Seventy Years Of The Worcester Polytechnic Institute: Page 365

before leaving for three years of graduate work at Johns Hopkins University. He returned in 1893, with a Ph.D. degree, to be professor of Economics and Government, later also of Business Law. During most of the succeeding years he was the only member of that department, and except for sabbatical leaves, his service had been continuous. At the time of his retirement he was seventy-one.

Professor Coombs came to the Institute in 1890, after two years of teaching at other institutions. His first assignment was as instructor in Modern Languages and clerk to Dr. Fuller. He spent the year 1894-95 as a student at the University of Berlin, returning to be assistant professor of Modern Languages. He became professor of French in 1901, and upon the retirement of Prof. Cutler in 1903, professor and head of the department of English and Modern Languages. From 1913 to his retirement he was head of the department of English. He had been Secretary of the Faculty since 1910, and Dean of Admissions since 1935. He was seventy-two when he retired.

Prof. Alton L. Smith had been a member of the staff continuously since his graduation in 1890, for one year as assistant in the mechanical laboratories, then for nine years as instructor in Mechanical Drawing. He became assistant professor of Drawing and Machine Design in 1900, professor in 1906, the position that he held up to the time of his retirement at the age of seventy. He became chairman of the faculty committee on the work of students in 1914, and of the committee on scholarships in 1919. He was appointed Assistant to the President in 1923.

Dr. Walter L. Jennings came to the Institute in 1894, after three years of teaching and a year at the University of Berlin. He was assistant professor of Chemistry until 1900, when he was appointed professor of Organic Chemistry. This was his specialty up to the time of his retirement. After Dr. Kinnicutt's death, in 1911, he was appointed head of the department of Chemistry. He reached the automatic retirement age late in 1936.

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