GRADUS AD PARNASSUM
Who's the Oldest? . . . Hanover Merchants Embrace .Orozco's Frescoes . . . More Moviesand Other News
A recent statement from the office of Alumni Records reveals that there are 9,935 living graduates of the College and 5,180 non-graduates, a total of 15,67 a alumni. The total figure is growing rapidly.
Mr. H. B. Thayer '79 has raised an interesting question in regard to the way we figure the ratings for "oldest living graduate." According to our system this distinction is now held by J. W. Perkins of the class of '64, born in 1835. Mr. Thayer says the honor should go to Edward Tuck '62 because he is really the oldest graduate, having been graduated two years before Mr. Perkins. But Mr. Tuck was born in 184 a and is a mere 91, compared to Mr. Perkins' advanced age of 98! One is older but the other has been out of college longer—which one most deserves the title of "oldest living graduate"? We'd say they both do.
Hanover is pretty well stocked up with Deans. There hasn't been any scarcity but it's a bumper crop this year, and looks like a plentiful supply. Dean Laycock, Dean Bill, Dean Gray, Dean Bowler, Dean Garran, Dean Neidlinger and Dean Strong are now sitting in Dean's chairs. Not to mention L. Dean Pearson and Charles Dean Chamberlin '26. You fellers that are raising young Wah-Who-Wahs had better take a tip and name your boy Dean. He'll find himself right at home up here!
This has been a quiet town this summer. Perry Fairfield says the tourist business hasn't been as bad at the Inn as he thought it would be, which is something. Especially since he thinks it has been about as good as last year. N.R.A. is doing a lot of great things and one of them is right here in Hanover. For the first time within the memory of living men the merchants on Main Street have got together. Uniform hours, standard methods of employment and general procedure, encouragement of summer tourist and resident business—all these things and many more are on the ambitious and charitable program of the Hanover Civic Trade Association. Sometimes it looks as though students are fair game and the college year is the open season. Promise of more efficient and cooperative methods is cheering news to the slim-pursed faculty and undergraduates.
Nearly everything went well during Commencement but preparations for the big event weren't all smooth. The Professor of Music got pretty mad at the Right Hand Man of the Supt. of Buildings and Grounds. Under the exacting direction of the Professor the band was laboring in daily, and all day, rehearsals. The band practices on the steps of Webster. Nearby an artisan was laboring, slowly pushing a wheelbarrow from a pile of dirt in the road, along the cement walk in front of the band, to various spots on the adjoining lawn. The rattle and creak of the workman's efforts became too much. "Your man is making so much noise that my band can't practice" he shouted to the Ad. Building's agent. "You don't know what trouble is," came the reply. "My man is keeping time to the music and your band is playing so damn slow he isn't getting anything done!" We'd say that Doc Woods won, but Prof. M. F. L. didn't look very happy.
Beginning with this issue the editors are presenting a series of comments by noted art critics and teachers on the Orozco mural now in progress in the reserve reading hall of the Library. Next month there will be a full length, liberally illustrated, article on the fresco. This is to be prepared by members of the department of Art, headed by Prof. Artemas Packard. It is expected that the article will be reprinted following publication in the MAGAZINE, and thus be available at a small charge to the many visitors who are flocking to Hanover to see this already famous painting. Orozco has been working steadily all summer. He is now well started on the east wing of the hall, where the epic will be traced through the stages of more recent American history to contemporary time.
Another movie "classic" is promised alutani clubs by the College film service. Continuing the cast of four characters used in last year's production, Coach Bentley will direct the filming of a student-written scenario telling the story of the Hanover fall season. To start off the picture there will be shots of boys leaving their homes in widely scattered cities in this country and abroad. London and Paris are contributing to this picturization of Dartmouth's widespread distribution of its student body. R. B. Mosely 'O4 has handled the filming of a boy leaving London for Hanover, and George Hull 'lB is the Cecil DeMille for Paris.
What the Dartmouth crowd in Paris is up to makes good reading. This is the news from George Hull's letter:
Bob Frothingham is the head man inVacuum Oil. Kennedy is now one of Directors of Morgan or whatever they callthem. They sent for him when Krugerbroke Higginson. Shaw is leaving for theKlondike soon to exploit a gold mine. KitClaeys is head of Texas Oil Cos. I am butterand egging. Mr. Tuck has concluded thatbusiness is bad and so doesn't work anymore. Bob Davis just resigned as Head ofAmerican Hospital but still runs the Library and writes editorials for the NewYork Herald. He also has seven hundredcows and a lot of hens near Bordeaux andmakes a fake champagne out of whiteBordeaux. Otherwise he doesn't do anything. Jiggs Donahue left Gillette SafetyRazor to go with Palmolive. Has a goodjob I believe as he is the second in command there. Can't think of anyone moreat the moment but this is the old guard.
Returning to the subject of Orozco, do you know that Dartmouth College was chosen in June to head the "regret" list of the National Commission to Advance American Art? This is a "Buy-American" movement. The Commission announced its intention of publishing occasionally a list of institutions that showed such poor judgment and bad taste as to select non-Americans to paint, sculp, sketch, draw, or engage in other artistic pursuits for them. They started by "regretting" that Dartmouth has a Mexican artist in Hanover painting a fresco. The result has been, of course, that broad-minded critics and artists throughout the country have jumped to Dartmouth's defense, becoming suddenly much interested in the project and most sympathetic toward it.
We wonder if the Association knows that Orozco was very eager to paint on the walls of an American college building his conception of the rise of American civilization? That Dartmouth was not seeking a fresco painter, or putting the work "out for bids"? That Orozco receives remunerequivalent to that given a teacher, that his work is regarded by the Trustees as a part of the teaching program, as one of the cultural advantages offered by the College to the student body? It is a contribution by Orozco to American art and Dartmouth history. Our only "regret" is that all the alumni cannot see the huge fresco and learn, by frequent inspection, to appreciate its beauty and symbolism.
With the publication, in this issue, of the first of a series of "Favorite Dartmouth Songs," old and new, we will all realize anew that the number of our classic songs of real merit is all too small. Talent for versifying among Dartmouth men has not been lacking. The scarcity has rather been in the direction of stirring music to fit the lines of our poets. Some years ago Judge Wendell P. Stafford, holder of an honorary degree from the College, wrote a poem which was read at the observance of Dartmouth Night bv the alumni club in Washington. He called it "Song for Dartmouth Night." It needs music, cries out for someone to set it up for immortality in notes and bars. We are doing our best, in reprinting the verses here, to give them and their distinguished author some fame. But a composer could do much morel
Song for Dartmouth Night Oh, the wind is on the mountain And the drift is at the door; But there's laughter up the chimney And a glow adown the floor; And we'll pull our chairs together And we'll drink a bumper more— Oh, we'll pull our chairs together And we'll drain one bumper more— To Dartmouth!Old Dartmouth!
Now we'll fill her up to Dartmouth, And we'll drink her with a will, Tho' the wind be still a-roaring And the stars a-blinking chill, For the lights are round the campus And the pine is on the hill— Oh, the lights are round the campus And the pine is on the hill— In Dartmouth!Old Dartmouth!
We've a vintage for our bumper That can never be denied,— Wine of tender recollection In the cup of honest pride And a hundred Dartmouth fellows Drinking deeply, side by side— We're a hundred Dartmouth topers All a-drinking side by side- To Dartmouth!Dear Dartmouth!
"The team will be made up of students" —Football Prospectus of a southern university.
