GRADUS AD PARNASSUM
Those who noticed particularly the frontispiece of the MAGAZINE for November might have been struck by the large number of photographs of Websteriana assembled in one group. And the visitor who drops into the photographic department of the Baker Library will be quite pleasantly surprised by the magnificent collection of photographs of Webster material to be found there. This collection is the work of a Hanover photographer, H. H. Langill, known to most Dartmouth men of the Tucker era, and the Webster collection is but one of a number of assembled negatives that he has made.
A true artist in his field, Mr. Langill developed a passion for pictures dealing in any way with Webster and Webster memorials. He went long distances to copy paintings and prints, he made a painstaking study of statues and buildings and all these negatives have come with his collection into the possession of the College. In addition to the Webster material there are other fine collections and individual pictures, athletic groups from the early Eighties, dramatic club groups, glee clubs, early outers and mountain climbers, portraits of presidents and professors and noted men and women who lived in Hanover, views of the surrounding country, scenes famous for events, the visit of the Earl of Dartmouth, the first Harvard game on the Dartmouth campus, the dedication of the Bartlett Tower, old graduation pictures, the burning of Dartmouth Hall, one or two historical pictures of real significance. Among them the photograph supposed to be the first picture of an X-ray machine experiment in America. He made a set of valuable X-ray pictures in the early days, also, some astronomical effects gained by shots through the College telescope.
A few of his photo portraits are famous, one of them in particular showing Professor Charles F. Richardson with his little dachshund, Geist. His pictures of Hanover's famous trees are said by experts to be quite remarkable. And as time goes on these pictures acquire more and more value. It might be safe to say that any Dartmouth student of the Langill period can find his own face and figure in some one of the many thousand pictures taken by this artist. Two other valuable photographic collections in the possession of the College are the Morse collection and the Bly wet-plate negatives.
Statistics issued from the Baker Library reveal that between September first and June first 76,564 books were borrowed of which number 56,914 were taken out by students.
The amount of fiction that students have borrowed is surprisingly small, only 13,845 novels being loaned out to them. The average student daily circulation is 215.511 and the smallest daily circulation was on December 24 when only 54 books went out, while the largest total for a day was on January fifth when 903 books were loaned.
President Hopkins has been active during the past weeks in lining up the organization of the New Hampshire Branch of the National Economy League, the chairmanship of which was accepted by Mr. Hopkins late in September and announced by Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd, who is chairman of the national organization.
President Hopkins addressed a gathering of representative men from all parts of the state in Concord, September 37, at which time Admiral Byrd, who is on a tour of the states in behalf of the league, also spoke concerning the aims and purposes of the organization. Richard S. Russell, vice-chairman of the New England Organization Committee, and Carl P. Dennett, chairman of the Massachusetts organization, were present.
The headquarters of the New Hampshire branch have been established at the President's office in Parkhurst Hall. Robert C. Strong, executive assistant to the President, has been made secretary. The other officers of the New Hampshire organization are Oliver W. Branch and Carleton R. Metcalf, vice-chairmen, and N. Joy Harriman, treasurer.
The announced purposes of the Economy League are:
"To revive and restore the American principle that our government shall truly be a government for the benefit of the whole people,—a government of law and order economically administered for all the people, and not for the benefit or at the dictation of any special or sectional interest.
"To secure the elimination of all wasteful and unnecessary governmental expenditures,—federal, state and local—which have risen to a point where they threaten the public credit and sap the resources of the people,—and thus compel the reduction of the taxes which these rising expenditures ultimately exact from all the people.
"To cooperate with other non-political, non-partisan citizens' organizations concerned with the reduction of governmental expenses and taxes, whether federal, state or local.
"To provide a national organization through which the unorganized majority —all the men and women entitled to votemay unite for their mutual protection to achieve these objects."
George Daley, noted sports writer and a close friend of E. K. Hall, suggests in his column in the New York Herald Tribune recently that a memorial of some permanent sort be erected in Ed Hall's memory.
He says: It is not in my thought to suggest a formfor this memorial. His college can do that,and more wisely. But I would like to offeran inscription. Here it is:
"To Edward K. Hall—wise counselor,sane legislator, generous sportsman—in appreciation of his devoted and invaluableservice to the game of football."
These are not my own words. It is theinscription on a tiny gold football he woreand counted one of his dearest and mosttreasured possessions. There is a story behind it.
It was a gift from the National CollegiateAthletic Association in full appreciation ofhis unselfish service to that body and ofhis greater service to football.
Needless to say, I'll never forget the choking feeling in my own throat as Ed Hallstepped up with an undisguised catch inhis voice to accept this gold football fromthe hands of General Palmer E. Pierce, formany years president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. He was carriedaway, as were many others, by emotionshard to restrain.
It was at the early meeting of 1930, andnone sensed the approaching climax whenWalter Okeson, in reviewing the operationsof the rules committee over a stretch oftwenty-five years, paid compliment to itschairman by calling him the greatestapostle of the creed of sportsmanship inrecounting that Mr. Hall himself wrote thecode of ethics, and adding that "the spiritof Ed Hall is embodied in the game."
The climax did come when GeneralPierce, in presenting the little football,said: "It seems fitting that this token ofappreciation of your services is made ofindestructible gold. It typifies the everlasting qualities of the affectionate regardof the colleges and universities of theUnited States for services rendered by you."
Little wonder Ed Hall had a catch in hisvoice, and how fitting that the inscriptionon that gold football be repeated on anymemorial as recalling one of the big moments of his life.
Two members of the faculty, popular with colleagues and undergraduates alike, have announced their resignations. That of Stacy May, since 1927 teacher of Citizenship, more recently Industrial Society, has already taken effect. He is entering this year upon new duties as assistant director of the division of Social Sciences of the Rockefeller Foundation in New York city. Mr. May is a graduate of Amherst and holds an advanced degree in economics from the Brookings School. He has previously taught at Amherst and Cornell. The Mays were one of the first exponents of the "Move to Norwich" trend now so well developed among faculty families, especially in the younger crowd. It is good to know that Stacy May's geniality and keenness, missed on the campus this year, will not be entirely lost to Hanover for the May family plans to return to the Norwich home for summer vacations.
Harold E. B. Speight also came to Hanover in 1927. He will complete six years of Dartmouth teaching in June when he will prepare to move to Swarthmore where he has just been elected Dean of the College. Professor Speight, better known as Dr. Speight to his students, first was elected to a professorship in Philosophy. He came from a six-year pastorship of King's Chapel, Boston, previous to which he had lived, studied, and taught in various parts of the world. He was born in England, lived as a boy in South Africa, was educated at the University of Aberdeen, was a fellow at Oxford, and later minister in British Columbia and California. His Dartmouth reputation has been solidly built on his marked abilities as teacher, speaker, writer. And his sympathetic understanding of student problems has made him unofficial advisor to many boys. Alumni know him through his several contacts with alumni clubs, notably his addresses, as representative of the College, at the Boston and New York annual dinners. It will be difficult to fill his position of director of the course in Biography, to which he succeeded Dr. Vernon, following the latter's recent retirement. It will be even more difficult to fill the vacancy he leaves in the ranks of those who are always ready to do anything in their power for the advancement of Dartmouth's best interests.
Although Hanover went Republican, according to the oldest and best traditions, the vote was uncertain enough to cause some concern among the old stand-bys of the local G. O. P. Max Norton, chief precinct commissioner, was advising friends early in the morning of November 9 to sharpen up lawnmovvers and prepare to keep the grass down in village streets. Old Jim Campion, strong for Roosevelt, consoled Hoover supporters with the prediction that if grass is found on Main Street it will be as much due to the absence of white wings as to lower tariffs. John Piane and Perley Bugbee of the old guard seem pretty low in their minds. Prescott Orde Skinner says he is glad to give his Republican friends a chance to crab for a change, for this has been a source of real pleasure to him ever since the war. He says it is time for Hanover to get back to talking football. This is the only thing that should be seriously discussed up here at this time of the year.
Hanover gave its own popular Ed Hunter (Dartmouth '01) a big vote in returning him to the state legislature. Phil Sherman '28, sports editor of this publication, under the handicap of being a Democratic candidate for the same body, could not win. Senator George Moses '90 was given a plurality in town over his Democratic opponent, Fred Brown '03, but the Senator lost in the state-wide count.
There must be something in the air on Hanover Plain. Everything goes Republican. In 1661 student ballots cast, Hoover polled 1120, Thomas 274, Roosevelt 255, Foster 12.
