse  and  it  was  not  until 
a  year  later,  in  1889,  that  the  boys  dared  mention  the  pastime.  On  Oc- 
tober 12,  1889,  an  Athletic  Association  was  formed  and  a  team  orga- 
nized. A  game  was  scheduled  with  Still  Pond,  to  be  played  at  the  Worton 


217 


Fair;  but  the  boys  from  up  the  county,  probably  moved  by  a  premoni- 
tion that  the  College  lads  wanted  salve  for  the  St.  John's  defeat,  backed 
down. 

But.  finally,  the  Dover  Academy  team  from  Delaware  was  scheduled 
and  the  game  was  played  on  November  28,  1889. The  Delaware  lads  in 
their  letter-arranging  for  the  contest,  insisted  that  only  players  connected 
with  the  College  be  allowed  to  compete.  This  didn't  bar  members  of  the 
faculty  and  we  find  E.J.  Clarke  (now  known  as  "Chirps"  of  Pocomoke 
City)  listed  among  the  players.  George  (Noxzema)  Bunting  played  in  the 
line,  as  did  Conservation  Commissioner  Robert  F.  Duer  and  the  late 
Judge  Lewin  W.  Wickes.  Postmaster  WiUiam  B.  Usilton  Jr.  succeeded  to 
the  full  back  position.  Dean  Jones  having  relinquished  that  safe  job  for  a 
safer  one  on  the  sidelines. 

Washington  College  in  this  game  tasted  the  fruits  ot  their  first  vic- 
tory on  the  gridiron,  defeating  the  Dover  Academy  18  to  0. 

Controversy  blemished  the  initial  tootball  triumph.  The  Kent  News  of  December 
11,  1889,  reported  that  the  game  was  torfeited  due  to  a  dispute  over  a  player  who 
was  not  a  student — not  a  town  "sport"  this  time,  but  a  professor.  Rowland  Watts, 
"flankeci  on  either  side  by  Porter  and  Duer,  was  capable  of  holding  anything 
from  a  cavalry  charge  to  the  onslaught  ot  a  battering  ram,"  according  to  the 
newspaper  account,  but  Dover  Academy,  who  had  come  to  Chestertown  by 
train,  objected  to  the  use  of  the  College  librarian  and  alumnus.  Interestingly, 
three  years  later,  Rowland  Watts  was  to  turn  down  the  position  offered  him  by 
the  College  as  the  first  athletic  instructor.  Fie  went  on  to  a  career  in  athletics  at 
Western  Maryland  College  and  later  wrote  a  history  of  Washington  College. 


Football...  is  a  pivblciii.  In  football  wc  have  reached  the  lowest  ebb. 

IVe  have  become  a  doormat  for  college  elevens  that  should  be 

right  ill  our  class.  The  last  time  ive  heat  St.  John's  the  students 

burned  down  the  bleachers.  If  we  could  beat  them  this  season 

IVilliaiii  Smith  Hall  would  be  a  suitable  sacrifice. 

Waslungton  College  Coach  Tom  Kibler,  head  of  Athletic  Department, 
in  interview  with  Harry  S.  Russell  '26,  Fall  1930. 


218 


Till'  fnsi  i^yiiiiii-iiiutii,  ii'hicli  opened  in  IH92. Jciitiiicd  an 
clci'dtcd  ninnino  tiiick. 


219 


^ife^fe^t^^iSI^  ^'"'- 


^ifePif:' 


Bdsdhill.  lis  seen  in  this  pre- 19 16  photo,  iihis  the  first 
competitive  sport  at  W'asliiii^iton  CoUcg^e, 


The  campaign,  however,  ended  on  a  happier  note  on  December  4  with  a  36- 
0  shellacking  ot  a  tootball  team  of  boys  representing  Still  Pond.  Star  of  the  game, 
as  he  had  been  against  Dover,  was  halfback  Charles  R.Twilley  Jr.,  described  as 
"slippery  as  an  eel  and  quick  as  a  cat." 

Students  not  involved  in  team  athletics  of  this  period  continued  to  play  popular 
games  such  as  croc|uet  and  Hare  and  Hounds,  a  variation  of  the  game  "hide  and 
seek." 

With  Dr.  Charles  Wesley  Reid's  arrival  as  the  new  president,  the  1889-90 
academic  year  proved  to  be  a  pivotal  one  for  athletics.  A  gymnasium  was  pro- 
posed and  $  1 ,2(  l( »  raised  m  the  town. The  Boaixi  pledged  $500  for  new  apparatus 
to  replace  the  wooden  clubs,  chest  weights,  and  ten  pins  used  for  exercise  in  the 
basement  ofWest  Hall.  In  the  spring  of  the  year  tennis  outfits  were  ordered  and 
space  was  found  on  the  lower  terrace  for  two  courts,  "as  pretty  as  any  on  the 


220 


Shore,"  according  to  The  Kent  News.  During  commencenient  week,  Professor  E. 
J.  Clarke  organized  a  day  of  sports. 

The  faculty,  however,  while  encouraging  the  athletic  association  to  place  its 
emphasis  on  "mental,  moral  and  physical  culture,"  did  not  support  intercollegiate 
competition,  and  professionalism  was  already  rearing  its  ugly  head.  During  the 
1890-91  year  the  facultv'  drew  up  a  resolution  stating  that  "none  but  bona  fide 
College  students  shall  represent  the  College  in  any  contests  under  the  athletic 
association."  In  beating  St.  John's  in  baseball,  22-7,  the  students  hired  a  battery 
(pitcher  and  catcher  of  a  baseball  team),  Hawke  and  Hair  from  Wilmington, 
Delaware.  H.V.  Hawke  went  on  to  pitch  in  the  National  League. 

Eleven  women  entering  as  day  students  highlighted  the  1891-92  academic 
year.  In  athletics  that  fall.  Western  Maryland  College  fell,  22-4,  for  Washington 
College's  first  victory  over  a  collegiate  opponent.  Alva  Burton  Burns  and  David 
William  Tilden  Zeartoss  arrived  to  take  the  College  to  new  heights  in  baseball. 

Zeartoss,  an  outstanding  catcher,  culminated  a  brilliant  tour-year  student  ca- 
reer m  1895  as  captain  and  received  plaudits  anci  a  purse  of  gold  coins  from  the 
townspeople.  He  went  on  to  play  major  league  baseball  with  the  New  York 
Giants  and  St.  Louis  Cardinals. 

Burris,  a  native  ot  Wirwick,  Maryland,  drew  the  attention  ot  a  delegation 
from  the  athletic  association  sent  to  the  Middletown  Fair  to  scout  out  an  ace 
pitcher  to  replace  Clarence  Pretts'inan.  Pitching  the  1892  season.  Burns  im- 
pressed College  officials  with  not  only  his  athletic  ability,  but  his  manner  and 
intelligence.  As  school  came  to  a  close,  the  College  Boarci  asked  him  to  be  the 


PersoihiJIy,  I  am  quite  enthusiastic  about  what  I  believe 

Mr.  Beatty  can  do  for  the  College  not  only  in  the  training  of  the 

present  team  but  in  attracting  football  material,  particularly  if  he  is 

able  this  year  to  put  on  the  field  an  intelligent  and  scrappy  team 

that  will  coiinnaiui  the  respect  of  all  its  opponents. 

I  am  still  more  enthusiastic  about  his  introduction  of  lacrosse 

which,  it  seems  very  possible,  may  prove  a  sport  that 

Washington  College  can  shine  in  as  it  does  in  basketball. 


College  President  Paul  E.Titsworth,  on  vacation  in  Rhode  Island,  writing  to 
Dean  J.  S.  William  Jones  on  July  18,  1928. 


The  Ci'//(X'c  /ciiif/i,;// s,/;/W(/  ii\i.<  on  ilic  offciisiir  diiiiin;  iliis 
I'^l^S  fiiiiic.Atlilctiif  Ihid  ^idiiicd  pioiiiiucutc  irlrli  ,ui 
iiiipivi'cil  fichl  and  ,/  new  i>yiii,  iccii  at  the  left. 


hrst  athletic  instructor.  He  consented,  took  a  summer  course  at  Cornell  and 
returned  to  Chestertown  to  be  a  pioneer  m  athletics  and  physical  education  at 
Wiishington  College. 

Burns  remained  at  the  College  helm  through  1905,  managing  the  new  gym 
that  opened  m  1 892,  instructing,  coaching,  and  playing  fullback  in  football,  man- 
aging, pitching,  and  playing  shortstop  on  the  baseball  team.  He  even  enjoyed  a 
"cup  of  coffee"  in  the  major  leagues,  pitching  m  one  game  for  Philadelphia  in 
the  National  League  in  1894.  He  introduced  basketball  to  classes  m  1897.  He 
received  an  A.  B.  degree  m  19()(),  but  was  stiU  pitching  for  the  College  team  m 


222 


1901.  Outstanding  baseball  teams  marked  the  Burns  era,  highlighted  by  a  perfect 
11-0  season  in  1897. 

When  Burris  departed  Washington  College,  he  went  on  to  study  medicine 
and  became  a  doctor.  He  practiced  medicine  and  operated  a  drug  store  in  Salisbun', 
where  in  1938  the  city  recognized  him  as  its  most  outstanding  citizen. 

During  this  period  two  other  major  leaguers  graced  the  diamond  of  Wash- 
ington College.  John  "Happy'"Townsend,  a  wonder  boy  on  the  mound  m  1898 
and  1899,  was  lured  away  by  the  Philadelphia  Phillies  and  was  later  traded  to  the 
Washington  Senators  with  the  legendary  Ed  Delehanty.  Homer  Smoot,  a  stand- 
out outfielder  and  a  solid  lootball  player,  went  on  to  star  in  the  outfield  tor  the  St. 
Louis  Cardinals,  pla\'ing  68(J  games  and  finishing  with  a  .290  litetime  batting 
average. 

When  the  new  gymnasium  opened  in  1892,  women  almost  immediately 
used  It  for  exercise.  They  played  basketball  on  an  outdoor  court  where 
Kent  House  now  stands  and  tennis  on  two  courts  adjacent  to  Normal  Hall,  built 
in  1896  as  the  first  resident  dormitory  for  women  and  later  to  become  Reid  Hall. 
Bertha  M.  Stiles,  the  first  woman  appointed  to  the  taculr\-  in  18')3,  took  an 
active  role  in  encouraging  "physical  exercise  tc:>r  young  ladies,"  according  to  Fred 


Airhciy  was  one  of  scrcii 
uithiiiiural  sports  oftcird  to 
uviiuii.Tliis  \'>M) 
iiirlicry  team,  like  the 
otliei'  ii'oiiien's  tictii'ities, 
was  under  the  dircetioii  of 
Doris  Bell. 


Tribute  to  a  Hero 

By  James  M.  Cain  '10 

After  the  pears  had  been  eaten,  the  swimming 
sampled,  and  the  steamboat  given  the  once- 
over, all  business  was  suspended,  so  far  as  I  was 
concerned,  until  one  paramount  point  had  been 
settled.  Did  this  college  have  a  football  team  or 
didn't  it?  And  boy,  I  was  hard  to  tool  there!  I  came 
from  a  place  where  footballs  grew  on  every  tree, 
and  I  knew  the  stuff  when  I  saw  it.  So  when  I 
went  down  to  the  field,  the  afternoon  they  held 
the  first  practice,  I  knew  what  to  look  for. 

What  I  saw  was  a  dreadful  shock.  Only  two  or 
three  of  the  candidates  were  what  I  considered  the 
proper  size,  and  even  these  didn't  have  the  right 
look  on  their  faces.  The  suits  were  appalling. 
Several  canvas  jackets  were  on  view,  although 
canvas  jackets  had  been  obsolete  since  the  Battle 
of  Manila.  Some  of  the  stockings  were  black  with 
maroon  rings,  some  were  maroon  with  black  rings, 
some  were  plain  maroon,  and  some  were  plain 
black. This  was  truly  alanning.  Football  is  a 
peculiar  sport.  Cost  what  it  may,  it  must  have  class. 
For  this,  there  is  good  reason.  As  the  mettle  of  a 
regiment  can  be  estimated  by  the  condition  of  its 
equipment  and  the  way  it  salutes,  so  the  mettle  of 
a  football  team  can  be  estimated  by  the  condition 
of  its  gear  and  the  snap  with  which  it  goes  about 
its  work. This  outfit  had  no  gear,  and  God  knows 
it  had  no  snap. 

It  practiced  with  a  lot  of  noisy  gabbling.  It 
tackled  around  the  neck.  It  hit  the  line  with  its 
belly.  It  took  big  slugs  of  water  between  scrim- 
mages. And  the  cheering  section,  when  it  was 
assembled  for  a  workout  some  days  later,  was  even 
worse.  Girls  were  admitted  to  the  rite,  and  ruined 
it  with  their  shriU  yipping.The  place  didn't  even 
have  a  song.  St. John's  had  a  song.  AdolphTorovsky, 
leader  of  the  Marine  Band,  had  seen  to  that,  and 
composed  a  beauty.  But  not  this  place.  Only  some 
miserable  version  of  "A  Hot  Time  in  the  Old 
Town,"  with  allusions  to  the  Maroon  and  Black. 


Presently  my  father  went  down  to  have  a  look  at 
the  practice.  And  if  I  was  hard  to  fool,  he  was  impos- 
sible to  fool.  He  had  learned  his  football  at  Yale,  in  the 
days  when  Camp  really  had  his  mind  on  it,  and  he 
had  vastly  increased  his  knowledge  at  Annapolis.  For 
years,  as  a  sort  of  sidehne  to  his  teaching,  he  had 
coached  the  St.  John's  team,  and  St.  John's  was  pretty 
good  then,  as  any  old-timer  will  tell  you.  I  take 
exception  to  many  of  my  father's  notions,  for  ex- 
ample his  notion  that  he  can  make  a  speech.  But  one 
thing  that  I  have  to  hand  him  is  that  he  knows 
football.  Even  now,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three,  he 
could  take  charge  of  a  squad  of  gorillas  in  September 
and  bring  home  a  winner.  So  when  he  spoke,  God 
was  talking.  "They're  a  sad  lot,"  he  said,  as  he  twisted 
a  lemon  peel  over  his  drink  before  dinner.  "St.  John's 
will  murder  them." 

"Why  do  they  talk  so  much?"  I  asked. 

"That's  something  you'll  learn  when  you  stay  on 
the  Eastern  Shore  a  while.  AH  these  towns  have  some 
kind  of  bush-league  baseball  team,  and  most  of  these 
boys  play  ball  in  summer.  In  bush-league  baseball, 
you're  supposed  to  talk  it  up,  as  they  call  it." 

"What  for?" 

"God  knows." 

"Haven't  they  any  suits?" 

"The  suits  are  bad,  but  maybe  we  can  fix  that." 

"Why  do  they  tackle  around  the  neck?" 

"Ah,  why  do  they?  But  all  that,  that's  not  the  worst 
of  it.  They  don't  play  hard.  That's  the  toughest  thing 
to  teach  a  football  team.  Plays  are  easy.  One  play  is  as 
good  as  another,  so  tar  as  that  goes,  if  you  can  execute 
it.  But  to  get  them  to  jump  into  every  play  with 
every  ounce  they've  got,  that's  something  else.  I've 
nagged  teams  till  they  cried,  but  you  can't  win 
football  games  taking  it  easy.  That's  what  this  gang 
hasn't  found  out  yet.  They'll  find  out." 

He  sipped  his  drink,  shook  his  head,  and  sighed.  In 
justice  to  him,  I  must  say  he  always  tried  to  regard 
football  as  nothing  more  than  a  game,  but  down  deep 
inside,  he  loved  it. 

Excerpt  from  the  article  "Tribute  to  a  Hero"  first  published 
ill  The  American  Mercury  //;  1933.  Iw] 


CodiliToiii  Kiblci's  1931-32  Sho' men  football  u\iiii  ii\l^  liiilc 
improved  over  the  one  President  Cain  and  his  sou  jamcs  ciicouincred 
in  1903.  They  had  nnifonns,  but  went  0-9  that  season. 


W.  Dunischott's  history.  It  was  not  until  1926  that  Doris  Bell  was  appointed  as 
the  first  true  physical  education  director  for  women. 

In  her  time.  Bell  introduced  archery,  badminton,  fencing,  tield  hockey,  and 
volleyball  to  go  along  with  basketball  and  tennis.  She  also  taught  ballroom  danc- 
ing. Women  engaged  in  an  active  intramural  program,  but  there  was  little  or  no 
intercollegiate  activity  except  a  rare  field  hockey  or  basketball  game  with  Goucher. 

Novelist  James  M.  Cam,  who  wrote  Double  Iiideiniiity,  The  Postiiuiii  Always 
Rings  Twice,  and  Mildred  Pierce,  was  the  son  otjames  W.  Cam,  who  brought 
his  family  to  Washington  College  from  St.  Johns  College  m  1903.  The  1905 
football  season  at  Washington  College  provided  an  interesting  perspective  on  the 


225 


Ciiiii  Gym  siirviiril  liiiiiiiT^c  (lulling  the  Williiini  Smith  HaU  fire 
of  1916  iihiinl]'  hecitiise  snow  on  the  ivot  extiiii^iiished  embers. 


school  and  Chestertown  m  James  M.  Cain's  "Tribute  to  a  Hero,"  an  article  that 
appeared  first  m  The  Aiiicricaii  Memiry  in  U)33."At  St. Johns,  to  say  nothing  ot 
the  Naval  Academy,  the  grass  was  mown  to  the  semblance  ot  green  velvet.  But 
here  it  grew  as  high  as  your  knees;  daisies  were  mixed  with  it,  as  well  as  bumble 
bees,  and  altogether  it  presented  a  distressing  unkempt  appearance." 

hi  a  piece  he  wrote  about  James  Gai"field  Moore,  who  had  led  the  Maroon 
and  Black  to  a  ]7-(J  upset  victory  m  the  final  game  ot  the  1905  season  over  the 
brass  buttons  of  Maryland  Agricultural  College  (now  the  University  of  Mary- 
land), Cain  had  this  to  say:"He  wasn't  a  hurdler,  or  a  twister,  or  a  dodger.  He  was 
a  true  line  plunger,  a  very  rare  breed.  He  came  up  to  it,  there  was  the  impact,  he 


was  through,  he  was  driving  straight  aliead,  a  string  of  tumbHng  tacklers  behind 
him,  he  was  down."  Moore's  electrifying  seventy-yard  run  gave  Washington  the 
lead  in  the  first  five  minutes  and  with  the  contributions  of  George  White,  L.  C. 
McGinnes,  and  E.  F.  Hitch,  tiny  Washington  College  held  off  a  mighty  team  that 
included  Curley  Byrd,  later  to  be  university  president,  and  Barney  Cooper,  a 
Worton  boy  who  became  a  star  m  football  and  track. 

Basketball  grew  in  popularity  at  the  turn  of  the  century,  but  courts  were 
constricted  with  low  ceilings  and  small  playing  areas. The  gymnasium  was  thirt)'- 
by-forty  feet  with  an  overhead  running  track  at  eight  feet  above  the  floor.  A  tew 
informal  games  were  played  by  a  team  representing  the  College  on  the  stage  at 
Stams  Hall  and  on  the  third  floor  of  the  elementary  school  on  High  Street. 

With  the  old  wood  gym  rapidly  proving  to  be  inadequate  for  an  expanding 
enrollment.  Dr.  Cain  pushed  for  a  new  hicihrv'  and  gained  approval  from  the 
Board  in  1912.  On  December  7,  1912,  the  College  inaugurated  its  first  basketball 
season,  bowing  to  Baltimore  Medical  College,  54-1  l.The  team  captained  by 


The  1924-25  Ihifkctlhill 
team,  iiiidey  Codcli  Kihici 
(far  I'ii^lit,  .<('('('//(/  roil'), 
carried  on  the  iriiiiiiii(i 
tradition  of  tlie  orii^iiial 
Flyiiii;  Peiita<^oii. 


227 


Paul  J.  Wilkinson  and  coached  by  F.  Stanley  Porter  did  win  four  of  ten  games, 
despite  discouraging  86-10  and  64-10  poundings  from  St.  John's.  H.  L."Pins" 
Pearson  netted  18  points  in  a  37-21  win  over  Johns  Hopkins. 

The  Cain  Gymnasium  served  the  College  community  well  until  its  razing  in 
the  mid-1960s  for  the  Clifton  Miller  Library.  However,  as  intercollegiate  basket- 
ball changed,  the  court  became  inadequate.Visiting  teams  found  the  facility  claus- 
trophobic and  the  fans  intimidating  as  they  breathed  down  backs  and  yelled 
abuse  from  the  running  track  above.  The  building  occasionally  doubled  as  a 
dining  hall  and  as  a  dormitory.  The  court  provided  a  fine  space  for  dances  and 
was  frequently  used  for  balls. 

In  1913  the  stocky,  well-built  figure  of  John  Thomas  Kibler  arrived  on  the 
Wiishmgton  College  athletic  scene.  "The  Bald  Eagle  ot  the  Eastern  Shore"  was 
to  dominate  it  tor  the  next  thirty-five  years.  Born  in  1886  at  nearby  Kibler's 
Corner,  he  had  attended  public  schools  in  Chestertown  until  1905  when  he 
went  on  to  Temple.  During  his  time  he  excelled  in  baseball,  basketball,  and  gym- 
nastics. He  received  an  A.  B.  in  physical  education  in  1 908.  He  coached  at  Lehigh 
and  Ohio  State  and  furthered  his  education  at  Yale  before  embarking  on  a  pro- 
fessional baseball  career. 

Purchased  by  the  Chicago  White  Sox  in  1910  and  drafted  by  the  Cincinnati 
Reds  in  1914,  he  played  in  the  International  League,  Pacific  Coast  League, Texas 
League,  Ohio  State  League,  and  the  New  York  State  League.  A  broken  leg  forced 
him  to  give  up  his  diamond  aspirations  and  devote  his  attention  to  Washington 
College  athletics  full-time  in  191 6. Three  years  before,  while  playing  baseball  in 
the  Pacific  Coast  League  m  San  Francisco,  he  had  received  a  telephone  call  from 
Judge  Lewin  Wickes  asking  him  to  accept  the  athletic  directorship  and  coaching 
position  at  Washington  College.  Wickes  offered  one  hundred  dollars  a  month  for 
nine  months.  Kibler  accepted  it  with  the  stipulation  that  he  work  m  the  morn- 
ing with  his  father  and  brother  in  the  coal  and  grain  business,  teach  classes  in  the 
early  afternoon  and  coach  the  teams  in  the  evening. 

Basketball  and  baseball  were  Kibler's  forte.  He  relinquished  coaching  football 
on  doctor's  orders  in  1930  and  basketball  in  1940,  but  baseball,  his  great  love,  he 
stayed  with  until  the  end  in  1 97 1 . 

Twice  during  his  tenure  he  went  off  to  war  and  returned  each  time  even 
more  the  hero.  As  a  captain  m  the  23rd  Infantry,  Second  Army,  in  WorldWar  I,  he 
led  his  company  in  six  major  offenses,  was  gassed,  was  wounded  twice,  and  won 
the  Distinguished  Service  Cross,  Silver  Star,  and  Croix  de  Guerre.  He  was  one  of 
only  nine  officers  from  the  original  130  to  return. 

Twenty-five  years  later  and  well  into  his  fifties,  Kibler  served  in  World  War  II 
as  a  lieutenant  colonel  and  post  executive  officer  at  Camp  Pickett, Virginia.  His 
only  son,  Lt.Jack  Kibler,  a  P-51  fighter  pilot,  was  shot  down  over  Belgium  on 
October  15,  1944.  He  never  came  home  and  is  buried  there. 


228 


>f'}^ 


Coach  Tom  Kihlcr  is  lc<^ciidiii'y  as  a  taskmaster  and  a 
disciplinarian.  He  hclict'cd  in  tlic  fnndamcntah,  and  he 
hated  to  /o\r. 


229 


The  ivii^iiiiil  Flyiin;  Pciitdi^oii  Ihnkcrlhill  iquad  of  1922-23. 
Left  to  (■/i,'//f,  the  phiycrs  arc  Henry  "Gimp"  CiVriin^ton, 
Fred  ]]'.  "Dutch"  Diiiiiseliott,  Kirk  Gorily,  Jacl:  Giirroll  and 
Mike  Fiorc. 


Not  every  boy  coming  to  Wi^shmgton  College  and  wanting  to  engage  in 
athletics  found  Tom  Kibler  to  his  likmg.The  majonrs'  ot  athletes,  however,  swore 
by  Coach  Kibler  until  their  ciymg  day. 

His  football,  basketball,  and  baseball  teams  previous  to  his  1917  enlistment  m 
the  U.S.  Army  were  led  by  three-sport  standouts  Floyd  Brown, Troy  Biddle,Jack 
Enright,  Bill  and  Fred  Wiillace,  and  the  Young  brothers.  Page  and  T.  H.  "Guts" 
Young.  Edward  "Bociie"  and  ]ohn  Caldwell  spearheaded  his  1915-16  and  1916- 
17  basketball  teams  to  Maryland  titles,  and  captain  T.  Reeder  Spedden  paced  the 
1916  baseball  team  to  a  state  crown. 

He  returned  alter  the  war  m  1920  and  created  basketball's  tamed  "Flying 
Pentagon."John  J."Jack"  Carroll,  Fred  W."Dutch"  Dumschott,A.  C."Kirk"  Gordy, 
Henry  W."Hennie"  Carrington,  and  Mike  Fiore  comprised  "The  Original  Fly- 
ing Pentagon"  ot  1922-23. W.Wilson  Wingate,  sportswriter  for  The  (Baltimore) 


230 


Sun,  tacked  on  the  nickname  and  embellished  on  it  as  Washington  College  beat 
Loyola,  CathoHc  University.Virginia  Military  Institute, Virginia  Polytechnic  In- 
stitute, Washington  &  Lee,  and  the  Quantico  Marines  m  six  games  in  six  clays  on 
the  road  in  the  dead  ot  winter.  During  the  1920s,  Flying  Pentagon  stalwarts 
Johnny  Bankert,  Clayt  McGran,  Harry  Seib,  Bob  Cavanaugh,  Lewis  Jacobs,  George 
"Gimp"  Carnngton,  Howard  Dopson,  and  Stanley  B.  "Gerry"  Giraitis  added  to 
the  legend  created  by  Wingate  as  Kibler  tashioned  a  20-0  season  in  1 924-25  and 
a  17-1  campaign  in  1928-29. 

The  nickname,  however,  taded  away  m  the  1930s,  to  be  replaced  by  "The 
Shoremen,"  a  nickname  newspapers  liked.  Quickly,  the  newspapers  shorteneci  it  to 
Sho'men  to  tit  the  dictates  ot  column  headline  writing  m  an  age  ot  handset  type. 

The  first  baseball  teams  at  the  College  and  m  town  had  celebrated  the  Indian 
tribes  that  lived  on  the  banks  of  the  river  before  the  colonists  brought  the 
name  Chester  to  its  shores.  However,  the  "Wissahicons"  and  the  "Ozmies"  were 
quickly  replaced  by  names  like  "Chesters"  and  "Little  Giants."  Venus,  a  black 
mongrel,  barked  the  1893  baseball  team  to  an  eight-and-one  season.  Mascots 
never  really  caught  on,  although  twice  the  student  body  supported  the  Chesa- 
peake Bay  Retriever  m  a  poll.  In  1982  an  attempt  was  made  to  honor  George 
Washington's  coat  ot  arms  b)'  promoting  the  griftin,  a  mythological  creature 
having  the  body  of  a  lion,  the  head  of  an  eagle,  and  sometimes  the  tail  ot  a 
serpent,  as  a  mascot  and  a  nickname,  but  the  "Shoremen" — unicjue  m  its  depic- 
tion of  the  toughness  ot  the  Eastern  Shore  waterman — prevailed. 

A  great  moment  in  Washington  College  sports  occurred  m  1923  on  a  gray, 
blustery  November  day  m  Annapolis  at  St. Johns  College.  In  a  scoreless  tootbaU 
deadlock,  the  Kiblermen  found  themselves  back  at  midfield  on  tourth  down. 
John  J.  "Bobby"  Cavanaugh  called  the  play. 


Adiich  to  wy  sniyrisc  this  presein  Frcslniuvi  class  is  not  as 
interested  in  sports  as  they  are  in  Danish  Gyiiniastics,  the  posture 

work  ami  heaUh  stunts;  tliey  j^o  after  a  new  e.xercise  ii'ith 

enthusiasm  and  are  anxious  to  be  first  to  do  it  correctly,  and  at  the 

end  of  the  period  are  tired  but  still  enthusiastic. 

From  1935-36  aniui.il  report  by  Doris  T.  Bell.  Instructor  m  Physicnl  Ediicition  for  Girls. 


231 


FrcdWy'Dntcli" 
Dniiisclioti,  d  standout 
basketball  and  football 
player,  was  later  inducted 
into  the  Collei^e's  Athletic 
Hall  of  Fame. 


"He  called  tor  punt  formation,"  Dunischott  re- 
membered years  later. "The  wind  was  blowing  about 
fifty  miles  per  hour.  I  was  down  in  front  blocking.  I 
hearcl  cheering  and  didn't  know  what  had  happened. 
Bobby,  with  wind  at  his  back,  had  decided  to  drop 
kick.  The  ball  went  straight  as  a  die,  splitting  the 
uprights."  Years  embellished  the  kick,  but  it  was  re- 
corcied  by  the  NCAA  at  tifty-five  yards. 

The  campus  went  wild.  Tlic  Kent  News  stated:"The 
entire  student  body  'played  hooky'  from  classes.  From 
early  m  the  morning  until  late  at  night  the  students 
celebrated  with  unrestrained  joy  the  victory.  In  the 
morning  the  students  formed  a  huge  W.C.  out  on 
the  campus  proper.  Under  the  ciirection  ot  the  cheer- 
leaders, yells  and  songs  resounded  in  enthusiastic  trib- 
ute to  the  Maroon  and  Black  warriors;  and  later  the 
students  snake  danced  over  the  principal  streets  of 
Chestertown." 

Kibler's  cage  quints  remained  strong  through  the 
1 93(  )s,  winning  Maryland  titles  in  1 935-36  with  Alex 
Zebrowski  and  Wilbert  Huffman  and  m  1938-39 
with  John  Neubert  and  Zebrowski. 

Kibler  also  had  good  baseball  nines  through  the 
192US  with  D'Arcy  "Jake"  Flowers,  "Nag"  Duffy, 
Roger  Smoot,  "Buck"  Griffin,  "Recis"  Burk,  and 
"Moxic"  Carey,  before  molding  sLx  straight  Maryland  hitercollegiate  State  Cham- 
pionship seasons. 

Beginning  in  1935  with  William  Beck  "Swish"  Nicholson,  Hobart  Tignor, 
Bill  Reinhart,  and  "Hickey"  Fountain,  his  ciiamonci  teams  resembled  a  fine  Class 
D  minor  league  team.  Nicholson  went  on  to  star  in  the  major  leagues  with  the 
Chicago  Cubs  and  Philadelphia  Phillies. 

With  the  arrival  of  freshman  pitcher  Addis  "Lefrv'"  Copple  and  shortstop 
Mike  Kardash,  his  1937  team  won  14  and  lost  only  to  Maryland,  4-3.  Ed  Evans, 
Eddie  Turner,  Howie  Pfund,  and  Bob  Everett  were  also  standouts,  hi  1938  the 
team  went  12-1  with  the  only  setback  to  Delaware,  3-0.  Joe  Bremer,  Charley 
Geisler,  and  )ohn  Selby  joined  Copple,  Karciash,  Everett,  and  Pfunci.The  1939 
squad  lost  twice  to  the  University  of  Maryland,  7-6  in  13  innings  and  5-3,  but 
won  1  1  games.  |im  Stevens  joined  Bremer,  Kardash,  Copple,  Everett,  Pfund,  and 
Art  "Grit"  Une  of  Rock  Hall,  who  hit  .4 1 7  to  lead  the  team  along  with  Stevens. 


232 


The  football  program  had  never  been  one  ot"W;ishington  College's  strengths 
under  Kibler.The  1923  team  had  Cavanaugh's  heroics  and  the  1924  eleven 
with  All-Maryland  Jake  Reiger  at  end  and  300-pound  guard  Eddie  Keenan  won 
five  and  tied  one  in  nine  games,  but  those  years  represented  the  high  points.  In 
1926  and  1927  Kibler  turned  the  reins  over  to  Philip  G.  Brown,  who  did  little 
better.  After  two  straight  0-9  seasons  in  1 930  and  1 93 1 ,  Kibler  assigned  the  coaching 
duties  to  George  Ekaitis,a  collegiate  boxing  champion  and  a  football  standout  at 
Western  Maryland  College,  when  it  was  ranked  number  two  in  the  nation. 

Ekaitis  beat  only  Gallaudet  in  1932  and  Gallaudet  and  Havertord  m  1933, 
but  he  was  building  with  Bill  Nicholson  and  Charlie  Berry  at  haltback.Wilbert 
Huftman  at  fullback,  and  Ellery  Ward,  HobartTignor,  Ellis  Dwyer,  Al  Bilancioni 
and  John  Lord  on  the  line. 

The  1934  team  added  H.  G."Gibhy"'Young  at  ejuarterback.Jini  Salter  at  left 
end  and  Ray  Kilby  at  left  tackle  to  the  "first  string"  and  rushed  to  wins  over 
Gallaudet,  52-0, Johns  Hopkins,  13-0,  and  Mt.  St.  Mary's,  12-6.  After  surviving  a 
6-6  tie  against  Susc]uehanna,  Wishington  College  burieci  Havertord  39-14  and 
stopped  archrival  University  ot  Delaware,  29-7,  to  win  the  Senator  Hastings 
Cup.  Nicholson  leci  the  team  in  scoring  with  fifty  points,  third  highest  in  Mary- 
land and  eleventh  in  the  east.  He  and  Ward  were  named  All-Maryland  by  both 
Baltimore  daily  newspapers. 


~~%^.«.>»<«iO-««.|.^^i,^i,riiU      M<    z. 


Coach  Tom  Kihici  (second 
row,  far  ri'^lit  in  innfoyiii) 
coached  baseball  at 
Washington  C(i//t;i;c  for 
more  than  fifty  years. 


233 


Dr.  Charles  B.  Chirk  '34  (left),  professor  of  liL^ioiy  iiiul  dedii 
of  men,  iOiuiu'd  men's  huivsse  helweeii  1948  and  1956. 
His  1954  teaui  won  the  national  chainpiouslup. 


Ekaitis  went  4-2-1  m  1936  and  4-3  ni  1937  with  "Gibby"  Young  the  star. 
His  1 94 1  team  was  3-3- 1 ,  btit  then  the  war  came.  Football  and  Ekaitis  did  not 
return  until  1946.  He  coached  tor  t\\o  more  seasons. Then  Dim  Montero  came 
to  Washington  College  and  produceei  a  4-2-2  campaign  in  1949  and  a  5-3  season 
in  1950  with  Kenny  Howard,  Johnny  Wilst:>n,  anei  Joe  Ingarra  as  stars. 


234 


Washington  College  dropped  football  m  1951.  President  Daniel  Z.  Gibson 
gave  the  main  reason  as  "a  financial  problem  occasioned  partly  by  a  nationwide 
decline  in  enrollment."  The  Korean  Wiir  also  played  a  part.  Gibson  went  on  to 
state  in  a  President's  Corner  column  m  1960:  "The  time  is  long  past  when  a  tiny 
Centre  College  can  beat  mighty  Harvard,  and  perhaps  Washington  College  will 
not  again  have  a  Flying  Pentagon  which  can  meet  all  comers  in  basketball.  For 
that  unhappy  state  ot  affairs  we  can  blame  professionalism  m  college  athletics." 

Tom  Kibler  returned  from  the  war  and  served  the  academic  year  of  1946-47 
as  Dean  of  Men  and  head  baseball  coach.  He  was  now  approaching  sixty,  hon- 
ored aiici  loved  by  the  College  and  m  the  communit\'.  Upon  the  death  of  Gilbert 
Mead,  president  otW/ashmgton  College,  a  movement  arose  to  make  Kibler  presi- 
dent. He  tendered  his  resignation  in  May  1947,  stating  a  desire  to  take  a  more 
active  part  m  C.W  Kibler  and  Sons.  A  testimonial  dinner  that  November  drew 
25(J  with  baseball  great  Branch  Rickey,  who  was  living  m  Kent  Count)',  as  the 
principal  speaker. 

However,  Kibler  could  not  remain  long  away  fi-om Washington  College,  hi  1952 
after  Dr.  Daniel  Z.  Gibson  became  president,  Kibler  returned  as  his  special  assistant. 

Baseball  had  been  dropped  m  195 1  because  of  budgetary  restraints,  but  Kibler 
was  successful  in  promoting  its  return.  His  assistant  was  Edward  Lorain  Athey,  a 
man  who  was  to  play  a  huge  part  in  Wishington  College  athletics  for  the  next 
tort)'  years.  Eci  Athe\'  had  ccime  to  Chestertown  from  Cumberland  to  play  bas- 
ketball, when  World  War  II  interrupted.  He  entered  the  service,  flew  missions 
over  the  Himalayas,  then  returned  to  play  football,  baseball,  and  basketball  before 
his  graduation  in  1947. 

Athey  returned  m  1948,  was  named  athletic  director  in  1949,  and  never 
looked  back.  He  built  outstanding  soccer  teams  throughout  the  195Us,  '60s  and 
'70s  and  coached  baseball,  on  and  off,  but  mainly  on,  until  1997.  He  coached 
basketball,  cross  country,  track,  and  junior  varsity  lacrosse  at  one  time  or  another. 
He  also  played  a  leading  role  in  the  conferences  in  which  Washington  College 
played  and  served  twice  as  president  ot  the  U.  S.  Intercollegiate  Lacrosse  Associa- 
tion and  on  numerous  committees  for  the  NCAA.  Athey  remained  closely  con- 
nected with  Kibler,  Dumschott,  and  Harry  Russell,  former  editor  of  TJic  Kent 
News  and  a  college  trustee,  until  their  deaths. The  tour  of  them  dominated  Wish- 
ington  College  athletics  from  1913  until  1983. 

Meanwhile,  after  an  absence  of  thirteen  years,  lacrosse  returned  to  the 
Eastern  Shore  campus  in  1 948  under  the  leadership  ot  student  Charley 
Hoffman  and  Professor  Charles  B.  Clark.  William  P.  "Chief"  Beatty,  who  had 
been  a  star  player  at  Maryland,  introduced  lacrosse  to  Washington  College  in 
1929.  Beatry  was  an  instructor  m  English  and  a  student  of  Dr.  Reginald  Van 
Trump  Truitt,  who  started  the  game  at  Maryland.  He  was  fond  of  calling  him- 


L35 


Eiiiiiiiio  its  ivpufiition  lis  (1  David  in  the  Goliath  world 
of  hicrossc,  the  1954  Shoiviiicii  sltarcd  the  Laurie  Cox 
Division  (later  absorbed  into  the  NCAA)  chaiiipionsliip 
with  Syracuse  University.  Coach  Cliarlcs  Clark  is  to  the 
left  with  his  arm  around  team  mascot  Chuck  Clark. 


self  "the  tathei"  ot  white  man  lacrosse  on  the  Eastern  Shore,"  according  to  Phillip 
J.Wingate,  captani  ot  the  1933  team,  writer,  anci  long-time  Washington  College 
Board  member. 

Beatty  announced  that  in  the  sprmg  of  1929  he  would  introduce  a  sport  that 
had  all  the  dash  of  basketball,  as  well  as  football.  But  the  opening  game,  a  13-1 
"practice  tilt"  in  Baltimore  against  powerhouse  Mt.  Wishington,  drew  the  fol- 
lowing comment  h"om  a  Baltimt~)i"e  paper:  "It  was  clearly  evident  that  Washington's 
greatest  handicap  was  inability  to  handle  the  stick." 

In  the  years  that  followed,  Washington  College  fared  only  slightly  better. 
Schedules  included  games  against  the  powers  of  lacrosse — -Johns  Hopkins,  Mary- 
land, St.John's,Virginia  and  Mt.  Washington  College.  In  1930  a  powerful  squad 
from  Oxford-Cambridge,  England,  won  18-0. 


236 


Omar  "Gus"  Crothers  followed  Beatty  m  1931,  and  Ekaitis  took  over  in 
1932  for  two  years.  During  the  period  between  Beatty  and  Ekaitis,  the  College 
had  a  true  All-American  in  goaltender  Fritz  Reinhold.  Dick  Gamber,  Howard 
Plummer,  Al  Giraitis,  Ellery  Ward,  Clark,  and  Wmgate  were  outstanding  players. 

In  1948,  Ray  "Rip"  Wood,  Eddie  Leonard,  Captain  Bill  Crim,  and  Hoifoian 
led  the  Washington  College  Lacrosse  Club  under  Coach  Charley  Clark  to  eight 
victories,  including  wins  over  Delaware  and  Franklin  &;  Marshall.  The  only  losses 
were  to  the  Annapolis  Lacrosse  Club. 

In  1950  Washington  College  joined  the  United  States  Intercollegiate  La- 
crosse Association  and  won  ten  games  as  Wood  led  the  state  in  scoring  anci  was 
named  a  third  team  All-American. 

Clark  won  75  of  108  games  and  captured  the  College's  first  national  cham- 
pionship in  1954,  sharing  the  Laurie  Cox  Trophy  with  Syracuse  in  the  USILAs 
B  Division. 

With  Clark's  departure  in  1956,  the  lacrosse  program  at  Washington  College 
was  in  jeopardy  until  Athletic  Council  chairman  Harry  S.  Russell  walked  across 
the  street  from  his  editorship  at  The  Kent  News  to  Kelly's  Buick-Chevrolet. There 
he  talked  Donaldson  Naylor  Kelly  into  taking  the  lacrosse  coaching  leadership  at 
Wishin^ton  CoUei^e. 


Coach  Don  Kelly  was  a  strategic  huwvator. 
teaching  players  to  score  on  the  jast  break  and  extra  man 
offensive.  As  an  attackman  at  Johns  Hopikius  University, 
he  was  ahead  of  his  time  in  the  techniques  of  the  game. 
As  a  coach,  he  had  a  wonderftd  way  oj  conveying  a 
visual  image  ofwiiat  the  game  sliould  /oofe  //fee. 


237 


College  women  prepare  to  play  field  liOikcy  in  1938.  miiig 
the  main  campus  as  an  athletic  field. 


Don  Kelly  was  one  ofjohns  Hopkins  University's  greatest  players  in  football, 
basketball,  and  lacrosse,  where  only  his  h'eshman  tootbaU  season  deprived  him  of 
t\velve  varsity  letters.  He  had  been  out  of  the  game  for  fifteen  years  and  had 
come  to  Chestertown  from  Baltimore  to  raise  a  family  and  run  an  automobile 
business.  Russell  persuaded  him  to  coach  Washington  College  for  one  year,  but 
he  came  back  tor  tAventv'  more  through  the  1977  season. 

Kelly  was  quiet,  almost  shy,  and  it  was  not  an  easy  task  to  take  over  for  the 
stern,  disciplinarian  Clark,  but  he  had  the  same  result.  Washington  College  was  a 
winner.  Kelly  taught  stick  work  anci  advocated  the  fast  break  and  went  on  to  win 
167  games,  upsetting  Hopkins  once  and  Virginia  twice.  Most  ot  those  years  he 
had  the  players  who  could  give  him  his  tast  break: Joe  Seivold,  Mickey  DiMaggio, 
"Skippy"  Rudolph,  Gene  Fustmg,  Bruce  Jaegar,  Bob  Pritzlaft.Jim  Chalfant,  Carl 
Ortmaii,  Ron  Regan,  Peter  Boggs,  Bob  Shriver,  Greg  Lane,  John  Cheek,  and  G. 
P.  Lindsay. 

Soccer  began  as  a  sport  m  1946  under  Henry  Carrington  and  the  1948  team, 
led  by  player-coach  Turner  Hastings  and  Bill  McHale,  went  undefeated  in  eight 
contests.  Ed  Athey  began  coaching  soccer  in  1949,  taking  over  the  program  in 


238 


]]biiicu  play  badminton  inside  Cain  Gyiii  in  1941  under  the 
watch  of  Doris  Bell,  far  left,  who  for  years  directed  both  social 
and  arlilctic  programs  for  coeds. 


239 


Q&A  with  EdAthey 


Edward  L.  Athey  graduated  from  IVashiiigton  College  in 
1947  and  returned  a  year  later  as  an  assistant  baseball 
coach  under  J.  Thomas  Kibler.  He  was  named  athletic 
director  in  1 949  and  over  the  next  Jour  decades  he 
coached  basketball,  cross  country,  soccer,  track,  and  junior 
varsity  lacrosse. 

You  grew  up  in  Western  Maryland  and  came  to 
Wiishington  College  just  as  World  War  II  broke  out. 
Describe  that  time. 

I  attended  Frostburg  State  for  two  years  and  played 
soccer,  basketball,  and  baseball  under  Coach  George 
"Gimp"  Carrington,  a  Washington  CoOege  graduate 
who  had  played  under  Coach  Kibler  and  "Dutch" 
Dumschott.  Washington  College  offered  education 
courses  qualifying  one  to  teach  on  the  high  school 
level  while  Frostburg  did  not.  Here,  I  was  fortunate 
to  attend  the  year,  1942-43,  that  "Dutch"  had  a  good 
basketball  recruiting  year  with  freshmen  Paul  Blawie 
and  young  Ed  "Goop"  Zebrowski  to  go  along  with 
holdovers  Frank  Samele,  LewYerkes,Jim  Stevens, 
and  Gerry  Voith.  We  had  a  great  year,  but  I  was 
called  up  with  two  weeks  left.  Most  of  the  players 
finished  the  season  before  being  called  up. "Goop" 
was  killed  in  action.  Others  failed  to  return  and  the 
"dream  team"  never  got  together  again. 

How  did  World  War  II  affect  your  life? 
The  experience  did  a  great  deal  in  making  a  man 
out  of  a  boy.  Training  in  the  Air  Force  Cadet 
Program  was  rigid  and  demanding,  intellectually 
and  physically.  I  had  never  owned  a  car,  so,  the 
thought  of  taking  a  plane  off  the  ground  was 
troubling.  The  Air  Force  apparently  sensed  this  and 
the  training  program  erased  those  thoughts.  Man- 
aging a  plane  with  a  crew  better  trained  me  to  be 
confident  in  handling  the  many  teams  I  coached.  I 
also  married  just  before  entering  the  service.  My 
military  experience,  and  being  married  with  a 
child,  made  me  more  determined  to  return  to 


college.  We  were  all  grateful  the  government  made 
this  possible  by  providing  the  G.  I.  BiU. 

You  graduated  from  Washington  College  in  1947 
and  returned  the  next  year  with  your  wife,  Rachel, 
after  a  year  at  graduate  school.  J.  Thomas  Kibler  had 
ended  his  long  association  with  the  College  and 
George  Ekaitis  was  about  to  do  the  same.  Fred 
Dumschott  was  left  as  acting  athletic  director.  Was 
that  a  difficult  period? 

The  athletic  directorship,  which  was  never  mentioned 
when  I  was  hired,  was  thrust  upon  me  almost  imme- 
diately. I  was  appointed  to  take  over  the  required 
physical  education  program.  I  was  officially  asked  to 
assume  the  duties  of  director  of  athletics  in  March 
1948.  "Dutch,"  who  was  the  College  business  man- 
ager, helped  me  more  than  anyone.  Coach  Kibler 
became  a  close  and  valued  friend  as  the  years  went  by. 

During  your  tenure  as  athletic  director,  Washington 
College  left  the  Mason-Dixon  Conference  and  joined 
the  Middle  Adantic.  How  did  that  come  about? 
As  a  result  of  the  NCAA  deciding  to  divide  all 
members  into  the  present  three  divisions,  Mason- 
Dixon  Conference  members  decided  to  divide  into 
two  or  three  divisions.  The  Virginia  members 
decided  they  would  prefer  to  go  their  separate  ways. 
Western  Maryland,  Hopkins,  Catholic  U.,  and 
Gallaudet  tried  to  salvage  Division  III,  but  there 
were  too  few  of  us. 

Why  was  football  dropped  at  Washington  College? 
Finances,  primarily.  The  reason  given  by  President 
Gibson  was  a  shortage  of  manpower  due  to  the 
Korean  War.  Also,  surveys  showed  that  only  half  of 
the  student  body  attended  home  games.  Gate 
receipts  were  also  meager.  Another  contention  on 
campus  was  that  many  of  the  football  recruits  were 
not  able  students  and  the  faculty  was  criticizing  the 
admissions  department  for  making  exceptions. 


240 


You  coached  many 
sports  during  your 
time,  but  you  enjoyed 
special  success  with 
soccer.  Why? 
DonYonkers,  the 
outstanding  coach  at 
Drexel,  always  praised 
our  teams  for  defense 
and  had  me  give  a 
demonstration  at  one 
of  the  national  soccer 
meetings.  Ho\vever, 
the  real  reason  was 
that  I  had  players  that 
were  equal  to  or 
better  than  most  ot 
the  teams  we  played. 


You  saw  great  change  

in  intercollegiate 

athletics  in  the  1970s  as  women  worked  to  be  on 
par  with  men.  What  tueled  the  great  change? 
Washington  College  recognized  in  1952  that 
women  would  be  entering  the  varsity  program. 
Bobby  Raymond,  women's  director,  organized  in 
1965  a  field  hockey  team  that  participated  in  an 
invitational  meet  at  the  University  of  Maryland  with 
sixteen  colleges.  Later  she  organized  a  basketball 
team  that  played  tour  games  before  the  women 
decided  they  would  prefer  to  drop  the  effort  since  it 
was  taking  too  much  tmie  away  fi-om  academics  and 
other  endeavors.  Dropping  of  the  compulsory 
physical  education  program  freed  coaches  to  switch 
over  to  coaching  and  accelerated  the  development 
of  the  women's  varsity  programs.  Also  the  problem 
that  faced  the  College,  and  me  in  particular,  was  that 
of  budget,  facihties  improvement,  training  room, 
laundry,  and  playing  fields.  Improvements  were 
recommended  but  the  College  lacked  the  funds  to 


Edward  L.Arhcy  '47,  shown  in  this  1964 
plwtogmpli,  is  beloved  by  generations  of  student- 
athletes  with  whom  he  lias  shared  his  simple 
philosopliy  that  sportsmanship  matters,  that  one  should 
always  give  100  perceiu,  and  that,  ultimately,  playing 
should  be  fun. 


make  changes.  It  meant  that  we  had  to  improvise 
and  in  so  doing  it  appeared  at  times  that  the  women 
were  being  shortchanged,  especially  in  the  use  of 
Cain  Gym. The  building  was  not  built  with 
women's  varsity  athletics  in  mind.  Attempts  were 
made  to  adjust  and  even  to  provide  dressing  rooms 
m  the  men's  area.  Not  until  President  Cater  found 
the  money  did  the  gymnasium  area  change  to  make 
all  assistance  the  same  for  everyone.  tW) 


241 


Tlic  1956  opciiifn^  of  RusscU  Gytiuiiisiiini,  tlie  siicxcssor  to  Cain 
Gym,  bivtioht,  from  Icff  to  /(ij/'f,  Eif  Atlicy,  Toiu  Kiblcr,  and 
Fred  It.'  "Dutch  "  Dunncltott  toiictlicr. 


earnest  in  1953  and  coaching  until  1981,  winning  Middle  Atlantic  crowns  in 
1954  and  1969  and  Mason-Dixon  tides  m  1961  and  1964.  "Buddy"  Brower, 
Doug  Tilley,  Roger  Smoot,  Joe  Szymanski,  Jack  "Mule"  Jennings,  Mickey 
DiMaggio,  Bob  Bragg,  Bruce  Jaegar,  Barry  Drew,  Joe  Nichols,  Paul  Brown,  Bill 
WiUianis,  and  V.  J.  FiUiben  were  among  many  fine  players.  Tilley  set  a  school 
standard  in  goals  in  1953  with  fourteen;  Bragg  broke  it  with  fitteen  m  1957. 
jaegar  moved  it  to  seventeen  m  1964,  only  to  have  the  incomparable  Billy  Will- 
iams move  it  to  twenty-two  in  1973  anti  twenty-tive  in  1975. 

Track  had  been  an  on-and-off  sport  atWiishmgton  College  since  1890  when 
Professor  E.J.  Clarke  organized  a  day  of  sport  during  commencement  week. 
George  Ekaitis  had  many  successful  seasons  during  his  tenure  in  the  1930s  with 
Gibby  Young  and  Basil Tully  Athey  had  two  Mason-Dixon  Championship  squads 


242 


with  Larry  Brandenburg,  Mickey  Hubbard,  Ray  Sutton,  Jim  Twilley  and  Lou 
Blizzard  m  1949  and  1950. 

Donald  M.  Chatellier  joined  the  athletic  department  m  1 955,  coaching  track 
and  cross  country.  Outstanding  performers  during  Chatellier's  tenure  included 
Mark  Diashyn,Tony  Parker,  Al  Reddish,  Vance  Strausburg,  Ben  Whitman,  Dave 
Bird,  and  Mark  Gilchrest. 

Cross  country  came  into  being  as  a  sport  for  men  at  "Washington  College  in 
1947.  Larry  Brandenburg  and  Fillmore  Dryden  were  early  standouts.  In  1954 
Lou  Buckley  won  the  Mason-Dixon  championship.  |oeThompson,Andy  Nilsson, 
Mart)'  Smith,  Ben  Whitman,  Dave  Bird,  Sam  Martin,  and  Paul  Schlitz  were  out- 
standing pertorniers.  When  student  interest  in  track  and  cross  country  flagged, 
Chatellier  moved  on  to  become  a  successful  crew  coach. 

On  a  winciy,  gray  Tuesday  m  April  of  1968,  a  fledgling  Washington  College 
Crew  Club  took  on  St.Johns  College  in  the  first  race  on  the  Chester  River.  On 
a  choppy  day  above  the  Chester  River  Bridge,  the  Shore  eight-oar  shell  "David 
Wishburn"  pulled  away  at  the  finish  to  win  by  a  half  length.  Captain  A.  D.  Cilmour 
was  at  stroke  with  John  Miller,  Bruce  Hill,  Paul  Fastie,  Chris  Rogers, John  Carlm, 
Pat  Chambers,  aiiei  Andy  Dyer  at  the  other  oars.  Larry  Varon  was  m  the  coxswain 
seat. 


Suiiithvits  oil  the  1972 
men'}:  hkivisc  tcdiii, 
J        fiviii  left  to  right,  Tom 
■  J        G('(>/\'(',  Boh  Shrii'ci; 
and  Peter  Bo)ii;s. 


243 


Two  Decades  Bring  Unprecedented 
Changes  to  College  Sports 

By  Bryan  Matthews  '7 5,  Athletic  Director 

The  1980s  and  1990s  witnessed  an  unprec- 
edented change  and  growth  of  varsity  athletics 
at  Washington  College.  In  the  late  1970s  the 
College  competed  in  only  eight  varsity  sports.  By 
1999  the  number  of  teams  the  school  fielded  had 
more  than  doubled.  Students  participated  on 
seventeen  different  squads,  due  largely  to  the 
addition  of  water  sports  and  increased  opportunities 
for  women  athletes. 

Women's  intercollegiate  programs  were  greatly 
expanded — lacrosse  arrived  in  1982;  field  hockey  in 
1984;  swimming  in  1986;  basketball  in  1992;  and 
soccer  in  1998.  In  1997  men  and  women  teamed 
up  for  coed  sailing.  The  popularity  of  women's 
rowing  has  grown  throughout  the  1990s  and  it  was 
accepted  as  an  National  Collegiate  Athletic  Associa- 
tion sport  in  1997.  Men's  swimming  and  sailing 
were  added  to  the  College  sports  roster  in  1991 
and  1997,  respectively. 

With  the  growth  of  varsity  programs  and  the 
participation  in  sports  by  a  greater  number  of 
students  came  a  clear  need  for  the  expansion  of  the 
College's  athletic  facilities.  By  1999  the  College 
had  more  than  three  hundred  students  competing 
in  varsity  sports,  with  the  number  equally  divided 
between  men  and  women.  Resulting  changes  to 
sports  facilities  made  the  athletic  complex  nearly 
unrecognizable  to  anyone  who  had  graduated  from 
the  College  prior  to  1980. 

The  Casey  Swim  Center,  opened  in  1 984,  finally 
brought  a  long-promised  indoor  pool  to  campus 
and  opened  the  way  for  varsity  s\vimming  at  the 
College.  The  ^vomen's  athletic  fiekis — located 
across  the  railroad  tracks  on  the  western  edge  of  the 
campus — ^were  created  in  the  1980s.  A  Bermuda 
grass  playing  area  for  field  hockey  was  completed  in 
1998.  Renovations  to  the  basement  of  Cain  Gym 
were  begun  in  the  1980s,  with  the  creation  of  a 
training  room  and  women's  locker  rooms. 


Opportunities  for  women  athletes — -from  lacrosse  to 
crewing  on  the  Chester  River — were  expanded 
dramatically  during  the  1980s  and  1990s. 

The  Benjanim  A.  Johnson  '11  Lifetime  Fitness 
Center  was  completed  in  1992,  dramatically  affecting 
the  use  of  campus  athletic  facilities.  Indoor  practices 
and  tennis  matches  were  made  possible  year-around. 
The  weight  room  became  the  center  of  campus 
workouts.  New  tennis  courts  were  buOt  along  with 
the  Lifetime  Fitness  Center,  as  the  outdoor  tennis 
center  was  moved  to  the  northern  end  of  campus.  In 
1998  the  Ellen  Bordley  Schottland  '42  Tennis  Center 
was  completed. This  building  is  considered  to  be  the 
finest  Division  III  tennis  complex  in  the  region. 
Shriver  Field — designated  for  women's  soccer  and 
lacrosse — was  opened  in  1995. 

Electronic  scoreboards  were  added  to  Athey 
Baseball  Field,  Kibler  Field,  Shriver  Field,  and  the 
Softball  and  field  hockey  areas.  The  volleyball  game 
court  was  moved  to  the  center  court  in  Cain  Gym  in 
1996.  An  electronic  scoring  system  was  installed  in 
the  Casey  Swim  Center  in  1997,  enabling  touch-pad 
scoring  for  each  lane. 

One  of  the  goals  of  the  athletic  department  had 
been  to  maintain  regional  and  nationally  competitive 
teams.  The  commitment  of  the  College  to  this  end 
meant  not  only  the  addition  of  teams  and  facilities, 
but  a  search  for  seasoned  coaches.  The  results  in- 
cluded three  national  championships  m  five  years 
(men's  tennis  in  1994  and  1997  and  men's  lacrosse  in 
1998);  two  NCAA  field  hockey  appearances  (1996 
and  1997);  two  NCAA  singles  tennis  championships 
m  men's  tennis:  three  students  invited  to  the  swim- 
ming nationals;  men's  basketball  NCAA  Final  Four  in 
1990;  and  six  consecutive  Centennial  Conference 
men's  tennis  championships.  1^ 


244 


Rowing  made  rapid  progress  under  the  leadership  of  Professor  Peter  Tapke 
and  the  generous  assistance  of  the  late  John  Truslow,  who  supplied  a  large  chicken 
coop  across  the  river  as  the  first  boat  house.  Coaches  BenTroutnian.John  Wagner, 
Bob  Neill,  John  Ihnat,  and  Don  Chatellier  supplied  the  spirit  and  challenge  that 
stroked  Washington  College's  advancement. 

Mike  Davenport,  a  member  of  several  U.  S.  World  Championship  teams,  was 
named  head  coach  in  1990.  hi  1994.  the  rowers  had  three  meeiahst  boats  at  the 
DadVail  in  Philadelphia  and  a  women's  four  wm  at  the  petite  finals  of  the  Cham- 
pion hiternational  Intercollegiate  Regatta. 

The  year  1970  saw  the  return  ofTom  Fmnegan  to  the  College.  Finnegan  had 
led  Tom  Sisk's  1963-64  basketball  squad  to  one  of  Washington  College's  few 
winning  seasons  since  Kibler  and  the  1930s.  Finnegan's  arrival  as  head  basketball 
coach  marked  a  new  era,  as  he  built  a  respectable  program  highlighted  by  a  25- 
6  record  m  1989-90  and  a  third  place  finish  m  NCAA  Division  III  with  a  start- 
ing five  ofTim  Keehan,  Chris  Brandt,  Chris  Jamke,  C.J.Johnson,  and  Tim  Liddy 
with  Charles  Duckett,  Daren  Vican,  and  Peter  Basel  off  the  bench. 

In  1970  the  Cam  Athletic  Center,  named  tor  James  W.  Cam,  was  opened, 
prompting  a  letter  trom  son  James  M.  Cain  to  President  Gibson  gi\'ing  a  picture 
of  his  father.  "All  his  life  he  took  part  m  sports,  and  was  one  of  the  end-of-the- 
century  romantics,  to  whom  'tor  God,  tor  country,  and  torYale'  was  anything  but 
a  gag.  He  really  believed  that  football  developed  character.  You  may  be  aston- 
ished to  learn  that  I'm  not  repelled  by  this,  and  m  tact  have  cc^me  to  think  it  one 
ot  our  country's  great  elements  ot  strength. 

"Once,  researching  a  novel,  I  was  utterly  battled  by  the  tending  ot  our  Civil 
War  brass,  from  McClellan,  Hooker,  Meade,  Sherman,  Butteiiield,  the  Porters, 
and  Halleck,  for  the  Union,  to  Jackson,  the  Hills,  Bragg,  Taylor,  and  Johnsons 


It  is  the  duty  of  every  student  ofWashinqtoii  College 

to  support  Ills  team,  and  the  least  he  can  do  is  learn  the  cheers, 

attend  the  pre-oaine  rallies,  and  join  in  co-operative  effort  with  the 

following  arousers  of  pep  and  enthusiasm:  Romona  IVilley, 

Wanita  MacMidlen,Joau  Vanik,  Sue  Samuels,  Lynn  Diana. 

From  1952-53  College  Handbook. 


245 


Duiiiiii  tlic  past  iliiity  yCiirs,  the  rowiin^  pivi;;rdni  luis  ih'ivlopcd 
into  a  poircyhoiiic  sport  for  both  men  and  woiticn. 


on  the  Confederate  side — until  it  dawned  on  me  that  not  one  ot  these  men 
had  ever  pulled  an  oar,  batted  a  baseball,  or  carried  a  football.  Sportsmanship, 
as  we  know  it,  they  had  never  heard  of,  or  team  spirit,  or  bucking  down  tor 
old  Winsocki. 

"And  I  began  to  see  why  American  colleges,  once  organized  sport  moves 
in,  went  overboard, just  a  bit,  tor  cooperation,  togetherness,  and  the  rest,  replac- 
ing the  self-centered  individualism  of  the  all-too-recent  past.  And  though  we 
now  k:)wer  our  voices  a  bit,  1  think  this  one-tor-all,  instead  ot  all-for-one,  is 
gooci." 

The  197<»s  witnessed  the  beginning  of  a  women's  intercollegiate  competi- 
tion. Crew  began  it  all  when,  in  the  spring  of  1973,  a  women's  eight  lost  to  a 
more  experienced  Williams  shell  m  its  inaugural  race.  Two  weeks  later  they 


246 


won  their  first  intercollegiate  victory  with  a  stunning  upset  over  George  Wash- 
ington on  the  Potomac. 

Field  hockey  had  long  been  popular,  but  it  was  not  until  the  I'^SOs  that  a 
regular  schedule  was  played  on  a  consistent  basis  under  Coach  Diane  Guinan. 
Tennis  as  an  intercollegiate  sport  for  women  began  in  the  197(ls  with  Tom 
Finnegan  and  Penny  Fall  as  coaches,  hi  the  lySOs,  with  the  presence  of  President 
Douglas  Cater  and  his  wite  Libby.Wiishmgton  College  saw  increased  growth  m 
the  women's  program.  Lacrosse  under  mentor  Nancy  Dick,  and  softball  and  vol- 
leyball iincier  the  guidance  ot  Penny  Fall,  all  made  their  entrances.  The  Caters 
also  brought  a  swimming  ficility  to  the  campus  through  the  generosity  ot  Eu- 
gene and  Betty  Brown  Casey.  When  Geoff  Miller  became  the  athletic  director  in 
1986,  swimming,  with  coach  W.  Dennis  Berry,  and  basketball  under  mentor  Lanee 
Cole-Smith,  gave  women  eight  intercollegiate  sports. 

The  Casey  Swim  Center  gave  the  campus  a  whole  new  dimension  with 
intercollegiate  sports  tor  men  and  women,  youth  activities,  and  exercise  ottered. 

Meanwhile,  in  men  s  lacrosse,  Bryan  Matthews,  a  standout  goal  tender  in  the 
1970s,  continued  the  great  traditions  of  Clark  and  Kelly  with  a  sohd  program 
and  stars  Dick  Grieves,  Peter  Jenkins,  Paul  Hooper,  and  Geoff  Kaufman.  In  1 9S2 
his  team  suffered  a  heartbreaking  9-8  loss  in  sudden-death  overtime  at  Hobart 
for  an  NCAA  Division  III  tide.  After  Matthews  departed  for  Navy  ni  1983, Terry 


i'c  I  »|1 


A  vdisity  Sdiliin;  pw{;rdiii 
has  ('///t'/ycif  within  the  past 
three  yeiirs. 


247 


_^IH^;^I^L 


Tim  Gray  '86  [far  lioht)  dud  his  1994  tennis  rcani  captnrcd  rlic 
College's  first  XC.-L-i  Dirisioii  III  national  title.  Pictured  front 
left  arc  team  members  Andrew  Moffat.  Damian  Polla,  Rohin 
Sander,. indrew  King,  Michael  Kemher.  and  Miroslar  Beran. 


Damian  Polla  '97.  who  led  the  1994  and  1997  tennis  teams 
to  national  team  titles,  is  a  two-time  national  singles  tennis 
champion. 


248 


Corcoran  came  down  from  Princeton  and,  with  the  help  of  CHnt  Evans,  created 
a  soUd  program.  When  Miller  moved  on  to  Goucher  m  1994,  Matthews  re- 
turned to  his  dliiia  mater  is  athletic  ciirector,  brmgmg  in  John  Hans  to  replace  the 
departed  Corcoran. 

Haus  built  another  fine  program  and  in  1998  helped  lead  Washington  Col- 
lege to  its  first  NCAA  Division  III  lacrosse  championship.  The  Shoremen  de- 
feated Salisbury  State  University  12-10  m  the  May  16  semi-fmal.  A  week  later, 
the  team  won  16-10  against  its  most  recent  nemesis,  defending  champion  Nazareth 
College,  in  the  Division  III  final  at  Rutgers  Stadium  m  New  Jersey.  That  year 
Haus  moved  to  John  Hopkins  Umversit\'  as  men  s  lacrosse  coach.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded at  Washington  College  by  J.B.  Clarke,  formerly  an  assistant  lacrosse  coach 
at  Loyola  College. 

Tennis,  played  on  the  campus  almost  as  early  as  baseball,  did  not  enjoy  great 
intercollegiate  success  until  1986  when  Fred  Wyman  and  Hollv  Bramble  di- 
rected programs  for  men  and  women. 

Intercollegiate  competition  had  begun  in  the  1930s  with  coach  Arthur  L. 
Davis  and  continued  with  Dr.WintonToUes  until  World  War  II. Tom  Eliason  and 
Ed  Athey  coached  the  men's  team  well  into  the  1960s  when  J.  Bernard  Merrick 
took  over,  followed  by  Tom  Finnegan  from  1974-1985. 

The  Wycoff  brothers,  Gary  and  Bruce,  led  the  Shoremen  to  an  8-2  record  in 
1952  tor  Eliason.  Wishington  College  did  not  reach  that  man\'  wins  again  until 
1974  for  Finnegan  with  PatYahner  and  Don  Green  as  stand-out  players.  Finnegan 
and  Wyman  were  12-5  in  1985. 

Wishmgton  College  won  its  first  ot  six  straight  Middle  Atlantic  Cxinterence 
men's  crowns  under  Wyman  m  1986.  In  1987  WC  placed  thiixi  in  NCAA  Divi- 
sion III.  Wyman  and  Bramble  coached  through  the  1991  season  to  be  followed 
by  former  player  Tim  Gray,  1992-95,  and  Matt  Rose,  1996  to  the  present,  coach- 
ing both  men  and  women. 

By  the  late  1990s, Washington  College  had  won  five  consecutive  Centennial 
Conference  men's  championships,  never  losing  a  match  in  conference  play. The 
Shoremen  also  won  thirteen  straight  conference  titles. 

In  1994  Washington  College  broke  through,  winning  the  NCAA  Division 
III  men's  tennis  championship.  Three  years  later  the  College  men  won  then- 
second  title. 

One  hundred  and  thirty'  years  after  organized  athletics  debuted  on  campus, 
Washington  College  could  boast  fifteen  intercollegiate  sports,  se\'en  for  men  and 
eight  for  women. 

The  Wissahicons  have  faded  from  memory,  the  old  gs'iiis  ha\'e  been  ground 
to  dust,  Burris,  Bell,  and  Kibler  and  many  other  greats  honored  and  laid  to  rest, 
but  the  old  College  on  the  Hill  continues  to  shine  in  intercollegiate  sport. James 
M.  Cain  might  agree  finally  that  "one-for-all"  still  lives.  BS 


249 


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Voices  Through  Time 


]]hsliii!oroii  Colh'oc's  liistory  i>  inexorably  linked  to 
(he  >oiidl  ami  ciilniyal  history  of  the  nation.  As  the 
nineteenth  century  dawned,  one  yonno  ahiinnus 
balanced  his  propensity  for  fisticuffs  with  a  career  in 
medicine  and  learned  a  t'aluable  lesson  about 
personal  ime^irity  and  honor  lit'//  into  the  twentieth 
century,  niendiers  of  tlie  Collei^e  coiuninnity  were  still 
fiohtino  for  honor  and  the  rioht  to  eijtial  education. 
As  the  diielino  pistol  snccessirely  i^ave  way  to  oration, 
civil  action,  and  the  power  of  the  pen,  the  Colleqe 
reflected  these  new  modes  of  persuasion.  The 
followino  voices  speak  volumes  about  wlio  and  what 
we  were,  way  back  when. 


Peregrine  Wroth:  Fighter,  Philosopher,  and  Physician 


By  Davy  McCall 

Dr.  McCall.  a  Kent  County  historiLal  prcscrvjtionist.  is  lecturer  ot  economics  emeritus. 


Ofcdccif.  students  of  die  T^EREGI^INE  WROTH  WAS  C  H  EST  E  RTOWN "  S  own  Doctor  Oliver 

cady  1890s,  iihliidiin;  sonic  1—^  Wendell  Holmes.  Not  only  ciid  he  have  an  active  career  and  physician's 

youths  appaiciitly  of  JL.       practice,  he  also  operated  a  drug  store  in  Chestertown  and  was  the  author 

prcpaidtoiy  dcpaitiiiciit  d<ic,  ot  a  book  {History  and  Treatment  of  the  Eiideiiiic  Bilious  Fever  of  the  Eastern  Shore  of 

^atlicy  lit  the  foot  of  the  Hill.  Maryland), nun\erous  essays  on  history  and  philosophy,  and  ciozens  of  letters.  One 


252 


Liu-ratiire  was  diioihcr passion  of  Dr.  Pcrciiiiiic  \]'ioth.As  a 
"diversion"  from  his  medical  studies,  he  made  a  translation  of 
Ovid's  Metamorphoses  in  English  hexameters. 


253 


of  his  correspondents  was  Mrs.  Robert  E.  Lee.  The  letters  he  wrote  and  received 
were  meticulously  copied  mto  notebooks,  a  number  of  which  his  descendants 
have  given  to  Washington  College. 

He  was  born  in  Chestertown  ni  1786  to  a  prominent  local  family.  Wroth 
obtained  his  early  education  in  the  local  schools  and  then  from  1795  until  1803 
studied  at  Washington  College.  When  he  was  sixteen,  he  starteci  to  read  medicine 
with  Dr.  Edward  Worrell  and  then  attended  medical  lectures  at  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania. 

Dr.  Wroth  taught  chemistry  at  the  College,  beginning  in  1846,  and  was  a 
member  of  the  Boaixi  ofVisitors  and  Governors  tor  more  than  thirty  years.  He 
was  intimately  involved  with  the  creation  of  the  American  Medical  Association 
and  was  a  founding  member  when  the  convention  was  held  in  Baltimore  in 
1848. 

The  good  doctor  was  as  active  in  private  life  as  in  the  medical  field.  He 
married  four  times  and  was  tour  times  widowed.  As  an  old  man  he  wrote  that  if 
he  had  known  he  was  going  to  live  so  long,  he  would  have  married  again. 

He  tought  in  the  Battle  ot  Caulk's  Field,  Kent  County's  major  military  en- 
counter during  the  Wir  ot  1812,  and  wrote  an  heroic  poem  about  the  battle.  He 
was  an  active  spokesman  for  freeing  American  slaves  anci  resettling  them  m  Af- 
rica. He  was  close  to  some  ot  the  tree  Atrican  Americans  m  Chestertown,  par- 
ticularly Thomas  Cuft,  to  whom  he  sold  several  acres  in  Scott's  Point  in  1818. 
Cuff  was  a  founder  of  Bethel  AME  Church  m  Chestertown  and  resold  some  of 
the  land  he  had  purchaseci  from  Dr.  Wroth  to  fellow  members  of  Bethel.  In  his 
will,  Cuft  named  Dr.  Wroth  as  his  executor. 


My  school  days  at  IVashin^itoii  Colle(^e 

offer  some  of  the  more  pleasing  reDiiiiiscences  of  my  life. 

I  was  anxious  to  beco)iie  a  scholar  and  was  fond  of  Latin, 

Greeli,  and  Mathematics  and  I  got  tlirougli  as  otliers  did — 

Indeed  I  i}iay  say.  among  tlie  best  of  tliem. 

Dr.  Peregrine  Wroth,  in  his  handwritten  autobiogiMphy 


254 


Dr.  Wroth  was  not  afraid  of  a  fight,  and  he  describes  m  his  memoir  two  such 
encounters. The  first  was  a  boyhood  fist  fight: 

"In  those  days,  the  students  of  the  College  did  not  always  confine  them- 
selves to  the  playground  and  extensive  lawn  m  front  of  the  College  building. 
Quarrels  were  frequent  and  fights  an  occurrence  of  at  least  once  a  week.  I  had 
two. The  first  was  with  Charles  Pratt  from  Queen  Anne's  County  and  one  of  the 
bullies  ot  his  class.  I  then  wore  my  hair  tied  behind  in  a  queue.  He  kept  his 
coarse  black  hair  shaved  pretty  close  to  his  head.  When  the  ring  was  made  and 
we  were  stripped  tor  the  fight,  he  managed  me  at  his  will  until  he  tore  all  the 
hair  h"om  my  head.  I  could  not  catch  him  by  his  hair.  It  was  too  short  to  keep 
hold  on.  But  after  he  had  gone  mine  off,  we  were  then  on  an  equalits'  and  m  a 
few  minuets  I  drove  him  out  of  the  ring  by  hard  blows  and  he  seized  a  stone  to 
crack  at  me.  He  was  prevented  by  the  judges  ot  the  tight  and  pronounced  whipt. 

"Some  of  the  restless  spirits  of  the  school  got  up  a  tight  between  PeteTilden 
and  myself,  tho'  we  personally  had  no  dispute. We  were  ccinducted  atter  dismissal 
of  the  schools  at  tive  p.m.  under  a  tree  m  a  valley  ofWilmer's  tield  and  tought 
nearly  an  hour  with  varied  success.  At  the  end  ot  this  time  our  seconds  became 
alarmed  lest  we  should  both  be  killed  and  separated  us — we  could  scarcely  see 
to  tind  our  way  home.  My  tather  went  to  College  the  next  morning  to  mtorm 
Dr.  Ferguson  that  he  thought  my  lite  in  danger  trom  the  bruising  and  he  tound 
Miss  Vmer,  the  aunt  and  guardian  of  my  antagonist,  on  the  same  errand.  Dr. 
Ferguson  discovered  who  were  the  seconds  and  gave  them  a  good  tloggmg. 
There  the  matter  ended." 

As  a  young  man  he  was  involved  m  a  duel,  described  m  his  memoir: 

"During  the  summer  of  1805,  my  college  chum  Pearce  asked  me  one  ciay  to 
take  a  walk. After  enjoining  secrecy  upon  me, he  intormed  me  that  Dr. Andersons 
pupil  Wilson  had  challenged  him  to  mortal  combat,  that  he  had  accepted  and 
that  they  were  soon  to  meet  with  pistols.  I  was  deeply  attected  and  begged  him 
to  permit  me  to  mediate  between  them.  He  positively  objected  on  account  ot 
our  known  intimacy — believing  that  Wilson  would  always  thmk  that  m\-  inter- 
ference had  been  suggested  by  him. 

"As  the  day  approached  for  the  duel,  Pearce  gave  me  notice  that  he  should 
expect  me  to  attend  him  in  the  character  of  surgeon.  Being  entirely  without 
surgical  experience,  with  the  single  exception  of  phlebotomy,  I  urged  that  Dr. 
Browne  should  be  employed,  but  he  peremptorily  declared  he  would  have  none 
but  me.  On  the  evening  preceding  the  appointed  day,  we  started  from  town, 
crossed  Chester  River  m  the  ferry  boat  (long  before  the  bridge  was  built)  and 
went  through  Queen  Anne's  to  Head  of  Chester,  since  named  Millmgton,  where 
we  spent  the  night.  Before  we  retired  to  bed  Alexander  Stuart,  Wilson's  second, 
asked  an  interview  with  Robert  Wright  (eldest  son  of  Robert  Wright,  after- 
wards Governor  of  Maryland),  Pearce's  second,  and  proposed  that  on  the  mor- 


255 


row  the  parties  should  fire  as  long  as  either  of  them  could  hold  a  pistol.  This 
bloody  proposal  was  promptly  agreed  to. 

"The  next  morning,  we  proceeded  on  the  Smyrna  road  until  within  the 
Delaware  line.  A  suitable  spot  was  chosen — the  ground  measured  off  ten  paces 
and  the  principals  took  their  stations.  At  the  word,  Pearce  fired — raising  his  other 
pistol,  he  found  it  only  half-cocked  and  turning  about  half  round  to  cock  it, 
Wilson  discharged  his  first  pistol  and  struck  Pearce  about  the  middle  of  his  back. 
The  ball  did  not  enter  the  skin  and  was  found  aftei"wards  in  his  boot.  Pearce 
turned  around  facing  his  antagonist  and  fired  his  second  pistol,  and  struck  him 
about  the  middle  of  his  arm,  breaking  the  radius  and  wounding  the  radial  artery. 
Wilson's  left  arm  (the  one  wounded)  was  crossed  over  his  breast — or  the  bullet 
would  have  entered  his  breast  about  the  heart.  Wilson  then  thought  he  would 
make  sure  work  and  advanced  intending  to  kill  him;  but  to  leave  his  station  was 
contrary  to  the  rules  agreed  upon  and  Pearce's  second  presented  a  pistol,  swear- 
ing he  would  shoot  him  if  he  did  not  stop.  Thus,  as  Wilson  had  violated  the 
terms,  the  battle  was  at  an  end  and  he  threw  down  his  pistol  and  laid  down  on 
the  ground.  It  was  not  known  before  that  he  was  wounded. 

"His  surgeon  Dr.  Gordon  then  following  his  profession  in  the  Head  of  Chester, 
ran  to  him  and  finding  him  badly  wounded,  burned  him  with  a  temporary 
bandage  to  the  village.  We  also  hurried  from  the  field  and  when  we  arrived  I 
examined  and  dressed  Pearce  s  back — and  laughed  at  him,  saying  he  must  have 
been  running,  to  get  a  wound  in  that  part.  He  bore  our  raillery  very  good- 
naturedly.  Understanding  that  Wilson's  wound  was  only  m  the  arm,  we  were  all 
in  high  spirits,  not  dreaming  of  danger. 

"Dr.  Gordon  caUed  Dr.  Gecides  m  consultation  and  finding  the  radius  much 
shattered  and  the  artery  wounded,  proposed  amputation  of  the  limb.  To  this 
Wilson  absolutely  objected.  About  two  weeks  afterwards,  alter  some  severe  hem- 
orrhages, gangrene  came  on  and  when  there  was  no  other  hope,  he  consented  to 
the  amputation. The  operation  was  performed  but  without  success. About  a  month 
after  the  duel  poor  Wilson  died. 

"From  this  time  it  was  evielent  that  Pearce  was  strongly  affected.  He  inclulged 
in  abundant  spirits  which  would  produce  exuberant  spirits — for  a  time.  But  his 
friends  saw  that  his  conscience  was  wounded  and  that  happiness  had  fled  forever. 
He  never  got  over  it.  As  soon  as  his  studies  were  completed,  he  emigrated  to 
Ohio — he  became  deranged — and  leaving  Urbana  to  visit  a  settlement  of  the 
Shakers  at  some  distance,  was  never  seen  again  m  life.  It  was  discovered  that  he 
had  not  reached  the  Shaker  settlement.  Search  was  made  anci  his  bones  and 
clothes  were  found  in  the  woods  and  it  was  supposed  the  had  been  devoured  by 
wolves  which  then  abounded  in  that  part  of  Ohio.  This  happened  about  1814  or 
1815." 


256 


"Earliest  Affections"  of  Washington  College 


By  James  A.  Peanr.  Clms  of  I860 

The  son  ot  Senator  James  A.  Pearee,  the  younger  Pearce  was  a  College  Trustee  from  1863  to  1917. 
The  following  remarks  were  made  in  1895  at  a  banquet  of  the  Mount  Vernon  Literai-y  Society'  on 
Washington's  Birthday. 

THE  REM1NISCENC:es  of  my  college  days  date  from  Janu- 
ary 1854.  I  had  never  then  attended  any  school,  public  or  private,  having 
been  always  taught  at  home,  anci  the  awe  with  which  I  lookeci  fonvard  to  enter- 
ing college  was  something  inexpressible.  I  went  literally  m  tear  and  trembling, 
both  ot  teachers  and  students,  tor  1  had  no  brothers,  anci  haci  but  little  contact 
with  other  boys.  But  the  wind  is  always  tempered  to  the  shorn  lamb,  and  I  soon 
found  my  awe  giving  way  to  other  feelings. The  principal  at  that  time  was  Francis 
\^iters,  a  stately  and  impressive  olci  school  gentleman,  distinguished  as  an  in- 
structor and  disciplinarian,  and  as  kindly  as  he  was  dignitied.  I  shall  always  admire 
and  cherish  his  memory  as  a  true  gentleman  and  scholar. 

It  was  my  fortune,  however,  to  be  under  the  direction  of  a  tutor,  whose  name 
I  need  not  give,  and  whose  intellectual  cjualifications  were  ample,  but  who  was 
not  himselt  a  gentleman,  and  had  no  conception  that  a  boy  could  be  a  gentle- 
man. He  succeeded  in  making  me  very  miserable  ciuring  his  reign,  anci  time  has 
not  yet  eftaced  the  recollection  of  many  unfeeling  insults  offered  by  him  to  me 
and  others  whose  progress  or  conduct  ciid  not  win  his  approbation. 

I  shall  never  forget  my  tirst  reading  m  Latin  with  him.  I  had  an  elementary 
reader  at  home  and  had  little  grammar.  I  was  put  in  a  class  with  stucients  older 
and  much  better  prepared  than  myself.  I  could  not  read  Latin  without  trembling 
and  halting,  and  I  could  not  rencier  it  even  with  ciecent  English.  As  for  parsing,  I 
did  not  know  what  that  meant,  and  after  some  days  of  hopeless  effort  to  keep  up, 
I  was  degraded  from  the  class  into  which  I  should  never  have  been  put,  and 
tound  myselt  in  a  lower  class,  where,  under  the  mtluence  ot  a  better  man  anci 
teacher,  I  succeeded  in  accjuiring  some  knowledge  of  my  Latin  studies. 


The  Library  shall  be  open  between  the  hours 
of  I  and  2  p.m.  ex>ery  Thursday. 

Adopted  by  the  College  Board,  April  30,  1855. 


257 


p?M^A  ^^'    'i 


'.VERNlON     LlTERflRy    iOoifTf 


^.^..^sSs^Sfe. 


77(f  Mt.  Jl'rihvi  Litcidiy  Society,  founded  in  1847,  was  one  of  tlie 
most  iU'tivc  student  ori;iini:dtioiis.  It  Idsted  well  into  the  1960s. 


Dr.  Waters  was  succeeded  hy  Andrew  J.  Sutton,  who  was  educated  at  St. 
Mary  s  College,  Baltimore,  m  its  balmy  ciays,  and  it  was  my  good  fortune  to  be 
thrown  chiefly  under  his  personal  instruction.  His  general  scholarship  was  high, 
but  in  his  mastery  of  the  Enghsh  and  Latin  tongues  he  was  the  peer  of  the  best 
man  I  have  ever  known.  His  English  was  drawn  from  the  undefiled  wells  of 
Chaucer,  and  he  read  and  spoke  the  Latin  language  with  a  charm  of  accent  and 
intonation  which  was  indescribable,  and  rendered  into  English,  with  a  clearness 
and  elegance  which  won  the  admiration  of  all  who  heard  him. 

While  I  was  a  student  at  the  College,  the  present  east  and  west  buildings 
were  erected.  The  second  floor  of  the  west  building  was  known  as  Broadway  and 
the  third  floor  as  Pig  Alley  and  the  character  and  habits  of  the  residents  in  some 
sense  justified  the  names. The  citizens  of  Broadway  were  comparatively  neat  and 
orderly;  the  denizens  of  Pig  Alley  neglected  the  amenities  of  college  life.  During 


258 


the  day  (for  I  was  a  day  scholar),  I  occupied  No.  6  Broadway,  the  last  room  on  the 
right  going  south,  which  was  the  home  of  my  best  friend  and  classmate,  Samuel 
K.  Dennis  of  Worcester  County,  one  of  the  best  men  who  ever  lived. 

I  did  not  graduate  at  Washington  College.  I  went  in  1857  to  Princeton,  and 
though  acimitted  as  a  sophomore  half-advancecl.  I  may  say  with  becoming  mod- 
esty that  I  graduated  in  1860,  second  in  a  class  of  eighty-eight. 

I  will  only  add  that  my  earliest  affections  are  connected  with  Washington 
College  and  they  will  remain  warm  and  true  as  long  as  I  live.  Whenever  I  enter 
her  halls  or  come  within  their  shadow,  I  pay  silent  tribute  to  the  magic  memories 
of  youth.  Long  may  Washington  College  stand  to  educate  and  elevate  the  youth 
ot  the  land. 


The  College  in  "Horse  and  Buggy"  Days 

by  Ernest  A.  Howard  '05 

Howard,  a  3n-year  member  of  the  Board  otVisitors  and  Governors,  first  arrived  on  camptis  on 
September  18,  1900  and  graduated  ciiiii  laude  m  1905.  He  wa'-  awarded  the  honorary  degree  ot  Doctor  of 
Humanities  degree  at  the  Washington  s  Birthday  Convoeatioii  m  1970. The  following  recollections  are 
excerpted  from  memoirs  written  in  luly  1953. 

THE  TRIP  t^N  THAT  FIRST  DAY  from  Elkton  to  Chcstertown  con- 
sumed a  little  over  four  hours  by  rail.  The  final  stage  of  the  journey  was 
made  by  the  Kent  CountV'  train,  which  was  composed  ot  a  single  passenger 
coach  attached  to  a  string  ot  treight  cars  and  was  usually  reterred  to  as  the 
"jerkwater."  Other  passengers  on  the  train  that  morning  were  Professor  E.  J. 
Clarke  anci  wife,  Walter  E.  Gunby  ot  Berlin,  Mar\'land,  and  Ernest  R.  Biles  ot 
Fair  HiU,  Maryland. 

We  walked  up  from  the  station  which  was  then  on  the  western  edge  ot  town, 
and  our  trunks  were  hauled  to  College  Hill  by  a  hack  man  who  answered  to  the 
name  Levi.  That  afternoon  President  Reid  assigned  me  to  a  room  on  the  third 
floor  of  East  Hall. 

Those  were  the  horse-and-buggy  days,  and  to  the  west  ot  the  g>'m  there  was 
a  row  of  sheds  for  sheltering  the  teams  of  those  day  students  who  drove  in  trom 
the  nearby  country. These  sheds  also  served  to  camouflage  the  men's  latrines  m 
the  rear,  a  region  which  was  jocosely  known  as  "Egypt"  in  the  era  prior  to  the 
introduction  ot  plumbing.  Between  East  and  Middle  halls  was  a  well  trom  whose 
depths  we  imbibed  aqua  pura  by  means  of  an  iron  ladle  which  was  secured  to  the 
pump  by  a  stout  chain.  Legend  had  it  that  this  dipper  was  a  gift  from  George 
Washinaiton  himselt. 


259 


At  the  turn  t'/  the  tirciiticth  iCiititiy,  the  loii'-shiin;  Chester  Rii'er 
hrid{;e  u\is  hiiih  upon  uvodcii  trusses  atui  proi'ided  a  swiiio  i^dte  to 
aUow  bocits  to  pass  throu{;li.  This,  the  first  iioii-ioh  hridi;e. 
superseded  a  toll  bridge  and  ferry  boat  seri'iee  across  the  river. 


In  the  basement  of  Normal  Hall  were  located  the  kitchen  and  dining  room 
for  all  students. They  were  members  of  a  cooperative  boarding  club  whose  affairs 
were  managed  by  a  commissary,  William  McFeely.  hi  addition  to  invoking  a 
blessing  before  each  meal,  McFeely  furnished  good  substantial  fot:>d  for  his  club 
members  at  cost  price,  averaging  about  two  dollars  weekly. 

Except  at  meal  times,  the  male  population  was  sedulously  excluded  from 
Normal  Hall  and  the  surrounding  premises.  Another  exception  was  made  when 
the  \-oung  ladies,  under  the  watchful  eye  of  a  chaperone,  were  permitted  to 
receive  the  gallants  of  East  and  West  halls  every  other  Friclay  evening  between 
the  hours  of  eight  and  ten  o'clock  in  the  parlors  of  Normal  Hall.  In  view  of  the 
restraints  and  close  surveillance  to  which  the  occupants  of  Normal  Hall  were 
continually  subjecteci,  there  was  many  an  affaire  d'amour  carried  on  by  means  of 
a  clandestine  correspondence. 

Middle  Hall  m  those  days  might  properly  have  been  called  the  administra- 
tion building.  On  the  first  flot^r  were  four  classrooms. The  southwestern  quarter 


260 


was  the  classroom  of  the  president,  Dr.  Charles  Wesley  Reid.  Adjoining  his  was 
the  classroom  of  Professor  Clarke,  English  instructor,  while  Miss  Katherine  Kemp 
Hobbs,  principal  ot  the  Normal  Department,  presided  over  the  remainder  of  the 
first  floor.  Dr.  James  Roy  Micou  and  the  shades  of  Virgil,  Cicero,  and  Horace 
held  forth  on  the  second  floor  directly  over  Dr.  Reid,  while  Dr.  J.  S.  William 
Jones,  of  the  Department  of  Mathematics,  occupied  the  room  across  the  hall 
from  Dr.  Micou,  and  Miss  Alice  Riley  taught  French  and  German  m  the  north- 
western quarter  ot  the  second  floor.  The  other  section  ot  this  tloor  housed  the 
College  library. 

The  third  floor  ot  Middle  Hall  was  reserve  dormitory  capacity.  It  also  served 
occasionally  as  a  quarantine  ward  anci  sometimes  a  kangaroo  court  here  held  its 
sessions  and  dispensed  stucient  justice.  The  basement  of  Middle  Hall  prcwided 
living  quarters  for  the  janitor  and  his  spouse.  At  that  time  the  incumbent  was 
William  Hudson.  He  was  later  succeeded  by  one  Charles  H.  Brown,  whc^se  most 
noticeable  characteristics  were  his  extreme  strabismus  and  his  pmk  chin  whis- 
kers.The  daily  chores  ot  the  janitor  required  him  to  make  up  the  beds,  empty  the 
slop-jars,  and  fill  the  water  pitcher  with  which  each  room  was  furnished.  An- 
other duty  was  to  carry  the  mail  to  anci  from  the  local  post  office. 

West  Hall  was  populated  by  freshmen  and  students  in  the  Preparatory  De- 
partment. In  those  days  Dr.  A.  Sager  Hall  used  the  northern  end  of  the  basement 
of  West  Hall  as  his  recitation  room,  with  the  physical  and  chemical  laboratories 
in  the  rear. 


Tlie  boys  it>ere  tiot  averse  to  participatiiii;  in  a  bit  of 

mischief  if  the  opportiiuity  invited.  Wlienever  a  stray 

liorse  wandered  upon  the  campus  for  some  peaceful 

grazhig,  lie  n'as  promptly  corralled,  a  bucket  or  sei'eral  tin 

cans  were  attached  to  his  tail,  and  he  was  released  with 

his  head  in  the  direction  of  town.  The  frightened  animal 

usually  bolted  down  Washington  Avenue  at  a  fast  gait 

with  the  strange  appendage  clattering  at  his  heels. 

Ernest  A.  Howard  '(.)5,  in  his  memoirs. 


261 


The  Mother's  Day  Soldier 

Several  others  and  I  donated  enough  money  to 
put  her  m  a  private  sanitarium.  At  her  wish,  I 
agreed  to  carry  on  her  work.  The  first  Mother's 
Day  after  her  death,  I  held  a  service  at  which  a 
bronze  plaque  of  her  likeness  was  dedicated." 

So  wrote  Maude  Olivia  Hickman,  College  Class 
of  1900,  in  describing  how  she  carried  the  torch 
for  a  nationwide  celebration  of  Mothers  Day 
following  the  death  of  the  holiday  founder  Anna 
M.Jarvis  in  1948.  Hickman,  who  ran  her  own 
purchasing  agency  and  traveled  the  world,  met 


Jarvis  at  the  end  ofWorldWar  I.Jarvis's  mother  had 
organized  the  first  Mothers  Friendship  Day  to 
unite  families  after  the  Civil  War.  Following  her 
mother's  death  in  1905,  Anna  Jarvis  lobbied  politi- 
cians and  ministers  to  set  aside  a  day  to  honor  all 
mothers.  In  1914,  Pres.Woodrow  Wilson  pro- 
claimed Mother's  Day  the  second  Sunday  in  May. 
Hickman,  who  included  clean  streets  and  anti- 
communism  among  her  causes,  served  as  the  most 
vocal  spokesperson  for  Mother's  Day  the  rest  of  her 
life.  |W| 


The  large  room  on  the  first  tloor  ofWest  Hall  was  used  as  an  assembly  hall. 
Here  the  entire  student  body  and  faculty  assembled  at  1 1 :30  in  the  morning,  five 
days  a  week,  tor  chapel  exercises.  The  exercises  consisted  of  a  Scripture  reading 
and  prayer,  announcements,  and  reports  ot  infractions  of  College  regulations, 
together  with  declamations  by  three  hapless  individuals  before  the  assembled 
multitude.  A  declamation  was  required  once  a  month  of  every  one  except  se- 
niors, and  seniors  were  obliged  to  deliver  two  formal  orations  during  the  year — 
one  on  the  day  before  the  Christinas  holidays  and  the  second  before  the  Easter 
hoHdays. 

At  the  conclusion  of  chapel.  Dr.  Reid  would  repair  to  his  office  and  those 
who  had  been  reported  as  transgressors  would  follow  him  thither  for  the  pur- 
pose of  attempting  to  establish  alibis  or  to  learn  the  penalty  to  be  meted  out  m 
case  It  was  more  desirable  to  enter  a  plea  of  nolo  contendere. 


The  faculty  dwells  in  memory  and  though  its  members  ha\'e  all  gone  to  their 
rewards,  I  still  feel  for  them  the  same  respect  anci  affection  that  I  did  fifty  years 
ago.  They  were  all  sincere,  conscientious  men,  devoted  wholeheartedly  to  their 
work,  and  giving  their  lives  in  a  vocation  which  offered  no  advancement  and 
yielded  very  small  financial  compensation.  If  Washington  College  ranked  low  in 


262 


>Kk^k>f<ilW^WWtWW^H'.AW.MW'.WJUW^'WWV''^'  v*,;^  SV.V 


.,^^^;^9V     '  iSKSJME 


■vwiJtvt'^  ^  *mv.  --HMJ}". 


Sonic  of  Ernest  Hoii'ard's  beloved  professors  remained  on  tlic 
faenlty  tlironi^li  the  1920s  dnrini;  the  adininistratiou  of 
President  Titsu'ortli  (front  row,  far  riiiln).  DrA.  Sai;er  Hall 
(far  left)  and  J.S.  William  Jones  arc  pictnred  in  the  front  ron>. 


263 


wealth  and  size,  it  did  not  suffer  m  the  matter  of  faculty  when  compared  with 
more  renowned  institutions. 

The  president.  Dr.  Charles  Wesley  Reid,  taught  Greek,  logic,  political  economy, 
and  civil  government.  Dr.  Reid  was  familiarly  know  as  "Dutch."  He  was  very 
bald,  wore  a  spreading  chin  beard,  and  rode  a  bicycle  despite  a  tendency  to  be 
corpulent  and  awkward.  He  did  not  possess  much  fluency  as  a  speaker  and  I 
recall  that  the  prayers  he  oftereci  in  chapel  were  those  to  be  found  in  the  Book  of 
Common  Prayer. 

James  Roy  Micou,  professor  of  Latin  and  the  vice-principal,  v^^as  known  to 
one  and  all  as  "Mike."  He  was  born  in  Tappahannock,  Virginia  on  February  3, 
1859,  was  educated  at  the  University  ofVirginia,  and  came  to  "Washington  Col- 
lege in  February  1887  to  teach  for  the  ensuing  forty  years.  His  learning  and 
phenomenal  memory  were  fully  recognized.  Mike  was  perhaps  the  most  popular 
teacher  and  best  liked  by  the  boys.  He  had  a  number  of  mannerisms.  He  wouki 
toss  a  piece  of  chalk  in  the  air  while  pacing  the  floor,  he  appeared  to  whistle 
inaudibly,  and  he  haci  a  quizzical  manner  of  peering  over  his  eye-glasses,  espe- 
cially when  he  engaged  m  a  colloquy  of  this  kind: 

"How  much  of  this  passage  have  you  translated,  Mr.  Brittingham?" 
"The  greater  part  of  it.  Doctor." 

"And  how  much  haven't  you  translated?"  : 

"Oh,  the  other  part." 

Abram  Sager  Hall  had  become  head  of  the  Science  Department  m  1896  and 
remained  m  that  post  for  thirty-one  years.  He  was  born  in  Saline,  Michigan,  on 
September  19,  1855,  and  in  1878  received  the  third  Ph.D.  conferred  by  the 
University  of  Michigan.  Dr.  Hall  was  a  slencier,  wiry  man  and  at  first  cultivated 
sideburns  which  disappeared  in  a  year  or  two.  He  was  an  original  thinker  and 


It  ei'olved  upon  me  in  my  senior  year  to  represent 

Washington  College  in  the  State  Oratorical  contest  and 

when  I  went  to  College  Park  for  that  purpose  on  the 

evening  of  April  28,  1905,  I  was  attired  in  Dr 

Clarke's  dress  suit  in  which  Mrs.  Clarke  had  made 

some  necessary  alterations  for  that  occasion. 

Ernest  A.  Howard  '05,  in  his  memoirs. 


264 


Ernest  A.  Howard  was  one  ofjh'e  1905  }iraihiares  to  p'roces 
tlnvui^li  the  streets  of  Cliestertown  to  Staui's  Hall  for 
coninienieincnt  exercises. 


265 


probably  the  most  inspiring  teacher  on  the  facu!t\'.  When  he  explained  a  prob- 
lem in  his  class  he  would  speak  with  the  most  grave  look  on  his  face  and  hold  his 
listeners  in  close  attention.  At  the  end  ot  his  talk  he  would  quickly  break  into  a 
smile  and  every  one  relaxed.  Dr.  Hall  was  also  a  musician.  For  many  years  he  was 
director  of  the  choir  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  Chestertown. 

J.  S.William  Jones  haci  been  calleci  to  head  the  Department  of  Mathematics 
in  1892,  only  three  years  after  his  graduation  from  Washington  College,  and  his 
active  and  intimate  connection  with  his  aluia  Diater  was  destined  to  continue 
longer  than  that  of  any  other  person  in  the  history  of  the  College.  He  was  a 
native  of  Chance,  Maryland,  where  he  was  born  on  November  19,  1866.  Dr. 
Jones  wore  a  heaw  mustache  and  had  a  habit  of  jerking  his  head  while  talking. 


Anv  narrative  of  Washington  College  would  be  incomplete  if  it  omitted  men- 
tion ot  Alva  Burton  Burris,  better  known  as  "Prot"  Burris.  He  entered  the  Col- 
lege as  a  student  in  1892  and  displayed  such  athletic  prowess  that  in  two  years  he 
was  given  the  post  ot  Athletic  Director.  In  this  capacits'  he  served  for  twelve 
years,  1893  to  1905.  During  that  time  he  was  head  coach  and  in  charge  of  the 
entire  athletic  program. 

"Prot "Burris  was  soft-spoken  and  mild-mannered, and  sympathetic  and  help- 
ful in  looking  alter  the  physical  ailments  of  the  boys.  I  still  bear  the  scar  of  a 
fviruncle  which  he  treated  by  an  application  of  soap  and  sugar.  After  leaving 
Washington  College  he  made  meciicine  his  protession  and  became  a  successful 
physician  in  Salisbury. 

In  my  opinion  George  W  Powell  "02  was  outstanding  as  a  wit  and  humorist. 
He  was  Humorous  Editor  of  the  Collegian,  as  the  monthly  student  publication 
was  then  called.  I  recall  a  wager  which  was  made  between  Powell  and  Dudley  G. 
Roe  '(Jl  on  the  outcome  to  the  Presidential  election  in  1900. The  former  sup- 
ported McKmley  tor  reelection,  while  Roe  backed  William  Jennings  Bryan  to 
will,  and  It  was  agreed  that  the  man  whose  candidate  lost  m  the  election  would 
propel  the  other  in  a  wheelbarrow  from  East  Hall  to  Normal  Hall  at  breakfast 
time  on  the  morning  after  election.  Powell  rode  to  breaktast  in  a  wheelbarrow 
on  the  tront  ot  which  an  American  tlag  fluttered  m  the  morning  breeze. 

The  foremost  orator  ot  those  times  was  Alexander  L.  Harrington  '06.  He  was 
able  and  willing  to  debate  any  subject  at  any  time.  He  represented  Washington 
College  in  the  annual  oratorical  contest  ot  Maryland  colleges  at  Westminster  on 
April  24,  19(J3,  and  was  an  easy  winner  of  the  state  championship.  His  theme  was 
"Foundations  of  American  Greatness." 


In  the  tullness  ot  time  our  prescribed  course  was  completed  and  on  a  hot 
Sunday  mornmg  in  June  we  sat  in  historic  Emmanuel  P.  E.  Church  and  heard 
the  baccalaureate  sermon  preached  by  the  Right  Rev.  William  Forbes  Adams, 
Bishop  ot  the  Diocese  ot  Easton. 

One  ot  his  untorgotten  epigrams  was  this:  "The  Bible  is  greatly  respected, 
but  the  New  York  Herald  is  much  more  avidly  read." 


The  Odyssey  of  the  ''Emma  Giles" 

By  Phillip  J.  ll'iiioatc  '33 

EAl^LY  ON  THE  MORNING  OF  OCTOBER  2  1  ,  1928, Wiishmgton 
College  was  afloat  on  the  broad  waters  ot  the  Chesapeake  Bay.  The  build- 
ings and  grounds  ot  the  College,  to  be  sure,\\'ere  still  sately  on  the  hill  at  the  top 
of  Washington  Avenue  in  Chestertown,  but  the  student  body  and  part  ot  the 
tacultv"  \^•el"e  all  on  board  the  good  ship  Eiiinia  Giles,  steaming  toward  Annapolis 
and  a  football  game  with  St. Johns  College. 

This  trip  was  unic]ue  in  the  history  ot  Marvland's  t:)ldest  college  and  some 
background  is  needed  to  make  it  understandable,  or  even  believable.  First,  it 
should  be  noted  that  tootball  during  the  1920s  had  a  grip  on  college  students 
which  never  has  been  eL]ualed  since.  Football  was  so  solidly  enthroned  as  the 
king  of  college  sports  that  such  stars  of  the  college  gridiron  as  Red  Grange,"The 
Galloping  Ghost  ot  Illinois,"  and  the  "Four  Horsemen  ot  Notre  Dame'"  received 
far  more  newspaper  space  than  President  Calvin  Coolidge.  Second,  tootball  at 
Washington  College  was  an  enigma. The  College's  tamous  Flying  Pentagon  bas- 
ketball team  seldom  lost  a  game,  but  the  football  team  seldom  won  one.  So  when 
Capt.Ted  Norris  led  his  team  to  an  unexpected  victory  over  St.  John's  College 
m  1927,  at  Chestertown,  the  students  went  wild  and  burned  to  the  ground  the 
ramshackle  wooden  bleachers  east  of  the  football  field.  They  really  did. 

Furthermore,  haMiig  tound  a  team  the\'  could  deteat  m  tootball,  they  almost  im- 
mediately began  to  make  plans  for  a  reuirn  game  to  be  played  at  Annapolis  m  1928. 

These  plans  consisted  primarily  ot  chartering  the  Euiiiia  Giles,  a  steamboat, 
hailed  as  "the  pride  of  the  Chesapeake  Bay  tleet,"  when  she  was  commissioned 
in  1886.  But  despite  her  ancient  age,  the  EiiiDia  Giles  was  still  a  beautitul  vessel  m 
1928.  She  had  been  given  a  fresh  paint  job  in  1927  and  Tlie  Maryland  Cluhinan, 
edited  by  W.Wilson  Wingate  '17,  saici  she  was  still, "Queen  of  the  fleet,"  and  her 


267 


/;(  licr  i^lory  days,  the  stcaiiiboat  Emma  CJiles  was  a 
inagiiificciit  I'csscl.  Slic  plied  the  watcis  of  the  Chesapeake 
Bay  from  1886  until  1939,  ii'hen  slie  was  coiiwited  into  a 
freii^ht  hai'^e. 


dining  room  was  "a  gourmet  delight  which  teatiired  such  dishes  as  trieci  sott- 
shell  crabs  and  baked  shad." The  pjiiitia  Giles  truly  was  a  fancy  vessel  with  three 
decks,  a  circular  wheelhouse  on  the  top  deck,  a  huge  smokestack,  and  two  pacidle 
wheels,  one  on  each  side,  with  a  hand-carved  wood  covering  over  each  showing 
a  beehive  and  flowers. 

The  vessel  left  Chestertown  at  5:30  a.m.  because  the  football  game  with  St. 
Johns  had  been  scheduled  for  1  1 :3n  a.m.,  to  avoid  conflict  with  the  Navy-Duke 
game  scheduled  tor  2:00  p.m.  that  same  eiay.  He^wever,  on  this  excursion,  the 
Eiinitit  Giles  made  nc5  arrangements  to  ha\-e  the  Washington  College  students 
dine  in  her  dmiiiii  room — tor  two  reasons.  First,  the  retiular  cost  ot  a  dinner  iii 


268 


this  "gourmet  delight"  was  $1.00,  a  steep  price  in  those  days,  and  second,  the 
vessel  sekioni  served  more  than  25  people  on  a  single  trip  on  the  hay.  So,  accord- 
ing to  Elizabeth  "Pet"  Mace  (Farver),  Class  of  1931,  the  250  or  so  students, 
faculty,  and  hangers-on  came  supplied  with  a  mass  of  sandwiches  which  they 
washed  down  with  bottled  Cokes  and  NeHi.  If  there  were  any  hip  pocket  flasks, 
a  popular  item  with  college  students  in  those  days  when  Prohibition  was  still  the 
law.  Pet  said  she  was  not  aware  of  them.  The  trip  was  a  long  one,  lasting  three  or 
four  hours  each  way,  and  the  students  who  made  it  began  to  tell  tales  about  the 
voyage  of  the  Emma  Giles  almost  immediately,  and  have  never  stopped  talking 
about  it  since. 

Joe  Glackin,  Class  ot  '30,  began  to  glamorize  the  voyage  ot  the  Emma  Giles  as 
early  as  1932,  when  he  returned  to  Chestertown  for  the  College's  sesquicenten- 
nial  celebration. "You  guys  put  on  a  good  show  here  today,  but  we  had  a  lot  more 
fun  on  the  Emma  Giles  in  1928. We  had  the  whole  ciamn  student  body  tor  an  all- 
day  trip  on  the  Chester  River  and  the  Chesapeake  Bay  with  the  glee  club  and  a 
dance  band  to  keep  us  entertained.  It  reminded  me  ot  Showboat,  which  had 
opened  on  Broaciway  in  1927,  and  was  still  going  strong  m  192<S.  although  1  can't 
remember  the  dance  band  playing  any  music  from  Showboat.  I  think  we  went  in 
much  more  for  Cole  Porter  tunes.  But  I  do  remember  Dr. Titsworth  telling  me 
that  Ecina  Ferber,  who  wrote  the  book  on  which  the  show  was  based,  spent  a 
week  on  a  Chesapeake  Bay  steamboat  which  used  to  come  up  the  CHiester  River 
to  Chestertown,  when  she  was  getting  background  tor  the  novel." 

Sixty-one  years  later.  Colonel  Ken  Perrin  '3  I  continued  part  ot  what  Clackin 
said.  "I  don't  remember  any  Shoii'boat  tunes  either,"  he  said,  "but  neither  do  I 
remember  any  C'ole  Porter,  even  though  I've  alwa\'S  been  a  Cole  Porter  tan.  As  1 
recall  it,  we  had  mosth'  jazzv  stuft  more  suited  to  the  Charleston  and  )itterbug 
dancing." 

Carolyn  Wingate  (Todd)  '29  often  talked  with  members  ot  her  tamily  about 
the  Emma  Giles  trip  and  disagreed  with  both  Glackin  and  Perrin  on  some  points, 
but  contlrmed  some  others."!  think  Joe  Glackm  was  drunk  or  dreaming  when 
he  said  Edna  Ferber  spent  a  week  on  some  Chester  River  steamboat.  Elizabeth 
Titsworth  and  I  were  best  friends  for  two  years,  and  I  often  visited  Dr.Titsworth's 
house,  but  I  never  heard  him  speak  ot  Edna  Ferber  on  the  Chester  River,  even 
though  he  did  talk  about  seeing  the  Broadway  show  and  about  how  she  spent  a 
month  or  so  on  the  Mississippi  getting  background  for  her  book.  I  don't  think 
the  ciance  band  played  any  Cole  Porter  tunes  on  the  Emma  Giles  but  there  was  a 
Cole  Porter  set  ot  lyrics  on  board  that  day,  because  Joe  Alexander  had  given  me 
a  copy  of  it.  One  of  his  relatives  had  just  seen  a  New  Haven  try-out  of  Porter's 
new  show  called  Paris,  and  was  so  tickled  by  a  song  m  it  called  'Let's  Do  It,'  that 
he  got  me  a  copy.  It  was  a  long  piece  and  kind  of  risque  for  those  days,  but  mostly 
It  was  great  fun. 


269 


"So  I  made  a  copy  for  Elizabeth  Titsworth  and  we  both  had  a  lot  of  fun 
showing  It  to  people  on  the  Emma  Giles.  Several  of  us  were  laughing  at  this  song 
when  Professor  Makosky  came  up  and  asked  what  was  so  funny  and  we  showed 
him.  He  laughed,  too,  and  was  reading  it  a  second  time  when  word  came  over 
the  loud  speaker  saying  that  the  temperature  on  the  Bay  was  a  balmy  61  degrees. 

"Dean  Jones  was  sitting  near  us  reading  a  newspaper  when  the  announce- 
ment about  the  temperature  was  made,  and  I  guess  he  wanted  to  get  into  the 
conversation  going  on  near  him  that  everyone  seemed  to  be  enjoying.  Anyway, 
he  startled  us  all  by  saying:  'That's  funny.  I'm  a  balmy  61  myself  and  I'll  be  62  in 
about  a  month.'" 

"We  all  laughed,  but  Dean  Jones  was  too  austere  a  figure  to  us  to  let  him  in 
on  our  conversation.  Instead,  Professor  and  the  rest  of  us  just  moved  up  the  deck 
a  little  way  and  he  then  said  in  a  half  whisper:  "I  hear  that  all  cieans  become 
slightly  balmy  after  they  have  been  m  the  job  for  a  few  years."  Some  years  later, 
after  Makosky  had  moved  to  Western  Maryland  College  and  had  become  Dean 
there,  I  wrote  him  and  asked  him  if  he  remembered  what  he  had  said  that  day  on 
the  Emma  Giles.  It  \\"as  right  after  General  MacArthur  had  made  his  famous 
speech  to  Congress  in  which  he  said, 'Old  soldiers  never  die;  they  just  fade  away.' 
He  wrote  back  and  said  they  had  a  saying  at  Western  Maryland  that  'Old  deans 
never  die;  they  just  lose  their  faculties.'" 

Two  football  players  of  1928  remembered  the  Emma  Giles  trip  many  years 
later,  e\-en  though  they  traveled  separately  to  Annapolis  that  day.  One  \Mshed  he 
had  been  on  the  boat,  the  other  was  glad  he  was  not. 

"Red"Burk,  who  was  captain  of  the  1929  football  team  which  distinguished 
itself  by  tying  one  game  and  losing  all  the  others,  talked  about  the  trip  57  years 
later  and  said  he  regretted  not  being  on  the  Emma  Giles  because  "I  heard  they 
had  a  red  hot  poker  game  going  on  just  outside  the  engine  room,  and  I  believe  I 
could  have  cleaned  up  on  that  bunch  of  pantywaists  on  that  boat  that  day." 

Howard  "Buck"  Griffin,  star  pitcher  on  the  1930  baseball  team  that  won  the 
state  championship  that  year,  also  played  tackle  on  the  football  team  but  was  glad 
the  football  team  traveled  separately  that  day:  "I  got  my  nose  busted  when  I 
tackled  Clem  Spring,  their  star  running  back,  that  day,  and  I  was  glad  I  dicin't 
have  to  spend  four  hours  on  the  Emma  Giles  while  every  coed  examined  my 
nose." 

While  the  men  students  had  mixed  memories  of  the  Emma  Giles  and  her 
famous  trip,  the  coeds  seemed  to  have  enjoyed  the  trip  more.  Two  of  them  m 
particular,  "Pet"  Mace  (Farver)  and  Sarah  Linthicum  (Richardson),  both  of  the 
Class  of  1 93 1 ,  thought  the  whole  day  was  delightful  from  beginning  to  end.  As 
Joe  Glackm  said  in  1932:  "It  may  have  been  "Wishington's  finest  hour." 

It  also  ma\'  have  been  the  Emma  Giles 's  finest  hour  because  steamboats  on  the 
Chesapeake  were  drawing  near  the  end  of  their  era  m   1928.  In  fact,  that  era 


270 


The  Man  Behind  ''The  Blob" 

Among  fans  of  low-budget  teen  horror  flicks, 
"The  Blob"  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  most 
memorable  of  the  ooze  pile.  The  1958  release 
about  an  aUen  slime  that  consumes  every  living 
thing  in  its  path  helped  launch  the  career  of  actor 
Steve  McQueen.  But  for  script  writer  Theodore  W. 
Simonson,  who  attended  Washington  College  on 
the  G.I.  Bill  and  graduated  in  1949,  the  only 
notable  feature  about  the  film  was  its  theme  music, 
composed  by  a  young  and  little-known  Burt 
Bacharach. 

"The  music  was  playful  and  kmd  of  funny,"  said 
Simonson.  "It  took  the  curse  of  the  corniness  off. 
It  was  good." 

Simonson,  who  majored  in  history  anci  mmored 
in  English  at  the  CoUege,  earned  a  theology  degree 
from  Temple  University  in  Philadelphia  and  later 
joined  Good  News  Productions,  where  he  wrote 
films  scripts  for  the  earnest  but  cash-strapped 
Christian  movie  company.  Philadelphia  entrepre- 
neur Jack  H.  Harris  teamed  up  with  Good  News 
to  tap  into  the  lucrative  horror  movie  trade  and, 
after  one  script  was  discarded,  asked  Simonson  to 


j^ 


vigjr 


TJu'odorc  II.'  Siiiioiison 


write  the  story. 

"The  Blob"  was  a 
financial  success  for 
Harris.  Simonson 
wrote  another 
science  fiction 
script — "4D  Man," 
starring,  among 
others,  Patt\'  Duke 
anci  Lee 

Meriwether — but 
turned  down  offers 

to  move  to  Holly^vood.  He  was  ghost  writer  on  the 
autobiography  of  New  York  Yankees  second  baseman 
Bobby  Richardson  and  spent  years  writing  for 
newspapers. 

Simonson  retired  to  Statesville,  North  Carolina — 
he  bought  a  house  on  Squeaky  Tree  Lane — and 
wrote  inspirational  newspaper  columns.  About  his 
early  career  in  script  writing.  Simonson  was  forth- 
right: "I'm  not  trying  to  live  it  down,"  he  said.  "It's 
part  of  my  life.  I  don't  know  what  the  lesson  is.  I 
survived 'The  Blob'""  |Wl 


ended  with  a  hang  in  1 937  when  the  City  of  Bdhiiiuvv.  loaded  with  several  hun- 
dred passengers  and  bound  tor  Norfolk, Virginia,  caught  tire  anci  burned  to  its 
steel  hull  not  far  from  Annapohs. This  disaster  quickly  led  to  new,  stringent  satet\' 
rules  tor  passenger  steamboats,  rules  so  stringent  that  most  of  the  steamboats 
could  not  afford  to  make  the  changes  recjuired.The  Eiiiiiia  Giles  was  one  of  them, 
and  in  1939  she  was  stripped  of  her  two  upper  eiecks  and  cc:>m-erted  to  a  freight 
barge. This  lowly  calling  continued  for  another  ten  years  until  1 95(J,  when  what 
was  left  ot  the  Eiiiiiia  Giles  was  abandoned  near  Curtis  Bay.  Still  later,  the  former 
queen  ot  the  Chesapeake  was  moved  closer  to  the  shore,  covered  with  till,  and 
made  part  ot  a  bulkhead  there.  It  was  a  sad  ending  for  a  beautiful  lady,  but  as 
Carol  Channing  said  m  her  famous  song  about  diamonds  being  a  gni's  best 
friend; "Men  g;row  cold  as  a;iiis  o;row  old,  and  we  all  lose  our  charms  m  the  end." 


271 


Despite  all  this,  the  Eiiiiihi  Giles  could  look  back  on  some  veiy  happy  days  on 
the  Chesapeake — and  particularly  that  bright  October  day  of  1928  when  she 
held  in  her  arms  the  entire  student  body  ot  Maryland's  oldest  college. 

P.S.  St. Johns  College  won  the  tootball  game  that  day  by  the  lopsided  score 
of  39  to  0,but  as  Joe  Glackin  said:"That  didn't  stop  the  students  from  dancing  on 
the  decks  of  the  Emma  Giles  aU  the  way  home." 


The  Great  Fraternity  Battle 

By  Phillip  J. \Viii<iate  '33 

FRATERNITIES  BEGAN  AT  WASHINGTON  COLLEGE  as  secret 
societies  during  the  early  1920s  and  moved  into  the  open  during  the  niid- 
1920s. There  were  three  of  them  when  I  enrolled  as  a  freshman  m  1929  and  quite 
naturally  each  claimed  to  he  the  best,  so  they  all  told  freshman  candidates  tor 
entrance  to  their  elite  ranks  that  joining  them  wciuld  bring  great  benefits  to  the 
freshmen. 

"You  will,"  they  all  said  m  substance,  "make  htelong  friendships  which  will 
not  only  help  you  here,  but  later  on  m  the  business  world.  Also,  at  all  future 
alumni  reunions  at  the  College,  the  frat  house  will  be  glad  to  welcome  you  for  a 
glorious  weekend  on  the  Hill." 

Most  of  the  freshmen,  I  suspect,  believed  as  I  did,  that  these  claims  and  all 
others  like  them  were  so  much  hogwash.  Nevertheless,  I  joined  one  and  found 
that  my  brothers  in  it  were  no  better  and  no  worse  than  the  members  of  the 
other  t'ratermties  or  those  who  had,  for  one  reason  or  another,joined  no  frater- 
nity. My  fraternity  brothers  have  neither  helped  nor  hurt  me  during  the  past  half 
a  centuiy,  and  so  I  have  always  been  rather  neutral  toward  them. 

However,  in  the  matter  of  seeking  out  my  old  fraternity  house  for  sleeping 
quarters  on  any  return  to  the  College,  I  am  far  from  neutral.  I  quickly  came  to 
look  upon  a  glorious  weekend  on  the  Hill  in  my  old  fraternity  house  in  about 
the  same  way  I  would  look  upon  two  nights  m  the  Kent  County  jail. This  is  not 
meant  to  put  down  the  younger  brothers  who  have  followed  me  in  the  fraternity, 
because  I  have  never  met  any  of  them,  to  my  knowledge,  and  they  may  all  be 
polished  gentlemen  and  gifted  philosophers,  although  I  doubt  it.  I  simply  have 
no  inclination  to  spend  a  night  or  two  surrounded  by  either  young  hooligans  or 
young  gentlemen  philosophers.  I  knew  when  I  was  a  student  that  some  of  the 
brothers  got  drunk  from  time  to  time  and  made  nuisances  of  themselves,  but  so 
did  some  o(  the  brothers  in  the  other  fraternities,  and  so  did  some  who  stayed 
out  of  all  three  fraternities. 


272 


The  tu'o-srory  residences  aloiii;  ]]'iisliiinJton  Aivniie  were 
once  reserved  for  members  of  the  facnhy  and  adiiiiiiistratiou. 
]]1ieii  fraternities  arrived  oti  campus,  the  buildings  became 
fraternity  row. 


273 


Greeks  Arrive  on  Campus 

During  the  1920s  groups  ot  uppercLissmen 
routinely  sought  the  permission  ot  the 
College  president  and  Dean  J.  S.WiUiam  Jones  to 
establish  Greek  fraternities  on  the  campus.  So 
persistent  were  they  that  finally  the  dean  was 


delegated  to  visit  several  colleges  and  universities 
to  look  into  their  experiences  with  the  organiza- 
tions. 

He  was  so  impressed  with  what  he  saw  and 
heard  that,  upon  his  return,  he  prepared  a  positive 
report.  As  a  result,  the  Board  approved  the  estab- 
lishment ot  fraternities  on  campus,  provided  the 
t'raternities  agreed  to  accept  certain  rules.  The 
Boards  action  was  taken  on  the  same  day  it 
authorized  the  purchase  of  Strong  House.  When 
Strong  House  and  Hodson  House  were  ready  for 
occupancy,  the  Alpha  Kappa  fraternity  (later  Kappa 
Alpha)  was  authorized  to  occupy  the  former,  while 
the  latter  was  designated  the  Phi  Sigma  Phi  house. 
A  third  fratermrv'.  Phi  Sigma  Tau,  was  assigned  to 
the  south  end  ot  East  Hall.  These  moves  eased  the 
housing  shortage  tor  men  at  this  time.  IS 


Phi  Si{;ina  Phi,  one  of  the  first  fiateniities  to  be  openly 
welcomed  ou  campus,  was  housed  in  a  campus  residence 
formerly  used  by  faculty. 


It  seemed  unlikely  to  me  that  this  pattern  of  behavior  had  changed  over  the 
years,  so  it  came  as  a  surprise  to  me  to  learn,  shortly  after  joining  the  Board,  that 
there  was  a  movement  atoot  to  banish  both  fraternities  and  sororities  from  the 
campus.  So  I  asked  Harry  Russell,  who  had  lived  all  his  lite  in  Chestertown  and 
had  spent  six  years  as  a  stueient  at  the  College  ("Some  of  the  best  years  of  my  lite 
were  spent  as  a  College  freshman  here,"  he  often  told  entering  classes),  and  had 
been  a  member  of  the  Board  tor  a  number  of  years,  what  had  happened  tojustity' 
such  drastic  proposals. 

"I'll  be  damned  if  1  know,"  Harry  replied. "I  suspect  that  it  all  stems  from  one 
of  George  Olds  s  attacks  of  morality.  George  is  probably  the  most  righteous  man 
I  ever  met  and  every  now  and  then  he  wants  to  remake  the  world  in  his  own 


274 


I  had  heard  many  good  reports  about  Mr.  Olds,  nearly  all  of  them  saying  he 
was  a  fine  person  and  a  strong  supporter  of  the  College,  so  I  made  a  mild  demur- 
rer. 

"I  hear  Mr.  Olds  is  just  an  idealist,"  I  said,  "and  I  guess  a  few  idealists  are  good 
for  a  College." 

Harry  and  I  broke  off  our  conversation  at  that  point,  but,  as  months  went  by 
and  the  tratermty  issue  got  hotter  and  hotter,  I  began  to  ask  others  about  Mr. 
Olds  and  found  out  that  he  was  an  urbane  and  well-educated  person  who  appar- 
ently did  have  some  of  the  characteristics  which  irked  Harry  Russell,  but  Ernest 
Howard  knew  him  well  and  told  me  a  lot  about  him  and  thought  very  highly  ot 
him. 

George  Olds  had  grown  up  m  an  academic  atmosphere  since  he  was  the  son 
of  a  professor  ot  mathematics  at  Amherst  College  who  later  became  president  ot 
Amherst.  After  graduating  from  Amherst  m  1913  and  serving  m  the  U.S.  Navy 
during  World  War  I,  Mr.  Olds  became  a  high-ranking  official  m  the  Continental 
Oil  Company  of  Oklahoma,  from  which  he  retired  in  1 946  at'ter  accumulating  a 
substantial  amount  of  money.  He  then  moved  to  Talbot  Counr\',  bought  a  place 


Thctd  Chi  iiicnihcrs  of  the 
cdrly  1940s  ivhix  in  their 
/;i';//(j  room  on  friiternity  row. 


275 


Kdppa  Alpha  jvatcynity,  ii'itli  its  soiitJicyn  licrild\;c  proudly 
iiisphiycd,  scrciiiiilcs  one  ot  its  hcllcs  during;  the  Rose  Ball. 


which  he  named  "Hi  Ho  Farm"  and  began  to  hve  the  Hte  ot  a  country  gentle- 
man with  many  altruistic  activities.  He  served  on  the  board  ot  the  Talbot  County 
Free  Library  and  was  president  of  the  Easton  Memorial  Hospital  for  a  four-year 
term.  He  joined  the  Board  ofVisitors  and  Governors  ofWashington  College  in 
1952  and  served  as  chairman  of  the  faculty  and  curriculum  committee  for  many 
years.  He  nearly  always  had  a  rather  warm  and  pleasant  smile  on  his  face,  but,  as 
I  learned  later,  he  was  a  man  with  deep  convictions  and  could  slash  and  thrust 
with  the  best  ot  them  when  anyone  crossed  swords  with  him.  This  he  accom- 
plished always  without  losing  his  smile,  although  it  sometimes  lost  its  warmth. 
This  was  the  case  in  the  great  battle  over  fraternities. 


276 


The  discussions  about  trateruities  went  on  for  about  a  year  after  I  jomed  the 
Board,  getting  more  acrimonious  all  the  tmie,  before  Board  President  Clifton 
Miller  allowed  it  to  come  to  a  vote. 

After  one  meetmg  ot  the  Board  I  asked  Harry  Russell  and  Howard  Corddry 
why  Mr.  Olds  was  so  determined  to  banish  the  fraternities. 

"I  think  he  gets  mad,"  Harry  said,  "every  time  he  hears  about  one  of  the 
fraternity  brothers  getting  cirunk  and  busting  up  a  piece  ot  turmture.  What  he 
forgets  is  that  some  ot  the  non-traternir^'  kids  get  drunk  too  and  bust  up  a  chair 
or  kick  in  a  door." 

"But  that  was  not  what  he  talked  about  today,"  I  said.  "He  kept  saying  what 
a  heartbreaking  thing  it  was  for  a  kid  to  be  left  out  of  the  fraternities." 

"I  know,"  Harry  replied.  "That  is  the  do-gooder  in  him.  He  wants  a  perfect 
world,  made  according  to  his  own  ideas  of  perfection.  He  forgets  that  if  the 
fraternities  are  banned,  they  will  just  go  underground  and  the  ones  who  are  left 
out  will  be  just  as  heartbroken  as  they  were  before." 

Howard  Corddry  had  his  own  ideas  of  why  Mr.  Olds  opposed  the  fraternities. 

"I  think  he  is  trying  to  make  us  here  as  much  like  the  Amherst  he  knew 
when  he  was  a  student,"  he  said,  "and  that  is  all  right,  I  guess.  But  times  change. 
We  are  older  than  Amherst  and  I  think  he  might  do  more  good  if  he  went  back 
and  tried  to  make  Amherst  more  like  Washington  College." 

When  the  motion  to  abolish  fraternities  finally  came  to  a  vote.  Cliff  Miller 
decided  the  vote  should  be  by  ballot  instead  of  a  by  show  of  hands.  He  voted 
himself  and  I  have  always  suspected  that  his  vote  was  m  favor  of  the  fraternities, 
but  he  did  not  wish  to  offend  Mr.  Olds  or  F^resident  Dan  Gibson,  who  had 
eloquently  supported  Mr.  Olds.  There  were  half  a  dozen  or  so  Board  members 
who  had  made  it  clear  how  they  had  intended  to  vote,  and  I  was  one  of  them.  I 
thought  they  should  be  permitted  to  continue  to  exist,  althc^ugh  I  was  far  from 
being  as  adamant  on  the  subject  as  Harry  Russell  and  one  or  twc:>  of  the  others 
were. 

The  vote  was  sixteen  to  fifteen  m  favor  of  the  fraternities.  Every  vote,  in  a 
sense,  was  the  deciding  one  and  I  don't  believe  Mr.  Olds  ever  forgave  me  or 
Hari"y  Russell. 

The  fraternities,  I  suppose,  breathed  a  sigh  of  relief,  but  the  Board  did  not 
because  the  decision,  I  believe,  led  rather  quickly  to  Cliff  Miller's  decision  to 
retire  as  chairman,  and  he  arranged  to  have  me  elected  to  succeed  him  while  I 
was  in  Germany  on  a  business  trip.  Mr.  Olds  decided  to  retire  from  the  Board  a 
year  later  and  President  Dan  Gibson  also  retired  for  reasons  of  health. 

Dr.  Gibson  had  sufiered  from  a  mild  case  of  Parkinson's  disease  for  several 
years  and  his  health  declined  sharply  after  the  fraternity  vote.When  his  Parkinson's 


277 


disease  made  it  difficult  tor  hini  to  walk,  he  had  no  choice  except  to  retire. 

Both  Mr.  Olds  and  Dr.  Gibson  received  honorary  degrees  fi-om  Washington 
College  in  1 970,  and  it  was  my  duty  as  chairman  of  the  Board  to  read  the 
iihvhidinus  tor  their  decrees. 


Desegregation  at  Washington  College 

By  Nate  Smith 

Dr.  Smith,  Professor  ot  Historv  Emeritus,  retired  troni  te,iehing  at  Washington  College  in  1997. 

WITH  NO  PRETENSE  to  any  precision  about  dates  or  exact  details, this 
is  what  I  recall  about  desegregation  in  the  decade  from  the  mid-1950s  to 
the  mid- 1 96(  )s.The  Supreme  Court  clecision  in  1954,  comingjust  six  years  atter 
Harrv  Truman's  courageous  executive  order  ending  segregation  m  the  armeci 
torces,  struck  down  "separate  hut  |allegedly|  equal"  as  a  policy  for  public  schools. 
This  set  the  agenda  and  proxided  a  stning  stimulus  for  what  soon  broadened  into 
a  national  civil  rights  mtwement  going  tar  beyond  the  narrow  issue  of  equal 
access  to  educational  opportunities. The  Eastern  Shore,  and  Chestertown  m  par- 
ticular, took  note  but  did  not  seem  to  expect  change  except  at  a  glacial  pace. 
Washington  Colleges  president, along  with  his  peers  throughout  the  country,  tor 
example,  was  sent  a  questionnaire  at  tliat  time  by  the  eciucation  editor  ot  The 
Xcii'^brk  Tii)ies.The  one  response  that  remains  with  me  atter  all  these  years  was 
to  the  question: "When  do  you  expect  real  desegregation  to  be  ettected  in  your 
region?"  President  Gibson  first  wrote:"In  1 00  years."  then,  probably  atter  a  bit  ot 
retlection,  wrote:  "In  any  case,  no  sooner  than  fifty  years." 

Such  was  the  power  of  long-established  customs  in  an  area  that  must  have 
seemed,  to  someone  like  Dr.  Gibson,  whose  tenure  had  begun  tour  years  betore 
the  opening  ot  the  Chesapeake  Bay  bridge,  very  isolated  and  impervious  to 
change.  He  naturally  expected  desegregation  to  be  a  slow  journey  along  a  bumpy 
and  fittlil  road.  As  we  know  with  the  benefit  of  hindsight,  the  civil  rights  move- 
ment more  closely  resembled  an  avalanche,  starting  with  small  stirrings  and  gath- 
ering speed  with  constantly  increasing  force  as  it  moved  down  the  incline  ot 
nast\'  but  in  the  end  ineffectual  resistance,  thrown  on  the  detensive  by  the  pow- 
eiiul  revulsion  toward  extreme  racism  evoked  b\'  wartime  revelations  ot  the  policies 
and  actions  ot  Nazi  Germany. 

The  first  manifestation  of  ci\il  rights  concerns  that  I  recall  at  Washington  Col- 
lege came,  probably  in  1957,  when  town  authorities  pressured  the  College  presi- 
dent to  forbid  attendance  by  college  students  at  musical  events  taking  place  at  the 


278 


Cirll  in;h!s  dctirisl  JiiliiUi  Bond  I'isitcd  iiViipiis  in  the  Cdily 
1960s,  when  ]Vdsliiiii;ioii  Collc(;c's  hliuh  student  population 
was  in  the  siti^^le  dioiis. 


Uptown  Club,  a  nightclub  frequented  then  by  local  African  Americans  and  teatur- 
ing  live  music  with  great  appeal  to  youth  ot  all  races  as  well  as  to  all  who  lovedjazz, 
soul  music,  and  rock  and  roll.  Perhaps  the  prohibition  was  triggered  by  an  incident 
at  the  club;  in  any  case,  the  administration  placed  the  nightspot  ott  limits  to  college 
students  as  a  securlt^'  measure,  but  clearly  serving  the  purpose  ot  turthenng  the 
town's  segregationist  prejudices  as  well,  to  the  dismay  of  many.  Several  members  ot 
the  faculty — I  recall  Gerda  Blumenthal,  Ir\'ing  Barnett  and  myselt,  perhaps  there 
were  others — ciemanded  and  were  graciously  granted  "equal  time"  to  respond. 
Since  the  new  policy  had  been  announced  at  a  College  assembly,  the  rebuttal  also 
took  the  form  ot  a  College-wide  gathering  m  what  is  now  the  Norman  James 
Theatre.  The  taculty  members  named,  and  perhaps  some  students  as  well,  spoke  in 
opposition  to  the  policy. To  my  knowledge,  this  was  the  College  s  tirst  timid  step  to 
shake  itselt  tree  trom  the  prevailing  communit\-  mores. 

The  next  incident  that  I  recall  was  initiated  by  the  College "s  leader  m  the 
desegregation  effort,  history  department  chairman  Bill  Armstrong.  He  invited 


279 


Students  Overcome  Racial  Barriers 

By  P  Trams  Hollingsworth  '15 

Hollina:s\vorth  is  the  College's  director  of  alumni  aflairs. 


We  may  never  know  what  circumstances  led 
Thomas  Morris  '62  to  be  the  first  member  of  his 
family  to  go  to  college  or  to  be  the  first  black 
student  to  enroll  at  Washington  College,  but  the 
premium  he  placed  on  education  is  evident. 
Morris,  who  died  in  April  1995,  was  represented  at 
a  1999  reunion  of  the  College's  first  black  alumni 
by  his  wife,  MeUasenah,  a  concert  pianist  and  head 
of  the  music  department  at  James  Madison  Univer- 
sity, and  by  his  sons.  Jared  is  a  recent  graduate  of 
Howard  University  Law  School  and  Miles,  an 
elementary  school  student,  plans  to  be  a  heart 
surgeon.  Morris's  daughter,  MeUasenah  Edwards,  is 
finishing  her  doctoral  thesis  at  the  Peabody  Con- 
servatory of  Music. 

By  the  time  of  his  death,  Morris,  a  mathematics 
teacher  in  Baltimore  schools  for  almost  25  years, 
had  been  recognized  many  times  for  helping  his 
students  realize  their  potential.  "What  he  learned  at 
Washington  College  made  a  difterence  in  his  lite 
and,  in  his  turn,  he  made  a  difference  in  the  many, 
many  fives  that  touched  his,"  his  wife  said. 

Joining  Morris  as  the  first  African  Americans  to 
integrate  Washington  College  were  Patricia 
Godbolt  White  '64,  Dale  Patterson  Adams  '65,  and 
Marvin  M.  Smith  '67. 

White  attended  segregated  schools  m  Norfolk 
until  her  senior  year,  when  she  became  one  of  17 
students  chosen  to  integrate  the  white  high  school. 
Today  she  is  chairman  of  the  science  department  at 
Booker  T.Washington  High  School  in  Norfolk. 

"I  came  to  Washington  CoUege  with  the  manners 
and  expectations  I  had  learned  in  high  school,"  she 
said.  "I  stiU  lowered  my  head,  as  I'd  been  taught,  so 
as  not  to  make  eye  contact  with  white  people. 
Though  I  had  been  allowed  into  their  classrooms,  1 
would  never  have  presumed  to  join  the  white 
people  at  their  dinner  table.  So  the  first  night  when 
I  went  to  Hodson  Hall  for  supper  I  sat  at  an  empty 
table  by  myself.  I  thought  it  strange  that  students 


Tliomai  Aloirii  of 
Baltimore  demon- 
strated remarkable 
courage  and 
fortitude  in 
becoming  the  first 
African  American  to 
enroll  at  Washing- 
ton CoUege. 


stopped  by  my  table.  It  was  even 
stranger  to  my  experience  when 
these  students  put  their  trays  down 
and  joined  me  for  dinner,  and 
stranger  still  when  the  white  girls 
from  my  dormitory  sat  with  me 
in  the  balcony  of  the  Chestertown 
movie  theatre.  The  balcony  was 
the  'colored  section."' 

"Struggle  and  strength,"  said 
Dale  Patterson  Adams.  "You  will 
find  these  in  proportion  to  each 
other  at  Washington  College,  in 
the  world,  and  in  yourselves 
throughout  your  lives.  Many 
things  that  needed  to  be  changed 
have  changed.  Many  things  that 
need  to  change  have  not  yet." 

As  a  student,  Adams  was  a 
pioneer  of  change.  She  is  stOJ,  as 
an  alumna  and  the  first  black  graduate  to  be  ap- 
pointed to  the  College's  Board.  Quarterly  meetings  of 
the  Board's  Committee  on  Student  Affairs  are  fol- 
lowed by  conferences  and  confidences  with  the 
students  who  consider  her  a  trusted  adviser  and 
fi-iend.  Adams  has  also  been  a  representative  of  change 
111  her  career  as  industrial  chemist.  "Scientific  acumen 
delivered  by  a  black  woman  with  a  northern  accent  is 
sometimes  stiU  met  with  coolness  in  the  chemistry 
labs  and  corner  offices  ofTennessee,"  she  said. 

Thomas  Morris  had  graduated  by  the  time  Marty 
Smith  arrivecl  on  campus  in  1963.  "Pat  was  my 
mentor,"  Smith  said,  "but  she  kept  me  at  arm's 
length.  Pat  and  Dale  told  me  1  was  going  to  have  to 
make  my  own  way  as  they  had.  So  1  did.  1  made 
friends  with  my  classmates  and  my  teammates. 
Friends  1  would  keep  for  life." 

At  his  graduation  Smith  received  the  Clark-Porter 
Medal,  awarded  to  the  student  whose  character  and 
integrity  have  most  clearly  enhanced  the  quality  of 
campus  life.  Snfith  went  on  to  receive  his  master's 
and  doctoral  degrees  in  economics  from  Cornell 
University.  He  is  an  economic  analyst  for  the 
Conoiressional  Budget  Office.  |W) 


280 


John  Hope  Franklin  to  speak  about  his 
recently  pubHshed  work  on  the  Recon- 
struction Era.  This  was  in  1958. 
Armstrong  sent  invitations  to  African 
American  teachers  and  ministers  in  the 
community,  hoping  not  only  to  inte- 
grate the  College's  speaker's  program 
but  to  provide  a  focus  tor  black  pride 
and  greater  self-assertion  in  the  com- 
munity at  large. The  program  was  con- 
troversial at  higher  levels  m  the  Col- 
lege at  least;  neither  the  president  nor 
the  dean  volunteered  to  provide  hospi- 
tality for  the  speaker,  who  was  already 
well-launched  on  one  ot  the  most  il- 
lustrious scholarly  careers  yet  achieved 
by  a  black  historian.  (In  subsequent 
years.  Dr.  Franklin  returned  twice  to  our 
campus  as  the  featured  speaker,  in  1968 
and  again  in  1988  when  he  received  the 
honorary  Doctor  of  Humane  Letters). 
The  talk  was  a  great  success  but  com- 
munity participation  was  relatively 
modest;  worst  ot  all.  the  black  mem- 
bers of  the  audience  went  by  long  prac- 
tice to  the  balcony.  But  this  was  the  first 
time  they  had  ever  been  expressly  in- 
vited to  a  College  event  and  the  occa- 
sion was  an  auspicious  beginning. 

Dr.  Armstrong  was  also  responsible 
for  the  initiative  that  led  to  the  desegregation  of  the  College's  student  body. 
Having  been  informed  by  the  administration  in  response  to  his  pointed  inquiry 
that  Washington  College  was  not  segregated,  that  the  issue  ot  admitting  blacks 
had  never  arisen  because  none  had  applied  for  admission,  Armstrong  resolved  to 
put  this  rather  transparent  evasion  to  the  test.  As  chairman  ot  the  Admissions 
Committee,  he  contacted  the  national  office  of  the  NAACP,  explained  our  am- 
biguous posture,  and  asked  that  a  qualified  young  Atrican- American  be  encour- 
aged to  apply  for  admission.  The  national  office  forwarded  the  request  to  the 
principal  of  the  local  black  school,  asking  that  he  identity-  a  suitable  caiuiidate  tor 
admission.  Instead,  the  principal  turned  the  materials  over  to  the  College  ad- 
ministration, which  was  not  happy  to  learn  that  a  black  applicant  was  being 


Sate  Siiiitli,  ii'lio  tdui^lir 
history  at  I  \'asliiiiotoii 
CoIlci;c  for  4 1  years,  has 
been  caUed  the  institution's 
moral  anchor,  a  pro^^rcssire 
I'isionary  and  an 
nnparaUelcd  acadcniic  leader. 
He  was  iiistniinental  in  tlie 
push  for  iiite{iration  during; 
the  civil  risihts  nioveinent. 


281 


solicited  by  the  Admissions  Committee  chairman.  The  entire  matter  evolved 
without  becoming  public,  but  it  did  finally  lead  to  a  joint  meeting  of  the  Admis- 
sions Committee  (minus  Dr.  Armstrong,  who  was  hospitalized  with  an  ulcer), 
and  a  group  ot  Board  members,  led  by  the  chairman,  John  Hessey  (who  was  the 
head  of  Baltimore  University,  then  a  proprietary  school).  The  Board  members 
were  most  reluctant  to  accept  the  arguments  of  the  faculty  members,  but  they 
were  essentially  in  a  defensive  posture.  By  this  time  (1958  or  perhaps  1959  at 
latest), Washington  College  was  in  the  rear  guard  among  its  peer  institutions;  one 
of  only  two  in  the  state  still  segregated  (plus  the  University  of  Baltimore,  which 
was  not  accreciited).  In  the  end  a  cautious  jtistice  prevailed. The  Board  agreed  to 
admit  "one  or  two"  qualified  black  students  as  "an  experiment.""This  was  clearly 
a  fiction  to  bring  along  stubborn  holdouts  on  the  Board  and  so  it  proved  to  be  in 
practice. The  experimental  aspect  was  quietly  dropped  and  the  rest,  so  to  speak,  is 
history. 

The  last  episode  that  I  recall  to  affect  the  College  m  the  decade  under  discus- 
sion (into  the  early  1960s  now)  was  sparked  by  the  burgeoning  national  civil 
rights  movement.  When  so-called  Freedom  Riders  (busloads  of  college  students 
from  Swarthmorc,  Havertord,  etc.)  arrix^ed  in  town,  it  led  to  a  set  of  sometimes 
violent  confrontations  between  those  who  marched  to  protest  segregation  in 
public  accommodations  and  local  elements  who  opposed  them.  A  number  of 
Washington  College  students  and  taculr\'  were  drawn  into  these  activities  on  the 
side  ot  the  protesters  (many  more  remained  neutral  or  openly  opposed  outside 
pressures). At  least  two  criminal  trials  were  held  as  a  result  of  assaults  on  Washing- 
ton College  personnel  (in  one  case  a  librarian,  m  the  other  case,  students)  by 
violent  defenders  of  the  status  c^uo.  Aided,  after  a  time,  by  the  flare-up  of  nation- 
ally-publicized violent  confrontations  in  not-too-distant  Cambridge,  further  south 
on  the  Eastern  Shore,  which  imolved  the  burning  of  some  buildings,  violent 
assaults,  calls  for  radical  action  by  agitator  H.  Rap  Brown,  and  dispatch  of  the 
National  Guard,  the  town  fathers  in  Chestertown  decided  that,  to  avoid  a  like 
ccinflagration  here,  concession  was  the  better  part  ot  valor.  As  though  by  agree- 
ment, m  rather  short  order  restaurants  were  at  least  nominally  desegregated,  the 
movie  theater  no  longer  restricted  African  Americans  to  its  balcony,  and  other 
public  aspects  of  segregation  were  removed  or  made  less  visible.  Public  edtication 
finally  began  its  move  from  token,  phony  integration  to  something  approaching 
the  real  thing.  In  an  effort  to  gi\e  the  movement  an  ongoing  dynamic  a  local 
chapter  of  the  NAACP  was  organized,  in  whose  early  phase  several  members  of 
the  College  community  participated,  and  a  few  dedicated  young  college  students 
from  the  north  moved  to  town  to  live  with  black  families;  they  spent  a  summer 
trying  to  organize  the  poorer  layers  of  the  community  for  self-help  action. These 
young  people  found  support  among  sympathetic  members  of  the  College  faculty. 


From  Richmond  to  O'Neill: The  Campus 
Literary  Trail 

By  Martin  WiUiatm  '  15 

Williams  is  a  former  vice  president  for  development  and  alumm  affairs  at  the  College. 

THE  FRESHMAN  CLASS  OF  1  9  7  0  found  Washington  College  pLiiich- 
drunk  and  hung  over  from  the  last  years  of  the  anti-war  bash,  full  of  bearded 
saints  and  scruffy  manias  and  the  never-ending  blare  of  rock  \\  roll.  Any  brick 
surface  not  covered  with  ivy  was  smeared  with  graffiti.  We  were  told  tales  about 
vigils,  debates,  canceled  classes  and  faculty  unrest.  Kids  talked  funny,  ingested 
mind-numbing  quantities  ot  dope  and  tended  to  congregate  mooeiily  at  various 
places  on  the  campus.  That  year  there  was  a  tent  city  in  h"ont  ot  Somerset  Hall 
where  boys  and  girls  encampeci  tor  days  on  enti,  grinding  hashish,  playing  then- 
guitars,  copulating,  cooking  food  over  tires. 

From  the  quaclrangle,  the  scent  ot  marijuana  would  dritt  up  to  your  room, 
where  you  might  be  tiying  to  solve  a  math  equation  or  read"Troilus  and  Cressida." 
You  began  to  wonder  if  it  was  possible  to  get  an  education  here.  Oddly  enough, 
just  as  the  '60s  had  reached  their  zenith,  new  things  were  about  to  happen  at 
Wishmgton  College  that  would  provieie  a  partial  answer  to  that  question.  Among 
the  aspiring  student  writers  who  formed  a  contused  minority  amidst  the  politics 
and  drugs,  the  time  was  ripe  for  a  young  Kansan  named  Bob  Day  and  his  special 
brand  of  influence. 

Like  me,  Bob  was  new  on  the  scene  in  1970.  He  had  journeyed  just  as  far: 
starting  as  a  graduate  of  the  University  of  Kansas,  he  had  completed  the  M.F.A. 
program  at  Arkansas,  written  much  of  his  tlrst  novel.  The  Lasr  Cattle  Drive,  and 
had  come  "back  East"  to  be  Washington  College's  first  creative  writing  teacher. 
He  pulled  into  town  wearing  blue  jeans,  cowboy  boots,  and  a  hunting  jacket. 
Beneath  him,  sporting  Kansas  plates,  was  a  soon-to-be-beat-up  red  jeep.  He  had 
a  Labrador  retriever  named  Rebel,  who,  he  told  us,  was  professionally  trained 
and  was  obviously  better  behaved  than  the  students.  I  envied  Bob  his  easy  west- 
ern image.  Beside  a  Hermes  typewriter  in  his  office  he  kept  a  two-pound  Max- 
well House  cottee  can  tuU  of  twelve-gauge  shotgun  shells.  A  vintage  Winchester 
Model  twelve-pump  leaned  against  his  bookcase.  Bob  wasn't  just  the  new  cre- 
ative-writing guru  on  campus;  he  was  the  Sheriff  of  Literacy.  And  it  wasn't  long 
betore  he  boldly  launched  his  literary  schemes. 

Bob  had  acquainted  himself  with  the  large  sums  of  money  that  could  flow 
from  the  Sophie  Kerr  fund.  He  started  the  Broadsides  series  to  publish  and 
distribute  student  work:  bright  squares  of  red,  blue,  green,  and  yellow  poetry 
began  to  paper  the  campus.  In  the  spring  of  1971  he,  Danny  Williams,  and  I  also 


283 


The  Origins  of  the  College's 
May  Day  Celebration 

It  all  started  innocently  enough,  with  the  reading 
of  poetry,  dancing,  and  the  drinking  ot  wine  in 
celebration  ol  spring.  Its  foundation  was  Gerard 
Manley  Hopkins,  as  well  as  in  the  phrases  "gather  ye 
rosebuds  while  ye  may"  and  carpe  diem.  May  Day — 
the  beer-guzzling,  mud-sliding  nude  fest  that 
Washington  College  is  fimous  for — comes  from 
these  intellectual  ideas. 

It  was  the  spring  semester  of  1967.  Bennett 
Lamond's  freshman  English  class  was  discussing 
Hopkins's  poem  "Spring,"  the  traditions  of  May  Day, 
and  how  its  rituals  demonstrate  that  "Nothing  is  so 
beautifiil  as  Spring."  Caught  up  in  the  spirit,  Lamond 
and  his  class  decided  to  go  beyond  simply  reading 
about  May  Day  and  to  hold  a  celebration  of  their 
own.  On  the  morning  of  May  1,  the  class  met 
outside,  erected  a  Maypole,  and  welcomed  in  spring 
with  wine,  cookies,  strawberries,  and  dancing.  When 
the  festivities  ended,  the  Maypole  was  taken  down. 

The  toUowing  year,  atter  classes,  one  student 
decided  to  welcome  m  spring  his  own  way,  remov- 


Coeds  i;aiiibol  around  a  May  Pole  in  the  1920s. 

ing  his  clothes  and  dancing  around  the  Maypole 
in  the  buff. The  precedent  had  been  set. 

One  year,  a  group  of  naked  student- musicians 
marched  down  the  fire  lane  playing  instruments  as 
another  rolled  by  doing  a  handstand  on  his 
skateboard. Two  girls  on  a  motorcycle  whizzed  by, 
bare-skinned,  their  hair  flying  in  the  wind.  The 
mania  had  spread  to  the  entire  student  population. 

The  College  became  famous,  or  infamous,  for 
its  May  Day  celebrations  some  years  later  when  a 
student  named  Miami  ventured  nude  outside  the 
campus.  He  was  summarily  arrested  and  trans- 
ported, without  his  clothes,  to  the  local  jail. 

Students  protested  his  mistreatment,  bringing 
him  clothes  and  chanting, "Free  Miami!"  The 
protesters,  though  they  were  peaceful  and  fully 
clothed,  caught  the  attention  of  the  press.  The 
story  spread  through  the  wire  services  regionally 
and  made  newspapers  as  far  away  as  Hawaii  and 
London,  except  their  versions  claimed  that  a  mob 
of  naked  students  had  swarmed  around  the  jail 
throwing  rocks  and  demanding  Miami's  release. 
Thus  the  myth  of  wild,  naked  abandon  began. 

Still,  in  recent  years  the  poetic  origins  of  May  Day 
have  not  been  completely  lost.  Nudity  is  always 
encouraged  at  poetry  readings  held  by  the  George 
Washington  statue.  The  Literary  House  has  spon- 
sored a  party  with  a  live  band  for  a  more  contempo- 
rary way  of  dancing  around  the  Maypole.  IS 


Bcinwrt  Linwiid  and  sliidcnts  celebrate  the  1973  May  Day  From  The  Elm,  April  21,  1990. 


284 


/;;  ilic  l^) ,th  sniilciii  uritcis  Inwl  and  toiiiiiiiiiicd  iii 
Riclinioiid  House,  a  prcaiisor  of  the  O'Xcill  Literal y  House. 


discussed  the  possibilitrs'  ot  a  creatix'e  writing  magazine  tlnanced  b\'  Sophie  and 
other  donations.  When  I  got  back  from  a  summer  in  Mexico,  Bob  and  Danny 
had  agreed  on  a  torniat,  and  Danny,  as  editor,  published  the  first  issue  of  the 
W'ashinotou  Collcoc  Review  m  October.  But  Bob's  biggest  coup  that  first  spring 
was  the  acc^uisition  ot  an  old  house  on  the  southern  edge  of  campus  for  the 
recently  touncieci  Writers  Union. 

Actually,  Richmond  House,  as  it  was  christened,  was  an  awful  dump.  It  was  a 
three  story,  dry-rotted,  white  clapboard  house  that  had  been  owned  by  a  local 
doctor  and  sat,  under  a  catalpa  tree,  on  a  little  peninsula  beside  the  psychology 
building  and  in  h'ont  ot  the  maintenance  plant.  In  its  new  incarnation,  the  house 
served  three  purposes.  First  it  provided  an  othce  for  Bob  Day,  downstairs,  in  what 
must  have  been  the  doctors  receiving  room.  Second,  it  became  the  headquarters 
tor  the  Associated  Writing  Programs,  a  national  organization  of  graduate  and  un- 
dergraduate creative-writing  programs.  Whatever  good  AWP  did  for  America  seemed 
embociied  in  Kathy  Walton,  its  executive  secretary,  a  tlinty  blond  ti-om  Texas  who 


285 


Q&A  with  Mark  Schulman 


Mark  A.  Schuhuau  '67 ,  seeking  a  small,  rural  college, 
arrii'ed  on  campus  from  Philadelphia  in  1963.  Students 
across  the  country  were  just  beginning  to  question  the 
traditional  in  loco  parentis  authority  colleges  and 
luiiversities  administered  over  student  bodies.  At  Washing- 
ton, where  he  was  editor  of  the  student  newspaper  The 
Elm,  Schulman  was  among  the  first  to  advocate  greater 
student  independence.  President  of  a  national  public 
opinion  and  market  research  firm,  Schulman  was 
appointed  to  the  College  Board  of  Governors  and  I  'isitors 
in  1990. 

What  was  the  relationship  ber^veen  students  and 
the  administration  when  you  arrived  at  Washington 
College? 

The  relationship  was  distant.  The  administration 
was  considered  almost  parental  in  nature.  It  was  a 
very  hierarchical  system.  On  the  other  hand,  the 
relationship  between  the  students  and  the  faculty 
was  quite  close.  I  had  a  tremendous  amount  ot 
interaction  with  some  members  of  the  faculty.  They 
often  had  us  to  their  houses.  It  was  a  succession  of 
fascinating  people.  But  it  was  a  given  that  you 
weren't  supposed  to  develop  close  ties  with  the 
administration. The  administration  was  here  to 
govern  and,  frankly,  we  didn't  have  a  lot  of  day-to- 
day interaction. 

As  we  know,  it  was  during  the  1960s  that  students 
across  the  country  began  to  redefine  their  roles  and 
to  challenge  the  traditional  notions  of  collegiate 
authority.  As  editor  of  Tlie  Elm,  what  were  your 
experiences  on  those  issues? 

From  a  newspaper  editor's  perspective,  I  was  more 
drawn  into  the  emerging  national  trends  and  events 
that  emboldened  students.  There  was  the  Free 
Speech  movement  at  Berkeley  and  the  Columbia 
Strawberry  Statement.  They  all  had  something  in 
common  and  that  was  a  rebellion  against  authority. 
Administrations  up  to  that  point  were  the  tradi- 
tional authorities.  It  didn't  occur  to  many  of  them 
to  challenge  their  own  thinking.  At  the  time,  this 


was  to  me  part  of  a  more  macro  issue.  People  my  age 
were  being  sent  to  Vietnam,  being  killed  in  Vietnam. 
People  my  age  were  in  the  forefront  of  the  civil  rights 
movement  in  the  South  and,  in  fact,  a  number  of  them 
were  fatahties.  People  my  age  considered  themselves  to 
be  the  agents  of  change  in  society.  We  felt  that  if  we 
were  on  the  killing  fields  and  involved  in  civil  rights 
and  whatever,  surely  we  could  have  coed  visits  in 
dormitories.  //;  loco  parentis  ]u%t  didn't  make  sense.  It 
was  a  relic. 

Washington  College  was  not  exactly  in  the  vanguard  of 
those  student  movements? 
No.  We  were  in  the  rear  end. 

How  did  that  affect  you  as  the  newspaper  editor?  Did 
you  feel  that  you  had  an  obligation  to  speak  more 
forcefully  on  some  issues? 

I  was  attuned  to  what  was  happening  nationally.  I  was 
very  sympathetic  to  the  call  for  social  change  and  the 
role  of  students  in  bringing  about  that  change.  Now, 
looking  back  on  some  of  the  old  issues  of  Tlie  Elm, 
I'm  shocked  at  how  outspoken  I  was.  I  spent  my  first 
semester  of  my  junior  year  at  American  University, 
and  I  remember  The  Elm  contacted  me  and  asked  me 
to  write  a  story  from  Washington.  I  wrote  a  column 
that  challenged  the  Vietnam  War.  When  I  got  back  to 
campus,  I  was  surprised  that  people  were  unsympa- 
thetic to  that  thinking.  In  other  words,  they  were 
supportive  of  the  war  or  simply  were  unconcerned 
about  the  war. 

Had  student  opinion  changed  by  the  time  you  left  the 
College  in  1967? 

No.  I  recall  writing  an  editorial  critical  of  the  FBI, 
which  was  investigating  some  of  the  student  associa- 
tions. There  was  near  mutiny  on  The  Elm  staff.  In  fact,  if 
you  look  at  that  editorial,  it  says  it's  by  Mark  Schulman. 
Editorials  were  never  signed.  That  one  was  because 
other  members  of  the  staff  threatened  to  resign  because 
they  in  no  way  wanted  to  be  associated  with  an 
editorial  critical  ot  J.  Edgar  Hoover. 


286 


Did  your  editorials 
generate  many  letters  to 
the  newspaper? 
I  don't  think  they  did. 
Oddly  enough,  several  of 
the  articles  I  wrote 
generated  angry  reactions 
from  Tlie  Kent  Comity 
News.  The  Kent  County 
News  several  times  wrote 
near  vicious  editorials 
attacking  me  for  my 
editorials.  My  supposi- 
tion was  that  I'd  been 
successful.  Sometimes  I 
kept  the  dialogue  gomg.  I 
didn't  let  them  off  the 
hook. 


Speak  more  about  your  editorials  and  the  effect  they 
had  on  campus. 

I  wrote  an  editorial  pointing  out  the  lack  of  a  student 
center.  Hodson  Hall  had  just  been  built  and  I  ques- 
tioned whether  the  basement  could  be  a  potential 
student  center.  I  was  asked  to  come  to  President 
Gibson's  office.  President  Gibson  was  a  very  wonder- 
ful, mild-mannered  man,  but  he  looked  at  me  sternly 
and  said  that  the  College  already  had  plans  to  put  in 
a  student  center  there  and  that  the  newspaper  should 
not  be  publishing  stories  without  checking  with  the 
administration  first. 

Was  he  right? 

Was  he  right?  I  had  no  intention  of  jeopardizing  our 
independence.  I  never  felt  ill  will  toward  Dr.  Gibson 
for  doing  that,  but  it  was  an  illustration  of  how 
college  administrations  felt  that  they  should  control 
communications  flow  on  campus.  His  view  was  that 
the  newspaper  was  the  official  organ  for  the  College 


As  editor  of  the  iciiiipiis  iieii'spiijH'r  (hiiiiio  the  turbulent 
1960s,  Mark  Schuhuaii  '6  7  was  an  ontspohen  adi'ocate 
for  rebelhon  ai^ainst  anthorily  and  the  status  quo.  He  spoke 
out  a'^aiust  the  I  letnain  ]]'ar,  se'^rei^aliou,  and  the  FBI. 


and  surely  what's  published  m  the  College  newspaper 
should  be  the  approved  version.  It  was  part  of  that 
same  mind  set,  that  "we  are  your  parents  away  from 
home. " 

President  Gibson  was  a  traditionalist,  but  he  was  not 
intractable.  He  often  agreed  with  the  student  per- 
spective and  changed  administrative  policy  to  reflect 
those  changes. 

Yes. That's  my  recollection.  I  admired  him  greatly  and 
have  told  many  people  that  m  my  mind,  Daniel 
Gibson  was  central  casting's  version  of  a  college 
president.  He  was  dignified,  stately,  intelligent  and 
well-read  and  the  kind  of  man  you'd  expect  to  be 
president  of  Washington  College.  |W| 


287 


]]ltli  d  iicir  cih'loicd  porch  and  a  deck,  the  ohi  Bell  House  iikis 
tiaiistoiiiied  into  the  new  itudeiit  wiiteis'  hiwen  in  l'^H5.The 
O'Neill  Literary  Home,  d  i;ift  of  Hui;eiie  dnd  Betty  Broien 
Cdsey  '47,  irds  ihinied  for  Mr  Cdsey's  mother.  Rose  O'Xeill. 


had  been  a  classmate  ot  Bobs  at  Arkansas. Third,  and  most  important  as  tar  as  I  was 
concerned,  Richmond  House  became  a  student  resitience.  Selections  were  made 
iniormally;  most  ot  us  given  rooms  there  the  year  it  opened,  1  ^7 1  - 1 972,  had  been 
in  Bob's  creative  writing  workshop,  and  all  of  us  were  male. 

I  remember  the  first  time  I  walked  back  home  after  morning  classes:  Rich- 
mond House  looked  like  a  big  ugly  saloon  out  on  the  prairie. There  was  a  defiant 
Dodge  City  spirit  about  the  place  in  its  early  years.  Sheriff  Day  rode  in  and  out 
on  his  Jeep,  while  Miss  Kathy  Wilton  read  our  stuff,  bought  us  beer,  patched  up 
our  fragile  egos,  and  generally  presided  over  our  incessant  arguments.  The  tact 
was,  we  weren't  at  all  sure  how  to  behave.  To  live  in  Richmond  House  was  to 
admit  that  you  wanted  to  be  a  writer.  In  other  places,  like  the  Spanish  House,  the 
students  were  merely  expected  to  practice  indoors.  But  at  Richmond,  there  was 
a  tacit  competition  going  on  all  the  time;  who  read  the  most,  who  wrote  the  best, 


288 


who  could  run  up  the  biggest  bill  at  Mart\'  Rabat's  bookstore.  Many  nights  Bob 
rounded  up  a  posse  and  we  would  ride  out  to  the  Tavern  to  talk  about  the  Mam 
Thing.  Sometimes  those  late  night  "talks"  were  settled  with  our  fists. 

Who  were  these  Richmond  House  cowboys? 

Bob  Burkholder,  a  senior  and  aspiring  poet,  who  bore  a  striking  resemblance 
to  John  Updike,  lived  on  the  third  floor.  Before  the  maintenance  men  constructed 
a  new  entry  in  the  second  semester,  Burkholder  was  forced  to  pass  through  a 
second  floor  bedroom — mine — to  reach  the  attic  stairs.  To  those  of  us  who  had 
come  from  the  squalor  of  a  dormitory  the  previous  year,  the  inconvenience  was 
minor.  Burkholder's  attic  room  had  dormer  windows,  wooden  floors,  gently  sloping 
gallery  walls — plaster,  not  institutional  green  cinder  block — and  once  you  climbed 
up  there  you  enjoyed  some  privacy.  For  a  variety  of  reasons  this  arrangement 
suited  him.  He  had  transferred  to  Washington  m  his  junior  year,  anci  he  was  more 
disciplined  than  most  of  us.  Mainly  he  was  determined  to  get  what  he  wanted:  to 
win  the  Sophie  Kerr  Prize,  get  married  (he  was  engaged  to  a  girl  back  home  in 
Hagerstown)  and  attend  graduate  school.  He  accomphshed  all  three,  though  he 
was  badly  distracted  once.  In  the  spring  he  fell  in  love — not  with  a  student,  but 
with  a  very  attractive  woman  from  town.  At  first,  he  anci  the  laciv  were  as  discreet 
as  a  Chinese  poem.  But  prett\'  soon  Bob  must  have  felt  his  careful  plans  falling 
apart,  and  one  night  he  got  drunk  and  he  toki  a  tew  of  us  he  was  miserable. 
Somebody  suggested  that  we  write  a  short  story  about  it. 


/  think  students  are  more  aware  of  where  they  are  in  the  world. 

Dnriiiii  the  1950s  America  was  an  eoocentric  nation 

in  that  she  thought  herself  to  be  on  top  of  the  ivorld. 

Students  today  realize  tlieir positioti  in  the  world  and  recognize 

the  different  lifestyles  around  them.  Education  affords  values — 

values  with  which  to  confront  the  world  no  matter  what 

liappens  to  it.  In  a  time  of  economic  crisis  like  this, 

a  lot  of  students  need  to  he  more  aware  of  values 

for  their  own  sake. 


Dr.  Norman  James,  chairman  of  the  English  Department, 
in  an  interview  January  27,  1973. 


289 


Burkholder  s  best  frienei,  David  Beaudoin,  lived  with  the  rest  of  us  on  the 
"bunkhouse"  floor.  Dave  had  a  thatched  hut  of  red  hair  on  his  head  and  was 
always  eligible  for  the  Biggest  Beard  on  Campus  award.  He  favored  blue  denim 
duds — bright  with  patches — and  wore  tinkers'jewelry  on  his  hands.  In  a  pair  of 
sturdy  boots  he  would  hike  around  the  campus  making  friends.  He  was  probably 
the  most  genuinely  well-liked  person  in  Richmond  House.  But  he  suffered  all 
kinds  of  cruelties  from  the  rest  of  us  who  lived  there — we  tampered  with  his 
homemade  yogurt,  tore  up  his  room,  made  fun  of  his  poems,  pushed  him  around. 
Burkholder  even  slapped  him  one  night  out  in  front  of  Hodson  Hall.  Somehow 
all  of  our  meanness  didn't  seem  to  affect  Dave.  I  now  think  that  he  was  past 
much  ot  the  awkwardness  the  rest  ot  us  telt  in  our  selt-appomted  roles  as  writers, 
that  what  looked  to  us  like  weakness  was  really  compassion. 

Danny  Williams  lived  across  trom  Dave  and  was,tortunately,  a  close  triend  of 
mine.  No  one  picked  on  Danny  Williams:  squat,  mean-tempered,  always  at  war 
with  scime  girl,  Danny  was  so  strong  that  he  literally  broke  down  his  shoes  and 
pants  walking  around.  He  carrieei  a  full  course  load,  incluclmg  Bob  Day's  creative 
writing  workshop,  edited  the  Rcricw.  and  was  working  on  a  long  poem  in  blank 
verse.  Each  morning  he  would  jump  in  his  Volkswagen  and  motor  the  200  feet 
to  Smith  Hall  tor  class.  "Saves  time,"  he  said. 

Much  of  Danny's  time  was  spent  on  the  Rci'icw.The  first  issues  were  printed, 
front  and  back,  in  exceedingly  small  type  c:)n  a  stiff  yellow  sheet  the  size  of  a 
political  poster.  The  whole  layout  resembled  a  giant  aerial  photo  reduced  to 
microfiche. There  was  always  the  urge  to  fill  the  Rcvieii'  with  our  own  stuff,  to 
make  it  a  Richmond  House  brew.  To  his  credit,  Danny  gathered  suggestions 
from  students  (what  about  an  article  on  how  to  import  dope  from  Katmandu?) 
and  faculty  (what  about  an  essay  on  opera?),  held  editorial  meetings,  bounceci 
ideas  off  Bob  Day,  kept  his  options  open.  Gradually  it  was  decided  that  the  type 
must  get  larger,  the  articles  less  long  and  tedious.  Bob  talked  the  Sophie  Kerr 
Committee  into  giving  us  extra  money.  By  spring  we  had  agreed  that  the  fol- 
lowing year  we  would  have  a  new  format  and  a  regular  newspaper  printing. 

At  spring  break,  Danny  announced  that  instead  of  going  home  to  Philadel- 
phia, he  would  stay  on  in  Richmond  House:  writers  needed  time  to  write,  and 
he  was  still  grappling  with  his  long  poem.  When  we  returned  trom  break,  how- 
ever, we  found  that  Danny  had  succumbed  to  ennui. The  absence  ot  all  pressures 
had  paralyzed  him.  So  bad  were  his  boredom  and  loneliness  that  he  had  pur- 
chaseci  a  model  at  the  drugstore — one  ot  those  plastic  German  tiger  tanks  that 
you  glue  together  in  thirty-nine  steps.  Years  later,  when  I  had  left  the  lawyer's 
office  after  my  di\oi"ce,  1  bought  a  model  P-5  1  airplane.  It  helped. 

My  room  was  next  to  Danny's  and  we  shared  the  glassed-in  porch  that  ran 
the  length  of  tlie  second  flocir.  Only  a  sophomore,  I  was  the  youngest  resident  ot 
Richmonci  House,  and  I  relished  my  place  among  grown-ups  and  my  treedom 


290 


Ahoi'i.  uliiMiio  oil  lilt  pohli  of  till  O'Xcill  Liicnii'Y  Home 
die,  from  left  to  right,  authors  John  Bartli  and  Williaiii  W'aiiier, 
Literary  House  Director  Bob  Day,  and  Washington  Post 
hook  criiii'  Michael  Dirda. 


from  dormitory  lite.  It  I  wanteei  a  new  book  to  read,  I  could  drop  downstan-s  and 
browse  through  Bob  Day's  otTice;  it  I  were  hungry  at  dawn,  I  could  try  up  a 
hamburger.  I  was  even  allowed  to  keep  a  pet — a  black  mutt  with  the  not  very 
original  name  ot  Puppy  Dog.  My  room  itself  had  an  atmosphere  ot  almost  vis- 
ceral tllthiness.  One  ot  the  perks  of  my  student-aid  job  in  maintenance  was 
access  to  discarded  turniture  trom  around  the  campus.  The  smell  ot  my  mil- 
dewed leather  sororit\'  sofa  blended  with  the  odor  of  dirt)'  clothes  and  dog. 
Among  a  rainbow  of  Broadsides  and  books  on  my  Bunting  library  table,  the 
Coke  cups  that  I  used  for  ashtrays  were  traps  for  tlies.  Against  one  wall  I  had 
lashed  two  dormitory  beds  together  into  a  not-too-subtle  double. 


291 


NoiDidii  Jdiiics  taiioln  Ein^lisli  Utcratitrc  at  the  Collc{;c_toy 
tu'ciity-fivc  years.  He  was  known  for  his  ii'it  diui  vifiUity.  and 
his  pourifiil  iviiC.  He  adivuUed  dddiiii^  the  fnie  arts  to  tlie 
Liiyrietiliiiii  and  founded  and  directed  tlie  liiniiaiiitics  proiirani. 


292 


This  bed  had  a  big  tank  running  down  the  niideile,  and  everyone  made 
hideous  nietaphoncdl  fun  ot  it. 

There  were,  of  course,  other  than  hterary  matters  to  learn  in  your  room  at 
Richmond  House.  One  night  I  brought  a  very  special  girl  to  mine — somecine  I 
had  met  at  the  funeral  of  Peter  Chekemam,  a  good  frienti  who  died  in  the  tall  ot 
'72  from  a  self-intkcted  gunshot  wound.  A  tew  weeks  betore  his  death,  Peter  had 
moved  onto  our  porch — he  needed  a  place  because  he'd  recently  split  up  with 
his  regular  live-m  girltriend.  Like  Romeo,  Peter  was  already  mtatuated  with  a 
new  girl  he'd  just  met  in  Jersey.  Aside  from  her  looks,  what  impressed  Peter 
about  her  was  that  on  their  first  night  together  she  had  presented  him  at  dawn 


293 


with  a  man's  cashmere  sweater.  Now  here  she  was  in  my  room,  come  to  collect 
a  dreary  memento,  for  the  sweater  still  hung  in  my  closet.  As  she  settled  herself 
on  my  bed — glancing  a  bit  uneasily  at  a  gooey  Venus-fly  cup — I  felt  as  though  I'd 
found  a  lovely  sailing  sloop  aground  in  my  own  dank  marsh.  From  beneath  the 
bed  Puppy  Dog  thumped  her  tail  approvingly.While  we  sat  holdmg  hands  (should 
I  shuck  my  loafers,  or  maybe  that  would  be  too  obvious?),  I  heard  how  she  had 
met  Peter,  about  his  last  glorious  night  with  her  at  Hood  College,  about  how  she 
wanted  to  become  a  fashion  model — did  I  read  I  'ague?  Everything  that  I  shall 
ever  know  about  the  lure  of  fishion,  and  the  probable  causes  of  Peter's  cieath,  I 
learned  that  night.  Listening  to  this  beautihil  but  vapid  girl,  wanting  her  very 
much,  but  not  wanting  her,  I  had  the  odd  sense  ot  inheriting  a  shametul  truth 
about  myself,  secondhand.  Pretrv'  soon  my  feet  fell  asleep. 

Probably  a  few  people  around  campus  wished  that  I  was  so  easily  silenced. 
There  was  a  \\eight\^  atmosphere  of  conflict  m  those  days;  both  young  and  old 
were  trying  to  shoulder  the  Big  Load.  Such  effort  produced  a  lot  of  posturing 
and  some  really  awtul  writing,  some  ot  the  worst  ot  which  was  my  own.  It 
seemeci  to  me  then  that  an  encyclopedic  knowledge,  ot  subject  as  well  as  style, 
was  required  to  write  well.  Lacking  both,  I  soon  got  frustrated. The  only  writing 
I  did  that  was  halfway  intelligible  was  m  scathing  reviews  of  my  tellow  students 
when  they  published  a  yearbook  or  put  on  a  play.  In  this  way  I  learned  the  real 
origin  and  worth  ot  criticism. 

Of  course,  Richmond  House  was  more  than  just  those  of  us  who  lived  there. 
Besides  the  tamous  and  not-so-famous  writers  who  would  drop  by  after  their 
readings  at  tlie  College,  various  people  were  pulled  into  its  orbit.  One  winter  a 
flashy  English  professor  named  Bob  Neill — whose  eventual  tight  tor  tenure  drew 
the  support  of  many  of  us — came  over  and  took  an  office  beside  Bob  Day. 

A  new  student  writer  appeared  m  a  muscle:  Bob  King,  B.B.  as  we  called  him, 
was  a  war  veteran  and  wrote  cynical  tales  about  Vietnam.  In  1971  we  tirst  met  a 
shy,  gangly  girl  named  Sarah  Gearhart,  who  left  the  follo^ving  year  for  the  Uni- 
versit)'  of  London  and  then  returned  to  edit  the  i^ri'/ci/'.  Angelo,  a  sort  ot  street 
saint  who  would  later  die  on  a  climbing  trip  in  the  mountains,  used  to  pop  in 
and  ask  us  when  we  were  going  to  publish  something  meaningful.  I  met  my  tirst 
wite,  Pat  Mauser,  when  she  showed  up  one  day  to  take  a  student  job  working  tor 
the  Associated  Writing  Programs  with  Kathy  Walton.  I  could  mention  numerous 
others,  whose  only  anonymous  fault  was  that  they  were  someone  else's  friends. 

In  1973-74,  the  authorities  at  Wishington  College  were  kind  enough  to  let 
me  take  my  senior  year  abroad  at  Manchester  College,  Oxford.  Upon  my  return, 
I  lacked  two  credits  needed  tor  my  B.A.  degree,  so  I  enrolled  for  the  fall  semester 


294 


and  rented  a  house  on  High  Street,  hi  the  year  that  1  was  away  both  Richmond 
House  and  I  had  changed. There  were  women  resicients  in  the  house  now-  and  I 
wistfully  noticed  their  female  handiwork:  curtains  lined  the  winclows;  there  was 
crockery  and  lace  in  the  kitchen;  gone  were  the  derelict  sofas  on  the  tVont  porch 
where  we  drank  beer  and  railed  at  the  passersby.  The  yard-tull  ot  tast  cars  was 
replaced  by  a  bicycle  rack.  The  qualir\'  of  the  Review  was  clearly  improved  and 
there  were  one  or  twc:)  writers  around  Richmond  House  who  were  quietly 
superior  to  the  ranch  hands  of  two  years  before.  My  own  comportment  had 
improved,  too,  after  a  year  at  genteel  Oxford  ("the  ultimate  Back  East,"  I  en- 
thused to  Bob  Day),  but  I  missed  the  bravado  of  my  old  buddies.  Danny  and 
Burkholder,  B.B.  and  Da\'e  were  all  gone  now,  oft  to  Europe  or  graduate  writing 
programs.  Here  I  was  after  five  years,  the  longest  living  selt-proclaimed  student 
writer  in  the  history  of  Washington  College.  Quite  clearly  I  had  outlasted  my 
time.  Like  green  fruit,  my  feelings  about  Richmond  House  tasted  immature  and 
I  wished  I  could  get  out  ot  town. 

I  graduated,  got  out  ot  town,  got  a  job,  got  older,  anci  thought  \er\'  little 
about  Richmond  House.  One  da\'  I  recei\'ed  a  note  typed  on  Washington  Col- 
lege stationery  from  Kathy  Wagner,  asking  it  I  would  like  to  attend  the  dedica- 
tion ot  the  letterpress  room  at  the  new  O'Neill  Literary  House.  At  the  bottom 
was  a  penned  message  from  Bob  Day,  who  suggested  that  I  was  not  \'et  tbrgotten 
around  the  College.  At  tirst  I  didn't  dare  reply,  and  the  letter  sat  on  my  desk  at 
work  among  the  things  that  I  read  now  for  a  living.  After  twelve  years  it  felt  a  bit 
awkward  to  drop  by  Chestertown  and  answer  all  those  c"juestions  about  where  I 
had  been,  ^^"hat  I  was  doing — did  1  still  write?  Married  with  children,  up  to  my 
neck  m  business,  I  was  tinally  now  tlilly  in  the  grasp  of  the  real  world,  which  haci 
waited  so  long  to  catch  me.  Not  until  the  first  tall  storm  chased  away  the  summer 
heat,  and  1  recalled  what  it  was  like,  on  a  cool  October  morning,  dawdling  on 
your  way  to  class,  dici  I  re-read  the  letter  and  c^ecide  to  go  back. 

At  the  Literary  House  parrv',  I  learnecl  that  Richmond  House  had  been  torn 
down  m  1982,  the  lot  left  vacant,  with  only  the  old  catalpa  tree  still  standing.  Boh 
Day  had  carted  oft  much  ot  the  memorabilia  and  thus  created  a  shrine:  fifteen 
years  ot  college  literary  life  compressed  into  a  remarkable  array  of  posters  and 
photos  m  every  room  ot  the  new  O'Neill  House — the  scaftoldmg  ot  a  tradition 
now  in  place.  Here  the  famous  jostled  for  space  on  the  walls  with  student  w'rit- 
ers.  Among  the  playbills  and  old  announcements  of  poetry  readings,  I  spotted, 
like  Most  Wanted  posters,  several  taded  Broadside  poems  by  Danny  and 
Burkholder — and  even,  I  think,  an  old  Rci'icw  with  mv  own  name. 


295 


To  Tell  the  Truth 


By  Douglas  Hanks  III 

Hanks  wjs  the  media  relations  associate  tor  Washington  College  during  1998-99  when  this  story  first 
appeared  m  the  ]\'if:liiin;loii  Co/ZtX'c  A/iiijii-iid'. 


Illiistnitioiis  by  Many  Diiini  Ramsey 


I'm  a  rookie  here,  with  barely  a  year  ot~Washington  College  employ- 
ment behind  me.  When  I  first  arrived  at  this  centuries-old  campus,  people 
were  slinging  all  sorts  ot  wild  stories  my  way,  tall  tales  meant  to  impress  a  wide- 
eyed  stranger  intimidated  by  all  the  history  surrounding  him. 

Stories  like  the  audacious  boast  that  little  Washington  College  was  the  first 
college  tounded  in  the  new  United  States  ot  America.  Or  the  myth  that  the 
school  actually  gives  something  like  $40, 000  to  a  graduating  senior  just  for  writ- 
ing well — cash  money  the  winners  are  free  to  spend  at  will,  be  it  on  their  first 
nox'el  or  on  Red  17.  My  favorite  was  the  myth  of  students — male  and  female — 
stripping  away  their  clothes  every  May  1  and  streaking  across  campus,  a  wildly 
poetic  ritual  celebrating  spring. 

Of  course,  fables  like  those — 

NOTE  FROM  THE  EDnX)R:  Doug,  those  things  ami  V  myths.  They're  all  true. 

Really?  Even  the  naked  part? 

\'es,  ahhough  we  certainly  don't  condone  that  sort  of  heharior 

No,  ot  course  we  don't.  So  where  was  1  last  year  on  the  tirst  ot  May? 

\on  mere  fishing. 

Oh.  I  see.  Well,  I'm  writing  a  note  to  make  sure  I  am  m  the  otfice  this  May  1, 
just  so  I  can  be  here  to  help  condemn  that  sort  of  thing. 

But  as  I  was  saying,  myths  are  a  natural  part  of  the  collegiate  landscape,  as 
common  as  brick  walks.  Few  institutions  lend  themselves  to  myth-makmg  like 
colleges  and  universities. The  combination  ot  centuries'  worth  ot  history,  a  pow- 
erful nostalgia  for  the  campus's  good  old  days,  and  a  core  population  that  churns 
through  itselt  every  tour  years  produces  an  tiral  history  tilled  with  mysterious 
tales  ot  hazy  origins. 

Thus  across  the  country  we  hear  stories  ot  obscure  policies  granting  students 
4.()s  tor  the  semester  following  a  roommate's  suicide,  eccentric  alumni  who  fund 
endowments  to  keep  the  cafeteria  stocked  with  ice  cream,  and  regulations  on 
how  long  students  must  wait  for  a  tardy  instructor  based  on  the  professor's  rank. 

The  above  examples  are  all  false,  by  the  way — tall  tales  that  have  wormed 
their  way  into  the  mythology  of  campuses  across  the  country.  The  Wasliington 
Coflege  Magazine  has  mustered  all  its  investigative  resources  and  set  out  to  exam- 


296 


ine  a  tew  legends  closer  to  home,  stones  that  have  been  told,  retold,  then  tok 
again  for  decades,  yet  never  scrutinized. 
Until  now. 


Party  Legends 

THE  STORY:  Washmgton  College  used  to  he  such  a  wild  oasis  of 
debauchery  Playboy  once  named  it  one  oi  the  1  (I  biggest  party 
schools  in  the  country. 
THEVERDICT:  False. 

THE  SKINNY:  Visit  any  campus  m  the  countr\-  and  talk  to  some 
students.  Ask  them  about  the  social  scene  on  campus.  This  is 
what  you'll  hear: 

STUDENT:  "Things  are  so  lame  ik:iw.  Back  m  the  old  days,  this 
place  was  wild.  Every  weekend  they'd  roll  out  kegs  onto  the  front 
lawn,  and  professors  would  bring  pitchers  of  martinis  to  class,  and, 
dude,  even  the  library  had  a  draft  system. You  used  to  be  able  to  buy 
pitchers  while  yoti  studied,  and  you  could  charge  it  to  vour  parents." 

YOU:  "And"" 

STUDENT:  "Oh,  yeah.  I  think  back  m  like  r;S2  or  some- 
thing. Playboy  said  we  were  the  top  part)'  school  in  the  country!" 

In  fact.  Playboy  rarely  ranks  party  schools,  though  it  has  now 
and  again.  But  from  the  number  ot  schciols  where  students  claim  the  ranking, 
you  would  think  the  lists  were  published  weekh'. 

To  debunk  this  myth,  we  were  forced  to  delve  deeply  into  research,  scruti- 
nizing back  issues  and  even  signing  up  tor  a  month's  subscnptit^n  to  Playboy  On- 
Liiic  at  the  magazine's  expense,  all  tor  the  sake  of  investigating  this  matter. 

And  the  research  paid  oft.  For  after  poring  through  back  issues,  scrolling 
through  co\'er  alter  cover  posted  on  the  hiternet,  pro\\'ling  through  chat  rooms 
looking  tor  Playboy  experts,  and  exploring  other  men's  magazines  tor  similar 
rankings,  we  called  Playboy  itself  and  talked  to  someone  named  Candi  or  Bambi 
who  checked  the  past  lists  and  said  Washington  College  wasn't  on  them. 


Sophie's  Curse 

THE  STORY:  Winners  of  the  Sophie  Kerr  Prize  are  doomed  to  a  lite  of  literary 
lameness,  toiling  awav  m  obscurity  and  never  approaching  the  promise  be- 
stowed upon  them  by  winning  the  nation's  largest  writing  prize  tor  under- 
graduates. 


297 


THE  VERDICT:  False. 

THE  SKINNY:  First  of  all,  there  aren't  any  Sophie 
Prize  recipients  on  food  stamps.  A  look  at  30  years' 
worth  ot  winners  makes  a  certain  academic  flack 
a  little  green  with  envy.  There's  the  big-time  public 
relations  executive  from  '74,  the  surgeon  from  '69, 
the  electronic  marketing  manager  for  MacMillan 
trom  'S6. 

"It's  madness!  When  you  think  ot  the  kids  who 
won  the  prize,  they  haven't  been  cursed  whatso- 
e\-er."  bellows  Professor  Robert  Day,  the  former  di- 
rector ot  the  O'Neill  Literary  House  who  now  teaches  English  at  the  College. 
Day  and  others  point  to  a  number  ot  Sophie  winners  who  have  gone  on  to 
thrive  m  a  "literary  lite,"  including:  Harvey  Rolanci  "Mike"  Hammer,  the  '90 
winner  who  toundecl  the  prestigious  literary  magazine.  The  Pliiiii  Review;  Robert 
Burkholder,  the  respected  English  protessor  at  Penn  State  who  won  the  prize  in 
'72;William  L.Thompson,  the  "70  winner  who  tollowed  a  successful  journalism 
career  to  The  (Baltimore)  5////,  published  a  book,  and  directed  the  Washington 
College  Literary  House  Press;  Ellen  Beardsley,  the  '81  winner  who  now  reviews 
books  and  writes  poetry  from  her  home  m  Cork,  h-eland;  William  Bowie,  the 
published  poet  and  "75  winner;  Peter  Turchi,  the  published  nc;)velist  from  '<S2 
who  now  directs  the  MFA  program  at  Warren  Wilson  College. 

To  be  sure,  though,  none  of  the  winners  has  approached  the  tame  or  renown 
ot  the  Sophie  Kerr  Prize  itselt. There  ha\'e  been  no  Nobels,  Pulitzers,  or  bestsellers 
in  the  bunch. 

Some  wonder  it  the  Prize — and  all  the  attention,  promise,  and,  yes,  money, 
that  goes  with  it — serves  as  too  lofty  a  benchmark  with  which  to  measure  a 
young  person's  successes. 

"It's  rather  damning,  winning  this  huge  prize."  English  Department  Chair- 
man Richard  Gillm  said.  Some  winners  "teel  they  have  ciisappointed  people 
here  because  they  haven't  done  anything  grand  or  spectacular.  But  at  2 1  or  22 
years  old,  no  one  expects  that." 

Literar\-  House  Director  Robert  Mooney  has  said  the  awaixi  teaches  an  im- 
portant lesson — the  long  odds  against  literary  prominence,  no  matter  the  writer. 
Adds  Jet  Frank,  a  contender  tor  last  war's  prize:"They  say  it's  a  curse  because 
no  one's  writing  the  Number  One  Xew  \'oii:  Times  bestseller.  But  how  many 
people  want  to  do  that?" 


The  Far  Side  ot  Believability 

THE  STORY:  C~)ddball  cartoonist  Gary  Larson,  creator  of  "The  Far  Sicie,"  at- 
tended Washington  College  as  an  undergraduate. 
THE  VERDICT:  False. 

THE  SKINNY:  Larson,  48,  attended  Washington  State  University,  not  Washing- 
ton College,  which  probably  accounts  for  how  this  myth  got  started.  Wasliing- 
ton  College  can  claim  some  famous  entertainers  as  alumni,  including  Tcnuiiia- 
tor  heroine  (and  James  Cameron  ex)  Linda  Hamilton  and  Just  Sliooi  Mc  star 
Laura  San  Giacomo.  But  not  Larson,  a  iiatiw  c:)t  Tacoma,  WA,  who  spent  his 
entire  college  career  at  Washington  State,  according  to  a  spokeswoman  there. 
The  folks  at  Larson's  marketing  company  out  in  Seattle  ccinfirnied  it. 
"Lm  atraid  you're  going  to  ha\"e  to  debunk  that  CMie,"  said  Kim  Lindbeck  ot 
Far  Works,  who  asked  Larson  if  he  ever  went  to  Washington  C'ollege. 
"He  said  no." 


A  Slick  Swap? 


THE  STORY:  The  hit  movie  Cir\'  Slickers  was  actually  a  pirated  version  ot~Wash- 

ington  College  Professor  Bob  Day's  novel  The  List  Cattle  Drive. 
THE  VERDICT:  Inconclusive. 

THE  SKINNY:  Bob  Day  did  indeed  write  a  no\el  called  77/f  Last  Cattle  Drive 
with  a  plot  vaguely  similar  to  City  Slickers.  And  a  production  company  pur- 
chased the  movie  rights  to  that  novel  from  Day.  Accorc^ing  to  Day,  the  produc- 
tion company  told  him  Billy  Crystal,  who  helped  pen  Citv'  Slickers,  once 
inc^uired  about  the  rights  to  The  Last  Cattle  Drive  but  ne\'er  pursued  the  project. 
EDITOR'S  NOTE:  Doiio,  pkase  remember  that  Billy  Crystal  is  very  rich  and  has 
more  lawyers  than  Washimyton  Colleoe  has  psyehohn^y  majors. 

I  know,  that's  why  I'm  just  going  to  end  the  piece  with  this: 
As  Professor  Day  recalls,  he  reaci  an  interview  with  Crystal  in 
a  major  newsmagazine  in  which  the  actor/writer  was  asked, 
"How  did  you  ever  come  up  with  the  idea  of  driving  cattle 
through  the  desert?' 

"And  Crystal  said, 'I  just  woke  up  m  the  middle 
ot  the  night  with  it.'" 

Day  paused  to  let  Crystal's  statement  sink 
in,  then  offered  a  skeptical  exclamation  that — 
and  this  could  just  be  a  coincidence — also  refers 
to  catde.  [W] 


299 


r^^CM  ::>Qm^ 


:I"v^: 


Teachers,  Mentors,  Friends 


Ovcykaj:  Dr.  XiclioLu 
Ncifliii,  the  fiisr  Ernest  A. 
Howard  Professor  of  niii<lisli 
Literature  (seated), 
exemplified  tlie  spirit  of  tlie 
liberal  arts  tradition.  Diiriini 
his  tiretity-three-year  career 
(1950-1973),  Mewliii 
chatiipioiied  cii'ilized  action 
and  independent  thinking;. 


Tliroiiglioiit]\hsliin0oii  College's  long  history, 
one  elenieiir  has  irniaitied  constant — a  faculty 
liisfingiiishcd  by  its  scholarship,  coiiunitniein  to 
students,  and  dedication  to  the  noblest  profession 
of  teaching.  ]]dshington  College  professors  have 
proven  to  be  teacliers,  mentors,  and  friends  with 
an  nncanny  ability  to  recognize  and  enconrage  a 
student's  potential  for  success.  Long  after 
graduation,  alunuii  remember  those  pivfessors 
u'ith  the  power  to  affect  lives.  Just  a  few  of  tfiem 
are  pictured  on  the  following  pages. 


302 


XoiiiiiVi  JiViics,  ii'lio  siiaxcdcd  Xick  Xcwlin  as  the  Ernest  A. 
Hou'did  Professor  of  EnoJisli  Literature,  called  for  the 
establisliiiient  of  fine  arts prooraiiis  at  ]\'C  and  founded  and 
directed  the  linuianities  proi;raiu.  Of  all  his  contributions,  he 
was  most  proud  of  his  effort  to  intei;rate  the  student  body. 


303 


MiUViJirl  ]]' Hoisley,  who  iiUiolit  fociolooy  and  iVithiopokwy 
Jor  ihiity  years,  was  iihctui  of  her  lime  in  uiuicrsrdiidiiii^ 
iroiiicii's  issues  and  the  iide  of  iiviiieii  in  aiiuieniid.  She  seiivd 
ds  Dean  of]]bnteii  fnvii  I960  until  1965,  when  she  was 
named  chair  of  her  department. 


304 


jV(if  (';;/)'  u\is  Riiliiud  Bioii'ii  a  fine  iiicUliciiiiUici,iii  diiil  tcdLlicr.  he 
ii'ds  faudtic  dhoiit  opcni.  His  };ciicivsiiy  with  cxrid  opcrd  tickets — 
lie  often  dtteiided  twice  d  week — fueled  dii  dpprecidtion  for  tlie 
iiinsicdl  i^eiiie  dinoiii^  students,  fdciilty.  ditd  stdff. 


305 


Nate  Smith,  professor  of  history,  four-time  i7rf//;(j  tfedii,  iiiitf  imisician, 
mas  always  drireii  hy  liis  strong;  sense  of  etiiics.  Diiriiii;  forty-one  years 
of  teaching  and  administration  lie  mas  the  school's  moral  anchor,  a 
progressive  visionary,  and  an  unparalleled  aeademie  leader 


306 


NdiiLyTdniiii,  irlio  tiiiii;lit  Sluikapciiic  for  iliiny-ci^ilit  ycais 
hcUci'cd  ill  the  power  of  {iiViir  litcriitinv  to  speak  to  stiithiits 
and  eih'oiiiin;ed  the  eohej^e  eoiiiiiiimity  to  strire  for  a  iii^^her 
standard  of  writiin;  and  thinking;. 


307 


Tai  Siiiif^Aii  was  iiistiiiiiiciital  in  cstdhlisliiii<^  the  department  of  political 
science  and  international  stndies  in  l'Ui<S,  and  serird  for  many  years  as 
the  department's  first  chair  A  respected  scholar,  a  prolific  iiriter,  and  an 
t';/(ji/ij//;i,'  ami  dedicated  teacher  fiir  thirty-five  years.  An  helped  to  shape 
some  of  the  finest  yoniiii  political  scientists  workiif^  today. 


308 


Frank  Crecgiiii  has  ncirr  lost  the  ciitltitsiiisiit  atid  willittoiicss 
of  a  young  tctiiiic-tfack  pivfcssor.  Siticc  1967,  lie  liin  iciiidiiicd 
coitiitiitted  to  the  idea  that  the  cssetice  of  excellence  in  the 
liberal  arts  tradition  lies  in  teaching. 


309 


Peter Tapkc,  pictured  with  F\iihrig)it  Aii'ard  winner  Mciritvii 
Hiiehschniiin  '67,  directed  the  Fulhrii^ht  proi^raiii,  established  the 
]]'illidni  jtiinei  Forum,  diid  Liuuched  the  Collet^e's  rowiiiii 
proj^rivn.  He  tinii;ht  phiiosojihy  and  reh\;ion  for  thirty-fire  years. 


310 


Robert  Fallaw's  aiitlioritatii'c  coiiiiiidiid  of  Aniciiidii  liisrory.  his 
breadth  of  knowledge,  and  his  talent  for  storytelliui;  elerate  his 
classes  to  the  "not  to  be  missed"  list.   He  has  been  teaehing  at 
Jl'ashington  College  since  1970. 


311 


Richard  Gilliii's  liciv  ii  tlic  Roiiidiitic poet  Lord  Byron,  yet  his 
true  passion  is  teacliiiii;.  GiUin  has  brought  British  htcrattire  to 
Ufe  hi  the  liassrooin  since  1973,  and  recently  huinched  a  study 
abroad  program  in  Ubrdsiivrth's  Lake  District. 


Al  Brig^s,  pictured  at  a  campus  picnic  with  his  family,  is  a  briUiant 
matJiemattcian  wliose  passion  for  mathematics  is  evident  in  his 
tcaclnng.  Since  1967,  he  has  chalU'nged  Washington  College 
students  to  understand  the  power  and  beauty  of  the  subject. 


312 


Eriuoii  Foster  licvotcd  fony-foiiy  ycdrs  lo  \]dsliinotoii  Collci^c.  He 
taught  education  and  psychology,  served  briefly  as  Director  of 
Admissions,  and  was  Registrar  from  1950  until  liis  retirement  in 
1 986.  As  Grand  Marshal,  he  presided  over  128  academic  ceremonies 


313 


Gairy  Clarke,  professor  of  iiiiisii  who  served  as  ihwi  and  as  actiu^i 
president  of  the  Colkve.  tohi  colleagues  in  198 1:  "Brilliant 
tcacluno  nnist  he  expected.  "  Since  the  start  of  Ins  career  here  in 
1968,  students  of  Garry  Clarke — pianist,  composer,  and  author — 
have  i^otten  nothiiii^  less. 


314 


Robert  Ainlcrson,  who  Joined  the  Cohc(;e's  phih^^opliy  departiiicnt 
ill  1976,  is  d  peiviiiiidi  farorite  with  stiideiiis.  Aiidcisoii  i<  hiioii'ii 
Jor  liis  (iiiinidled  ihissivoiii  pivieiice,  his  dhility  to  trdiisfoiiii  diiy 
text  into  pdssioiidte  diid  coiiipehiiii;  diseiissioii,  diid  liis  biiilidiit 
sense  of  hiiiiioi. 


315 


Patricia  Honiv,  ii'lio  has  taii'^lit  sociolo'^y  at  \]'iisliiii'^toii  College 
since  1964,  is  diii'cii  by  a  sense  of  fairness  and  a  strong  social 
consciousness.  Her  students  adnnre  her  for  asking  the  important 
questions,  for  believing  in  them,  and  for  challenging  them  to  excel. 


316 


Tiinorliy  Maloiicy,  a  fine  stii(;c  iictor  and  director  who  developed 
the  drama  department  from  its  injdiicy.  always  put  the  education  of 
his  students  ahead  of  the  pressure  to  please  audiefices.  He  has 
taught  at  Washington  College  since  1966. 


317 


George  Washington's  Honorary  Degree 


The  hoiiortiiy  Doctor  of  /K    '^   ^ '^   THAT   E  N  D  academic  degrees  were  prudently  instituted  by  our 

Lciii's  ilegyec  Wiis  picscmcd  /— *     ancestors,  that  public  honors  might  be  awarded  to  men  who  are  deserv- 

to  George  IVnshiiigtoii  in  -/-    -A-ing  of  them  because  of  eminence  in  piety,  government  and  letters;  and 

Neii'York  City  on  Jnnc  24,  since  it  is  abundantly  evident  to  us  and  indeed  to  all,  that  George  Washington, 

1789.  The  lexi  at  right  is  President  of  the  United  States  of  America,  has  earned  the  gratitude  of  the  entire 

transhited  from  Latin.  The  human  race  not  only  on  account  of  his  piety,  service  to  the  State,  and  ability  in 

original  diphvna  is  in  the  letters;  but  also  in  war  and  in  peace,  having  obtained  the  common  acclaim  oi  all, 

Manuscript  Division  of  the  has  shown  himself  m  sericius  crises  to  be  an  outstanding  citizen,  a  prosperous 

Library  of  Congress.  avenger  ot  liberty,  and  a  most  loving  father  ot  his  country,  we  therefore  (by  virtue 
of  the  authority  vested  in  us,  etc.) 

We,  the  Principal  aiici  Facultv'  of  Washington  College  in  the  State  of  Mary- 
land in  the  United  States  of  America,  to  all  men  to  whom  these  Presents  may 
come,  Greeting. 

Whereas,  Academic  Degrees  were  wisely  established  by  our  Ancestors  to  the 
end  that  public  Honors  might  be  accorded  to  those  Men  who  have  best  served 
Rehgion,  Letters  and  the  State,  and  whereas  it  has  been  made  manifest  to  us  and 
to  all  men  that  George  Washington,  President  of  the  United  States  of  America, 
has  always  and  well  served  not  only  Religion,  Letters  and  the  State  and  even  the 
whole  Human  Race,  but  in  War  as  well  as  in  Peace  being  most  eager  for  the 
common  safety  amidst  the  gravest  crisis,  has  proved  himself  a  most  eminent 
Citizen,  a  most  successful  Defencier  ot  Libertv',  and  a  most  fond  father  of  his 
Country.  We,  therefore,  influenced  by  the  foregoing  considerations  in  accor- 
dance with  the  express  Mandate  of  the  Visitors  and  Governors  of  this  College 
(by  the  unanimous  vote  of  all)  at  the  Public  Commencement  held  on  the  24th 
day  of  June,  1789,  have  pronounced  and  declared  this  same  eminent  and  most 
distinguished  Man  Doctor  of  Civil  and  Canon  Law  and  beg  him  by  virtue  of  this 


320 


Diploma  to  enjoy  among  his  fellow  W;ishmgtonians  all  the  Rights.  Privileges  and 
Honors  belonging  to  that  Decree. 

In  witness  of  which  Thing  we  have  affixed  our  Names  and  the  pubhc  Seal  of 
the  College  to  this  Diploma. 

William  Smith.  S.T.D.,  Principal 

Colin  Ferguson,  D.D.,  Professor  of  Languages  and  ot  Mathematics 

Peregrine  Letherbuy,  Professor  of  Law,  pro  tem 

Samuel  Armor,  Professor  of  Logic  and  Moral  Philosophy 

Samuel  Keene,  Professor  ot  Ens^lish  anci  ot  Oratorv 


To  the  Corporation  ofVisitors  and  Governors  and  the  Principal  and  Faculty  of       .-4  letter-hook  copy  of 
Professors  ot"Washington  College  in  the  State  of  Maryland.  Gcoi^c  \\ashiii<;toti's 


Gentlemen: 

Your  \-ery  affectionate  Address,  and  the  honorary  Testimony  to  your  regard 
which  accompanied  it,  call  forth  my  grateful  acknowledgment. 

A  recollection  of  past  events,  and  the  happy  termination  ot  our  glorious 
struggle  tor  the  establishment  ot  the  rights  ot  Man  cannot  tail  to  inspire  evei"y 
teeling  heart  with  veneration  and  gratitude  toward  the  Great  Ruler  ot  Events, 
who  has  so  manitestly  interposed  in  our  behalf. 

Among  the  numerous  blessings  which  are  attendant  upon  Peace,  and  as  one 
whose  consequences  are  ot  the  most  important  and  extensive  kind,  may  be  reck- 
oned the  pi"osperir\'  ot  Colleges  and  Seminaries  of  Learning. 

As,  m  civrlized  societies,  the  welfare  ot  the  state  and  happiness  of  the  people 
are  advanced  or  retarded,  in  proportion  as  the  morals  and  education  of  the  youth 
are  attendeci  to;  I  cannot  tbrbear,  on  the  occasion,  to  express  the  satisfaction 
which  I  teel  on  seeing  the  increase  ot  our  seminaries  ot  learning  through  this 
extensive  country,  and  the  general  wish  which  seems  to  prevail  tor  establishing 
and  maintaining  these  valuable  institutions. 

It  affords  me  peculiar  pleasure  to  know  that  the  Seat  of  Learning  under  your 
direction  hath  attained  to  such  proficiency  in  the  Sciences  since  the  Peace;  and  I 
sincerely  pray  the  great  Author  of  the  Universe  may  smile  upon  the  Institution, 
and  make  it  an  extensive  blessing  to  this  country. 

George  Washington 
New  York,  July  II,  1789 


response  to  receipt  of  the 
hoihvwY  degree  Is  in  the 
\\'dshiii{itoii  collection  of  the 
Library  of  Conoress. 


321 


Honorary  Degrees  Granted  by  Washington  College 
1785-1999 


1785 

John  Andrews,  D.D. 
John  Carroll,  D.D. 
Thomas  John  Claggett,  D.D. 
Samuel  Keene,  D.D. 
William  Thomson,  D.D. 
William  West,  D.D. 

1787 

Cohii  Ferguson,  D.D. 

1789 

John  Bowie,  D.D. 
George  Washington.  LL.D 

1814 
John  Emory,  D.D. 

1857 

Franklin  Lafayette  Knight,  D.D. 

IS')4 

William  Mumford,  D.D. 
Stephen  C.  Roberts,  D.D. 
Alfi-ed  Snnth,  D.D. 

1895 

Wilter  Raleigh  Graham,  D.D. 
George  C.  Sutton,  D.D. 
Robert  Wart,  D.D. 

1896 

James  Black  Merntt,  D.D. 
Oliver  Hugh  Murphy  D.D. 

1898 

David  Lee  Greentield,  D.D. 

James  Roy  Micou,  Ph.D. 

1900 

Samuel  [oseph  Smith,  D.D. 


1901 

James  Thomas  Lassell,  D.D. 

Marrin  Bates  Stephens,  Ph.D. 

1906 

Andrew  Hunter  Boyd,  LL.D. 
William  Hemy  Hall.A.M. 
HeniT  Brainard  Martin,  D.D. 

1907 

WiUiam  Forbes  Adams,  LL.D. 
Joseph  Sweemian  Ames,  LL.D. 
George  Lincoln  Burr,  LL.D. 
Brother  Denis,  LL.D. 
George  Hutchinson  Denny,  LL.D. 
Thomas  heland  EUiott.  LL.D. 
John  David  Epes,  Litt.D 
James  Frazer,  LL.D. 
HiramWKeUogg,  LL.D. 
WiUiam  Ware  Kimball,  D.D. 
Thomas  Hamilton  Lewis,  LL.D. 
Howard  McClenahan,  LL.D. 
James  Middleton  Muiiroe,  LL.D. 
Josiah  H,irriman  Penniinan,  LL.D. 
Kurt  Seyferth,  LL.D. 
George  Matthews  Sharp,  LL.D. 
Richard  WiUiam  Silvester,  LL.D. 
William  Rudulph  Smith,  LL.D. 
WiUiam  Sidney  Thayer,  LL.D. 
Thaddeus  Peter Thom.is.  LL.D. 

1908 

Ward  Brinton.A.M. 

James  Edward  Carroll,  Ped.D 

Harr\'Jump  Hopkins,A.M. 

Clarence  Wanvick  Perkins,  A.M. 

Edward  Rohms  Rich.  D.!> 

1909 

John  Wesley  Chambers,  DSc. 
Gustav  Gruener,  Litt.D. 
Samuel  Towner  Rogers,  LL.D. 


1910 

William  Royal  Stokes,  DSc. 

Francis  Valk.  DSc. 

1911 

Marshall  Langston  Price,  M.Sc. 

1912 

John  Sharshall  Grast^'.  DSc. 
Frederick  Joseph  Kinsman,  LL.D. 

1913 

John  Franklin  Carey,  D.D. 
Francis  Trevelyn  Miller,  Litt.D. 
Charles  Laban  Pardee,  D.D. 

1914 

Nicholas  Charies  Burke,  LL.D. 

C'hnstian  Gauss,  Litt.D. 

1915 

Jasper  Yates  Brinton.A.M. 

John  IsraelYeUott,  D.D. 

191  (, 

Harvey  Grant  Beck,  DSc. 

Clarence  GrifEn  Child,  LL.D. 

1917 

Charles  FuUer  Harley  LL.D. 
SeweU  Stanley  Hepburn,  D.D. 
William  Luke  Marbuiy  LL.D. 

1918 

J.S.Wilham  Jones,  DSc. 
Sewell  Norris  Pilchard,  D.D. 

1911) 

V.  Bernard  Sienis.  M.Sc. 


322 


1921 

Alexander  Griswold  Cummins, 

D.D. 
Josepli  Wilson  Sutton,  D.D. 
Arthur  Smith  Walls,  D.D. 

1922 

William  Dunbar  Gould,  D.D. 
George  C.  Graham,  D.D. 
Clarence  Hodson,  LL.D. 
Ralph  YD.  Magoffin,  LL.D. 
Luther  E.  Poole,  D.D. 
Eugene  A.  Robinson,  D.D. 

1923 

Morris  Lewis  Clothier,  LL.D. 
James  E.  Ellegood,  LL.D. 
Enoch  Barton  Garey,  LL.D. 
Thomas  Frederick  Garey,  LL.D. 
Walter  Edwan  Gunby  D.D. 
Albert  CabeU  Patchie,  LL.D. 
Rubert  Bowdom  Mathews,  D.D. 
Reginald  H.  Smith,  LL.D. 

1924 

Wilmer  Fletcher  Burns,  Ped.D 
Elciridge  Lyon  Eliason,  D.Sc. 
James  Albert  Leach,  D.D. 
Le\vin  Wethered  Wickes,  LL.D. 

192.S 

James  Hariy  Covington,  LL.D. 
Alfred  Pearce  Denms,  LL.D. 
Samuel  William  Wiley  D.Sc. 

1926 

George  William  Davenport,  D.D. 

Clarence  True  Wilson,  LL.D. 

1927 

Herbert  Clark  Hoover,  LL.D. 
Joseph  BrutfSeth,  LL.D. 
John  Oakley  Spencer,  LL.D. 
MUlai-d  Evelyn  Tydings,  LL.D. 

1928 

Horace  Richard  Barnes,  LL.D. 
James  WiUiam  Cain,  LL.D. 
Omar  Edgar  Jones,  D.D. 
Millard  Fillmore  Mmnick,  D.D. 

1929 

Hiram  Staunton  Brown,  LL.D 
Edwin  Honeywood  Dashiell,  D.D. 
Clarence  Poe,  LL.D. 


1930 

Phillips  Lee  Goldsborough,  LL.D. 
James  Merritt  Hepbron,  LL.D. 
Leonard  Bayard  Smith,  D.D. 

1931 

Samuel  King  Dennis,  LL.D. 
Edgar  Clark  Fontaine,  Litt.D. 
William  Leonard  Murphy,  D.D. 
Lewis  RadcHffe,  D.Sc. 

1932 

Harry  Vance  Holloway.  LL.D. 
Disston  Wright  Jacobs,  D.D. 
John  Bassett  Moore,  LL.D. 
Friedrich  W  von  Prittwitz,  LL.D. 

1 933 

Howard  Atwood  Kcll>-,  LL.D. 
Samuel  Robert  MacEwan,  D.D. 
WrUiam  Heniy  Meese,  LL.D. 
Franklin  Delano  Roosevelt,  LL.D. 
Paul  Emerson Titsworth,  LL.D. 
Ra\niond  Writers,  Litt.D. 

1934 

George  L.P  Radcliflb,  LL.D. 

Amos  WW.  Woodcock,  LL.D. 

193.S 

Thomas  Alan  Goldsborough, 

LL.D. 
Harry  Whmna  Nice.  LL.D. 
James  Marsh,ill  Hana  Rowland, 

LL.D. 
Robert  Lee  Swain,  D.Sc. 

1936 

Harn-  Clifton  Bvrd,  LL.D. 

1937 

George  Aver\-  Bunting,  D.Sc. 

Guy  Everett  Snavely,  LL.D. 

1938 

Charles  Led\ard  Atwater,  D.D. 
Edward  L.  Israel,  LL.D. 
George  Emmet  Wood,  D.D. 


John  Imn  Coulbourn.LL.D 
Frank  Pierrepont  Graves,  LL.D. 
Kent  Roberts  Greenfield,  Litt.D. 
Herbert  Romulus  O'Conor,  LL.D. 


1940 

Solomon  Scott  Beck,  LL.D. 
Isaiah  Bowman,  LL.D. 
H.A.B.  r:)unning,  D.Sc. 
Julio  Del  Toro,  Litt.D. 

1942 

Man-  Adele  France,  Litt.D. 
Amia  Eleanor  Roosevelt,  LL.D. 
Sophie  Kerr  Underwood,  Litt,D. 

1943 

Arthur  Howard  Brice,  LL,D. 
|ohn  Eisele  Davis,  D.Sc. 
Duilley  George  Roe,  LL.D. 

I')44 

Fiances  Alice  Clements,  Litt.D. 

Emmet  Francis  Hitch,  D.Sc. 

1946 

Harrv  STriinian.  LL.D. 

1'I47 

William  Preston  L.ine,  LL.D. 

1948 

William  lennings  Willace,  LL.D. 


Thomas  ALin  Goldsborough, 
D.C.L. 

1950 

WilUam  Rabon  Howell,  LL.D. 
CoHn  Ferguson  Stam,  LL.D. 
Charies  Heniy  Watts,  LL.D. 

1951 

John  Edward  French,  LID. 
James  Loorais  Madden,  LL.D. 
Theodore  Roosevelt  McKeldin, 
LL.D. 

1952 

Colgate  Whitehead  L:>aiden,  LL.D. 
JohnJayMcCloy  D.C.L. 
Gilbert  Thomas  Rude,  D.Sc. 

1953 

Douglas  Southall  Freeman,  L.H.D. 
Arthur  Amory  Houghton,  LL.D. 
Frederick  Blaine  Noble,  LL.D. 


323 


1954 

Stephen  Roberts  Collins.  LL.D. 

Dwight  David  Eisenhowei', 

LL.D. 
Wilson  Homer  Elkms.  LL.D. 

I<».S.S 

Milton  CampeU,  LL.D. 

FijnkPaceJr.L.H.D. 

1956 

Jasper  Yates  Bnnton,  LL.D. 
Clarence  Pembroke  Cioiild, 
LL.D. 

1957 

William  OHver  Baker,  DSc. 
Henry  Steele  Commager,  Litt.D 
Bendey  Glass,  D.Sc. 
Gaylord  P.  HarnweU,  LL.D. 
Lee  Lawrie,  D.F.A. 
Noble  Cilley  PoweU,  D.D. 
Marten  ten  Hoor.  LL.D. 
Richard  Darnel  Weigle,  LL.D. 
Laurence  C. Wroth,  L.H.D 

195S 

Ehner  Hutcliisson.  D.Sc. 

Norman  Taylor  D.Sc. 

1959 

George  Boas,  L.H.D. 

William  Raymond  Horney, 

LL.D. 
lohn  Millard  Tiwcs.  LL.D. 


HeiiiT  PoweU  Hopkins,  D.F.A. 
Frederick  George  Livingood, 
LL.D. 

|9(,1 

Adelyn  D  Breeskin,  D.FA. 
M.ison  Welch  Gross,  LL.D. 


Arthur  Stanley  Link,  L.H.D. 

196.^ 

Lvman  H.Buttei-field,  H.H.D. 
Arthur  Hobson  Dean,  H.H.D. 
Loren  C.  Eisely,  L.H.D. 
John  Hamilton  Hessey.  LL.D. 

I9(.4 

Wesley  Leonadis  Sadler.  L.H.D. 


|9(,5 

Lammot  duPont  Copeland, 

H.H.D. 
Fred  Michael  Hcclunger,  L.H.D. 

1966 

Brooks  Atkinson,  L.H.D. 
Otto  Frederick  Rraushaar, 
H.H.D. 

19(,7 

Paul  Snuth  Calloway  Mus.D. 
Marvin  Banks  Periy  Jr,  LL.D. 
Douglas  Scale,  D.F.A. 

I9r,s 

Lincobi  Gordon,  LL.D. 
Roy  Joseph  Plunkett,  D.Sc. 
Earl  Warren,  J.D. 

1969 

Alpheus Thomas  Mason,  L.H.D. 

Stewart  Lee  Udall,  D.Sc. 

197(1 

Daniel  Zachaiy  Gibson,  L.H.D. 
Ernest  Albert  Howard,  H.H.D. 
George  Darnel  Olds,  LL.D. 

1971 

Mamn  Mandel,  LL.D. 
Warren  E.  Burger,  LL.D. 
William  Shepeard  Dlx,  L.H.D. 
Rogers  C.B.  Morton,  LL.D. 

1 972 

Walter  Edw,irdW.ishington, 

LL.D, 
Anne  Gaiy  Pannell Taylor, 

L.H.D. 

197.^ 

Thomas  Lowe  Hughes,  LL.D. 
Nicholas  Newhn,  Litt.D. 
Avery  WiUiam  Hall,  D.H. 

1974 

Steven  Muller,  D.S.Sc. 

1975 

William  Hardy  McNeill,  D.H. 
Keith  Sp.ilding,  L.H.D. 
William  Benjainin  Johnson, 

LL.D. 
Frederick  Blame  Noble,  L.H.L> 
Leha  Hodson  Hvnson,  D.H. 


1976 

Merrill  Daniel  Peterson,  L.H.D. 
Elliott  Lee  Richardson,  LL.D. 
Stanley  Woodward,  L.H.D. 
George  Thomas  Pratt,  L.H.D. 
Hardy  Cross  Dillard,  LL.D. 

1977 

Pamela  Cunningham  Copeland, 

L.H.D. 
Charles  McCurd\'  Mathiasjr., 

LL.D 
Louis  L.  Goldstein,  LL.D. 
Thomas  Steele  Nichols,  L.H.D. 
Ellas  Williamson  Nutde.  L.H.D. 

197.S 

Edmund  Sears  Morgan,  L.H.D. 
Paul  Spyros  Sarbanes,  LL.D. 
Ralph  OlinDulaney  L.H.D. 

1979 

James  Bennett  Coulter,  D.Sc. 
Blair  Lee  III,  L.H.D. 
William  Maurice  Ellinghaus, 

D.Sc. 
Margaret  duPont  deViUiers 

OmzBoden,  L.H.D. 

(posthumously) 

I  9S( ) 

Henry  Nichols  Wagner  Jr,  D.Sc. 
Maran  Hugh  Smith,  LL.D. 
His  Royal  Highness  Prince 

Richard,  Duke  of  Gloucester, 

D.FA. 
Sergiu  Comissiona,  LL.D. 
Margaret  Rudd  Newhn,  Litt.D. 

I9SI 

James  W  Rouse,  D.H. 
Heniy  C.Wallich.D.Sc.  in 

Economics 
Williani  Stafford,  Litt.D. 
Wliitfieldjenks  BeUJr,  LL.D. 
Sir  Fraser  Noble,  LL.D. 
Finn  M.W  Caspersen,  D.H. 

19S2 

Rob  Roy  D.Sc. 
Roger  Mudd.DH.L. 
Robert  Cnme,  D.Sc. 
Count  WiUielniWachmieister, 
LL.L> 


324 


1983 

Lady  Bird  Jolinson.  D.H.L. 
Walter  Cronkite.D.H.L. 
Eugene  B.  Casey.  D.Eng. 

1984 

Sandra  Day  O'Connor,  LL.D. 

William  E.  Simon,  LL.D. 

H.  Margaret  Zassenliaiis,  H.D. 

David  Mathews,  H.D. 

William  Donald  Schaefer.  LL.D. 

DanielYankelovich,  H.D. 

1985 

Pl-iillipJ.Wingate,D.H.L. 
Robert  O.Anderson,  H.D. 
Arthur  Doak  Barnett,  D.H.L. 
Roger  L.  Stevens,  D.H.L. 
Steven  Weinberg,  DL. 
George  B.  Rasin.  LL.D. 
Maurice  Strong,  H.D. 

1986 

Meg  Greenfield,  D.L. 
DiUon  Ripley,  H.D. 
Betty  Brown  Casey,  H.D. 
Alexander  Jones,  LL.D. 
Wilbur  Ross  Hubbard,  DPS. 
Constance  Stuart  Larrabee, 
D.EA. 

1987 

Bishop  John  T.Walker,  D.H.L. 
Edmund  S.  Muskie,  LL.D. 
J. William  Fulbright,  LL.D. 
Mortimer  Adler,  D.H.L. 
Atlce  C.Kepler, D.L. 

1988 

David  McLauglilm.  LL.D. 

Kurt  Schmoke,  LL.D. 

Julia  Elizabeth  Garraway,  LL.D. 

Robert  Breckenridgc  MacNeil. 

LL.D. 
Josiah  Bunring  III,  D.L. 
Garry  E.  Clai^ke,  D.L. 

1989 

Shirley  Williams,  LL.D. 
Richard  Neustadt,  DA. 
Eric  Sevareid,  D.H.L. 
Lucille  CHfton,  D.L. 
Rosalind  Havemeyer,  DA. 
Horace  Havemeyer,  DA. 
Theodore  Kurze,  D.Sc. 
EricBloch.D.Sc. 


1990 

James  Price,  DPS. 
John  Hope  Franklin.  D.H.L. 
Timothy  Wirth,  LL.D. 
Douglass  Cater,  LL.D. 
Libby  Anderson  Cater,  DPS. 

1991 

William  Shield  McFeely  D.H.L. 
William  Clayton  Baker.  DPS. 
Richard Tabier  FeUer.  D.H.L. 
Clara  L.Adams-Ender,  DPS. 
Helen  Schaet'er  Gibson,  D.H.L. 

11)1)2 

Syi\-u  Alice  Earie.  D.Sc. 
M.irian  Wright  Edelman,  LL.D. 
Linda  Koch  Lorimer,  D.H.L. 
Gloria  Anne  Borger,  D.L. 
Elizabeth  Moffat  White,  DPS. 
Ernest  Lee  Boyer.  D.H.L. 
James  Grant  Nelson.  D.L. 

1 943 

Michael  A.  Arnucost,  LL.D. 
Gern-ude  Belle  EHon,  D.Sc. 
Barbara  A.  MikuLski,  LL.D. 
Antonia  C.  Novello,  D.Sc. 
Robert  C.  Murphy  LL.D. 
Robert  Upshur  Woodward,  D.L. 
J.  Carter  Brown,  D.EA. 

1^94 

Stephen  A.Ambrose,  D.L. 
David  McCuUough,  D.L. 
Kathleen  Kennedy  Townsend, 

LL.D. 
Philip  Un  Treisman.  D.Sc. 
Da\nd  Zmnian.  D.EA. 

199.5 

Jolmnetta  B.  Cole,  DPS. 
Frances  Anne  Hughes 
Glendenning,  D.PS. 
Parris  N.  Glendeiirang,  D.PS. 
Henry  P  Laughlin,  D.PS. 
Lynm  Marguhs,  D.Sc. 
William  C.  Richardson,  D.H.L. 


1996 

WiUiam  P  Hytche,  D.H.L. 
Edward  L.  Lewis,  D.H.L. 
Robert  W.  Ga\nn,  D.Sc. 
Carl T.  Rowan.  D.L. 
Russell  Train,  D.PS. 
CoHn  Powell,  D.PS. 

1997 

Jane  Alexander.  D.EA. 
Alonzo  G.  Decker  Jr.,  D.PS. 
Michael  Dirda,  D.PS. 
Glenn  Seaborg,  D.Sc. 
I.  Michael  Heyman.  LL.D 

1998 

Charles  O.Holliday  Jr..  DS. 
Bruce  Hornsby  D.EA. 
Neal  Lane,  DS. 
Beniamin  C.  Brai.llee.  D.L. 

1  999 

James  H.  BiUington,  D.H.L. 
George  H.W.  Bush,  DPS. 
Barbara  Bush.  DPS. 
James  D.Watson.  D.Sc. 
C.N.Yang,  D.Sc. 


Key  to  Honorary  Degrees 

D.D. 

Doctor  of  Divinity 

LL.n 

Doctor  of  Law 

j.n 

Doctor  of  Law 

Ph.D. 

Doctor  of  Philosophy 

A.M. 

Master  of  Arts 

Ped.D. 

Doctor  of  Pedagogy 

Litt.D. 

Doctor  of  Letters 

D.L. 

Doctor  of  Letters 

D.Sc. 

Doctor  of  Science 

M.Sc. 

Master  of  Science 

D.C.L. 

Doctor  of  Civil  Law 

D.EA. 

Doctor  of  Fine  Arts 

L.H.D. 

Doctor  of  Humanities 

(Litterarum  Humaniorum  Doctor) 

D.H. 

Doctor  of  Humanities 

D.RS. 

Doctor  of  Pubhc  Service 

i    D.H.L. 

Doctor  of  Humane  Letters 

325 


Distinguished  Teaching  Awards  1 964- 1999 


Lindback  Award 


Gcrda  Blunicntlial 
Joseph  H.  McLjin 
Richard  H.  Brown 
Nathan  Smith 
Robert  L.  Harder 
Margaret  Horsley 
Katherine  Yaw 
Frank  Creegan 
Tai  Sung  An 
Thomas  F.  McHugh 
John  A.  Miller 
Garry  Clarke 
Nancy  Tatum 
Kevin  McDonnell 
Guy  F.  Goodfellow 
Norman  |ames 


l')(,5 
1')(.5 

1  <)(.(! 

1467 
1%S 
1 9(i') 
l')7(i 
l')7l 

1973 
1974 
1975 
197(, 
1977 
1978 


Michael  Goldstein 
Robert  Anderson 
Richard  Gillin 
John  Conkling 
Donald  Munson 
James  Sienien 
Joachim  Scholz 
Erika  SaUoch 
Daniel  Premo 
Patricia  Home 
John  Taylor 
George  Spilich 
Kevin  Brien 
Bennett  Lamond 
Da\7  McCall 


1979 
1980 
1981 
1982 
1983 
1984 
1985 
1986 
1987 
1988 
1989 
1990 
1991 

1992 
1993 


Alumni  Teaching  Award 


David  Newell 

1994 

H.  Louise  Amick 

1995 

Kathleen  Verville 

1996 

Sean  O  Connor 

1997 

Michael  Kerchner 

1998 

Kathleen  J.  Mills 

1999 

326 


Awards  for  Excellence  1976-2000 


Andrew  Wyeth 

1976 

Helen  Brooke  Taussig 

1977 

James  A.  Michencr 

197S 

H.irrv  R-  Hughes 

1 980 

Craw  ford  H.  Grecnwalt 

1 980 

William  O.  Baker 

1981 

John  Gardner 

1982 

Lewis  Thomas 

1983 

Art  Buchwald 

1 985 

Isaac  Stern 

1 985 

Paul  Horgan 

1985 

Alonzo  Decker  Jr. 

1986 

Nathaniel  C.  Wyeth 

1987 

Richard  Wilbur 

1988 

Martine  van  Hamel 

1 992 

Billie  Whitelaw 

1992 

CharHe  Byrd 

1994 

James  Browning  Wyeth 

1997 

R.  Don  Higginbothaiii 

1999 

Charles  Guggenheim 

2000 

327 


George  Washington  Medals  and  Awards  1960-1999 


Gii'i'ii  Ciicli  yciir  ro  the  sciiioi'  ii'lio,  in  the  cstinuition  of 
the  pivsidcnt  ami  the  faciihy,  shows  the  >^n\Ucst  piviiiisc 
of  uiiih'iytaiidiii^  and  of  leah:!!!!^  in  life  and  woih  tlie 
ideals  of  a  liberal  education. 


Anne  D.  Mjtthcws 

1  voo 

Lisa  Rene  Hartsook 

l'),S(l 

Ratael  Sarmiento 

1961 

Lee  Ann  Chearney 

I'lSl 

Patrick  Cullen 

1962 

Gail  Mane  KraU 

l')S2 

Ormond  L.Andrew  Jr. 

1963 

Deborah  Jean  Ortt 

1  ')83 

Margaret  E.  Matthews 

1964 

Norman  D.  Prentiss 

19JS4 

Rov  R.  Schwartz 

1964 

Natalie  Joy  Brown 

19S4 

Pamela  A.  Kanunsky 

1965 

Kathleen  Ann  MacPhee 

19S5 

Gcraldine  J.  Maiatico 

1966 

Suzanne  Lynn  Niemeycr 

1986 

Judith  L.  Reynolds 

1967 

Armand  E  Mettraux 

1986 

Donna  M.  Blatt 

1968 

Susan  Mane  De  Pasquale 

19S7 

Raymond  W.  Felton 

1969 

Sean  Moore  Iretoii 

|9S,S 

Jessie  J.  Doukas 

1970 

Mona  Grey  Bnnkley 

l')S') 

Donald  W.  Rogers 

1970 

Michael  S.  McGinniss 

|')')l) 

Janet  Ruth  Sears 

1971 

Tamara-Diana  Braunstem 

1991 

DaleWTrusheim 

1972 

Raphael  R.  Koster 

1 992 

Mary  RuthYoe 

1973 

Jennifer  Lynn  Del  Nero 

1 993 

Barbara  J.  Daly 

1974 

Maria  Janette  Jerardi 

|-)<)4 

George  W.  Reed 

1975 

Megan  Ehzabeth  Ward 

l'»95 

Karen  C.  Ramsmg 

1976 

Amanda  B.  Kirb\' 

I99(. 

Mark  S.  Micale 

1977 

Theresa  Elaine  Senn 

1 997 

Margaret  Ellen  Gamboa 

1978 

AUison  Denise  Tuttle 

1 99H 

Susan  Diane  Farace 

1979 

Marianne  E.  Rodney 

1999 

328 


Sophie  Kerr  Awards  1968-1999 


Given  to  flic  onuiiiiifiiio  senior  lidrino  "the  best  iil'ility 
and  promise  for  fntnre  tnlfillnient  in  the  field  of  literary 
endeavor.  " 


Christina  C'Lirk 

1  ')6S 

Norman  D.  Prentiss 

19H4 

William  S."Gil"Bradroi- 

d  VW) 

Sandra  Mane  Hiortdahl 

1 9S5 

William  L.Thompson 

|i»70 

Douglas  M.  Rose 

19S6 

lames  L.  Dissettc 

1471 

Susan  De  Pasquale 

1987 

Robert  Burkholder 

1972 

Dean  Hebert 

1988 

Mary  Ruth  Yoe 

1973 

Michele  Baize 

1 989 

Kevin  O'Keete 

1974 

Harvey  R.  Hammer 

1 990 

William  C.  Bowie 

1975 

Robert  Thompson 

1  <)<-)! 

Craig  Butcher 

1 976 

Patrick  Attenasio 

191)2 

Mary  Ellen  Lipinski 

1977 

Erin  Page 

1  ')93 

Arthur  E.  Bilodeau 

l'»7S 

Tanya  Angel  Allen 

1994 

Joanne  Ahearn 

l'»7') 

Katherine  Degentesh 

1  995 

Claire  Mowbray 

19S0 

Jennifer  Waldych 

1 996 

Ellen  Beardsley 

19SI 

Brandon  Hopkins 

1997 

Peter  D.Turchi 

19S2 

Edward  Geisweidt 

1  998 

lulia  Strieker 

19,S3 

Luke  E.  Owens 

1 999 

329 


The  Washington  College  Mace 


77/1'  old  ]]'iisliiiii;toii  Collci;c  iiuhc  (left),  iliort  and  made  of 
wood,  was  icplaccd  in  June  1 9b  I  wlicii  aycliitcct  Henry 
Poiivll  Hopkins  presented  the  Colle(;e  with  a  more  ornate 
ceremonial  staff,  llie  new  mare,  which  is  used  at  all  College 
processions,  is  forty-tuv  inches  lou'^  and  is  topped  with  a  sih'er 
sphere  eiii^rai'ed  with  the  Colleoe  seal,  a  silhouette  of  Geor<^e 
IVashitigton's  face,  tfie  Kent  Comity  seal,  and  Washington's 
coat-of-arms.  Six  matched  i^arnets  are  set  in  a  sih'er  riiii^ 
around  the  head.  Tlie  silver  engrai'iii'^s  were  done  by  a 
member  of  the  Hopkins  family  and  took  seivn  months  to 
complete.  Arcliitect  Hopkins  desi{;ned  many  of  the  Colle<^e 
buildiui^s  duriin;  the  first  half  of  the  twentieth  century. 


330 


Washington  College  Alumni  Citations 
1952-1999 


1952 

].  [eromc  FiMiiipton  Jr.  '29,  Public  Service 
Wrllum  Robert  Huey  'OS.  Banking 
R.  Loran  Langsdale   In.  Business 
Marv  Grace  Riggin  oy.  Eciucation 
William  Allan  Robinson  '30.  Engineering 
William  Houston  Toulson.  M.D.  '08,  Medicine 
Fred  R.Wallace  '17, Athletics 

B.  Blackiston  Wroth  '08.  Education 

1953 

Wade  G.  Bounds  '22,  Business 
Norman  S.  Dudley,  M.D.  "98,  Medicine 
Louis  L.  Goldstein  '35.  Government 
William  B.  Nicholson  '36,  Athletics 
Ida  Deane  Plunmier  "99,  Education 
George  T.  Pratt  '36.  Education 
Phillip  J.  Wingate  'i3.  Science 

1954 

Joseph  H.  Freedman  '36,  ReUgion 
George  W  Powell  "02,  Business 
Howard  B.Owens  '31,  Education 
Pearl  Griffin  Stewart  '05,  Civic  Aflairs 
Nor^vood  WVoss.  M.D.  "OS.  Medicine 

1955 

Wendell  D.Allen  '31,  Law 

G.  Francis  Beaven  '25,  Science 

J.WiHard  Davis  '15,  Education 

Jacob  D.  Rieger  '28,  Civic  Affairs 

Wesley  L.  Sadler  '35.  Religion 

1456 

W  Howard  Corddry  "08,  Engineering 
Rodney  Crowther  '18.  |ournalism 
Melvm  B.  Davis,  M.D.  '28,  Medicine 

C.  Edward  Dufly-  '24.  Law 

Maude  O.  Hickman  'DO.  Civic  Affairs 


1957 

George  F.  Carrington  '29,  Athletics 
J.  Mrlton  Noble  '33.  Business 
Louis  Thibodeau    12.  Education 
Mason  Trupp,  M.D.  '33,  Medicine 

1958 

J.  Stuart  Galloway  '17,  Law- 
Edgar  A.  McGinnes  '  1 S.  Government  Service 

1":'5'-) 

Walter  T.  Morris  Jr.  '29,  Agriculture 
Benjamin  Vandervoort  "38,  Military 
Paul  J.  Wilkinson  '31,  Law 

1960 

Henn,'T.  HoUingsworth  '18.  Education 
T.  H.  Owen  Knight  '25.  Education 
Ernest  J.  Langham,  M.D.  "23.  Medicine 
William  A.  McAdams  '40.  Health.  Phvsics 
Joseph  Messick.  M.D.  "23.  Medicine 

19(il 

John  H.  Coppage  '15.  Public  Service 
George  deSocio  '35,  Electrical  Engineering 
Albert  P.  Giraitis  '34,  Chemistry 
Wilham  B.Johnson  '40,  Business 

1962 

Paul  Pippin  '34,  Architecture 

Thomas  Reeder  Spedden  '  17,  Business 

1963 

Robert  K.  Crane  '42.  Chemistry 

1964 

Mar\'  Farr  Hegg  '33.  Nursing 
Stanley  B.  Giraitis  '30,  Sales 
Stanley  G.  Robbms  '21,  Law 
David  H.Wallace  '35,  Science 
Earl  T.  Willis  '31,  Education 


331 


1965 

Henry  F  Magiure,  M.D.  '42.  Medicine 


Francis  H.  Bratton  "37,  Chemistry 
Edwin  T.  Luckey  '31,  Fine  Arts 

1967 
J.  Lewin  Burris  '  1 2.  Public  Service 

I  9(,,S 

Theodore  Kurze,  M.D.  "43,  Medicine 
Joseph  M.  O'F.irrell  '34, Thoroughbred  Racing 
and  Breedintr 


1979 

Bernard  Mitchell  '56.  Business 
Rebecca  Neal  Brown  Owens  '25.  Community 
Service 

1980 

Fred'W.  Dunischott  '27,  Education 


Owen  Anderson  "40,  Science  and  Education 
'William  D.  Geitz  '50,  Chemistn'  and  Business 


Jack  R.  Schroeder  '5S.  Art  and  Illustration 


19(,>) 

Marvin  H.  Smith  '37,  Law 

lohn  A.Wagner,  M.D.  '34,  Medicine 


1983 

George  B.  Rasin  Jr  '37,  Jurisprudence 

Maurice  L.  Ravme  '31,  Public  Service 


197(1 
Joseph  H.  McLain  '37.  Science  and  Highe 

Education 
Graham  "W. 'Watt  "49,  Cit\-  Management 


1984 

C.  Lawrence  Brandenburg  Jr..  D.D.S.  "50.  PubUc 

Service 
Gilbert  V.  Bvron  "23.  Literature 


1971 

J.Warren  Carey  "33,  Business  Management 
Bernard  Dubin  '31,  |urisprudence 


1985 

William  E.  Dulin  "47,  Scientific  Research 

W  Rowland  Tavlor  "40,  Environmental  Science 


1972 

Edward  L.Athey  "47,  Athletics 

William  G.  DuviW  '30.  L,ibor  Relations 


19S6 

John  D.  Howard  '59,  Education 
William  Kennon  Perrin  '3 1 ,  Pubhc  Service 


1973 

Frank  Macielag  "48.  Business  Management 


1974 

William  W Thompson  "38.  Aerospace  Meclicin 

1975 

Alfi-edW.  Reddish  "37,  Business  Management 

Nathan  Schnaper,  M.D.  '40.  Medicine 


197(1 

Laurence  Yourtee  '37.  Education 

1977 

Charles  B.  Clark  '34.  Education 

James  C.Jones  '47,  Business  Management 

1978 

Mary  Lou  Bartram  '48,  Corrections 

Hubert  Rvan  '33,  Communits'  Service 


1987 

Joseph  J.  Longobardi  '52,  Jurisprudence 
Harry  C.  Rhodes  '35,  Education 

1 988 

Elizabeth  Sutton  Duvall  '30,  Civic  Aflairs 

F.  Spencer  Robinson  '43,  Public  Service 

l';s') 

Dean  S.  Ferris  '67.  Business 

Linda  Hamilton  '78, Theater  Arts 

1990 

RodgersT.  Smith  '55,  Education  &  Citizenship 

John  W.  Wilhams  Jr.  '43,  Cooperative  Leadership 

1991 

M.  Douglass  Gates  "59.  Pubhc  Service 

R.  Ford  Schumann  Jr.  "73,  Pubhc  Service 


332 


1 402 

Barbara  DcLincyTurk  '55.  Mt-nt.il  Hcaltli 

1993 

William  R.  l^ussell  Jr.  '53.  Real  Estate  Management  & 
Financial  Atiairs 

1994 

J.  Michael  Ludden  '73.  Journalism 
Peter  D.Turchi  '83,  Creative  Writing 

1995 

T.  Christopher  Ely  '70.  Public  Service 

1996 

David  J.  Litrciita.  MD  '58.  Medicnic 

Ralph  Snvderman.  MD  "(il.  Medicine 

1997 

Karen  A.Johnson.  MD  'dH.  Medicine 

1998 

John  A.  Colliding  "65.  Science 
Agnes  Zaftere  Orban  '41 .  Education 

1999 

Richard  H.  Smith  Jr.  'dd.  Science 

Richard  E.  Holstein  D.MD  '68.  PubHc  Service 


333 


Washington  College  Presidents 


William  Smith 

1782-1789 

Colin  Ferguson 

1793-1805 

Hugh  McGuire 

1813-1815 

Francis  Waters 

1818-1823 

Timothy  Clowes 

1823-1829 

Peter  Clark 

1829-1832 

Richard  W  Riiiggoki 

1832-1854 

Francis  Waters 

1854-1860 

Andrew  J.  Sutton 

1860-1867 

Robert  C.  Berkeley 

1867-1873 

William  J.  Rivers 

1873-1887 

Thomas  N.Williams 

1887-1889 

Charles  W.Reid 

1889-1903 

James  W.  Cain 

1903-1918 

Clarence  P.  Gould 

l')l')-l')23 

Paul  E.Titsworth 

l')23-l')33 

Gilbert  W.  Mead 

1433-1949 

Daniel  Z.  Gibson 

195(1-1970 

Charles  J.  Merdinger 

1970-1973 

Joseph  H.  McLain 

1973-1981 

Douglass  Cater 

1982-1990 

Charles  H. Trout 

1990-1995 

lohn  S.Toll 

1995- 

334 


Donors  of  $1  Million  or  More  Through  1999 


Eugene  B.  and  BetD,'  Brown  Casey  "47 

The  Eugene  B.  Casey  Foundation 

Kenneth  H.  and  Dorothy  Williams  Daly 

Virginia  G.  and  Alonzo  G.  Decker  |r. 

The  Jessie  Ball  duPont  Fund 

The  Honorable  Louis  L.  Goldstein  "35 

Carol  1.  and  Jack  S.  Griswold 

The  Hodson  Trust 

Mary  B.  and  "William  B.Johnson  '4(1 

The  Grayce  B.  Kerr  Fund 

"William  E.  Kight  "36 

The  Kresge  Foundation 

Margaret  Penick  Nuttle 

"W.  Kennon  Perrin  '3 1 

Marjone  B.  and  "W.  James  Price 

The  Starr  Foundation 

Marv  Ivolue  laiiimer  White 


Endowed  Chairs 


Alonzo  G.  and  Virginia  G.  Decker  Jr.  Chair  m  the  Natural  Sciences 

Hodson  Trust  Chair  in  Economics 

Ernest  A.  Howard  Chair  in  English  Literature 

W  Alton  Jones  Chair  in  Chemistn' 

Joseph  H.  McLain  Chair  in  Environmental  Studies 

Clifton  H.  Miller  Chair  in  Mathematics 

Everett  E.  Nuttle  Chair  in  History  and  Political  Science 

Louis  L.  Goldstein  Chair  in  Public  Affairs 

Clarence  C.  White  Chair  in  Chemistry' 


335 


Index 


Abbey.  The.  Sec  Hynson- 

Ringgold  House 
Abrams,  Bonnie.  [05 
accreditation.  132.  136-37. 

165-67 
Adams,  Dale  Patterson,  2Sl) 
Adams,  Rev.  William  Forbes, 

267 
Adelphia  Literary  SocieD,;  137 
Adler,  Mortimer,  43 
Albee,  Edward,  1 1 1 
Alonzo  G.  Decker  Jr.  Science 

Laboratory  Center,  206 
Alpha.The.  12.S 
Alpha  Clii.  77 
Alpha  Kappa.  272.  Sir  also 

Kappa  Alpha 
Alumni  Council.  78 
Alumni  House,  78 
An,Tai  Sung,  308 
Anderson.  Robert.  315 
Armstrong.  Bill.  279-82 
Associated  Writing  Programs. 

285 
Association  of  Colleges  and 

Secondary  Schools  of  the 

Middle  States  and  Maryland. 

137 
Astaire.  Fred,  187-88 
Athey  Baseball  Field,  244 
Athey  Edward  Lorain,  67,  235, 

238--/2,  24') 
Athletic  HaU  of  Fame,  232 
Azrael,  Louis,  142 
Baldwin,  Lester,  49 
Bailies,  Jeannie,  1 13 
Bankert,  Johnny,  231 
Barnett.  Irving.  279 
Barroll.  James  Edmondson  (and 

Henrietta).  82-85.  90 
Barroll, WiUiam  H..  121 
Barth.John.  111.  192.291 
Basel.  Peter.  245 
Beall.J.  Glenn.  63 
Beardsley.  Ellen,  298 
Beatty,  William  R  "Chief,"  235- 

36,  237 
Beaudoin,  David,  291),  295 
Beck,HoraceW..217 
Bell,  Dons,  225,231,2.59 
Bell.  Whitfield  J.  Jr.,  Ill 
Benjamin  A.Johnson  Lifetime 

Fitness  Center.  163,  2(18,  244 


Bennett,  William  ]..  157 
Beran,  Miroslav,  248 
Berkeley,  Robert  Carter,  44, 

12'' 
Berry,  Charhe,  233 
Berry,  W.  Dennis,  247 
Bickford,  Charlene  Bangs,  112 
Biddle,Troy2.Vl 
Bilancioni,  Al,  233 
Bird,  Dave,  243 
BlackweU,  Helen  Paca,  1 1 
Blake,  Mrs.  Sarah  B..  26 
Blawie.  Paul.  24(1 
Blizzard,  Lou,  243 
Blob,  The,  271 
Blue  Key  Fraternirs;  '''^' 
Blumenthal,  Gerda,  71,73,  279 
Board  ofVisitors  and 

Governors,  6,  8,  1(>,  17.29. 

33.  3').  41.42.  45.4').  70.  75. 

76.82.  lis,  12(1.  12').  131, 

I32-.M,  l.i.S.  142.  150-51. 

165-67 
Boggs,  Peter,  238 
Bond, Juhan,  279 
Bowie,  William,  298 
Bradley,  Amanda,  ISl 
Bragg,  Bob,  242 
Bramble,  Holly  24') 
Brandenburg,  Larry.  243 
Brandt.  Chris.  245 
Brenner,  Joe,  232 
Brewer,  Margaret  C!.,  7 1 
Brice,  Elizabeth.  107 
Briggs,Al,.5/2 
Brinidey  David,  157 
Broadsides,  283, 
Brodsky  Joseph,  194-95 
Brower,"Buddv,"242 
Brown,  Charles  H.,2(.l 
Brown,  Floyd,  2M  i 
Brown,  Hiram  Staunton,  5(>, 

60,72.  133.  142.  IS.V.SS.  l')>) 
Brown,  Mrs.  William  T  <.\ 

Lillran,  97 
Brown,  Philip  G  .  233 
Brown.  Richard.  304 
Brown  Cottage.  203, 
Browning,  John,  151 
Buchwald,  Art,  1 57 
Buckland,Wimain,86 
Buckley  Lou,  243 
Buildings  and  Grounds 

Committee,  49 
Bunting,  George  Avery.  143, 

205 


Bunting,  George  (Noxzema). 

218 
Bunting  HaU.  143.  205.  Sec  also 

Bunting  Library 
Bunting  Library,  12,  205.  See 

iilso  Bunting  Hall 
Burger,  Warren.  92 
Burk."Reds,"232,270 
Burkholder,  Bob,  289,  295,  298 
Burris,  Alva  Burton  "Prof," 

221-23,  266 
Bush,  Barbara,  66,  112,  113, 

175 
Bush,  George  H.W,  66-67. 

KII.  112.  175 
Butler.  John  Marshall,  63 
Buxton,  Kenneth,  206 
Byrd,"Curley,"227 
Byrn,  Sarah  Ellen,  57 
C.V.  Starr  Foundation,  175,  211 
Cadets,  Washington  College,  38 
Cadwalader,  John,  9-10 
Cain,JamesM..  44-96.  127. 

225-27 
Cain.  James  W.  3 1 .  32.  33.  36. 

44-45,55.94-96,  126-30. 

217227,245 
Cain.  Rose.  127 
c:ain  Athletic  Center,  150.245 
Cam  Gynuiasium,  72,  78,  135, 

226,  2.? 9,  241,242,  244 
Caldwell,  Edward  "Bodie"  & 

John,  230 
Campaign  for  Excellence,  158, 

165,  199,206,208,209 
Campaign  for  Washington's 

CoUege,209,211 
Carey,  "Moxie,"  232 
Carlile,  122 
Carhn,John.  243 
Caroline  House.  150 
Carpenter,  Liz,  93 
Carrington,  George  "Gimp," 

231,240 
Carrington,  Henry  W 

"Henny"2.if).231.238 
Carroll.  James  E..  215 
Carroll.  John  J.  "Jack."  230 
Carter,  Hodding  Jr.,  93 
Casey  Bett>-  Brown.  199.  201. 

203,  2 1  1 ,  247 
Casey,  Eugene  Bernard,  198- 

203,  247 
Casey  Academic  Center.  See 

Eugene  B.  Casey  Academic 

Resources  Center 


336 


Casey  Swim  Center,  200,  202. 

203,  244,  247 
Caspersen,  Finn  M.W,  179, 

181,  t82 
Cater,  Douglass,  86,  93,  112, 

157-62,  199-203,206,241. 

247 
Cater,  Lihby,  86,  93,  /6;,247 
Cater  Walk,  199, 
Catlin,  Granville,  216 
CatHn,  Henry  &  lima,  89,  9 1 
Caulk's  Field,  Battle  of,  40,  85 
Cavanaugh,  John  [."Bobby," 

231-32 
Centennial  Conference,  165, 

173,  209 
Center  for  the  Environment 

and  Society,  2 1  I 
Center  for  the  Study  of  the 

American  Experience.  175. 

211 
Center  for  Writing  and  the 

Creative  Process.  21 1 
Chair  of  Pubhc  Pohcy,  157 
Chalfant.Jim,  238 
Chambers,  Ezekicl  Forman.  41 1. 

4  J,  42,87,  199 
Chambers,  Pat,  243 
Chapman,  James  W.,  134 
charter, Washington  College's. 

6.  14-15,  180 
ChateUier.  Donald  M.,  243. 

245, 
Cheek,  John,  238  Chesapeake 

Regional  Studies,  163 
Chekemain,  Peter,  293-94 
Chester  Blues,  38. 
Chester  River  bridge.  43,  260 
Chesters,  231 

Chestertown  Cycle  Club.  12(i 
Chestertown  Telegraph.  28 
Chestertown  Transcript.  140 
Chestertown  Volunteer  Fire 

Company  Band.  57 
Choregraphie  Antique.  115 
City  Shckers.  2'>9 
Clark,  Charles  B.,  6,  10,234. 

235,  236,  237 
Clark.  Chuck,  236 
Clark.  EJ.  "Chirps."  2  IS.  22  I. 

242.  259 
Clark,  J.  Edward,  69 
Clark  M.  Chfford  Scholarship, 

203 
Clark-Porter  Medal.  280 
Clarke.  Cany.  110.\\\.314 
Clarke.J.B..249 


C;litford.  Dorothy  Clarke.  80 
Clifton  Miller  Library  143. 

150.  192 
Clinton.  William  Jefferson.  66 
Clowes, Timothy.  27.  28 
coeducation.  48,  68-S 1 .  125 
Colby  William.  1  1  1 
Cole-Smith.  Lanee.  247 
College  Hill.  103. 
College  Writers  Union.  194. 

2.S5 

Colunrbian  Hussars.  Cavalry 

Company  of,  38 
Commager,  Henry  Steele,  93 
Constance  Stuart  Larrabee  Arts 

Center,  208 
Coop,  Professor,  206 
Cooper,  Barneyi,  227 
Copple.  Addis  "Lettv."  232 
Corcoran. Terry.  247-4"' 
countrv  lite/li\'ing.  chair  in. 

13S 
Coveney.  Kevin.  171 
Creegan.  Frank.  30'-) 
Crim.  BiU.  237 
Crisfield.John  WoodLind.  43. 

179 
Cronkite.Walter.  93.  157. 
Crothers.  Oma  "Gus."  237 
Crystal  Trust.  175 
Cuft, Thomas.  254 
CAillen.  Patrick.  73 
C'urnculum  Committee,  47, 

1 33-34 
Custom  House,  28.  90 
1  Xily.  Dorothy  Williams  \  Ken. 

209 
DalvHaU.  172.209 
DalzcU.  Robert  and  Lee.  1  12. 

I  15 
Daughters  of  the  American 

Revolution:  Old  Kent 

Chapter.  96-97.  101; 

Committee  on  Conservation 

and  Thrift.  101 
Davenport.  Mike.  245 
Davis.Arthur  L..249 
Day  Robert  "Bob."  195,  2.S3- 

91.  294.295.297.  2>»9 
de  la  Rochetoucault-Liancourt. 

Due.  16 
Debating  Societv  1 37 
r:)ecker.Alonzo  G.  Jr..  205,  206, 

209 
Denny  and  Dunpiace  Pipe 

Hand,  1  1  I 


desegregation,  278-82 
Development  Committee.  203 
Diashyn.  Mark.  243 
Dick.  Nancy  247 
Dillon.  Esther.  71.73.74 
DiMaggio,  Mickey  238,  242 
Dirda,  Michael,  29  i 
Dopson,  Howard,  231 
Dorsey,  Mrs.James  A..  101 
Dos  Passos.John,  192 
Doyle,  Joseph,  63 
Drama  Department,  111-12 
Dramatic  Club,  137 
Drayton  Manor,  89 
Drew,  Barry  242 
Dryden.  Fdlmore,  243 
Duckett,  Charles,  245 
Duemling,  Bob,  170 
Duer,  Robert  F,218 
Dutf\-,  "Nag,"  2.^2 
Dumschott,  Frederick  W. 

"Dutch,"  13,  1S6,  230,  2.i2, 

235.  240,  242 
Duncan,  Joseph,  27 
Dunning,  H.A.B..  205-6.  207 
Dunning  Science  HaU.  150, 

205.  206,  208 
Duvall,  Ehzabeth  Sutton,  iS2 
Dwyer,  EUis,  233 
Dyer.  Andy  243 
Earle.  Samuel  T.  215 
Early  Music  Ensemble.  1  1 5 
East  HaU,  30,31.97.  12h.  129. 

259,  260,  272 
Eisenhower,  Dwight  L^a\id,  dl- 

63,  148 
Ekaitis,  George,  233.  234.  237. 

242 
Eliason.Tom,  249 
Ellen  Bordley  Schotdand 

Tennis  Center,  209,  244 
Emma  Cilcs.  2(i7-72 
endowment,  Washington 

College's,  16,  130,  136,  146. 

165.  199 
Endowment  and  Debt  Fund 

Committee.  180 
Ennght.Jack,  230 
EiitcrpiiscTlic,  31 
Eugene  B.  Casey  Academic 

Resources  Center.  67.  103, 

163,  199,200,203,208 
Eugene  B.  Casey  Medal,  203 
Evans.  Ed.  232 
Evans.  Clint.  249 
Everett.  Bob.  232 


337 


Faculty  Emergency 

Committee,  47 
Fairbmb,  Guy  Steele,  10 
Fall,  Penny  247 
Fallaw,  Robert,  3 1 1 
Fastie,  Paul,  243 
Federal  Relict  Administration, 

14(1-4.^ 
Ferguson,  Colin,  1  1S-2II 
Finnegan,Tom,  245,  247,  24V 
Fiore,  Mike,  230 
Flowers,  D'Arcy  "]ake,"  232 
Flying  Pentagon,  227,  230-31 
Foster,  Chas.,  105 
Foster,  Ermon  N.,  63,  1 0 1 ,  .i  13 
Fountain, "Hickey,"  232 
Four  Course  plan,  73,  147 
Fox  Medal,  73 
France,  Mai7  Adele,  72,  8 1 
Franklin,  Benjamin,  9,  20 
Franklin, John  Hope,  157,2.S1 
Freedom  Riders,  105 
Friends  of  the  Arts,  20S 
Fusting,  Gene,  238 
G.I.HaU,  4') 
Camber.  Dick,  237 
Garrett  Foxell  dormitory,  48 
Gaucher,  Mike,  105 
Gearhart,  Sarah,  294 
Geisler,  Charley,  232 
Gerker,  Frank  W,  217 
Gibson,  Daniel  Z.,  61,  63,  65, 

91,  144-52,186,234-35, 

240,  245,  277-78,  287 
Gibson,  Helen. 'M,  US--/'-' 
Gibson  Avenue.  14') 
Gibson  Fine  Arts  Center,  130 
Gilchrest,  Mark,  243 
GiUin,Richard,  2'^*S.  1/2 
Gilinour,A.D.,243 
Giraitis,Al,  237 

Giraitis,  Stanley  B.  "Gerry,"  231 
Glackin,Joe,  269,  270 
Goldsborough,  Charles,  1  ( i 
Goldsborough,  Laird,  2 1 7 
Goldsborough, T.Alan,  5^).  130, 

183,  184,  187 
Goldstein,  Louis  L.,  110.  ill. 

133.  157,  170,  !9f,-')') 
Goldstein,  HazeL  173-74 
Goodtellow,  Guy.  73 
Goodwin.  Doris  Kearns.  1 12, 

113 
Gordon,  Max,  186,  187 
GordyA.C.  "Kirk,"  230 
Gould,  Clarence  R,  55,  1 30-.M, 

I.V.,  17') 


GrayTim,  24S,  24'J 
Grayce  B.  Kerr  Fund.  2 1 1 
Grieves,  Dick.  247 
Griffin.  Howard  "Buck."  232, 

270 
Gnswold,Jack  S.,  209,  211 
Guinan.  Diane,  247 
Halaby  Najeeb,  93 
Haley  Alex.  192 
Hall.  Abraham  Sager.  261.  263. 

264-66 
Hammer.  Harvey  Roland 

"Mike."  298 
Hamilton.  Linda,  299 
Hanks,  Douglas  III,  296 
Harrington,  Alexander  L.,  266 
Hastings.  Turner.  238 
Haus.John.  249 
Hawke,  H.V..221 
Henry.  John.  8 
Hepburn.  Katherine.  88 
Hepburn.  Rev.  Sevvell  S..  88 
Heritage  Campaign.  203 
Hessey,JohnH.,63.282 
Heubeck.Jeff.  105 
Hickman.  Maude  Olivia.  2ri2 
Higginbotham,  R.  L^onald, 

112,  114 
Hill.  Bruce.  243 
Hitch.  E.F.  227 
Hobbs.  Katherine  Kemp.  2(>\ 
Hodson.  Clarence.  91.  135-36. 

176-83,  186 
Hodson  Hall,  150,  163,  178. 

2S0.  2S7 
Hodson  House  Cottage,  136, 

lSO-8 1,274 
Hodson  Trust,')!,  17()-83,  186 
Hottecker.  Miriam  Ford.  7')- 

80 
Hoffman,  Charley  235,  237 
HoUingsworth.  P  Trams,  105 
Holt,  Joseph,  173 
Hooper,  Paul,  247 
Hoopes.  Roy.  94-96 
Hopkins,  Harry  J. .  34 
Hopkins,  Sally  Hynson.  179 
Hopkins.WiUiamL..216 
Home.  Patricia  "Pat."  3  /  6 
Horsley.  Margaret  "Maggie." 

71.73.  74.  3(W 
Howard,  Ernest  A.,  259-65 
Howard,  Kenny,  234 
Howell, WiUiam  R.,  134 
Hoyer,  Steny,  1 70 
Hubbard,  Mickev,  243 


Hubbard.  Wilbur  Ross.  83. 91, 

148 
Hudson,  Wilham,  261 
Huffman,  Wilbert,  232,  233 
Hughes,  Harry,  111,  /  60 
Hull,  S.G.,  215 
Hummer,  Arthur  W.  Jr. .  93 
Hynson,  Carohne  &  Mrs. 

Richard,  89 
Hynson,  LeHa  Hodson,  91,  179, 
Hynson.  Nathaniel  Jr.,  89,  91 
Hynson,  Richard  Dunn.  216 
Hynson-Ringgold  House.  82- 

93.  171 
Ihnat.John.  245 
Ingarra.Joe.  234 
integration.  149. 
International  Relations  Club, 

65 
Jacobs,  Lewis,  23 1 
Jaegar,  Bruce,  238,  242 
James,  Norman,  289,  292-93. 

303 
Jamke,  Chris,  245 
Janson-LaPalme,  Robert  J.  H.,  9 
|arvis,Anna  M.,  262 
Jefferson  Island,  59 
Jenkins,  Peter,  247 
Jennings,  Jack  "Mule,"  242 
Johns,  Christopher,  1  15 
lohnson,  Benjamin  Alvin,  210, 

211 
Johnson.  CJ.,  245 
Johnson,  Claudia  Alta  "Lady 

Bird."  93.  157.  160 
Johnson.  Eric  B.  Jr..  67 
Johnson. William  B..  208 
Jones,  J.S.  William.  80.  142.  221, 

261,263,266,270,274 
Jones,J.S.W,217 
Jones,  Jerome  Calvert,  47 
Joseph  H.  McLain  Chair  in 

Environmental  Studies,  209 
Kabat,  Marty,  288 
Kappa  Alpha,  276.  Sec  also 

Alpha  K.ippa, 
Kardash,  Mike.  232 
Kaufman.  Geoff  247 
Keehan.Tim.  245 
Keenan.  Eddie.  233 
KeUey,  J.  Horton.  2 1 3 
Kelly.  Donaldson  Naylor.  237- 

38 
Kember,  Michael.  248 
Kennedy.  John  F,  64-65 
Kennedy  John  FJr..  64.  1 12. 

114.  175 


338 


Kennedyville  Brass  Band,  38 
Kent  County  Free  School,  4,  6, 

14,  17,22, 
Kent  House,  150, 
Kent  News.65, 76,  139.  149, 

214,218,232,287 
Kermode,  Frank,  195 
Kerr,  Sherry  &  Breene,  2 1  1 
Kerr,  Sophie,  188-89 
Kibler,Jack,  228 
Kibler,  John  Thomas  "Tom." 

218,225,227,228-35,240. 

242 
Kibler  Field,  4H,  244 
Kilby,  Ray,  2}.}< 
King,  Andrew.  24S 
King,  Bob  "B.B.,"  294 
Kissinger,  Henry,  157 
Kott,Jan,  195 
Lamgen,  Bruce.  1 1 1 
Lamond,  Bennett.  2.S4 
Lane,  Greg,  238 
Larrabee,  Constance  Stuart, 

HI 
Larson,  Gan',  299 
Last  Cattle  Drive,  299 
Lawrie,  Lee,  98-99 
Lecates,  James,  31 
Lee,Arlene,  111 
Legal  Committee,  49 
Leonard,  Eddie,  237 
Lesko.Jean  Harshaw,  79 
Lewis,  John  L.,  184 
Liddy,Tim,  245 
Lindback  Foundation  Award 

tor  Distinguished  Teaching. 

73.  152 
Lindsay.  G.P..  238 
Lmthicum.  Sarah  (Richarclson). 

270 
Literary  House  Press.  298 
Litde  Giants,  231 
Livingood,  Frederick  G,  48 
Lloyd  family ')- 1 II 
Lord,  John,  233 
Louis  L.  Goldstein  Hall,  172 
Mace,  Elizabeth  "Pet"  (Farver), 

269,  270 
Macielag,  Michael,  1 1 1 
Magill,  Sherry,  203 
Makosky,  Professor,  270 
Malin,Wilham,  91 
Maloney,  Timothy,  317 
Martha  Washington  Square. 

199 
Martin,  Glenn  L.,  149 
Martin,  William,  112.  115 


Maryland  College 

Commission.  133 
Maryland  Independent 

Colleges  and  Universities 

Association,  173 
Maryland  National  Guard,  57 
Matthews,  Bryan,  247.  249 
Mauser.  Pat.  2V4 
May  Day  Celebranon.  284 
McCoU.  Donald  A.,  1  14-15 
McFeely. William.  260 
McGinnes.L.C.,227 
McGran.Clayt.231 
McGuire.  Hugh.  120 
McH.ile.  BiU.  238 
McKeldin.Theodore  R..63, 

146.  149 
McLam.Ann  Holhngsworth. 

/.i5.  15(1 
McLain.Joseph.y2.93.  111. 

I  12.  152-57.  170 
McLain  Scholarship.  156 
McNiir.  Francis  Walter,  47 
Mead,  Francis  Hudson,  47 
Mead,  Gilbert  Wilcox,  6.  9.  55. 

47,  55-58,  59.  rtO,  72,91, 

120,  139-43.  152.  ISd.  2i)5- 

6.  2.^5 
Meade.  Camp  (later  Fort).  46 
Meaning  of  Freedom  lectures. 

I  I  1 
Mellon  Foundation,  175 
Merdinger,  Charles,  92 
Merrick,  J.  Bernard,  249 
Mcrwm.WS..  1  1 1 
Micou.  James  Roy  "Mike."  26 1 . 

2(i4 
Middle  HaU.  28.  29.  50,  97. 

129,  179.259,260-61 
Middle  States  Association  of 

Colleges  and  Schools,  165 
Military  Science  and  Tactics, 

Department  of,  45.  46 
MiUer,  Bishop  Allen  J.,  fi3 
MiUer,  Clifton  M.,  89,  204,  277 
MiUer,  Edward  T,  63 
Miller,  Irma  &  Karl,  92 
Miller.  John.  243 
Miller.  CSeoft'.  247 
Minta  Martin  H.1II.  65.  81.  149. 

150 
Moag.John.  17(1 
Moffat.  Andrew.  248 
Montero.  Dim.  234 
Mooney.  Robert.  298 
Moore.  James  Garfield,  221-22 


Morns. Thomas  &  Mellasenah. 

280 
Morrison, Tom.  192 
Mount  (Mt.)  Vernon  Literary 

Society,  39,  43,  74,  137 
Mount  Vernon  Ladies  Society, 

113 
Movers,  Bill,  93 
Mudd,  Roger,  93 
Music  Department,  1 1 1 
NAACR281,282 
National  Honor  Society,  171, 

172 
National  Youth  Administration, 

143 
NeiU,  Bob.  245.2'M 
Nemerov.  Howard.  192 
Neubert.  John.  2,^2 
Newton,  Ike.  ''5-96 
Nichols.  Joe.  242 
Nicholson.  William  Beck 

"Swish."  232,  233 
Nilsson.Aiidv.  243 
Noble.  Eraser.  1 1 1 
Normal  Department.  74-75, 

76-77.  132 
Normal  Hall,  '0.  74.  75.  78. 

129,  132,  180,223.260.  See 

aho  Reid  Hall 
Norman  James  Theatre.  195. 

279 
Norris.Ted,  2fi7 
Nussbaum  House,  203 
Nuttle,EhasW.  Nuttle,49 
O'Conor,  Herbert  R..  60.  72, 

143 
O'Connor,  Sandra  Day,  93 
O'Ncil,  Sam,  60,  61 
O'Neill,  Rose,  200 
O'Neill  Literary  House,  195, 

199,203,284,288,295 
Olds,  George,  148,274-76 
Omicron  Delta  Kappa,  73,  152 
Oratorical  Association,  137 
Ortman,  Cari,  238 
Owens,  Becky  Brown,  75,  78 
Ozinies,  231 
Pabon,  Christine,  73 
Paca,  Gov.WiUiam.  10,22 
Paca,  William  Winchester  Jr. , 

11,47 
Parker,  Tony,  243 
Parr,  Harry,  216 
Pearce,  Alfred  "Jim,"  84,  85,  87 
Pearce,  Catherine  Julia  and 

Charlotte,  87 


339 


Pearce, James  A.  (judge. 

senator,  &:  board  member), 

33-34,40,84,85,  124.  199 
Pearce,James  A."Alf'"Jr.  (judge 

&  board  member),  40,  89, 

257-59 
Pearce,  Matilda  Cox  Rmggold, 

87 
Pearce  House.  See  Hynson- 

Ringgold  House 
Pearson,  H.L.-Pms."  228 
Pegasus,  137 
Perkins,  C.W..  217 
Perkins,  George,  217 
Perrin,  Ken,  269 
Pfund,  Howie,  232 
Phi  Sigma  Phi,  272 
Phi  Sigma  Tau,  272 
Philamathean  Society;  74 
PhiUips,AJbanas.  183 
Pieria  Literary  Society,  74 
Pippin.Walter,  216 
Plummer,  Howard,  237 
Polla,  Damian,  248 
Porter,  F.  Stanley  228 
Porter,  Fred,  217 
Porter,  Katherine  Anne.  1  '*3 
Post-War  Plan.s  Comnuttee.  47 
PoweU,  Cohn,  175 
PoweU.  George  W.  266 
Preparatory  Department.  132. 

136 
Prettyman,  Clarence,  22 1 
Price, W.James,  206,  209.  2  I  1 
Pride  of  Balliiiwie.  1 1  1 
Prittwitz  und  Gaffion,  Baron 

Fnedenck  von,  107,  1(19 
Pntzlaff.  Bob.  238 
Proctor.  Professor.  68-70.  1 26 
Queen  Anne  House.  150. 
RadcUfle.  George  L..  60.  143 
Raggedy  Anne^"^  and  Andy 

Scholarship  Fund.  203 
Rasin,  George  Jr.,  64 
Raymond,  Bobby,  241 
Reddish,  Al,  243 
Reed's  Rifles,  38 
Regan,  Ron.  238 
Regional  Association  of 

CoUege.  136 
Reid,  Charles  Wesley  "Dutch," 

70,75,76-77,  125-26.220, 

259,261,262,264 
ReidHaIl,71.98,  129,  135, 

lil.  Sec  also  Noi-nul  Hall 
Reiger.Jake,  233 


Reinhart,  Bill,  232 
Reinhold,  Fntz,  237 
Rhodes,  Franks.  Jr.,  101 
Ricaud,JamesB.,38,43, 
Richmond  House,  2S5-89, 

290.  293.  295 
Rickey  235 
Ricords,  Richard,  216 
Riley  Ahce,  261 
Riley  Richard  W,  175 
Ringgold,  Thomas  the 

Merchant,  87,  91,  121 
Ringgold,  Richard,  87 
Rmggold.  Richard  Williamson. 

121-22 
Ringgold  House.  See  Hynson- 

Ringgold  House 
Ritchie.  Albert  C.  56.  5tS'.  1(19. 

18(1 
Rivers.  William  J..  122-24 
Roe.  Dudley  G..  59.  266 
Rogers.  Chris,  243 
Rogers,  Ginger,  187-88 
Roosevelt,  Eleanor,  56,  57,  58- 

59,72,75,81,  184 
Roosevelt,  Franklin  Delano, 

52-53,54-59.  LV)-4(i.  184 
Rose.  Matt.  249 
RoseBaU.  276 
Rudolph.  "Skippy."  238 
RusseU.  Harry  S..  65.  235.  237. 

274-75.  276 
RusseU.  Mark.  157 
Russell  Gymnasium.  65.  66. 

242 
Ryan. John  E..  46 
"Sacred  L."9') 
Salter.  Jim.  233 
Samele.  Frank,  240 
San  Giacomo.  Laura,  299 
Sander,  Robin,  248 
Schauber  House.  Sec  Hodson 

House 
Schlitz,  Paul,  243 
Schottland,  EUen  Bordley,  Carl. 

&  Stanley  209 
Schroeder.L.  Clifford.  211 
Schulman,  Mark,  286-S7 
Seaborg,  Glenn,  175 
seal,  Washington  College,  15 
Seib,  Hariy  231 
Seivold,Joe,  238 
Selbyjohn,  232 
Seney,  Joshua.  8 
Senior  Women's  Honor 

Societv,  73 


Sevareid.  Eric,  1 57 
Sho'man  Aquatics,  202 
Shriver,  Bob.  238 
Shriver  Field.  244 
Simonson. Theodore  W.  27/ 
Sisk.Tom,  245 
SLXth  Field  Artillery,  57. 
Snuth.  Marino  Dekalb.  129 
Smith.  Marion  deKalb.  215 
Smith,  Mart)',  243 
Smith,  Mar\-in  M..  280 
Snuth.  Nathan  "Nate."  73.  152. 

154-55.278-82,506 
Snuth,  PJchard  Norton.  I  12 
Smith. William.  4-9.  13.  16.20. 

22.  23.  1 1 1 
Smith. Williamina  Elizabeth.  10 
Smoot.  Roger,  232,  242 
Smoot,  Homer,  223 
Smyth,  Mrs.  William  G.,  97 
Somerset  House,  143, 
Sophie  Kerr  Conumttee,  111, 

191 
Sophie  Kerr  fund,  283, 
Sophie  Kerr  Lecture  Series, 

195, 
Sophie  Kerr  Prize,  144.  188-94. 

289.  297-298 
Spanish  House,  288 
Spedden.T  Reeder,  230 
Spencer  House.  Sec  Hynson- 

Ringgold  House 
St. John's  College.  13,14,21, 

34 
Stafford,  William,  195 
Stain's  HaU,  265 
StanleyTed.211 
Steele,  Don,  105 
Stevens,  Jim,  232,  240 
Stiles,  Bertha  M.,74,  126,223 
Stone,  Ruth,  192 
Straughn,W.D..2l6 
Strausburg. Vance.  243 
Strong  House,  274 
Student  Affairs.  Committee  on, 

280 
Student  Assembly  Committee, 

65 
Student  Council,  80 
Study  Skills  Program,  73 
Styron,WLUiam.  93.  192 
Sutton.  Rev.  Andrew  J.,  39-40, 

44,  258 
Sutton,  Ray,  243 
Swain,  Robert  L..  205 
Szymanski.  Joe.  242 


340 


T^pkc.  Peter,  1 10.245.  MO 
T^itum,  Nancy,  73,  J(;7 
Tawes  Theatre,  154 
Taylor,  Casper  R.Jr.,  197 
Tench  Tilghman  Fife  and 

Drum  Corps,  1 1 1 
Theta  Chi,  275 
Thomas,  Lewis,  93 
Thompson,  Joe,  243 
Thompson,  William  L.,  298 
Tignor,  Hobart,  232,  233 
Tilley.  Doug,  242 
Titsworth,  EHzabeth,  97,  269- 

70 
Titsworth,  Paul  E.,  55.  97,  99, 

106,  107,109,  lU-17.  134- 

39,  183,221,263,269 
Todd,JohnY.,216,  217 
ToU,  Deborah  Ann  Tamtor,  /  74 
ToU,John  S.,  67,  112,  Idl,  IdS- 

75 
ToUes,Wmton,  249 
Townsend,John  "Happy,"  223 
Travieso,  Mike,  105 
Troop  of  the  Horse  of  Kent 

County,  85 
Trout,  Charles  H.,  163-67 
Trout,  Katheruie  Taylor 

Griffiths,  163,  Ihfi 
Troutman,  Ben,  245 
Truitt,  Reginald  Van  Trump, 

235 
Truman.  Harry  S,  59-6 1 .  1 43. 

184 
Truslow.John,  245 
trustees. Washington  College's. 

33 
TuUy  Basil.  242 
Turchi.  Peter.  298 
Turner,  Eddie,  232 
TwiUey,  Charles  R.,  217,  220 
TwrUey.  Jim.  243 
Tydings.  Millard  E..  59-60 
Underground  Railway.  9 1 
Underwood.  Sophie  Kerr.  72. 

81.  See  also  Kerr,  Sophie 
Uptown  Club,  278-79 
Urie,  Art  "Grit,"  232 
Usilton, William  B.  Jr..  217.  218 
Usilton,  William  B.  111.217-18 
Varon.  Larry.  243 
Voith.  Gerry.  240 
Vican.  Daren.  245 
W.Alton  Jones  Chair.  152 
Wagner.  John,  245 


Wagner.  Kathv  2')7 
Wallace.  William  J..  31.. -f.i 
Wallace.  Bill  &•  Fred.  230 
Walton.  Kathy  285.  288.  294 
Ward.  EUery.  233.  237 
Warner.  WiUiam.  29/ 
Washington.  George.  6-8.  /  /. 

12.  14.22.28.  107.  112-13. 

259;  bust  of  1 15;  cameo  of 

107;  images  on  currency. 

115;  statue  o{,  98-99 
Washington,  Hannah  Fairfax. 

99 
]]:iihiiif;roii  (:('//,x'ci?cricir.  191. 

29(1.  294.  295 
IIi'i.s/n'iyftDi  C<'//ci;i'i»i.  137 
\\:ishiiii;toii  Elm.  137.  156.  197- 

19'),  286 
Wishmgton  elm.  I00-\02 
Washington  Scholars.  171.  172 
water  tower.  25-26.  103-6 
Waters.  Rev.  Francis.  39.  1 2i  i- 

21.257 
Watson. James  D..67.  175 
Watts.  Rowland.  44.  120.  218 
Wedekind.  Bahme  C.  1.^7 
West  Hall.  .50.  31.45.97.216. 

220.  260.  261 
Westcott.C.T.76 
White.  George.  227 
White.  Patricia  Godbolt.  280 
White  House  Farm.  1S-19,3S 
Whitman.  Ben.  243 
Wickes.  Judge.  122-24 
Wickes.LewinW.217.218. 

228 
Wilbur.  Richard.  93.  1 1  1 
Wilbur.  Ray  Lyman.  109 
Wilkinson.  Paul  J..  228 
WiUiam  Snuth  Hall.  25-26.  27. 

31-.i7..i.i.  61.63.  97.99. 

Ilh-I'.  129,  132.  1.^7.  172, 

179-80,209,218.226 
Williams.  Bill.  242 
Williams.  Danny  283.  285.  290. 

295 
WiUiams.  Martin.  283-95 
Wilmer,  Phihp  G..63 
Wilmer,  Rev.  Richard  Hooker. 

IS 
Wilson,  lohnny.  234 
Windsor.  Samuel.  216 
Wingate.  Carolyn  (Todd).  269 
Wingate.  Phihp  J.,  / 10.  235-36. 

237.  267.  272 


Wingate.  W  Wilson.  267 
Wissahicon  Club.  214 
Wissahicons.  231 
Women's  League  of 

Washington  College.  65 
Wood,  Ray  "Rip,"  237 
Wroth,  Peregrine,  252-56 
Wubbels,  Gene,  166 
Wycoff.  Bruce  &;  Gary.  249 
Wyman.  Fred.  24 
Yerkes,  Lew,  240 
Young,  H.G."Gibby."  233.  242 
Young.  Page  &T.H."Guts." 

2M) 
Young  Men's/Women's 

Christian  Association.  137 
Zearfoss.  D.ivid  William  Tilden, 

221 
Zebrowski.  Ale.x.  232 
Zebrowski.  Ed  "Goop."  240 
Zimmerman, William  H..  123 


341 


Photography  Credits 


First  College  building,  p.  8,  from  the  collection  of  Dr.  Robert  Janson-La  Palme 

George  Washington  mural,  p.  12,  by  Cronhardt  &  Sons 

"A  View  of  Chestertown  from  White  House  Farm,"  pp.  lS-19,by  I.Tyler  Campbell, 

©The  Historical  Society  of  Kent  Count)' 
Professor  Mead  with  Major  Gen.  William  Wallace  '17,  page  35,  by  Cronhardt  &  Sons 
Reed's  Rifles,  p.  39.  courtesy  of  the  Maryland  State  Archives 
Foxwell  Hall  groundbreaking,  p.  48,  by  Eliason  Photographic  Service 
Roosevelt  visit,  pp.  52-53,  by  W  H.  Hoedt  Studios,  Inc. 
Roosevelts  in  car,  p.  58,  by  W.  H.  Hoedt  Studios,  Inc. 
President  Dwight  Eisenhower,  p.  63,  by  Palmer  Tate 
John  F.  Kennedy,  p.  64,  by  L.  Dudley  Reed 
President  George  Bush  and  John  Toll,  p.  67,  by  Jim  Criaham  'S  i 
Reid  Hall,  p.  70,  by  Holmes  I.  Mettee 

Women's  residence  hall  interior,  p.  76,  by  Constance  Stuart  Larrabee 
Girls'  Student  Council,  p.  79,  by  W.  Coulbourn  Brown 
Antler  staircase,  Hynson-Ringgold  House,  p.  86,  by  O.  Philip  Roedel 
John  F.  Kennedy  Jr.,  p.  114,  by  Tom  McCall 
James  W  Cain,  p.  127,  by  Bachrach 
Gilbert  W.  Mead,  p.  1 4 1 ,  by  Bachrach 
Daniel  Z.  and  Helen  Gibson,  p.  1 49,  by  Paul  S.  Adams 

Ann  HoUingsworth  McLain  and  Louis  L.  Goldstein,  p.  155,  by  Gibson  B.Anthony 
Harry  Hughes,  Lady  Bird  Johnson,  and  Douglass  Cater,  p.  160,  by  Anna  Cruse 

for  the  Philadelpliia  Inquirer 
Libby  Cater,  p.  161.  by  Robert  J.  WiUis 
The  Cater  Walk,  p.  162,  by  Mark  Swisher 
Charles  H. Trout,  pp.  164.  166,  by  Robert  C.  Burke 
John  and  Deborah  Toll,  p.  174.  by  Gibson  B.  Anthony 
Finn  M.  W.  Caspersen.  p.  1 82,  by  Mark  Swisher 
Toni  Morrison,  p.  1 92,  by  R.  Austin  Walmsley 
John  Barth,  p.  192,  by  Paul  Smail  '97 
Louis  L.  Goldstein,  p.  19(),  by  Peter  Howard 
Casey  Acadermc  Center,  p.  201.  by  R.Austin  Walmsley 
1998  Champion  Lacrosse  Team,  pp.  212-213,  by  Trisha  McGce  '81 
Coach  Edward  L.Athey  '47.  p.  241,  by  M.  E.Warren 
Women's  Softball,  p.  244,  by  Jim  Graham  '8 1 
Rowing,  p.  246.  by  Flip  Chalfont 
Sailing,  p.  247.  by  Gibson  B.Anthony 
Damian  PoUa,  p.  248.  by  Mark  Swisher 

Chester  River  bridge,  p.  260.  courtesy  of  Man,-land  State  Archives 
Nate  Srmth,  p.  281,  by  Morton  Tadder 

Writers  at  O'NeUl  Literary  House,  p.  291,  by  Paul  Sinail  '97 
Nicholas  Newlin,  pp.  300-301,  by  Constance  Stuart  Larrabee 
Norman  James,  p.  303,  by  Morton  Tadder 
Nancy  Tatum,  p.  307,  by  Morton  Tadder 


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DEMCO.  INC    38-2931 


CLIFTON  M.  MILLER  LiBRARY 
WASHINGTON  COLLEGE 
CHESTERTOWN.  MARYLAND  21620