Seventy Years Of The Worcester Polytechnic Institute: Page 327

Alumni were very active in this period, continuing the enthusiastic mood aroused by the endowment campaign. The desire of active graduates living in cities outside of Worcester, particularly the New York group, to share in the administration of the Alumni Association produced more insistent demands for the creation of an Alumni Council. The first step in this direction was the expansion of the executive committee into a General Committee, made up of one member from each organized district association and six members-at-large. The first meeting was held in February, 1923, at which time Ernest W. Marshall, '93, of New York, was elected president of the Association, first non-Worcester resident to hold that office. He served for two years, being succeeded in 1925 by George E. Williamson, '00, of Springfield.

Visions of an elaborate building as a war memorial diminished in 1922 to the proposal of an exedra, to be built on the sloping ground in front of Boynton Hall for use as a rostrum. The cost of this structure increased with the expansion of plans for it, developed by a committee of which Albert C. Vinal, '99, was chairman. Finally, in 1923, the General Committee decided to expend about $700 on a bronze tablet, to be erected on the wall of the Boynton Hall porch. Toward this fund Tech News contributed $250 of its surplus, and the balance was raised by small contributions from numerous alumni. The tablet was dedicated November 11, 1924. Relatives of alumni whose names appeared on the tablet were invited to the ceremony. Prof. J. W. Howe made the presentation and Dr. Hollis accepted the memorial. Another tablet, erected the same year, was in commemoration of Dr. Thomas C. Mendenhall, third president, who died March 2-2, 1924 at the age of eighty-three. It was placed in the corridor of Boynton Hall, Dr. W. L. Jennings making the presentation address.

The Journal passed its twenty-fifth milestone in 1922. During most of that period the magazine had been under the managing editorship of Dr. George H. Haynes. As a tribute

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