Seventy Years Of The Worcester Polytechnic Institute: Page 197

alumni dues of $1.00 materially increased the resources of the Association.

William W. Bird, '87, declined election as president in 1895, and was replaced by H. Winfield Wyman, '82, who served for three terms. John M. Russell, '76, was elected president in 1898, and reelected each year up to and including 1902. Edward K. Hill, '71, completed nineteen years as treasurer of the Association in 1898, when he was succeeded by John C. Woodbury, '76. William L. Chase, '77, elected secretary in 1892, was relieved at his own request in 1897. Alfred D. Flinn, '93, who was elected to succeed him, declined to serve, so Mr. Chase continued as acting secretary until his death in November, 1898. He and his son were passengers on the ill-fated steamship City of Portland, which was lost during the terrific storm of that month. In 1899, the Association elected Charles Baker, '93, to be secretary.

Branch associations of alumni expanded to seven during this period. In addition to the three in existence prior to 1894, Washington, Cleveland, and Western, there were organized the Philadelphia Association and the Pacific Coast Association in 1895, the New York Association in 1898, and the Boston Association in 1899. The occasional meetings of these groups served to renew memories of Institute years and to heighten the interest of a large number of the graduates.

President Mendenhall's resignation was submitted to the Trustees in December, 1900. Although he was but fiftynine the condition of his health had caused him anxiety for some time, he wrote, and the conclusion that he must take a long vacation was forced upon him. It was also apparent that the task of directing the course of the Institute was too confining for one of his catholic interests. He was then serving as president of the American Meteorological Society, president of the Worcester Free Public Library, and a member of the Massachusetts Highway Commission.

The resignation was to take effect in August, 1901. In April he submitted an extensive report of current activities

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