Seventy Years Of The Worcester Polytechnic Institute: Page 182

The year following his election to the Institute board he was instrumental in forming the United Shoe Machinery Corporation, which he served as director and general counsel for twenty years.

Waldo Lincoln, a member of the Corporation for sixteen years and its treasurer for ten, resigned his trusteeship in 1899. His withdrawal was accepted with reluctance. To succeed him the Board chose James Logan, who from the earliest days of the Institute had been keenly interested in its affairs. He had been the intimate associate of Tech boys, and had been elected an honorary member of the class of 1876. Mr. Logan, son of a Scotch immigrant, had by the power of his intellect and perseverance lifted himself to an important place in the civic and industrial life of Worcester. Starting as clerk in a local stationery store, he had before the age of thirty become a partner in a flourishing envelope business. The year after he became an Institute trustee he was the leader in effecting the consolidation of nine companies into the United States Envelope Co., of which he became general manager, and eventually president.

Other changes in the personnel of the Trustees during these seven years concerned only ex-officio members. Rev. Charles H. Pendleton was succeeded in 1895 by Rev. Horace J. White, pastor of Pleasant Street Baptist Church; he in turn two years later by Rev. Spencer B. Meeser, pastor of First Baptist Church. Changes in mayors of the city automatically added A. B. R. Sprague to the Board in 1896 as successor to Mayor H. A. Marsh. Two years later, Mr. Sprague was succeeded by Rufus B. Dodge, Jr., for a threeyear term. The mayoralty contest of 1900 had an amazing result, a tie vote between P. J. O'Connell and W. A. Lytle. Mr. O'Connell won in the run-off election two months later, and served as a trustee for one year.

The numerous changes in personnel of the faculty and staff made Dr. Mendenhall's administration a turning point

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