Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Seventy Years

college as one of the residuary legatees, and its eventual share of the residue was about $164,000. Additional payments by alumni and others increased the 1920 Endowment fund by about $21,000, and $20,000 from operating surplus of the Washburn Shops was added to the reserves.

President Earle, in addition to being extremely busy with Institute affairs during these years, was also frequently called upon for addresses and for service in civic affairs. He delivered the Commencement address at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1926, when he also received the honorary degree, Doctor of Engineering. He was awarded the LL.D. degree by Amherst in 1929, and by Clark University in 1930. In 1927, he was awarded the John Scott Medal for his distinguished engineering service during the war. Other previous Institute recipients had been Elwood Haynes, '81, and Aldus C. Higgins, '93.

Relatively few changes in the teaching staff were made during these two years. Thomas K. Sherwood, graduate of McGill and M. I. T., succeeded Barnett F. Dodge as lecturer in Chemical Engineering in 1925. The following year, Jerome W. Howe was promoted to professor of Civil Engineering. Luke L. Nakasian, instructor in Mechanical Engineering since 1920, was succeeded by John H. Whenman. Earle R. Closson resigned as instructor in Modern Languages, and was succeeded for one year by Bert L. Merrill, Colby, '24. Howard S. Nutting '23, resigned after two years as instructor in Chemistry. Dr. Joel M. Melick was appointed college physician in 1926.

The Alumni General Committee was finally converted into an Alumni Council in 1927. George E. Williamson, '00, served as president until 1927, when he was succeeded by George C. Graham, '13. As a feature of the alumni reunion in 1927, the class of 1922 dedicated a memorial tablet to John Boynton, which was erected on the town common at Mason, N. H., his birthplace. This act was inspired by Prof . Charles J. Adams, who had a prominent part in the dedication service.

Undergraduate enrollment, stimulated by additions and improvements to the campus, business conditions, publicity,

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