Prescription Classes

A look at the seniors of 1874 and 1994 shows that there is diversity and there is diversity.

One evening several months ago, the editors and student interns of this magazine were doing what every creative staff likes to do: they were staring at the wall. On this particular wall there happened to be a picture of the class of 1874. We wondered who they were, these hirsute young men in self-conscious poses. The editors gaze left the picture and focused on two of the magazines interns, David Sobie and Kai Singer. "Let's get some stats," he said. The staff took a portion of the 1874 photo showing 32 members of the class, and invited 32 graduating seniors to pose the same way. The '94s were recruited to represent roughly the geography, ethnicity, and gender of the whole class. Turn the page to see the resulting photograph.—Ed.

THE PICTURE SEEMS TO TELL EVERYTHING. Lounging self-consciously in their Victorian finery, the seniors of 1874 appear to be the privileged sons of privilege. What is most immediately notable to the twentieth-century eye is what is missing: No women, no minorities, no underclass in this class.

Look again, though, and find some surprises. This is not entirely a homogeneous group, not in nineteenth-century terms. Just 16 percent of the 100 students in the class of 1874 had a college-educated parent. That figure is 97 percent for the 1994s in the picture. Which is the more privileged group?

Historians say we should not judge another era by the standards of our own, and there is no better illustration than the portraits of the two classes. The citizen of 1874 would seem more alien to the twentieth-century American than a modern-day Chinese or Kenyan. The problems faced in the two eras, the mores and habits of living, are almost incomparably different.

But the seniors of 1874 and 1994 did have one thing in common: an education that society provided to meet its own immediate needs. In 1874 the nation faced west. The frontier needed an educated corps to administer the new businesses and government. The gold rush was maturing in California; the railroad now stretched from coast to coast; silver was discovered in Colorado the year the '74s graduated. Lawyers, doctors, engineers, and financiers were in demand, and New Englandwas supplying more than its share. Higher education was still relatively new to the country, and yet 12,366 college degrees were conferred nationwide in 1874.

Dartmouth, which had more students than any other Ivy school except Harvard, produced 100 of this crop. Four-fifths of the graduates had come from New England, a tenth from the Midwest, one out of 20 from the Mid-Atlantic states. More than a third headed west after graduation, becoming leading judges and businessmen, mine operators and politicians. Henry Sanborn raised cattle in Montana. Arthur Fairbanks Taylor and Clinton Henry Moore founded western colleges. Albert Puffer Warren made more cowboy boots than anyone else in the Northwest. Reuben Bean Wright founded a church in Denver.

Today's 1,000 seniors come from a broader area than the 1874s; fewer than a third of the 1994s come from New England, the same proportion from the Mid-Atlantic states, a tenth from the Midwest, a tenth from the South, a fifth from the West, one-twentieth from other countries. The '94s intend to head for the major cities, mostly in the Northeast. But the current seniors are notable less for their plans than for what . they already represent: a mixture of races, genders, and geographic groups that, in the words of President Clinton, "looks more like America" than their predecessors, at least on the surface. The Dartmouth administration says it is not attempting to solve social problems through recruitment—that mixing cultures provides an additional education in itself—and yet "multiculturalism," the problem of mixed tribes in a single society, is the chief topic of any public debate in academe today. America is facing a new, less definable frontier: the poorly explored territory of racial and equality. The class of has been chosen in part take the lead, just as the class of 1874 was expected to head west.

Racial problems are not new to our era, of course. A Reconstruction was still in effect in the southern states when the 1874s graduated. Race riots broke out in Mississippi and in New Orleans that year. Martial law was declared after disturbances in Arkansas led to murder. Congress was debating a new Civil Rights Act. But these were not the chief stories of this burgeoning nation. Perhaps if they were—perhaps if Americans had managed Reconstruction successfully, welcoming the 12 percent who were "black and others," as the U.S. Census of the time put it—our society's chief problem would not be what it is today. But again, that is only hindsight.

Some other comparisons are easier. A pound of butter cost in 1874 about what it does today, in constant dollars; a dozen eggs, the same; a half-gallon of milk delivered, about half as much (labor being cheaper back then). Tuition at Dartmouth S| was something els< again. The fee then, as now, covered about half* the cost of education. But in 1874 annual tuition was $70, or the price of just 333 dozen eggs; in 1994 tuition is $18,375, or the equiva- lent of 18,375 dozen eggs. The huge cost has greatly. changed the way I most students raise the money for their college education. When the class of 1874 arrived in Hanover, the College had a long- standing tradition of shutting down during the winter. The annual hiatus saved fuel and misery in those pre-electric, pre-cen- tral-heating days. More importantly, the break allowed students to teach in community schools and earn tuition money. During the winter of 1872-73, a third of the student body went out and taught. Today, endowed scholarships have replaced the commu- nity schools in providing tuition; about a third of the graduating seniors have been given some form of scholarship. Two-thirds have taken out loans.

While costs have soared, the College is in much better financial shape. During Asa Dodge Smith's presidency, which encompassed the class of 1874, Dartmouth put itself in the red by $122,125—$319 per student, or the cost of a four-year Dartmouth education at the time. These days the books are balanced, and endowment totals $173,153 per student. A century ago most students were marginally solvent and the College was in debt; in 1994 the College is solvent and most students are in debt.

Some collegiate comparisons can be made of the plus (achange variety. Every member of the class of 1874 was a member of a fraternity, and the students were noted more for their passion in making up new traditions than for their scholarship. (One notable tradition invented at the time was an elaborate annual "burial" of mathematics.) Nonetheless, the campus ardor for drinking had lessened somewhat; the state had recently gone dry. Parallels can be seen with the class of 1994, 49 percent of whom are members of fraternities or sororities. Government scrutiny in campus enforcement of alcohol regulations has made drinking less of an openly celebrated pastime.

Still, in both eras a student could get hold of a beer without much trouble, laws or no laws.

Other comparisons are equally unsurprising. The student-faculty ratio in 1874 was 16 to one; it is 16 to one still. In 1874 the College created its first central library for a collection of 54,000 volumes, merging the books from student literary societies, which by then were largely defunct. In 1994 the College was making plans to double the size of Baker Library, which had just acquired its two millionth volume. The number of books per student in 1874 was 141; today it is 400. Campus buildings have proliferated as well; in 1874 there were 67 students for each of the six buildings on campus. Today there are 58 students per building.

Both eras saw changes in the curriculum. By the time they graduated, the 1874s had been loaded up with three years of college instruction in Latin and Greek, two in math, and four in logic, metaphysics, and political economy. While the classics remained important to a gentleman's background—serving as an elite code to social leaders—oral argument had given way to written composition. The change reflected a rapid transition in the way the nation itself communicated, from mostly spoken means to written. In 1994 the College formally announced that it was building in more specific requirements, including beefed-up must-take courses in what used to be called political economy. At the same time, far more educating in science is going on today than 120 years ago. When the class of 1994 matriculated, 41 percent intended to major in science, and just 18.3 percent in the humanities—a reflection, no doubt, of changed national priorities.

The biggest difference in the classes, however, lies in the kind of elite they were intended to help compose. The class of 1874 was pulled from the epicenter of the American Diaspora. The society was young and rapidly urbanizing, and the frontier's new leaders were recruited from the ranks of farmers and small, uneducated merchants. Conspicuously absent, to the 1994 eye, were women and members of minority groups. America's most difficult social problems stem from the failure of the nineteenth-century elite to accept into their ranks those citizens whose ancestors had been brought from Africa. Just one statistic is enough to convince: When the class of 1994 entered Dartmouth, black men accounted for 3.5 percent of America's college students, and 40 percent of its prison inmates.

Which raises the inevitable question: What future problems are we failing to solve today? Who should we recruit, and how should we educate, those students who will prepare the nation for the twenty-first century?

Samuel McCall This Massachusettsgovernor and U.S.Congressman wasto decline theDartmouth presidency in 1909.

William W. Morrill A leading lawyerin Troy, NewYork, Morrillbecame asuccessful writerof law books.

Edgar Morse Graduating fromAndover Theological Seminary,Morse became amissionary inrural Wisconsin.

Frank Parsons The 19-year-old grad became chiefjustice of theN.H. SupremeCourt.

Charles Petee As an engineering prof he ledconstruction ofUNH and helpedcreate Hanover'swater system,.

Frederick Platt Elected to bothbranches of theVermont statelegislature, Piattbecame the statefinance inspector.

Albert Proctor First professional in hisclass, hepracticedlaw inBrooklyn.

James Putnam He got a medicaldegree and supplemented hispractice with fiveterms as mayor ofLyons, New York.

Clinton Moore Soon to make hisfortune mininggold and silver,Moore foundedMontana Collegein 1878.

Otto Nesmith A practicinglawyer in Texas,he was made acaptain in theU.S. VolunteerSignal Corps.

Albert Newton The buddingminister was tostump for "scientific temperanceinstruction' inpublic schools.

William Petrie Failing healthforced this highschool principalin Long Island toretire in histhirties.

Clarence Pierce The first to breakthe '74 ranks,Pierce endedup dead ofappendicitisin 1876.

Samuel Powers General counselfor New EnglandTelephone andTelegraph, heformed a lawfirm in Boston.

Charles Quimby Quimby became apioneering heartsurgeon and aclinical-medicineprof at New YorkUniversity.

Robert Reed After Boston U.Med School hegot himselfappointed RhodeIsland MedicalExaminer.

Jonathan Kenhl TMs singerwith theAires isworking onmovie soundtracks in L.A.

Jordan Frank Co-chair ofGreeks AgainstRape, he doesmarketing inWestport Connecticut.

David Cowin After coachingHanover Highsoccer, Cowingot acceptedinto three medschools.

Allegra Gaeth Musicaldirector of theRockapellas she is takingan ad job inBoston.

Britt Speyer She will startthis fall at theAmericanUniversityLaw School inWashington.

Marcelino Garcia This danceteacher andactivist forPuerto Rican statehood headsfor law school.

Mark Giordono The OutingClub presidentplans either toteach college orown a ruralgeneral store.

Bryce Freedman Another futureattorney,Freedman isgoing toColumbiaLaw this fall.

David Ostroff The formerHillel president hopesto teachhigh-schoolhistory.

Lisa Tarchak A Hoodintern, sheleans towardwork inarts administration.

Michelle Darter With a govy degree modifiedwith LatinAmericanStudies, she ismoving to D.C.

Jennifer Pack The historyand classicsmajor is aninsuranceunderwriter inSan Francisco.

Stacey Robinson She has a yearnsfellowship to workwith refugeesfrom CentralAmerica on theTexas border.

Christina Chu Having takenjunior yearoff, Chu isgoing toMexico as aSenior Fellow.

Kenneth Bower He hopes to workfor Clinton's newNational ServicePlan beforestarting his ownpolitical career.

Kerin Gleason A member of theequestrian team,Gleason is seekinga consulting jobbefore applying tobusiness schools.

Lynn Trujillo She goes back toNew Mexico topaint her fellowPueblo Indiansand to learntheir language.

Sampson Reed He workedhis way intodirecting aMinnesotagold-miningconcern.

William Rix Rix taughtin Ohio andfounded aprivate schoolin UticaNew York.

Henry Rolfe Founder ofGreat Falls,Montana, thisland speculatorbecame richestin the class.

Frederick Southgate After graduationhe read for thelaw and marriedhis partner'sdaughter inWoodstock, Vt.

Frank Streeter He practiced law,was a DartmouthTrustee for morethan 30 years,and had a dormnamed after him.

Arthur Taylor With a GermanPh.D. in chemistryhe helped organizea predecessorto Case WesternReserve.

Albert Warren This 19-year oldwent on to found-Miles City,Montana, and dolegal work for aboot manufacturer.

William White After HarvardMed School hebecame a generalpractitioner inProvidence,Rhode Island.

James Richardson U.S. Consul inMexico during the"Gazzo Revolution,"Richardson led theTexans' takeover ofthe Rio Grande.

Henry Sanborn After graduationhe sailed forAustralia andeventually landedin Montana as acattle farmer.

Clarence Scott Having establishedthe College's firstmodern library,Scott became anEnglish professorat UNH.

George Stevens One of four '74sons of alumni,he joined hisfather's lawpractice inMassachusetts.

Harry Tatterson He becameheadmaster ofthe grammarand eveningschools inBerwick, Maine.

Mark Ward The oldest' 74,Ward became aSouth Dakotalegislator andreturned East todo corporate law.

Daniel F. Webster No relation to hisfamous namesake,Webster became astate senator andmayor of Waterbury,Connecticut.

Reuben Wright He went toColorado asa missionaryand built achurch inDenver.

Anthony Lee The tennisplayer andAegis editorthinks hewill apply tomed school.

Michael Gardner Chair of Adopta Grandparent,this fall he willstudy for anaccountingMBA at B.U.

Erik Leidecker A member of thealpine ski team,he wants a careerthat combineseducation and theout-of-doors.

Ben Metternich This Austrianprince anddescendant of thegreat statesmanplans a careerin finance.

Megan Mitchell The women's studies majorand Dodeca- phonics singeris weighingher options.

Hally Burak Burak plans toput her majors inpsychology andeducation to workin children'stelevision.

George Tschiporikov Raised in Munich,he wants to use hisfluency in German,Spanish, andBulgarian to go intointernational law.

Andrea Darling She is usingher Frenchto get aDuke Ph.D.in Romancestudies.

Nihad Farooq Thisundergradadvisor hopesfor a graddegree ineducation.

David Mclndoe A musician andmountaineer,he will work asa paralegal inBoston beforelaw school.

Martha Douple This formerfreshman-tripsdirector nowmanages theMoosilaukeRavine Lodge.

Amy Nevin Nevin hopes toteach biology orreligion in aprivate schoolbefore goingon to med school.

Chad Kessler He will either domarketing andproduct development for acatalog companyor "pump gas."

David Sobie This AlumniMag interngot himselfrecruited by aNew Yorkconsulting firm.

Amie Rappoport She will attendBrooklyn LawSchool this falland then go onto lobby forchildren's rights.

Like many 1874s, Roger Sherman went west to go into business for himself. Like many 1994s, Britt Speyer starts law school this fall.

JamesRichardson '74and Stacey Robinson '94share an interestin Mexico: herebelling withTexans, sheworking withrefugees.

In the class of 1874. businessmen Dominate... But in the Wary Class of 1994, It's Lawyers

DAVID SOBIE headed up the Alumni Magazine's research departmentbefore joining the business world. KAI SINGER is a dual American-Israeli citizen who plans a future in international law.