From a 1908 Mem Book
THIS, THE CONCLUDING PICTURE, at least for this collegiate year, of the 1908 Mem Book series, is likely to prove to be quite a large order for the MAGAZINE. There is no telling, from this May Day point of view, just how much of the picture can be seen when it gets into print. But you can take our word for it, it is an actual photograph of 1908 assembled in Webster Hall on Wednesday, June 24, 1908. The camera was snapped as Fred Hudson Hodgson* of Methuen, Mass., our No. 1 speaker, was hitting his stride in the delivery of an oration entitled "The After-glow of American Poetry." Fred wore one of those red lapel ribbons, remember? That meant he was, as Rastus Badger would say, "Phi Beter Kapper." To the immediate right of the orator in question sits President William Jewett Tucker, attending the last Commencement at which he signed diplomas. To Dr. Tucker's right is Craven Laycock who was an "assistant professor of oratory on the Evans Foundation, DKE, Phi Beta Kappa," at the time. Sprinkled farther to the Hodgson right were Johnnie K. Lord, Gabe Campbell, Johnny Vose Hazen. "Hoppy," who was secretary to President Tucker, was right in that populated right flank, somewhere. To the Hodgson left sit Dr. William Patten and the immortal "Chuck" Emerson, our Dean. Easily discernable, in the original photograph, are portraits of Daniel Webster, Eleazar and Lord Dartmouth. The gentry in uniform comprise what were known as the "Governor's Staff." The Governor attended also.
The 1908 program, a part of the Mem Book from which the photograph was extracted, was printed with deep mourning borders on the kind of paper they used to employ for getting out commemorative brochures on "The Death of Lincoln" and the like. The events were similar to the routine of modern commencements, but the topics reflected the spirit of the times: Joseph King Knight orated about "The Young Goethe" and Eugene Miles Prentice, the present Guaranty Trust Co. vice-president in New York, spoke to the world on "The Evolution of Private; Property." Then came music. And then came Paul Mason Batchelder, our valedictorian with"Some Greek Anticipations of Modern Science." After that, Albert R. Chandler, 1908's psychic bid, gave his idea of "The Place of Greek in American Education" (George Givot, are ye listenin'). And to top it off, Edward Payson Bartlett of Belchertown, Mass., told about "The Old Alchemy and the New."
Then came more music. School was out!
* Freddie was awarded some months later, the silver cup offered to the papa of the Class Baby.
