"LOOK IN BACK"
DELVING INTO old volumes of The Dartmouth, The Aegis, my mem book and other duty records to write a history of 1915, warned by Bill Huntress to be "not over a thousand words each issue," is like asking Mr. Caesar to tell his story in a modern tabloid.
For 1915 went places at Dartmouth, and that early in the game.
Staggering up the hill from the Norwich station, we matriculated, weathered Delta Alpha, lost the fight with 1914 by what The Dartmouth called strategy (skullduggery to you), wrecked any hope the Natty Licklider had of getting any appreciation of English, and imbued Smut I from Doc Bowler.
The Dartmouth of October 14, 1911 headlined "College Awake at Last," as evidenced by a gigantic march to the football field, which could readily indicate the influence of the new blood of 1915.
Even though freshmen were barred from varsity teams on the athletic side of the fence, we were early welcomed as prospects for later years. That first Fall found names to conjure with on the 1915 football fieldBud Whitney, Charlie Cumisky, Ed Curtis, Norvie Milmore, Phil Murdock, Dick Redfield, Bill and Dud Rogers, Sherm Hickox and even a budding All-America quarter back in Milt Ghee.
Through blinding tears, hockey enthusiasts could at least take hope in 1915's Jiggs Donahue, Leon Tuck, Bags Wanamaker, Johnny Pendleton, Jack Bowler, Russ Livermore and Jim Burbank. Winners of 1915 numerals in basketball were Pete Winship, Phil Pelletier, Harry Bickford, Sid Crawford and George Martin. ,
But where 1915 knocked 'em dead was during the indoor track season, when at its close, The Dartmouth screamed a headline "Freshmen Scored the Most Points," and someone's pencil added up 173 for 1915, with 1913 next in line with 132. Topping them all was Bud Whitney, God's answer to the prayer of a track coach. In the first meet he recorded a new mark in the two handed shot-put and discus, and from then on the headline "Whitney Again Tops Record" was so frequent as to be common place. And the climax came late that year, when the New England A. A. U. chose 13 men for Olympic fame and Bud was the only Dartmouth contribution. (Marc Wright came in another group.)
But Bud's choice for Olympic honors didn't dull the lustre of the rest of the 1915's tracksters, and here they are, if by chance you've forgotten: Gus Braun, Speed Granger, Stan Llewellyn, Dick Merrill, Dud Wool worth, Don Mac Murray, Max Wilcox, Doc Noyes, Jack Maloney, Pen Mower, Roy Lafferty, Bernie O'Day, Walt Meader, Russ Durgin, Chaunce Hulbert, to name a few.
Baseball gave us some future greats in Bags Wanamaker, Fletch Low, Milt Ghee, Leon Tuck, Jim Sisk, Shrimp Williams, Carl Whiteley, Al Simoneau, Carl Swenson, Norm Parrott, Ray Humphrey, Joe Harris and Norvie Milmore.
We had two presidents freshman year, Ed Curtis and Bud Whitney; two treasurers, Casey Jones and Ev Lamson; Pete Winship, vice president and Dick Redfield, secretary went all the way. Ev Lamson early became the class cheer leader and later topped 'em all.
But if we were out of varsity athletics, that did not hold in other activities, for where freshmen could get in, 1915 didn't waste any time.
The Glee Club found us with Gus Braun, Don MacMurray, Fred Child, Joe Comstock, Wy Fuller, Stick Parnell, Ray Perry and Paul Vining. The Mandolin Club included '15ers Butch Fonda, Bob Brown, Beards Ruml, Zeke Carpenter, Russ Chase, Hal Claflin, Hal Davis, Ben Grills, and from the start the premier concert violin soloist, Charlie Griffith.
Dave Kinne, Thornt Pray and your biographer got on The Dartmouth Board; Hugh Courtright and Hal Davis made the Jack-O. Ed Mabie as a principal and Art Hornblow as alternate made the varsity debating team; and LOOK at that 1912 Prom Show (The Green Parasol) cast, where without any doubt Walt Wanger first got his ideas of glamor girls:
"Lutie" was Hap Leonard; "ponies" included Phil Leary, Wy Fuller and Kel Rose; (here it comes!), the "girls" were Dick Redfield, Johnnie Johnson, Stu Hill, Don Page, Kent Smith and Bob Frothingham. And the "men," (he variety) were String Downing, Deac Hunnewell and Al Waite.
In these days they send news reel specialists to take movies of the Winter Carnival, but in February, 1912, Johnny Bache-Wiig put on almost a one-man exhibition of skidashing and ski-cross countrying; Johnny and Bob Brown placed in the novice skijumping, and (you've forgotten this one) Dud Rogers battle to lose first place in the ski-jump by a single point, with Dabney Horton third.
In addition to the varsity mandoliners, we also had a club of our own, which included all the regulars, with the addition of Ben Grills, Ed O'Shea, Thornt Pray, Art Sterling (you thought he only drew pictures), Phil Smith, Merry Haskell, Freddie Day, Al Norton, Chan Foster, Red Stevens, and Ev Graves. Band and orchestra luminaries were Warren Montsie, Dud Rogers, Musty Spaulding, Chan Harwood and others. A thought for 1940—dust 'em off and bring 'em.
DID YOU KNOW? that:-
The now world-renowned Outing Club was only 2 years old when we were freshmen? .... 1915 was the first class to wear freshman caps and we voted approval of the idea (amid loud guffaws from 1914)? . . . . the famous "Dartmouth's in Town Again" by Lyme Armes '12 was cautiously tried out as a new song in 1912?.... Mass Row was completed our freshman year? .... the first Freshman Green Book was the 1915 edition? .... the old railroad station at the June burned in 1912? .... Moose Engelhorn lifted bodily from Stanford the "You Will Swim at Dartmouth" poster that 1914 sold us at 50 cents per groan? Gene Bissell was co-author of the 1912 Prom Show?.... solid Republican Gov Jordan in 1912 made speeches to elect arch New Dealer D. Basil O'Connor '12 "Mayor" of Hanover?. . . our freshman year Rollins Chapel was enlarged and Went worth Hall became a class-room after the fire therein?.... and these changes were made to take care of the "great" increase in students to about 1200....
That's only the beginning, mates Sophomore year next issue SEE YOU AT OUR 25th.
DONALD C. BEINNINK '15.
