Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-03
REUNIONS At AMHERST
Students Register After Fifty
and Even Sixty Years.
KNOWN WHEN THEY RETURN
Greeted by Prof. Hitchcock, Who
Rarely Forgets Face or Class.
REQUEST BY A FORGOTTEN SON
Gift to His Alma Mater Will Amount
to About Half a Million Dollars
The College Needs.
KNOWN WHEN THEY RETURN
BY A FORGOTTEN SON
BY WILLIAM r. CURTIS.
@ ENTERTAINMENTS nf The Star and

BY WILLIAM r. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence Of The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald
AMHERST. Mass. June 20, 1907.
An unusual number OF the alumni OF Am
herst were present at commencement this
year, 500 graduates having registered their
names. and several classes being represent
ed by large delegations. Even the class Of
1S47, sixty years out of college, was repre-
sented by a venerable gentleman. Rev.
Charles H. Gates Of North Wilbraham,
Mass. vigorous. hearty man. who doesn't
look bit over fifty, although 1t was sixty
four years ago that he first appeared in
this beautiful village. Two of his class
mates are living. the Rev. Henry Cummings
of Stratford. VT, and Samuel w. Dana Of
Newcastle, Pa. The oldest graduate. Rev.
John H. Wells Of the class Of 81. who lives
at Kingston. R. l.. and who first appeared
in Amherst seventy -four years age. Is still
in perfect health. and wrote jolly letter
to be read at the alumni dinner. although
he did not think 1t best to come, because he
feared the fatigue and was afraid that too
much would be expected Of him. He is
ninety-one years old. but the Rev. Luther
H. Barber of Danielson, Conn, Of the class
Of 80. Is still older. He will be ninety-four
in October.
The longevity of Amherst graduates is re-
markabie There are three surviving MEM
bers of the classes Of SO, AZ. AT. two each
of 40, Al. IA, AS. Ave Of '46. nine Of '4S
and eleven Of 40. Prof. Hitchcock Of the
faculty was member Of the latter class.
The genial Henry w. Bishop of Chicago is
one of four survivors of the class Of so.
Twelve members Of the class Of so are still
living, including the Rev. Daniel Bliss. re-
Gently president Of the American College
at Harpoot. Turkey: Rev. DR.. Allen Of the
Bible House at Constantinople; Rev. Don
Carlos Taft Of Chicago and Henry Sabin of
Des Moines, Iowa.
Reunions Highly Esteemed.
The class Of 81 had its semi-centennial
celebration. Twenty-Five Of its graduates
survive and sixteen are present today.
which is quite remarkable record. The
Rev. William Crawford. D. D.. Of Mazo-
mamie. Wis, read an historical address
giving the careers Of his classmates in de-
tail.
They make much more of class reunions
at Amherst than at many of the other
colleges. They are the great feature of
awarded to the class that shows the largest
percentage of Its graduates present. This
cup has been passed down from year to
year, with the names of the winners en-
graved upon it, Glass organization Is much
more thorough and complete In smaller
colleges than in the larger ones The sec
retaries keep the location and records Of
not only every graduate, but Of every man
who at any time has been member Of the
class and old Doc Hitchcock. dean and
professor Of gymnastics. Is believed to know
personally every man who has. been grad
uated at this Institution since he first came
here. and he arrived somewhere in the
middle ages. The old grads try to fool him.
but are very seldom successful big,
bearded. portly gentleman. with the ap-
pearance of plutocrat. came into his Of
fee at the gymnasium while was trying
to interview him this morning. and ex-
claimed:
well. Old Doc. how are you? suppose
you have forgotten me. I'm Jones Of TO-
mo. you're not" replied Prof. Hitchcock
promptly. with a twinkle in his eye
You're Smith Of 10. You can't fool me-"
And then, when his caller left the room.
the old gentleman turned to me and re-
marked: The boys try to catch me that
way. but they don't succeed very often
I'm getting a little old. and my memory
isn't so good as 1t used to be. but l still
carry the face and name of nearly every
alumnus In my memory, although some
times / get the class wrong And I don't
seem to recall the later graduates so dis
tinctly as I do the older ones Perhaps
that's because 1 don't see so much of the
boys OF this generation as I used to see
those OF twenty and thirty years ago. 1
have a couple OF assistants here now. and
don't come in contact personally with the
students as closely as did; but they can't
fool me very often"
Sometimes the officers Of a class collect
funds to pay the expenses of their poorer
members who live far away. SO that they
can attend the reunions and the relations
or college days are perpetuated.
Gathering Of 'o7 Graduates.
The class of 's7 got the cup this year,
having presented SO out Of a total of 121
graduates 1t Is loyal and an enthusi-
astic class. Its members have met for a
dinner n the yptp
graduated. sometimes in New York and
sometimes in Boston, as may be most con-
venient. and they are usually able to count
at least one-half Of their number around
the banquet board. The class Of "a how
ever. has the best record having brought
together SO per cent of its members at its
tenth anniversary. although the class of SO
did a more remarkable thing in bringing
74.l9 per cent of It's members to its fftieth
anniversary. last Year
More than three thOusan nd young men and
women nave been graduated from the COL
leges OF New England during the present
month and have returned to their homes
with diplomas. There are thirty colleges
in the six New England states giving de-
grees for courses in the arts and sciences
Harvard and Yale lead in the outnut ~
men. with Smith. and Wellesley in the num-
Der OF woman graduates. More than nine
hundred women have received bachelor de-
grees In New England during the present
month.
At the alumni dinner at Amherst Presi-
dent Harris spoke feeIingly of the recent
death OF Prof Richardson and Prof Gar
man. He announced that the class of 1907
would erect a tablet In the college church
to the memory Of the former, whom they
call Our beloved professor and friend"
He also spoke Of the loss the college would
sustain by the resignation OF Prof Harris
and Prof. Morse Each of these men has
been a tower of strength at Amherst for
more than quarter OF century, but they
nave reached an age when it has become
arduous for them to perform their duties
Presentation to Prof Tyler.
The most interesting incident of the
alumni dinner was the presentation of a
loving cup to Prof. John NJ. Tyler in COM
memoration Of his completing twenty-five
years Of service as head of the biological
department. Tip" Tyler as the students
call him-an abbreviation of "Tippecanoe
and Tyler. Too" the old grads say-was
voted the most popular member of the fac
ulty by the graduating class. and the trib-
ute that paid to him by Prof James
F. Kemp 81, of the faculty of Columbia
University. in presenting the cup, met with
an enthusiastic response from the members
of the faculty present. Prof. Tyler initiated
the department of biology, and during the
past twenty-five years 1.S23 men have
learned from him the fundamental prin-
ipla IF xub Inf,