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13. The Hire of Intellect.
EDMUND FISH, Bloomfield.
14. Music.
Part 2.
15. Greek Poem. THOS. B. CUMING, Grand Rapids.
16. The proper direction of Intellectual Effort. GEO. E. PARMELEE, Ann Arbor.
17. Physics and Metaphysics-Their Laws equally determinable. JOHN MACKAY, Calais, Me. 18. Music.
19. Poem. The Nazarine. P. W. H. RAWLS, Kalamazoo.
20. Connection between Faith and Knowledge. CHAS. A. CLARK, Monroe.
21. Influence of the Crusades. FLETCHER O. MARSH, Kalamazoo, 22. Music.
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Arts. Every member of the class delivered an oration, and two of them read poems in addition to their oratorical efforts. The nature of the rest of the exercises can be made out from the fac- similes herewith presented of the first three pages of the pro- gramme, which was a four-page affair, five inches in width and nearly eight inches in height, having the fourth page blank. Professor TenBrook made the closing address to the class. In the evening Mesdames Denton, Hawkins, and Page gave an enter- tainment in honor of the graduating class.
Not until the Commencement of '74 was the University able to hold the closing exercises of the college year under its own roof. Prior to the completion of University Hall recourse was had to the city churches, and, sometimes, to the hall of the Union School building. The Methodist Church was used from 1870 to 1873.
In early times each member of the graduating class in the literary department spoke on the Commencement stage. This necessitated in 1854 a morning and an afternoon session. When the large class of '6r was departing all of its members were required to write orations, and twenty-five speakers were chosen by lot. Beginning with '67 there was but one session on Com- mencement Day, and a comparatively small number of speakers was selected from the class by the faculty. Thereafter a Com- mencement appointment became the highest honor in college, and the desire to obtain one undoubtedly led to harder work on the part of the leading third of each class. From '67 to '77, both inclusive, 134 appointments were made, the proportion of appoint- ments to graduates being about one in six. As was the case with Junior Exhibition, the selections made by the Faculty were not always exempt from criticism, yet on the whole they were fairly representative of the ability of the students as shown by their four years' records. The authorities gave '70 the option of making its own appointees, but after several meetings that wise class decided to let the speakers be chosen as before. In 1873-74 The Chronicle urged that "the standard of excellence to be attained, and the regulations of award, be fixed for this, our only college honor". After '75 had reached its senior year it asked that Commencement speaking be abolished; but the Faculty denied the request, and, perplexed by the great size and abnormal merits of the class, adopted the unprecedented plan of selecting twenty men by vote, and then of drawing by lot ten speakers from the
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THE CLASSES
twenty. As the names of the ten not drawn were not made public, every member of the class could flatter himself that he was one of the twenty even if his name did not appear among the ten; and it was jocosely reported that at least thirty men were individually and privately informed by members of the Faculty that they were among the worthy but unfortunate ten whose names were lost in the official lottery. No subterfuge of the kind was resorted to in '76 or '77, but with the departure of the latter class student speak- ing at Commencement ceased, and the plan of inviting some dis- tinguished person to deliver a formal "Commencement Address " was inaugurated. Many alumni think that the Commencement exercises have lost somewhat in personal interest because of the radical change which was introduced twenty years ago. Following is the list of the Commencement appointees from '67 to '77, the men whose names are italicised having been excused from speaking:
'67 William M. Brown,
'69 T. O. Perry,
George E. Church,
H. G. Snover,
66 Isaac N. Elwood,
66 O. S. Vreeland,
William J. English,
" A. E. Wilkinson,
66 Henry N. French,
'70 Marcus Baker,
George S. Hastings,
66 Charles Ballenger,
66 Edward E. Kane,
66 Wooster W. Beman,
Dwight N. Lowell,
66 Oscar J. Campbell,
66 George L. Maris,
66 George T. Campau,
66 Isaac N. Otis,
66 Thomas C. Christy,
66 Artemas Richards,
66 Edwin Fleming,
66 Edward W. Wetmore,
66 Washington Hyde,
'68
William K. Anderson,
66 John S. Maltman,
66 Wickliffe W. Belville,
66 William L. Penfield,
Francis A. Blackburn,
66 Vincent S. Lovell,
66 Daniel W. Crouse,
66 Walter B. Stevens,
" Isaac N. Demmon,
" Burrie L. Swift,
John C. Freeman,
171 Charles E. Gorton,
66 Mark W. Harrington,
66 Preston C. Hudson,
66 George S. Hickey,
66 Richard Hudson, Jr.,
66 Roselle N. Jenne,
66 Harry B. Hutchins,
66 Edward C. Lovell,
66 Albert H. Pattengill,
66 Galusha Pennell,
Joseph A. Mercer,
66 W. J. Darby,
66 F. S. Dewey,
'72 Charles G. Bennett,
66 J. M. Gelston,
66 Walter A. Brooks,
66 W. J. Gibson,
Henry F. Burton,
66 Horatio N. Chute,
66 W. C. Johns,
66 Will J. Herdman,
66 M. B. Kellogg,
66 Lester McLean,
66 T. F. Kerr,
Herbert Maguire,
66 Henry Lamm,
66 Barton Smith,
66 Charles E. Otis,
66 Madelon L. Stockwell,
66 Edward L. Walter,
66 Rufus E. Phinney,
66 Edward B. Sumner,
66 Robert M. Wright,
66 F. A. Dudgeon,
Archer H. Brown,
66 F. M. Hamilton,
Earl Knight,
Edward L. Mark,
'69 W. J. Cocker,
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'72 Charles K. Turner,
'75 Olive S. L. Anderson,
" William T. Underwood, James M. Barrett,
'73 Sidney C. Eastman,
66 Lorenzo Davis, Jr.,
66 Henry W. Gelston,
Bronson C. Keeler,
66 Robert S. Gross,
66 Jerome C. Knowlton,
66 Albert P. Jacobs,
66 Andrew J. McGowan,
66 Charles B. Keeler,
66 James B. McMahon,
Loyal E. Knappen, Leslie C. McPherson,
66 Sherwood R. Peabody,
Jonathan W. Parker,
66 Marshall K. Ross,
66 John S. Stoddart,
66 Volney M. Spalding,
'76 Charles A. Blair,
Ernest T. Tappey,
Clarence S. Brown,
66 Charles M. VanCleve,
66 Henry M. Campbell,
Annie W. Ekin,
Alice E. Freeman,
James K. Ilsley,
66 Lyman D. Follett,
" Orlaf Varlo,
". Bryant Walker,
Willis S. Walker,
66 Theodore H. Johnston,
66
Granville W. Browning,
Chester T. Lane,
66 George C. Comstock,
66 Don A. Matthews,
66 John S. Crombie,
66 Lawrence Maxwell, Jr.,
66 Frank C. Ferguson,
Charles H. May,
66 Ferris S. Fitch, Jr.,
66 Henry R. Pattengill,
William J. Gray,
66 Henry W. Rogers,
Lawrence C. Hull,
66 Mary D. Sheldon,
Mary O. Marston,
66 Calvin Thomas,
George N. Orcutt.
66 Emma M. Hall,
Sarah D. Hamlin,
66 Frank C. Hayman,
George H. Jameson,
'77 George S. Bishop,
William B. Williams,
66 Charles L. Wilson,
'74 Frank A. Carle,
Howard B. Smith,
Class Day, the most distinctive function of a college class as such, seems to have had its origin in the " Class Day Exercises " held by '62 in its junior year on the evening of March 19, 1861, in the Congregational Church. The entertainment consisted of an address by the President, Albert J. Chapman, a poem by M. L. D'Ooge, a "chronicle " by J. H. Goodsell, an oration by Albert Nye, and a prophecy by J. E. Colby. Class Day proper, how- ever, is supposed to refer particularly to the senior class; and the first celebration of this kind whereof we have record was held by '61 on the Monday before Commencement, when an oration and a poem were publicly delivered in the afternoon, a history and a prophecy being presented at the class supper at Hangsterfer's in the evening. The observance of Class Day by '63 and '64 was very informal, the latter class being satisfied with the formation of a tumulus near the north college from such materials as text-books and geological specimens; but the class of '65 had a very formal celebration on the last day of May, the beginning of senior vaca- tion. The exercises were held in the Presbyterian Church. · Pro- fessor Boise " presented " the class in a Greek speech, to which President Haven replied in Latin. It is said that of the other
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THE CLASSES
exercises the class poem by Gabriel Campbell was particularly worthy of mention. Every subsequent class, with one exception, has carefully celebrated its " Day ", the date chosen being, at first, the opening of the senior vacation. When that vacation was abolished, Monday before Commencement was preempted by the graduating class, but when Commencement was moved from Wednesday to Thursday, Tuesday was selected for these exercises. The class of '66 was presented by Professor Frieze, who spoke in Latin, as did also President Haven. Professor Winchell delivered the pre-
sentation address for '67. Owing to the absence of President Haven the class of '68 was not presented, but otherwise the customary exercises took place. When the turn of '69 came the 178 presentation was by Professor Evans. Sak pa DAYPIC E S That class, like its predecessors, gave U M its presentation exercises, its oration, OF and its poem in the forenoon in one of the city churches, but unlike earlier classes it planned to hold its afternoon exercises in the open air. However there was rain, and the class history and prophecy were read in the law-lecture room. Later in the day the class planted a white elm in front of south college, near by its pre- viously-placed memorial, " calico rock ". Professor Olney made the presentation speech for the class of '70, and his address was the last of its kind, for when '7 I was to be graduated an unpopular pro- fessor stood next in the line, and the class would have none of him, nor would any other member of the Faculty so violate inter-profes- sorial courtesy as to accept an invitation over his head. Thus a very interesting custom perished. The class of '70 held afternoon exer- cises on the campus, an unique feature of the occasion being the presentation, in an address by George T. Campau, of the class memorial, a statue of Benjamin Franklin. This class also added to the usual exercises the presentation to the homeliest of its num- ber by the next homeliest of a leather medal. Prizes were given by '71 on its Class Day to the best (?) ponyist, the best (?) pen- man, the best (?) whiskered man, the best (?) orator, and the biggest eater. The class of '72 gave as "Rewards of Merit" a. : "Mean Time Chronometer to "The Coming Man", and a copy
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THE MICHIGAN BOOK
of the treatise "What I know about Farming" to the Representa- tive of the Farmers' club (an association organized for the purpose of inspecting corn juice and malt fluids). £ Presentations also fig- ured in the Class Day exercises of '77.
At first not much attention was paid to the history read on Class Day, but gradually the historian learned the art of detailing therein exploits which never had been performed, or which had been performed on a scale much humbler than the narrative dis- closed. Often also members of the Faculty were insulted. Twice or thrice, particularly in 1871, the authorities manifested a wish to revise the class history before the reading thereof; but this was strenuously resisted. Finally action was taken, and in February, 1878, the Faculty adopted a resolution providing that if any mem- ber of a graduating class should thereafter upon Class Day indulge in words or acts regarded by the Faculty as disrespectful to any officer of the University, or deemed of a nature to encourage mis- demeanors in other students and to interfere with the good govern- ment of the institution, the name of such offender should not be presented for graduation. This decree brought grief to the heart of the historian of '78, for it took away his vocation. If one could not indulge in boastful recitals, if one could not "get even " with professors and instructors who had made college life a bore, why should one set up the pins for election as historian? Efforts were made to do away with Class Day, but other counsels prevailed. In consequence of the indignation of many members of the class against certain class officers who, chosen as "Independents " had joined in forming a new society and had refused to resign, there was no celebration by the class of '80, and consequently there was no oration, history, poem, or prophecy.
In the professional departments, with the exception of the law school, Class Day is not so formal an affair as in the college proper. Formerly the celebration took place in March; but beginning in 1885 June has been the favored month. Of course, the exercises of each department are distinct from those of the other schools.
Nearly all of the important social functions among the stu- dents have originated with and have been conducted under the auspices of some one of the academic classes. To '68 belongs the honor of having introduced the Senior Hop. "Friday even- ing, Nov. 29, 1867", says a college paper of the time, "forty ladies and an equal number of gentlemen assembled by invita-
65
THE CLASSES
tion of the Senior class at the Gregory House to trip the light fantastic toe. We congratulate '68 on their (its) success, and we hope that many seniors may be found in coming years to con- tinue the custom thus happily inaugurated ". It should be said here that the Gregory House so often named in accounts of social affairs of the sixties and seventies was a hotel long since discon- tinued but occupying the large brick block at the northwest corner- of Main and Huron streets. In speaking of the Hop given by the class of '70, at which twenty-eight couples were present, The Chronicle of November 20, 1869, speaks of the Senior Hop "as one of the established customs of college life " and declares that the success of the class of '70 " should put to flight all scepti- cism in the matter". A similar party was given by the class of '71 in December, 1870, but for some reason '72 failed to follow suit, and the custom fell through.
The Junior Promenade Concert given by the class of '73 on the evening of the ninth of February, 1872, was the first of the long series of entertainments given by the junior class or by the. secret-fraternity men in that class. We are told by the college paper that '73's effort "was a great success", and the same peri- odical records the gradual development of this function. "The invitations of '73, '74, and '75 had not", says The Chronicle, " the least bit of engraving " (by which was meant illustration, for all the invitations were printed from steel plates), "though each was an improvement on its predecessor". With '76 the place of giving the "Junior Hop" was changed from the hotel to the Armory, and various improvements were introduced. ""'Sixty couples " we are told, "attended, including many guests from Toledo, Detroit, East Saginaw, and other cities ". By '77 and '78. the Junior Hop was brought up to the standard of similar enter- tainments given by Eastern colleges. When given by '79 this affair was officially styled " Promenade Concert", and the invita- tions contained illustrations of the college buildings. As the time for the class of '81 to begin · preparing for its Junior Hop drew near, a spirit of opposition to the continuance of the function was" disclosed; and just before the Thanksgiving recess the class by a large majority voted to abolish the entertainment. In strictness the Hop never had been a class affair, and never could be made. such. Nominally carried on under class auspices it never hap- pened that a majority of its participants was drawn from the class. As The Chronicle of December 6, 1879, said "The class has the-
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THE MICHIGAN BOOK
privilege of taxing themselves (itself) so much each to pay for the invitations, of fretting around a month to make every arrangement complete, and, perhaps, of finally making up a deficit in the finan- ces. As a general thing, probably, not one out of five of the juniors will be found on the floor".
It was however felt that the Junior Hop should continue; and the secret societies-which from the first had really managed the entertainment, -now came forward to sustain it when abandoned by the juniors as a class Saturday, Decem- ber 13, delegations from Chi Psi, Alpha Delta Phi, Delta Kappa Epsilon, Teos Sigma Phi, Zeta Psi, and Psi Upsilon μαθησιν ERATOVTO 81 met to discuss the advisability of giving a Junior Hop under the auspices of the secret fraternities. It was deter- mined to invite the remaining societies ( Beta Theta Pi and Phi Kappa Psi) to join, and after adopting several resolu- tions the meeting adjourned until Satur- day, December 15, when a permanent organization was effected. For many years the eight societies named above, and Delta Tau Delta, (admitted to the league in 1883), conducted the annual ball which had become so strongly entrenched in student esteem. *
The first Junior Hop officially conducted by the secret fraternities was given at Hangsterfer's on the evening of January 30, 1880. Engraved invitations illustrated with several misprints had been sent into many peaceful homes in the chief cities of Michigan and of the neighboring states, and were very generally accepted. As for the Hop itself "it was a brilliant affair, and reflected credit upon the ambitious juniors. The hall was hand- somely decorated with festoons of evergreens, spreading from the chandeliers to the sides of the hall, and with a liberal display of bunting looped up in graceful folds. The monograms of the societies which united in giving the entertainment were displayed upon the walls, and added materially to the generally good effect of the decorations". Another Hop was given under fraternity management in 1881, and a third in 1882. In 1882-83 Alpha Delta Phi, Psi Upsilon, and Phi Kappa Psi, owing to alleged unfairness in the distribution of the committeeships, and influenced no doubt by the animosities which had arisen in the recent elec-
.
67
THE CLASSES
tions of The Chronicle and the Students' Lecture Association, withdrew from the Junior Hop, and that entertainment was given by only five societies, February 3, 1883. Efforts were made in November, 1883, to reconcile the warring factions, and there was a full attendance of delegates from the eight fraternities, together with a representative from Delta Tau Delta seeking admission into the league. Then the Hop committee was organized by the elec- tion of a chairman and secretary from the element which had given the last preceding ball, and an adjournment was taken. An unfavorable distribution of the sub-committee honors being fore- shadowed, Psi Upsilon at the next meeting of the committee announced its withdrawal, alleging, says The Chronicle, "its superior advantages for giving private parties, and a lack of inter- est on the part of its members". At the following meeting the resignation was accepted, and Delta Tau Delta was admitted to representation. Then Alpha Delta Phi and Phi Kappa Psi with- drew, the latter giving no reasons, the former expressing itself dissatisfied with the appointments which in the meantime had been made by the chairman. Influenced by the action of the three dissentients Delta Tau Delta soon withdrew, leaving five societies to conduct the festivities. But owing to the deaths of two mem- bers and the serious illness of a third member of the fraternity party which was supporting the Hop, the entertainment was omitted for that year. An amicable agreement was effected before another year passed; and on the evening of February 19, 1885, the Junior or Society Hop was given in the skating rink, nine fraternities participating, and everybody being happy. This peaceful state of affairs continued for several years, the annual Hop all the time gaining in importance. In 1888-89 a disagree- ment arose over the committees, the fraternities which had founded The Argonaut demanding a reapportionment of the honors, and in lieu thereof that the tax should be changed from one per capita to a fixed amount to be paid by each fraternity irrespective of the number of its members. Of course the latter method of taxation is the only just one where each society has one vote and only one vote. At the next meeting of the committee the tax proposition was withdrawn, and the first demand was renewed. This being refused, Alpha Delta Phi, Psi Upsilon, Chi Psi, and Phi Kappa Psi withdrew. However a compromise was effected, and the Hop took place as usual. By a system which assured to each of the constituent members of the society trust proper recognition, affairs
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THE MICHIGAN BOOK
were for several years successfully and harmoniously conducted. But opposition to the management by nine fraternities of what was in name at least a class function gradually increased among the independents, and especially among the members af the excluded Greek-letter orders. To the latter-the men of Delta Upsilon, Phi Gamma Delta, Phi Delta Theta, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and Theta Delta Chi, the unrelenting attitude of the older fraternities was as gall and worm-wood. With the completion of the Water- man Gymnasium, in which building the Junior Hop was held as early as 1893, this annual festival became so important that the non-participating organizations determined at all hazards to gain admission. From the stronger members of the nine the opposition to increasing the number of the elect was somewhat perfunctory, and it was quietly said in the principal chapter houses that two or three of the outside groups were stronger at Ann Arbor and elsewhere than some of the elect; but the weaker societies, realiz- ing the value of the inside seats, obstinately refused to enlarge the train. In 1894-95 President Angell so far yielded to the impor- tunities of the aggrieved orders and to the neutrals whom the latter influenced, that he declined to grant the use of the Gymna- sium to the nine fraternities, the ground of refusal being that the organization had not the sanction of the junior class or a majority thereof. This recognition of an officially obsolete class system was not cheerfully acquiesced in by the nine societies, all the members of which united at least outwardly in resisting dictation. They gave up the old name Junior Hop, and adopted for the fes- tivities of 1895 the title "Nineteenth Annual Ball". Why that particular ordinal should have been selected it is hard to say, since the Junior class balls, by whatever name called, began in 1872, while those conducted under the auspices of the fraternities began in 1880. But other than numerical calculations interested the mem- bers of the old combination. Their enemies sought to prevent them from obtaining the Gymnsium, and it was only after much discus- sion that the Regents adopted a resolution authorizing the Presi- dent and the Secretary to allow the use of the building "to any properly organized body of students at a rental of $100 a night". At the "Nineteenth Annual", so. called, given February 15, 1895, the nine fraternities appeared in full regalia, reinforced by the two dental societies, one of the law societies, and a group of inde- pendents, the nine however being the sole managers. Two hundred and fifty couples were present. So successful was the
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THE CLASSES
affair that another like it was planned for 1896. Accordingly, under the resolution of the Regents, the Gymnasium was leased for the appointed night, and the rent-money was duly paid; but the opposition, not discouraged by this vested interest, appeared before the Regents and begged them not to allow the use of the building to so proscriptive a body as the nine. They contended that the Annual Ball should not take place in the gymnasium unless it were made a genuine University affair in which there should be no discrimination against any society or body of stu- dents; and they showed that although they had been admitted to the floor on payment of a fixed fee they were there snubbed and discriminated against, and were not allowed to put up booths or insignia. In the appeals made to the Regents the sad state of the outside societies was movingly portrayed, while the undemocratic and unfeeling attitude of their oppressors was scathingly con- demned. In truth the Regents cared for none of these things; they knew they were legally bound to carry out their lease; but an appeal unto the people had been threatened, and it was feared that appropriations would be withheld. After attempts to effect a com- promise between the warring factions had failed, the Regents by a divided vote rescinded their lease, and adopted a resolution which excluded the illiberal nine unless the latter should CLASS reform. Undaunted by this rebuff the 8 TM3 coalition took back the money it had paid in advance for the Gymnasium, and all of its constituent fraternities save Delta Kappa Epsilon went to Toledo for the "Twentieth Annual". On the other hand the academic fra- NE TENTES AUT PERFICE ternities-now reduced to four by the demise of Phi Gamma Delta-which had so long been kept in the anteroom, gave a hop of their own in the Gymnasium. Each of these entertainments was successful if the reports of its partisans are to be accepted.
From what has been said it is plain that the nine fraternities were not broadly liberal in their treatment of younger rivals; nor can the action of the latter in persistently forcing themselves upon those who did not want their company, be approved. After the nine had surrendered the old name they were strictly within their rights, although it is of course true that rights are not always to 6
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