Seventy Years Of The Worcester Polytechnic Institute: Page 145

beloved members of the faculty. A graduate of Dartmouth, '79, M.A., '90, he had taught in the schools of Minnesota and South Dakota, and at the South Dakota School of Mines until 1890, when he returned to his home state to study at Clark University. After one year at the Institute he was promoted from assistant to associate professor. He received the degree of Ph.D. at Syracuse University in 1893.

The first break in the faculty ranks caused by death came in May, 1892, when Dr. Edward P. Smith succumbed to a heart attack. Mourning over the loss of so fine a man was sincere, even though he had been considered a hard taskmaster during his twenty years on the faculty. Many students who had been most bitter in their comments during college years came to appreciate his example and his teaching of Languages and Political Economy when time had widened their perspective.

Soon after Dr. Smith's death the trustees divided the work that he had carried into two departments. U. Waldo Cutler was promoted and assigned to the professorship of Modern Languages. William MacDonald, former instructor at the University of Kansas, who had been doing postgraduate work at Harvard for two years, was elected to be professor of Economics and History. Mr. George B. Viles of Harvard was added to the instruction staff in German.

Professor MacDonald resigned in June, 1893, to go to Bowdoin College. His successor was George Henry Haynes, who in the interim of three years, had earned his Ph.D. degree at Johns Hopkins. He returned as professor of Economics and Government. Entering the ranks of the faculty at the same time was Arthur Kendrick, a classmate and fraternity brother of Dr. Haynes at Amherst, who came from Harvard to be assistant professor of Physics.

George I. Alden had been given the title of professor of Mechanical Engineering in 1890. In January, 1894, his staff was expanded to include William W. Bird, who had left the teaching force in 1891, returning to be assistant professor.

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Last Modified: Fri Jul 30 11:15:25 EDT 1999