The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-03-22
THE "MED FAC Soc" ALIVE.
RETITlB OF TaNDhLIsM AT BAR-
VlRD hTTRfBU7ED To- 1T.
TAs Organization ws~Fo--sa To 1915. .ua
for n Ti-o 1t Gave Diplomas snd Cou-
ftrred Mock Degrees Upon Distinguished
r1es-Some Reesnt Acts OF Lavies-ness

for n Ti=o It Gave Dipionnas snd Cos
fsrred Mock Degrees Upon D,stingui-be
Nss-so-e Rees.t Acts OF Lswies-nes'
BosToN, March 2i.-The belief IL strong tina
the old MED Fac society, which long az
kcp the Harvard faculty in q state OF unrest
Is responsible for the acts of vandalism com
United Mt that college during the past tw,
years. IL was thought that the MED Fa
Sc" remained at Harvard in tradition only
but evidence has been obtained within thu
week which shows that the society. which
viva organized In 1918 and was believed I,
have died out, has never ceased 10 exist.
This society WIS we'll known In tho day
when ''Bloody Monday was celebrated and
the students wore plug hats and tight trousers
at Commencement" It was organized one
evening after commons by four students OF the
oil ss of 1920. They were James +. DcerIng,
CHARLES Butteraeld, David p. Hall, and Joseph
Palmer. These young men met in Hollis Hall,
No. IA, TO have n chat, and n proposition was
made that Deering should deliver a mock lee.
tre. This he did, and at the finish suggested
that they should Initiate members with sol.
einn rites. The Others fell In with tho propo-
sition, and 30 was started one Of the most origi-
nal societies ever organized at the college.
Every member had the degree NJ. ID. or d. NJ.
conferred upon him, according to his rank.
and diplomas In ludlcrous Latin were given.
rTOm us mCeDtlOH INC ODJtCJ Vi Tic bOClety
was to get all the fun there was to DO got out
of stealing gates. house blinds, storm doors.
and changing the names of the Cambridge
streets. Old-fashioned pumps were consid.
cred rare relics. and wherever one was seen its
location was noted. A fundamental require
ment in q candidate for admission was that he
be willing to commit an act which, II discov-
cred, would result in his expulsion from coll
1ege. One would think that such an e~xaction
would keep the Med Fac's' membership at u
low figure, but the contrary was the result.
The comforting of degrees and the mas
uueradinR Of the members in uncouth dis
guises first drew the attention of the Harvard
faculty to the society. and many were the at
tempts to break 1t up. Tho s~ooiety's cata-
loGue was In Latin. 1t was a burlesque on tho
triennial of the college. On the cover OF one of
the last of these publications was this title:
css "a Ss,,i sen sS.sl TsSult San,s e. eGTum aui mum:
iaurea donati stunt In facultate Medicine in Uni.
Repubiica Massachusettensi cantabrisis sSGmpti.
bus sooietatis. M~DGCCxxxI 6%sSsnnsuinis circula-
The "Med Fac Soo' Roasted a hoary antio-
uity. In the preface Of one of its catalogues
It claimed that the obelisks of Egypt and the
for sport. It also said that the society OF Free
Mascns was organized by eleven disciples of
years ago the society. began comforting de-
grees on distinguished personages; James
professor In "bngoiogy." The members fersf vent 81
EVEN fa arshend. some c keen 81, VT u suESes ted. hon aon
Gar slr' was Notified. and hi kHoH che the s aad sns a
bona-fde one. he responded by forwarding a
The Haytian Emperor Christophe was also
thus honored. but there is no record OF any
"Henricus Christophe. Rex Haytie ouon-
dam NJ. D., Med Fac Honorarius.'
Years aback. when the society tired Of con-
fnFrinQ degrees. 40 MANY nets nf vandalism
We're Committed that for a time the doinss OF
70 Med Fac .ac lapsed into silence; and 50 lit.
dents would drop some dark hints regarding
tention that for the past ten years 1t has been
almost forgotten.
figuring of the Fogg Art Museum began in
1894. Many ANNOYING pranks were p~ractised
that year, and in December two large oil paint
tngs which hung in Sever Hall were stolen.
This theft was committed, on Dec. TO-, and the
whole college was upset by, it. On the night
Harvard Hall was taken. How the bust was
temovcd remains to this day a mystery. The
lad been some few acts calculated to arouse
The Indignation Of the faculty committed be-
lnnse' of 70 John G Harvard's sf ststue. and Snd such sne p q row
mas raised about IL that no more pranks were
prsctised for q couple Of years,
Since 1894 there has been nothing of a star.
ling nature to lay up against the society, but
there has never been a season of absolute rest
" oohAo " vi IlChCEy. Jh5J oCtODtT u Stu-
patton WAS created by the disappearance Of the
IRON cross Of Lopisburg which stood over the
Dean Briggs was selected as a marx for a pr asc
nsai Joke Notices We're sent out signed by his
was em tatti"s s1so Sot5 to % deans nas a Gao stud an,s
1t WAS thought then that the Med Fac soc''
was up to Its old tricks. and students were
hundred Of them got into dress suits and
walked to Dean BriEgs's house to sip tea on
Since the tea episode there have been several
small scares In the college yard, One night
was filled, with smoke. The windows Were
sglow. and the whole building seemed to be
ssr rsm n ,, Az alarm anS was 5unE in: porters,
historic hall and found instead OF devouring
flames q pan OF red fire burning under one OF
There was a fall of damp snow q few nights
ago. Just right for snowballing; Late corners
and about midnight attention was paid to one
Of the windows which let's light into the room
Ss q OF xss sSSo SESSsily P bfSsS the !" W slass i and BROUGHT q yGl,
the inmate out OF bed. When he pushed his
head out into the night a vSllsy from half a
complexion. Stories OF the dreadful Med
Fac" were abroad the next day.
The red lettering on tho Fogg Art Museum
was a hit ut Prof. Charles Eliot Norton. head
OF the department of fine arts. Tho profess
Art Museum was designed, but those who know
him affirm that his dislike for the structure Of
smother building at Harvard Which the tnsI pro 1s
fessOr also looks upon with disfavor. IL is IN,
chapel, the eyesore OF every student with a
poetic eye, Prof. Norton was AWAY when the
plans for the Fogg Art Museum were accepted.
and when he returned and found a mOnstrosity
alongside the already nOnstrous chapel he
nearly tainted. Explosives sanctioned by good
society were not strong enough To express his
indignation, so he relieved himself by saying
resigncdly:
We'll, it will do to hide the horrors of tho
Last Monday night some daring spirit with
q pot Of red paint and a brush went to the
Fogg art building and painted on the white
sand stone expanse OF the side OF the museum
facing the chapel this legend:
''""p''''''
I: MOTIONS PRIDE.