GRADUS AD PARNASSUM
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO THIS MONTH, in May, 1917, students were dropping out of college so rapidly that Registrar Tibbets frequently distributed lists of withdrawals to the faculty. In one section of French 4 there were 20 men enrolled at the beginning of the semester. According to the class record book of the instructor, Professor Dunham, 17 of the 20 dropped out for World War I service and only three took the final exam in June.
There has been no such depletion of student ranks this spring. But the emergency may not yet have become comparable to what it was 35 years ago. The Army, Navy and Marine Corps are seeking officer-personnel in the colleges and to date they prefer men to take at least three or four semesters of college work, and for technical commissions the full eight semesters.
The terrific speed-up is just getting under way. Dartmouth's degree may be earned, as always, in eight semesters but these may now be taken continuously within a period of two and one-half calendar years, and under certain conditions a few months may be saved from this greatly accelerated schedule. The handwriting is on the wall. For most students two years, somewhat more or less, will be their college experience. Dartmouth has led the way in relating its work to the tremendous emergency and is cooperating very closely with all branches of the services. The numbers of students, including entering freshmen, who are enrolled in the summer term shows that they keenly desire to secure as much college credit as possible within the short time available to them.
DARTMOUTH MEN IN THE LAFAYETTE FLYING CORPS, JUNE 1917 This picture was taken at Avord, France, just about 25 years ago and shows alumni of theCollege whose individual records are recorded in the two volume history Lafayette Flying Corps by Hall and Nordhoff. Above left to right, are: William T. Ponder '17,Clifton D. Thompson '17, Warren T. Hobbs '19 (killed in action June 25,1918); HermanK. Whitmore '18 (shot down in combat April 6, 1918, and a prisoner of Germany untilthe Armistice); Gerald S. Stone '18, George Dock Jr. 'l6, and Donald H. Eldredge '19.Charles R. York '14 was not present when the above picture was taken. We are indebtedto Mr. Eldredge for providing the photograph and information.
