Dartmouth Night To Be Special Occasion
SPECIAL IMPORTANCE attaches to Dartmouth Night this year, for the annual observance, on February 14, will be made the occasion for the rededication of historic Dartmouth Hall. Plans for the joint celebration have been announced by President Hopkins, following conference with Palaeopitus.
A brief and formal dedication ceremony will be held in the large central lecture room of Dartmouth Hall in the afternoon, and in the evening a huge student-faculty gathering will take place in Webster Hall. President Hopkins will preside at both the afternoon and evening exercises.
President James Rowland Angell of Yale will attend the dedication ceremonies and will be the principal speaker at the Dartmouth Night celebration in the evening. His presence in Hanover for this special occasion will be particularly appropriate, in view of Dartmouth's early connections with Yale College. Eleazar Wheelock, founder of the College, and Bezaleel Woodward, his sole colleague in the original faculty, were both Yale men, and were the initiators of the plan to build Dartmouth Hall.
The rededication ceremonies will open with music by a special orchestra and the singing of Milton's paraphrase of Psalm CXXXVI. Bishop John T. Dallas of New Hampshire will give the dedicatory prayer, followed by the singing of a Bach chorale by the Glee Club. After a brief address by President Hopkins, the Glee Club will sing Dartmouth Undying, and Bishop Dallas will close the ceremonies with a benediction. The large lecture hall, henceforth to be known as 105 Dartmouth Hall, will seat only 800 persons, making it necessary for tickets to be presented for admission. Five hundred seats on the floor will be reserved for seniors and some members of the other classes, and 300 seats in the gallery will be reserved for faculty members and guests. The participants in the rededication program will wear academic robes, and all efforts will be directed to making the ceremony one of dignity and simplicity.
PARTICIPANTS in the evening program will include Aldis P. Butler '36, president of Palaeopitus; Dr. Craven Laycock '96, dean emeritus of the College, who will read the telegrams which come from alumni groups throughout the world; and Professor Leon Burr Richardson 'OO, historian of the College, who will speak on Dartmouth Hall. The Band and combined Glee Clubs will take part in the program, and ample opportunity will be given to the audience to cheer and sing.
An unusual feature of the Webster Hall program will be the introduction of a new Dartmouth song, The Wearers of the Green, written by George Parmly Day, treasurer of Yale University, and set to the tune of the Irish air, The Wearing of theGreen. The words and music for this sprightly song will be found on the opposite page.
How a Yale man came to write a Dartmouth song is an interesting story. Mr. Day's letter to President Hopkins provides a complete account of how and why it happened, and is here presented in full:
Dear Dr. Hopkins:
Recently I had occasion to lookup some old Irish songs, a book ofwhich I took home with me fromthe library of our School of Musicone afternoon. In the evening Mrs.Day sang some of them, includingthe popular version of "The Wearing of the Green": and both of usfound ourselves wondering if thishad ever been used for a Dartmouthsong—and, if not, why not, sincethe title, the lilt and swing of it, thefact that it is so well adapted for group singing, and its widespread popularity wouldall seem to *make it admirably adapted forthis purpose.
During the last week I have had to beaway on several journeys for the University,and on the train I have thought quite constantly of this idea—with the result that,somewhat to my own surprise, I have returned to New Haven with pencilled notesof such a Dartmouth song which might becalled "The Wearers of the Green." TheseI have had my secretary type out for me,and have had my wife try out for me: sinceshe is a singer and I am not. In her opinion,these words of mine fit the music. Whetheror not they meet the requirements for aDartmouth song is obviously a matter to bedecided in Hanover rather than in NewHaven.
Under these circumstances, and becauseyou have been good enough to let me feelI could count you as a friend, I am withsome hesitation sending to you a copy ofwhat I have written as a tribute to Dartmouth: together with a reproduction of themusic to which it might be sung. If myverses seem to you to be inadequate or impossible you can merely drop them in yourwaste basket; and in such event I would,in order to save you from embarrassment,suggest that you need not even write toacknowledge the receipt of my well meantefforts. Should you on the other hand feelthat you yourself would like to discuss myverses with others, I would suggest that yousubmit them to their consideration as ananonymous Contribution from a friend ofDartmouth who is proud to claim kinshipwith Eleazar Wheelock, its founder and firstpresident, of the Class of 1733, Yale College.
If what I have written serves no otherpurpose, I am hoping that it will make yourealize the affection and admiration inwhich Dartmouth is held by so many graduates of Yale. In sending to you andthrough you to Dartmouth my own goodwishes, I know that they would wish me toadd theirs did they but know I am nowwriting to you.
Sincerely yours,
GEORGE PARMLY DAY.
Although he had intended to remain anonymous, Mr. Day was persuaded by the editors of the MAGAZINE to allow his name to be published in connection with Dartmouth's newest song. Mr. Day is a graduate of Yale in the Class of 1897, and is the great-great-great-great-grandson of Elizabeth Wheelock, the sister of Eleazar Wheelock.
During the past two years, the custom has arisen of introducing a new song at Dartmouth Night. Last year, President Hopkins was the author of the words of the Dartmouth Challenge Song, for which Edward H. Plumb '29 wrote the music. Two years ago, the Glee Club introduced at Dartmouth Night the song, The Wind Is on theMountain, for which Judge Stafford of Washington, D. C., wrote the words and Philip E. Everett '18 wrote the music.
