1902

Perhaps you would like to compare the commencement exercises of 1902 to those of, say, 1971. Of course this would hardly be fair, as the two programs were essentially different. In our day the speakers were all from the graduating class, professedly the six men with the highest academic averages over the four years. That plan has been gathering dust for a long time, and until last year the emphasis had been placed on a single formal address by an individual who had already made some major contribution to mankind. Now there is no speaker as such, merely the valedictory addresses.

It probably would be more interesting, though impossible to realize, to know what our speakers of 1902 would say today upon the topics that followed their names on the Commencement program.

Should you have a feeling of regret that the time-honored custom is no longer followed, it might ease that feeling if you should ponder over the titles of those six speeches of 1902. Here they are, not in the order of presentation, and with the speakers' names omitted: Biology in Education, Contemporary French Criticism, Mathematics in Scientific Discovery, The Ultimate Structure of Matter, Vergil' as a National Poet, and The Economic Significance of the American Frontier.

Perhaps the last two would have retained something recognizable 70 years later, but it is not likely that any graduate of 1973 would accept all that was said about the ultimate structure of matter.

Of course for us Commencement 1902 was the only real day of its kind, although in one way or another we have had a part in other years of graduation. These began with Bert Briggs who received his degree in 1901, yet he always considered himself, as we did, a member of 1902. Other men who entered with us actually graduated later, and were generally content to be listed with the later group. Karl Brackett knew that his allegiance belonged to us. Rob Cushman delayed some of the final requirements, not an unusual event with him at that time, and received the A.B. degree in 1915, as of 1902.

Yet, though various men of the Class received graduate degrees from Dartmouth at intervals over a number of years following the date of their bachelor degrees, they paid little attention to the pomp and circumstance of those times. The only other Commencement which attracted our attention as a class was the one at which we celebrated our 50th Reunion, and the College celebrated it by awarding the honorary LL.D. to one of our distinguished members

Those of us who saw our classmate Carroll Davis at 70th Reunion realized what an effort he made to be present. To him it was one of two final objectives for his long life but the second was not to be reached. He died quietly in his trailer home on April 13 with his 96th birthday still a little more than three months away. An obituary will appear in a later issue.

Secretary and Class Agent 6 Pasture Lane Darien, Conn. 06820