Dartmouth Days — 60 Years Ago

Letters written home by Leslie W. Leavitt '16 during his undergraduate years at Dartmouth give a lively, often amusing, picture of the College in those days. We will print them in four installments, one for each year; and the series begins in this issue with freshman year. His Wheeler Hall roommate was his brother Russell, also of the Class of 1916. After graduation, Leslie Leavitt began teaching at the Syrian Protestant College, now the American University of Beirut, Lebanon. He attended Union Theological Seminary in 1919-20 and took his M.A. at Teachers College, Columbia University in 1921. He then became Principal of the Boys' School of the American Presbyterian Mission in Tripoli, and in 1927, after a year at Yale Graduate School, returned to American University in Beirut as Principal of the university's International College. He held that post, as well as a professorship in education, until his retirement in 1960. He now lives in Wellesley, Mass.

FRESHMAN YEAR 1912-13 FALL

Here we are . . . Freshmen in Dartmouth College, and Russell and I are rooming together in 45 Wheeler Hall. Seems like a good dorm . . .We have been hazed for two nights and it isn't much fun. At nine o'clock we have to line up in the corridor with our faces to the wall. Then the Sophs take us out to perform. Various stunts are gone through, some of them very amusing. One was where four fellows made up two boats. We sat on the floor and hitched ourselves along with our hands, and as we passed they threw water at us and under us. When all is through we march through all the corridors to the front of the building where we cheer for the Sophs and they throw bags of water down on us . . .We had the football rush last Thursday and the Sophs won. It was very dark and we couldn't tell where the ball was. It was exciting while it lasted.

Friday we were forced to attend classes with our books carried in a suitcase, a heavy, dirty spitoon hung around our necks and under our chins, and a sofa pillow under one arm to sit on in class. I secured a spitoon from the bathroom, washed out the saliva, tobacco juice and other ingredients and hung it around my neck . . . Some fellows kicked a football through two of our windows and failed to 'fess up. Consequently we have been rather cool today, but they will be set tomorrow and your loving sons will be out 75 cents. Such is life!

There was a meeting the other night to form a Progressive Club. I went to it and joined. I now wear a Moose pin.

William Howard Taft was here this afternoon. He stayed at Prexy's house for dinner and spoke from his automobile in front of Webster Hall. He gave a short talk, referring indirectly to Roosevelt as the man with his head in the clouds, and the Bull Moose movement as a revolution. His flabby jowls shook like Mother's currant jelly. . . . Russell has just received a monitorship in daily chapel (compulsory), which pays 35 cents a week. . . . We have a new French teacher who acts out all the stories we read. I nearly split today and I will before the year is over.

You want to know if we like it up here. We certainly do. The only fault I have to find is that there isn't enough excitement. We have to plug for four or five hours and then go to bed. Doubtless it will wear off. But during the Xmas vacation kindly arrange for parties every night!

We received the food you sent up in the clothes-hamper. It was very good and thanks a lot. Please send up a little jam next time, as ours is all gone. And some apples. We had a spread Sunday night, which the fellows seemed to enjoy. I have a job working in the College grill, a kind of annex to the main diningroom. Am not sure whether I shall be bus-boy, waiter, or helper in the kitchen, perhaps all three. The manager is called Jim Haggerty, rather grumpy, but kind ... I think.

Sousa gave a corking concert Wednesday, most of which I heard from our window. (Our dorm is very near the Hall.)

WINTER

Five Freshman got the shower tonight. Most had on their good clothes, with dire results. They have been throwing water and yelling for several nights, and tonight our floor rushed them. One fellow who slid down the firerope was caught an hour afterwards. . . . The other night in Commons a waiter accidentally tipped a bowl of chowder over Don Ferguson . . . on his clothes and in his hair. He was some sight and hasn't worn the suit since. ... I thought Pa was coming up when he went to Claremont. If so, please let us know when so we can get our work done up ahead. And then we want time to take a few things down from the walls, and have a general cleaning up.

Winter Carnival begins next Thursday and lasts until Saturday night. There is little snow on the ground . . . rather poor skiing and snow-shoeing. We shall doubtless see some of the fair sex. Jane (Herb) Austin's sister is coming up, age 18, a senior at Wellesley High School, and he is lending her out. He says I can take her to either the dance or the dramatic show, "She Stoops to Conquer." I should certainly like to, but money is money. He won't let me take her to the cheaper sideshows.

The Carnival dance is tonight. A number of the girls have been eating at the Grill and some are certainly beauts. Perhaps because of this I broke two small platters. The sight of all these girls makes me . . . well, not homesick . . . just contemplative. . . . "She Stoops To Conquer" was good in some places and very slow in others; the fellows made great girls, and I forgot they weren't girls. . . . One of the Granger brothers, colored, with whom I work in the Grill, was one of the relay men who won the intercollegiate relay at New York last Saturday. . . . Cora Livingston and three other women wrestled at the June last night. She is the Old Howard favorite in Boston and a regular Bowery tough. She was rough and the fellows hissed her. She called them names and told them to shut up. We had studying to do and so didn't go down. Sorry!

Ben Moxon and I went to the Dartmouth-Williams debate on the referendum question. It was free and the first I had ever heard. Dartmouth won. The president of the debating society was suspended indefinitely for insolence to the Faculty, etc. last week. . . . Russ has nine pictures of his best girl (you know who) placed about our room. It is pitiful! I have gathered them together on the mantel with a sign over them.

Tomorrow night the Freshman Reception comes off. I am not anxious to go, but probably shall. I hate to have to blacken my shoes. I suppose I must try to appear at my ease, smile, talk about the College and the weather, and appear half civilized.

I had a splendid Easter Sunday. The service was long, but the music was grand, being the clatter and rattle of dishes. In other words, I had to work at the Grill from 8 to 1, with only 15 minutes rest.

SPRING

Alfred Noyes, the poet has been in Hanover the last three days, giving readings. I was able to hear him once only because of an excess of work. . . . Tuesday night we had a class hum. The four classes sat on opposite sides of the campus and beginning with the Seniors sang songs. . . . Mike, the Albanian-Turkish cook at the Grill, thought this was a pretty poor world last week and drank some mercury. His girl, a 17-year-old American, refused to run away and marry him. He was in the hospital for two or three days, but is back at work now, a "sadder and a wiser man." ... We did not go to the Prom Show last night because of work and one dollar. They say it was quite good. There are girls and more girls here, good and indifferent.

The Freshmen have tried several times to get their picture taken as a class, without success. The Sophs try to prevent it. Last Friday there was to be a picture at 2 a.m. A large number of Freshmen were out, but the photographer was tied up and there was nothing doing. The Sophomores watch all night, with revolvers ready to give the alarm. . . . Tuesday night about 13 Freshmen went in the trough in front of the Inn, three from our dorm. They have a trial at which they are accused of freshness, of not wearing a cap, not being congenial, etc. Tell Pa I was not put in; perhaps it will surprise, him.

There is to be a circus at the June next Monday, young Buffalo Bill or something like that. We may go. Several years ago the fellows broke up a circus, and possibly there will be more or less excitement this time. . . . Our class succeeded in getting the picture, by outwitting the Sophs. I knew nothing about it and so wasn't there.

I have to work at the Grill during Commencement and will not be home until the 26th. I have been transferred from the kitchen to waiting on table ... a little more aesthetic job. . . . Last night was the annual wet-down. A barrel of lemonade was placed at the end of the campus and after the two upper classes had drunk from it the Sophs and Freshmen rushed for it. For a few minutes there was a free fight, but they wouldn't let us fight long because there is bad blood between us. After this the three classes went through the Senior Fence. With heads down we dashed between two rows of fellows, all hitting us with their canes. Then we Freshmen gathered around a bonfire and burned our green caps. Now we are allowed to go without coats, to smoke on the campus, and to do those things which were formerly forbidden. . . . Monday night we walked to the June to see Young Buffalo Bill's circus. It was absolutely punk; even the sideshow was poor.

President William Howard Taft withPresident Nichols of Dartmouth when hevisited Hanover in the fall of 1912.

Not the Ku Klux Klan but freshmen on their way to class in the fall of 1912.