Seventy Years Of The Worcester Polytechnic Institute: Page 333

Aldus C. Higgins, Moses B. Kaven, John W. Burke, Everett J. Lake, and Clifton H. Dwinnell, to seek this right man. The search took them to far places and involved the consideration of numerous candidates. just a year later, September, 1924, the committee reported that their choice had fallen to Captain Ralph Earle, United States Navy, then stationed at Newport, R. 1. Because of the committee's enthusiastic presentation of their candidate, the Board immediately invited him to become President of the Institute. He accepted on condition that his appointment be delayed until the following June.

From the viewpoint of Worcester County tradition the selection of Ralph Earle was a particularly satisfying one. His forbears had been residents of Leicester or Worcester for generations, and he was born in Worcester fifty years before his election to the presidency. His father, frequently mentioned in the early part of this chronicle, was Stephen Earle, the architect of Boynton Hall and of several other college buildings. Moreover, Ralph Earle had been a student at the Institute as a member of the class of 1895 during the apprenticeship half-year. He had then won an appointment to the United States Naval Academy, graduating with the class of 1896.

For twenty years he fulfilled the various assignments that naval service provided, advancing to the rank of commander. He saw service in the Spanish-American war, at the Naval Academy, in the Philippines and on various ships. His efficient conduct of these assignments brought him a coveted appointment in December, 1916. He became chief of the Bureau of Ordnance, with the rank of rear admiral, the youngest officer ever to hold that position. Four months later the United States was in the war, and Admiral Earle was facing one of the most difficult engineering and administrative problems in the military service.

In addition to providing armament and ammunition for naval vessels and merchant ships, the Bureau of Ordnance played a major part in two of the great achievements of the war. One was the laying of the Northern Barrage, the mine

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