1887

George Ellsworth Johnson—Dartmouth students of 1883 to 1891 will remember "Jim" Johnson '87—baseball catcher, leader in class rushes, campus games and in '87 class activities—a modest, retiring good sport with many friends. Four years before his death in 1931, he wrote a jovial life story of himself. It was published in our 50th Anniversary Book. It is entertaining reading, even for students and graduates of today. Here are three extracts: Before Dartmouth—"My early teachers helped in the development of my inferiority complex by applying the ferule for missing a word in spelling, and banging my head with a geography when I did not know every twist and turn a river took from its source to its mouth." At Dartmouth—"l arrived in Hanover in a green Norfolk jacket, green knee breeches, and green stockings. And I was green. I had never seen the ocean, or been to a theatre, or touched a tennis racket, or seen a foot-ball game." (He was Phi Beta Kappa and Campus Orator at Class Day.) After Dartmouth—"Poor as my work has been it has been largely pioneering." (Teaching, supervising, coordinating play and education, and with two years of graduate research at Clark University, and finally Professor at Harvard.) "While I do not believe that an adequate autobiography can be written without laying bare one's philosophy of life, I feel sure that you did not mean to ask for this. At last, I quit." When printed, Jim's life story made 11 thrilling pages in '87's 50th Anniversary Book. Mrs. Johnson, Jim's widow, tells me that he got great joy in writing this story of his life. His last position was Associate Professor in the School of Education at Harvard. He was there 16 years and finished a career of pioneering in education.

I am indebted to Fred HowlancL '87 and Professor Alfred D. Simpson of Harvard for a copy of the impressive tribute that is recorded at Harvard, which I did not know existed. I quote two typical passages: "Those of us who were his intimate colleagues find it difficult to separate the professional from the personal aspects of Professor Johnson. We knew all the while of his mastery of his subject and of his success in communicating to his students the principles which he had formulated concerning the educational value of play and recreation; but we knew even better the traits of character which won our allegiance—those personal qualities of easy companionship, quiet humor and general good-will."

The end of the Harvard tribute is: "Looking at the beauty of the hills and valleys of Peacham (Vt.) one day, he remarked to a friend: '1 want to be so meek that I can inherit this earth a long time.' Here in his native State, happily companioned by the members of a family on whom he always bestowed a very rare devotion, he perfected the subtle philosophies of his life. Here the Peacham woodlot, pasture, spring, apple orchard, sugar orchard and haybarn were never-failing sources of solace and inspiration. And here by his request this pasture becomes his last resting place, a hillside spot in full view of the farms, church, lake and mountains."

Secretary, Bath, N. H. Class Notes Editor, 37 Arlington St., Cambridge 40, Mass. Class Agent, 115 Broadway, New York 6, N. Y.