The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-02-09
DR. ROSWELL HAM
 IS NOT EXCITED
President-EIect of Mount Holyoke College Has
 Only NiCest Words

Holyoke, Mass, Feb. 9.-WP)- Dr. Roswell Gray Ham, 45-year-old former Yale professor, has adopted a philosophical attitude" toward the controversy raging over his election as the first male president of century-old Mount Holyoke col- lege.
 Though anticipating some stir among the alumnae of Americas oldest women's college, he was sur prised by the extent of the opposi- ton, according to an interview with the Holyoke Transcript-Telegram.
 Tt has helped my scholarship he said. T have acquired a philo- sophical attitude. Any departure from tradition in such a matter is bound to arouse opposition. If Yale were to elect tomorrow a new pres- ident who was not a Yale graduate, there would be the same sort of fight"
 Admires Mary Woolley
 Dr. Ham, a strapping six-footer, said the dispute had not affected his relations with or his admiration for 73-year-old President Mary Ein- ma Woolley, whom he is scheduled to succeed June 30. Miss Woolley has publicly expressed her disap- pointment in election of a male president.
 She created Mount Holyoke," Dr. Ham said of Miss Woolley. "She and Mary Lyon together are the real founders"
 He doubted that Mary Lyon, who 100 years ago next November found- ed Mount Holyoke Seminary, would approve the controversy.
 Mary Lyon was not feminist" he said. She was used to working with men,"
 Most Democratic College
 The president-elect described Mount Holyoke as Americas most democratic" women's college. He was not prepared to say what changes might be made, but de- clared that he had no intention of discarding traditions unless they were hopeleSsly outmoded.
 He seeks teachers and scholars who are intellectually alive" and who use their knowledge of the greatness of the past for a better understanding of the present, Teachers will be selected on an un- biased basis of merit, he said.
 Because teaching is a constant thrill" Dr. Ham hopes eventually to be able to teach "a course or two" In addition to his administrative duties as president.
 All for Damsels
 AS to his policy on social priyi- leges for the students, he smiled:
 I'm not going to clamp down on the damsels. I'm all for them"
 Born March II, 1891 in Lemoore, Calif, Dr. Ham graduated from University of California in 1914 and the following year became an Eng fish instructor at University of Washington, returning in the same capacity to his alma mater in l9l6
 He served in the marine corns during the World war. Entering Yale Graduate School in 1920, he IeceiVeu ms doctorate in English literature five years later. During this period, he served as an English instructor and later was appointed an assistant professor and finally an associate professor. He was elect ed president of Mount Holyoke last June. '''''
 His First Wife
 G.nk
 Marion Cornelius of Almeda. Calf died in 1893. Three years later he married Mrs. Hilda Sargent Gerard member of the Sargent hardware family of Connecticut and a Qradu- ate of Pennington school. He has two sons by his first marriage. time, for 1t appears that the desired | enect Is to make the judicial branch of government subseryient to the