Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-06-09
DEVOTED. d. | |. YALE /. | MEN.
Work of Graduates to Advance
Their Alma Matters interests.
MANY LINES OF ACTIVITIES.
Much Time, Money and Attention
Given-What Secretary Taft Has
y Often Dons-Yale's Grand Work In
china--Labors Of Class Secretaries.

s. nat Iue SeCreIdry 5OI war SHOulO
drop the reins at Washington and
travel thousand miles to spend three
OF his precious days and nights at an
/ alumni gathering was not considered
unusual by the members of Yale's
Western Alumni association. whose
meeting at Cincinnati was engineered
by William a. Taft. re, short time
ago, says the New York Tribune. The
time, money and attention which this
occasion called for do not represent
one-twentieth part Of that which the
secretary OF war devotes each year to
the interests Of his alma mater. Every
meeting Of the Yale corporation this
year, except the one when he was abb
sent from the country, has taken the
busy cabinet official from Washington
to New Haven, and he has dropped af-
fairs Of state on dozen occasions to
travel to New York city for q gather
Ing OF the Yale club or to other towns
where an important meeting OF alumni
was being held. .
Mr.. Taft Is wont to call this large
proportionate outlay Of his time and
energy well worth while and to scout
the remark that 1t Is at all unusual. To
prove his first assertion he always tells
q story. To prove his second he cites
the large part which Yale plays In the
life Of Its graduates generally. The
story Is laid In the Philippines years
ago, at moment when the big re-
organizer says he came as near to be-
Ing discouraged as he ever could be-
A cable message from his class, In re-
union at New Haven, was laid ON the
stack Of papers that Uttered his desk.
+Good boy, Bill; we're with yon,"
was the tenor OF the message, and Mr.
Taft says its effect was worth all the
time that any man can give In a life
time TO his alumni interests.
What the secretary Of war says OF
the part which Yale plays in the life
Of Its graduates generally. is largely
borne out by recent statements by An
son Phelps Stokes. Jr., secretary Of
the university. While 1t has been. Of
course. impossible to determine exactly
/ just what amount Of energy and effort
each one Of Yale's 1900 alumni de-
votes to Yale's interests, it Is possible
roughly to classify large number Of
graduate types, the unusually high per-
centage Of whose activities along these
lines raises the average far above the
minimum man, whose active interest
is confined to few graduate dinners
year, periodical response to appeals
for alumni funds and a trip to class
reunion at New Haven every three or
five years. s. :.
Glass secretaries rank high on the list
of the graduates who give goodly
part Of their time and activities to the
interests Of Yale and its alumni. Many
q class secretary has been found who
is deyoting every hour Of his leisure
to the burden of constant compilation
and correspondence which the keeping
and chronicling Of the history of some
200 men, scattered to the ends Of the
earth, involve. Every one Of these men
is called upon at regular intervals to
compile and publish a book containing
the history and status Of each man In
t
subject to call by any member Of his
class for the latest and most detailed
information regarding another member
| or group Of members. 1t is not unusual
for class secretary to receive de-
mand for a complete list OF the class.
with latest addresses and married
or single" annexation, for purposes Of
sending out wedding announcements.
In tlls work the secretary is not I'M
aided. A large proportion of his class
mates willingly assume share OF the
burden Of writing to their particular
intimates and thus keeping the secre.
tary accurately informed. Thus, weeks
OF time and attention are devoted by
many Yale alumni to class record work
The class agents OF the alumni fund
have an almost equal amount of con
slant and pressing labors to take III
their leisure time These men see Il
It that each member Of the class ii
kept In touch with the work OF raisinp
funds BY the general body OF the alum
ni TOR the support of the university
and that each is solicited In timely
and tactful way to make his individual
contribution. To this work many oi
the class agents devote weeks Of The
time OF their ONCE clsrical force and
much more Of their own. AS ofiicers
and committeeman OF the organization
OF the alumni fund score of mer
whose time is unusually valuable serve
/ regularly and willingly. Last veal
these voluntary agents collected oyel
j 100000 from about $500 graduatei
Of the university IN the hundred 81
more alumni associations Throughout
the land men Of this type are also sery
ing In q similar capacity &
4 Az sample Of graduate activity
along specialized lines the Yale Mis-
sion college In China Is often cited
/ In the building OF q new Yale IN ths
heart OF China an Incorporated society
4 under council OF forty prominent
/ Yale alumni has been formed with j
working membership that includes
scores OF the alumni and has as ofiicerl
] the leading men Of the university and
the graduate body. The conduct ant
4 financing Of a project Of such magni