Seventy Years Of The Worcester Polytechnic Institute: Page 298

Blacksmith's Plan," "The Parson's Vision, "etc., each telling in delightful fashion a fragment of early Institute history. The series culminated in larger booklets that told of the present crisis and what must be done to meet it. It was not known for some time afterward that the author of the series was Robert S. Parks, '93. The facts upon which Mr. Parks' narratives were based were supplied by Dr. George Haynes, who also compiled and wrote most of the material used later in the campaign.

Colonel Butterfield, with characteristic vigor, was directing both the office work of the campaign and the organization of local committees, as well as taking to the road in quest of pledges. Various competitions were fostered, class against class and district against district, and loving cups were offered for award to classes achieving highest results in various phases of the campaign. Major efforts were continued until the June reunion, but special solicitations, particularly efforts to get certain alumni to increase their pledges, were carried beyond this date. The total value of pledges, though considerably short of the $2,000,000 goal, was substantial enough to relieve the Institute of its most serious concern.

Up to December, 1920, when a special business meeting was held in New York, only $531,000 of the $650,000 necessary to secure the gift from the General Education Board had been pledged by the alumni. Less than half of the second $1,000,000 had been accounted for by industrial scholarships and gifts from other friends. An intensive effort during succeeding months produced numerous increases in the pledges made by the wealthier group of alumni, so that by November, 1921, the final report showed the following approximate figures:

the Charles 0. Thompson Fund

Paid or pledged by alumni	$650,300
Pledge of General Education Board	350,000
	_________
$1,000,300
Gifts for industrial scholarships	375,000
Paid or pledged by friends	93,800
Pledge of George I. Alden to establish	50,000
________
	$518,800
Grand total	$1,519,100

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