Swarthmore College Alumni Bulletin 1941-05-01

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ALUMNI FUND MAKING CONSISTENT
G A IN S -G O A L TO GO
by

F rancis W. D ’O lier , General Chairman

N the February "Garnet Letter” we announced plans for
the first Swarthmore Alumni Fund Campaign. Then it was
but an idea; today it is a reality.
Thanks to the unselfish efforts of a large group of earnest
Swarthmoreans and a much larger group of loyal contributors
the fund, on May 1, had reached a total of $10,944.85. The
present roll of givers contains the names of friends and former
students of Swarthmore.

I

These accomplishments are decidedly encouraging. They
should not however be accepted as our final achievement. To
consider the unimpressive aspect of our efforts, we must recog­
nize the very disappointing fact that a majority of former
Swarthmore students have not yet contributed anything to this
year’s fund. Right there is to be found the key to the complete
success of this new Alumni undertaking.
If everyone were to give something—an amount dictated
purely by interest and capacity to give—we would very quickly
reach the goal we set for ourselves when we began this campaign. That is the appeal we now make to those who have not
yet joined the growing circle of givers.
The spirit of this campaign is universal participation. It
should not be regarded as a burden to be imposed on a limited
group who feel a particular responsibility for its success. Thus
far we have received gifts ranging from less than one dollar

to five hundred dollars. The average gift figure is $8.80.
While we want to make the total in dollars a genuinely helpful
amount we are just as much concerned with having every
Swarthmorean possible included among those supporting this
worthwhile program. If every Swarthmorean will give what he
or she can afford, however modest that amount might be, we
can safely allow success to care for itself.
To allow time for those who have not yet given to do so,
our final report will be deferred until the Annual Meeting of
the Alumni Association to be held at the College on Alumni
Day, May 31st. That occasion will mark the official closing of
the 1941 Alumni Fund Campaign.
At this time we announce the standings by classes as of
May 1. These standings show the position each class occupies
based on the percentage its total number of givers bears to
graduating members. To the Class of 1907 goes the honor
of present leadership. We congratulate that class for its dili­
gent enthusiasm and for its fine example. Its 42.2 percent
achievement offers other classes a worthy goal of endeavor.
The Class of 1890 occupies second position with a percent
standing of 36.8. In third place is the Class of 1930 with a
standing of 36.6 per cent. We salute all of these leaders and
bid them guard their laurels. No class has any lien on any of
the top positions. Much will happen between now and Alumni
Day. Good-luck to you all, and may the best class w in!

THE RECORD OF ACHIEVEMENT
W h e re D oes Y o u r Class Stand?
Position
1
2
3
4
5
6
7.
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21

22
23
24
25

Per Cent
Contributing

Class
1907
1890
1930
1940
1909
1903
1917
1931
1937
1939
1928
1910
1921
1904
1932
1919
1927
1918
1905
1914
1902
1934
1935
1925
1906

Francis D ’Olier— Clemintine Gibson . . . .
William A. Boone—Ruth C. Carter
Lewis Robbins—Mary L. Broomell. .
M. Louis Johnson— Mrs. E. Tiel Smith
Asa P. Way—Mrs. Robert E. Lamb........
W . A. Clarke— Mrs. Raymond K. Denworth. .
Richard C. Bond— Ellen F. Reisner..............
W alter Barclay— Elizabeth J. K a m p .............
Herman Krattenmaker ...........
John W . Dutton— Olive Baker . ,
James G. Lamb— Mrs. Frank Griffin. . . .
Wayland H. Elsbree— Elizabeth F. Barth. .
W. Monroe Vansant, Jr.— Mrs. Edward L. Noyes. . .
Russell C. Gourley— Mrs. J. B. W est. .
George McKeag— Ruth McC. Clyde.........
George L. W ilson— Harriet K. T urner...............
William H. L in to n .................
Edwin A. Lucas—Mrs. David T. Dunning. .
Edson S. Harris— Mrs. Edith V. Paschall .
J. Stokes Clement, Jr.— Nina Bowers. . . .
John Moxey— Mrs. Joseph H. W alter.............
Lloyd Goman— Elizabeth P. Fetter.................
Barclay W hite— Mrs. W alter Shoemaker.................

36.8

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E n te re d a s sec o n d -c la ss m a tte r J a n u a ry 10, 1941, a t th e p o st office a t S w a rth m o re, P e n n s y lv a n ia , u n d e r th e Act of A u g u st 24, 1912.

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ALUMNI DAY, SATURDAY, MAY 3.1, 1941
by

R ex T o m p k in s , 40, General Chairman of Alumni Day Committee

T been the frenzied cry of Alumni Day chairmen for many
years, but every year the program stays the same.

ODAY the program is going to be different!’’ This has

mocracy at work, it is the sounding board of real alumni
opinion. So if there is something on your mind, then by all
means come to the meeting and unload it.

Of course, all of it is not the same. This year the college
is going to be practical about its growing pains and serve
not only a different style luncheon, but is going to move
it out under the trees in front of Parrish. The American
Friends Service Sewing Committee is to do the catering, with
the intention of using the proceeds to buy wool for their
knitting projects. Informality will be the keynote on the lawn.
There will be plenty of chairs for all to throw together in
groups of their own choosing.

Following the luncheon will come the parade of the
reunion classes. Continuing the trend of last year it will be
a simple procession designed to let returning alumni see each
other and know who is back.

Mary Roberts Smith, T4, chairman of the luncheon com­
mittee, has tackled a huge job in trying to serve our returning
alumni, but we are confident that it will be thoroughly satisfac­
tory to everyone. There is one thing which you who are coming
can do to insure its success—send in your reservation in advance.
It is a rare luncheon that has both good food and good
speakers. We know the food is going to be good, so we are
not taking any chances with speakers. We have always felt
that people would rather talk than listen on Alumni Day,
anyway.
But for those who do want to listen we suggest attendance
at the Alumni Association meeting at eleven in the morning.
After a brief word of welcome from President Nason, Ray
Denworth will throw the meeting open for a hammer and
tongs discussion of alumni affairs. This is the serious part of
the day. It is purposely placed early on the program so that
those who do show up are ipso facto there for business. This
meeting is the alumni open forum, it represents alumni de­

After the parade every man is once more his own boss—
he may go out to see the varsity baseball team in action
against Drexel; he may go down to the tennis courts in front
of Wharton to watch the craft and guile of the alumni tennis
players pitted against the driving energy and enthusiasm of
the college young bloods, five of whom are classy sopho­
mores that are already showing the effects of perhaps the
best college coaching in America. These athletic events are
scheduled to start at 3:15 p. m.
Quite naturally not everyone cares to watch the sports, and
so, at four o’clock the Junior Class will serve tea on the
west campus in front of the fraternity lodges. The tea is some­
thing new, but we hope that it will be found a pleasant
innovation that will become a compelling tradition.
The reunion dinners at 6:30 p. m. will mark the peak of the
day for many of the alumni celebrants.
At nine o’clock the annual alumni dance will be held and
steps old and new will give expression to modern rhythms.
In the cool of evening all those who still have strength
will gather under the trees around the front porch of Parrish
for a college sing under the leadership of Bert Brown, ’16.
With the closing strains of Alma Mater, Alumni Day will be
officially done.

ALUMNI GOLFERS-PREPARE!
For all those who love the noble game of golf for its sports­
manship, its skill, and its downright physical exertion there
comes the good news that Samuel G. Eckerd, chairman of the
Alumni Day Golf Tournament, is rapidly bringing his plans
to a head.
Master of pleasant surprises, it is rumored that he is work­
ing on a tournament for the alumnae golfers to be held in the
morning, before the male masters take over in the afternoon.
The big news which can be published now is that the tour­
naments will be held on Thursday, May 29, a day earlier this
year because of Memorial Day. Every change has its com­
pensation and this one is no exception, for it has been pointed
out that the time this year will not conflict with the Board
Meeting which is held on Class Day, and thus Board members
who claim to have standing in the golfing world must come
out and prove it. Not that there is one of them who does not
relish the opportunity, but they will be a very welcome addi­
tion to the dignity of the doings.

Of course, the grand prize will be the President’s Cup, but
there are also prizes for various achievements, not the least of
which may be the posting of the worst score. And after all,
we want our duffer to be a good duffer.
When the last score is posted, a buffet supper will be served
at the club, and everyone will have a chance to replay his game
and bring it down to "just one over.”
So, golfers, perk up your ears and watch for the announce­
ment of the tournaments and send back an early reply.
LODGING RESERVATIONS
Visiting alumni who are planning to stay at the college
on Friday or Saturday nights are urged to make their
reservations in advance. There are only 200 rooms
available, at best, and the college cannot guarantee rooms
to those who come without advance notice.

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VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE AND PLACEMENT
A LU M N I COOPERATING W ITH W OM EN'S P LA C E M E N T
by

N ora R. B ooth , ’32

HE Vocational work for women at Swarthmore may be
classified under two headings: guidance and placement.
Each of these may be roughly divided again into that done on a
large scale for the College as a whole or for special groups
and that which is done by special, individual consultation. It
is easier for purposes of clarifying the entire effort to consider
each division separately.
Under the heading of guidance the biennial Vocational
Conferences have come to be an institution. The first one was
held in 1938, when thirteen different persons represented as
many different vocations open to women, presenting the type
of work available and the training and experience necessary
by means of Round Table Discussions. In addition special
attention was given by other speakers to the subjects of The
Occupational Value of a Liberal Arts Education, Choosing a
Career, Occupational Supply and Demand and Creating One’s
Own Career. In 1940 another conference was held, arranged
on a slightly broader basis. At that time thirty-six specialists
from nine different fields were invited to participate in Round
Table Discussions. Each person spoke on a different aspect of
the occupation in which he or she was engaged. For example
in Government Service, the work of the Montgomery County
Board of Public Assistance was represented by Mrs. Jennie
Scott, Executive Director; the Delaware County Recreation
Board by Mr. Carl Schmitt, the Director; Civil Service by Mr.
Arthur S. Flemming, a Federal Civil Service Commissioner; and
the Women’s Bureau, of the Department of Labor by Miss
Louise Stitt, Director of the Division of Minimum Wage. In
addition Miss Constance Ball, Swarthmore 1914, from the
New York State Employment Service gave a picture of crowded
and uncrowded fields; and Mrs. Curtis Bok spoke at a dinner­
meeting on Marriage and the Position of the College Woman
in the Community. In the intervening years between the con­
ferences investigating opportunities are provided for small
specially interested groups by field trips to plants or organi­
zations within easy reach and by bringing to the College rep­
resentatives of training schools, such as the Bank Street Teacher
Training School in New York or Prince Retail School in
Boston. This year two special programs were planned. The
Business Round Table in the fall brought representatives from
Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company, Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad, Bell Telephone and International Business Machine.
And in the spring there was an afternoon devoted to expert
advice on good and bad application letters and good and bad
personal interviews with employers. The other general method
of guidance is by means of informal lectures to Freshmen
and Sophomores, chiefly for the purpose of giving informa­
tion about various fields and the preparation necessary for
them and for showing how certain backgrounds tie up with
certain occupations.
The individual guidance is continuous throughout the year.
The chief organized effort is for the benefit of the Seniors.
Personal interviews are held with each Senior woman during
the fall to give assistance in settling on a definite program if it
is desired or to give information about the best methods and
places of training if an occupation has been decided upon.
Definite leads are given to be used during the Christmas holi­
day; and on the basis of those, further conferences are held

T

throughout the remaining months of the year. The spring
vacation is often used as the time for making the final contact
and decision. A good deal of personal attention is given to
helping students make out Personal Data Sheets and write
application letters. Individual guidance extends to other
students in College upon request and is primarily concerned
with summer employment.
Placement activities can also be divided into general and
particular. Two major efforts are made on a fairly large scale.
In February a mimeographed list of those Seniors interested
in teaching is sent to approximately seventy-five schools. This
list includes personal information about the individual, any
specific training which may have been acquired as well as the
major and minor subjects studied in College, and any work
experience which may be pertinent. At the same time recom­
mendations for each Senior are provided by the major depart­
ment, extra-curricular activity cards are filed, and copies of
other recommendations which may be useful are collected. The
other major placement effort is a similar list compiled of all
women students interested in camp positions and sent to
about the same number of private and welfare camps.
The individual placement is on a larger scale than this
general form. A great many students wish to make use of their
summer vacations to earn or to get experience. These persons
are given leads wherever possible which they follow up under
direction. A good many calls for volunteer work come to the
office, particularly from welfare agencies, and the proper per­
sons are advised of such opportunities.
There is another aspect of the vocational office which is
on a much less organized basis. That is the registration and
assistance given to graduates. No particular effort has been
made to classify the major part of the Alumni, but over a
period of four years a file of approximately three hundred and
fifty alumnae who are interested in having their records kept
for reference for new positions has been collected. Cards are
sent to these persons in the fall for additional information and
to learn if they still want to remain in the active files. When
the teachers’ list is made up, cards are also sent to persons
already in teaching positions or in training courses; and if
they so designate, their names are included on that list. The
rest of the file is maintained for reference when unsolicited
requests come in for specific positions. Assistance is also given
to alumnae who make the request in making contacts for jobs.
Frequently a recent graduate who has decided to make a
change in occupation or one who has delayed making a
decision will write for suggestions and recommendations, and
the same attention is given to such requests as is given to
undergraduates..
There are two major difficulties at this stage of develop­
ment. One involves the positions in which undergraduates
and recent graduates may be placed; and one involves informa­
tion about graduates who wish placement. The latter should
be taken care of by this article. If there are any graduates
who may be in a position to be interested in employment,
information should be sent to Nora Booth at the College.
Requests have come in for anything from accountants to legal
secretaries and Y. W. C. A. directors, and from teachers in
(Continued on Page 5)

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PROGRAM FACING NEW PROBLEMS
M AN Y M EN STUD EN TS A L R E A D Y D RA FTED
by

Carl K. D e LLMUTH, ’31

N the early fall of last year a complete report was sub­
mitted to the Joint Alumni Councils covering the present
program of vocational guidance and placement for men. In
that report we called particular attention to the problems of
starting such a program in 1938 and what had been accom­
plished in the intervening period of two years. Guidance and
placement as separate but related functions were discussed at
some length but the focus of attention was in the direction of
normal times and long range planning. Now, just seven
months later, most of our basic problems have been changed
because of our nation’s involvement in the present world
crisis. No longer can we subscribe to methods which do not
first consider the scope of the Selective Service Act and how
it does or will affect the individual to be counselled. Thus
vocational guidance and placement for college men is on a
detour, so to speak—one which is certain to be temporary in
most respects but which at the same time hints at certain
permanent changes for the future.

I

In October, 1940, fifty-four Swarthmore men registered for
military service under the terms of the Selective Service Act.
Already about twenty percent of these men have been called
to duty but deferred until the end of their college year. By
commencement more will have become eligible for induc­
tion into the service. In June (this date has been set tentatively
by the Selective Service Board) a new registration period will
take care of those students who did not register previously
because they had not reached the minimum age limit at that
time. It is conceivable, therefore, that by late summer all of our
present senior men, and some of our underclassmen will have
had registration completed and that most of this group will be
actually engaged in some phase of military service. Certainly
no guidance or placement program would have considered such
a possibility a year or two ago.
In the Swarthmore group of draftees we find pre-medics,
chemistry and physics majors who in many cases have been
granted fellowships for graduate study, engineers, and finally
those of the arts college, including men planning a career in
law and teaching. The present draft laws exempt none of
these groups unless "occupational indispensability,” as it per­
tains to national defense, can be established. To date, the local

draft boards have been inclined to exempt undergraduate en­
gineers from military service where such men have been offered
positions with industries engaged in filling vital defense
contracts. The rest of the groups, categorically have been
shown no special consideration. Whether such legislation is
wise is not for us to discuss here—but that such a program
temporarily wrecks normal vocational and placement plan­
ning is a foregone conclusion. Furthermore, it is quite possible
that the situation will become worse before it gets better.
What then should the liberal arts college do to meet these
problems—more specifically perhaps, what is Swarthmore
going to do about it? Frankly, our plans are by no means
completed and we are studying the possibilities from every
conceivable angle. An alumni committee is co-operating with
the College in this matter and already has been of invaluable
assistance. We are somewhat encouraged that the War and
Navy Departments are taking great care to classify these men
according to their special aptitudes once they are inducted into
service. But we are more concerned that the men be intelli­
gently placed in the kind of work which will be of greatest
service to the country in the general application of the defense
program—this in some cases should mean deferment from
actual military service.
From a purely vocational standpoint we are inclined to con­
tinue our present methods except to point out some practical
difficulties in interrupting certain career studies because of the
year of compulsory military service. A detailed account of these
vocational methods is available to every alumnus of the Col­
lege on request and we would be happy for suggestions of
any kind. Our work in placement will likewise follow the
same general pattern of the past two years. In 1939 82% of
our senior men had been placed by commencement. In 1940
this figure had risen to 86% and this year the percentage of
placements (including draftees) will be even greater. We
are not oblivious to the fact, however, that whatever we do
toward placing a majority of these men today means that we
are taking care of an emergency situation and that the job
will have to be done over again when the world settles down
to peaceful pursuits.

( Continued from Page 4)

the United States and its possessions to Gallup Poll repre­
sentatives and merchandising research workers.
The other major difficulty involving information about
available jobs is one in which, it seems, the alumni and
alumnae of the College could be of assistance. Some years
ago a rather extensive inquiry was made of alumni who would
be interested and willing to be of assistance to undergraduates
wishing information and specific contacts. The response was
most gratifying and many of these persons have been of great
assistance. However, if a larger proportion of the alumni
who are in a position to know of available jobs would notify
the officer at such times and would be willing to be called upon

for advice and assistance a more effective system could be
put in working order. The largest need is for those who of
necessity must earn during the summer. Work as waitresses,
clerical assistants, companions and mothers’ helpers in private
homes, playground supervisors, salesmen in stores, and other
types of v/ork which will give either maintenance or cash are
in great demand; and the contacts are too few to satisfy the
demand. Whether assistance is given by organized effort on
the part of alumni organizations or whether it comes from
individuals is immaterial. But if such an interest and such
cooperation could be forthcoming, the placement aspect of the
work in particular could be put on a more constructive basis
and the guidance end could be greatly strengthened.

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VARSITY
"Varsity Swarthmoreans” is an attempt to focus your attention on some of our fellow
alumni who are doing a commendable job in the game of life. This feature will be
repeated from time to time, and we invite nominations from Garnet Letter readers.
" I m p u ls iv e , earnest,
prompt to act,
And make her generous
thoughts a fact.’’
Still applicable to HNN-H CL-TH — R is
this verse of Whittier’s
found in the ’91 Hal­
cyon. Still familiar is
the characteristic remark
noted in the same tone
"The very i-d-e-a! I
never heard of such a
thing!” In her under­
graduate days, Hannah
Clothier evinced an in­
terest in women’s ac­
tivities, and all activities.
She was the first Secre­
H a n n a h C lo t h ie r
tary of her class, Secre­
H u l l , ’91
tary of Somerville; and
Secretary Treasurer of the Glee Club, where as an Alto she
"listened to Nellie Passmore and tried to follow.”
Swarthmore was her college, and Swarthmore is her home.
In 1898 she married the late Dr. William I. Hull, Professor
of History and International Relations, and a member of the
college faculty since 1892.
After graduation Hannah Clothier Hull took post-graduate
work at Bryn Mawr College in 1897-98, and continued her
interest in work for the advancement of women. She was
elected to executive positions of the Woman’s Suffrage Associa­
tion; the Pennsylvania State Federation of Women’s Clubs; the
Sleighton Farm Reformatory for Girls; the Pennsylvania
Mothers Assistance Fund (an appointment by the Governor
of the State) ; and Pendle Hill, Quaker Centre for graduate
study.
An ardent Friend, Hannah Hull has always taken an active
part in all the business meetings of the Society and as an
advocate of International Peace she has been closely associated
with all Friend’s Committees for its furtherance. From her work
with, and in, this group her interest broadened and she became
an active worker for the cause of "International Peace” in
many organizations.
During the World War of 1914, Mrs. Hull served on a
personnel committee that selected women for the American
Friends’ Service for reconstruction work among the civilians
in France and Russia, and later for the Child Feeding in
Germany and Austria. Since this World War Mrs. Hull’s chief
work has been through the American Friends’ Service Com­
mittee and the Women’s International League for Peace and
Freedom.
The W. I. L. had its beginning in the famous International
Congress of Women that met at the Hague in 1915. Under the
leadership of Hannah Hull the United States section of this
organization developed into a national power for peace. She
was the President of the Women’s International League from
1924 to 1939 with a year’s leave of absence for a journey

around the world.
Today, 1941, we find Mrs. Hull still active in working
for the benefit of mankind, as chairman of the Refugee Com­
mittee of the W. I. L. and a member of the committee doing
the same type of work in the Friends’ Service Committee. She
is also a member of Herbert Hoover’s National Committee on
Food for the Small Democracies.
Dr. and Mrs. Hull, working together, have devoted years
of service to the cause of Peace, and although today World
Peace may seem to some a lost cause, we know that to Mrs.
Hull, as to many others, it is only thwarted at present and
that it is to people like her that we are indebted for our faith
and hope that some way will be found to use the peace
machinery already at hand for solving world problems.
by

L ydia W illiam s R oberts , ’97.

"The boy wonder”—that is how the Saturday Evening Post
has described frequent-contributor Robert E. Kintner.
Kintner truly has been a streak since Swarthmore com­
mencement of 1931. Now 31, he is a partner of Joseph Alsop
in the highly-regarded daily newspaper column, "The Capitol
Parade,” and in the recent vital book, "American White
Paper.”
Bob is considered almost a sure bet to keep Swarthmore rep­
resented next generation when it comes to columns of biggest
circulation. Drew Pearson, T9, is, of course, half of Pearson
and Allen, who write for the longest list of newspapers ever
to run a column, 315. Kintner and Alsop hold an equivalent
position in the sphere of up-and-coming columnists, serving
108 papers. Their clients include The Washington Post, The
New York Herald Tribune, The Chicago Times and The Phila­
delphia Bulletin.
Bob got his foot-hold with The Herald Tribune. He went
there as a Wall Street reporter in 1933, after two years of
rudimentary preparation in publicity work in the Pocono
Mountains of Pennsyl­
vania, near his Strouds­
burg home, and in Phil­
adelphia. Two years of
Wall Street convinced
The Herald Tribune that
Kintner was not a man
to minimize, and he was
shipped to Washington
to cover T re a su ry ,
Securities and Exchange
Commission and similar
financial agencies. Even
this was but a stepping
stone. T he H erald
Tribune fin a lly p r o ­
moted Kintner to the
key assignments of cov­
ering Congress and the
A lsop a nd K in t n e r , ’31
White House.
By, 1937, when he was just 26, Kintner’s talents had over­
flown a single paper, and he and Alsop, formerly a partner

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7

SWARTHMOREANS
with Turner Catledge of The New York Times in many
articles, were invited by North American Newspaper Alliance
to team up for a new column. This Fall, Kintner and Alsop
received a better offer from the Herald Tribune Syndicate,
and changed sponsors.
Kintner combines many qualities that make for prominence
in journalism. He can sniff and steam-shovel for news, writes
vividly, and commands a wealth of facts and ideas from his
social science honors work at Swarthmore. He has more, a
facility for getting along with people, and is said to enter, for
instance, C. I. O. headquarters and J. P. Morgan’s with equal
welcome. Hardly any detriment, of course, are some of his
specific Swarthmore entrees, including his class-mate, Peter
Nehemkis, who until recently was ace counsel for the Tempo­
rary National Economic Committee, and Leon Henderson, ’20,
a brother past-editor of the Phoenix.
by

A. Sid n ey B la tt , ’35.

In 1872 Mary Louise Montgomery was born in Coleraine
Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, on a farm that had
belonged to her father’s family since the days when the land
was first cleared. She prepared for college in the Union High
School, Coleraine Township—a private school which antedated
the opening of the free public high school in this state. She
completed her preparation for medicine by spending a year
at Swarthmore College as a special student in the class of
1895. Advanced chemistry and other pre-medical subjects
were available in that year before the days of a standard pre­
medical course.
A member of the last three-year class of the Woman’s
Medical College in Philadelphia, she was graduated in 1895.
Internship was not an integral part of medical training in
those days, but Dr.
Montgomery won and
accepted an internship
in the New England
Hospital, Boston for the
year 1895-96.
From that date Mary
Louise Montgomery has
practiced general medi­
cine in Mount Pleasant
in western Pennsylvania.
In 1900 she married a
doctor, W. A. Marsh,
and with him and her
father-in-law, Dr. F. L.
Marsh, was made a
member of the original
staff of the Henry Clay
M ary M o n t g o m er y
M arsh , '95

Fri<* . M emorial H os'
P‘tal $ M ouni Pieasan/t
when it opened in 1904.

She organized and directed the maternity department of that
hospital until about 1930 and remained as a lecturer on
(Continued on Page 10)

Henry C. Turner is
one of Swarthmore’s
youngest alumni. A chat
with this alert, enthusi­
astic Quaker would con­
vince the most dissent­
ing skeptic of the verac­
ity of that statement.
Perhaps it is the twinkle
in his eye when he re­
lates that because he was
good to Mrs. Bond in
his undergraduate days
he could get away with
almost a n y t h i n g —
"within limits,” or may­
be it is the ardent man­
ner with which he
describes the current
successes of his com­
H en r y C. T u r n e r , ’93
pany, but one suspects
that this youthful mien
is the reflection of a
clear, steady flame of integrated personality fed by years of
liking, being liked, and getting along with people.
Born in Betterton, Maryland, on October 16, 1871, Henry
was graduated from Swarthmore College in 1893 with a B. S.
degree in Engineering after studying under Professor Beards­
ley. He now claims no proficiency in athletics as an under­
graduate, although he played scrub football at times, but in
looking over his records he finds the winning of a golf tourna­
ment in 1935 at the Highland Park Florida Club, of which
he is an active member, with a score of 82-82-84.
A member of the Delphic Literary Club and Phi Kappa Psi,
he was active on the Halcyon and Phoenix in college. He was
later elected to Sigma Xi and to Book and Key. In 1903 he
received his C. E. degree from Swarthmore, and in 1939
Turner was elected as an honorary member of the local chapter
of Phi Beta Kappa. The same year, 1923, that his oldest son,
Chandlee, received his degree from Swarthmore, Henry re­
ceived the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Engineering.
A member of the Swarthmore Club of New York, Henry
Turner’s love for the college is well-known by us all; it has
been given expression by his service on the Board of Managers
since 1912—Chairman of the Executive Committee since Dec.,
1934.
Four of his children attended Swarthmore: H. Chandlee,
’23; Katherine Turner Parsons, ’26; Howard Haines, ’30, and
Robert C., ’36. "There are now fifteen prospective students
of the third generation of Turners, nine of whom are my
grandchildren,” he says with a smile.
When asked if anything prior to graduation from Swarth­
more pointed to his present life’s work, he replied, "Hard
work!” A brief sketch of his career and duties bears this out.
Graduated in the depression period of 1893, there were few
opportunities for young engineers; the first seven or eight
years were "checkered.”
His first job was for E. Lawrence Fell ’88, of Philadelphia
( Continued on Page 10)

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MAKE IT YOURSELF
by

R obert E. Spiller

T was not more than
ten years ago that
a member of the faculty
stopped in at the Engi­
neering shops to ask
Uncle George Bourdelais to make a fire-screen
for him like those he
had made for the fra­
ternity lodges.
"Make it yourself,”
said Uncle George.
"But I don’t know
how. I never did any­
thing with metal.”
'T il help you.”
That incident may or
may not have had some­
thing to do with the
A rts . . .
present popularity of
creative work in the arts
at Swarthmore, but it gives an excellent notion of the attitude
of the College toward this work.

I

There is, of course, a faculty committee on the arts and
crafts and there is a wide variety of creative activities which
fall under its care. They range from entirely informal groups
with a shifting population, through clubs which have been
organized by students, to courses which are offered by regular
members of the faculty but which carry no grades or "credit.”
The entire west wing of Old Science Hall and the top floor of
Beardsley—to say nothing of innumerable faculty living rooms
and other odd corners about the campus—are devoted to
these groups. The College provides a secretary whose respon­
sibility it is to keep such records as exist of these activities
and to help in their routine work. And it would not be an
exaggeration to say that considerably more than half our
undergraduates are engaged in following one or more lines
of creative activity as a part of this program.
There are a few simple principles which motivate this
work. The first is that, although Swarthmore as a liberal arts
college considers the development of intelligent human beings
as its primary aim, it recognizes the principle that creative
expression is as important to health as physical exercise. The
second is that the reward for such work lies in the work itself
and in the satisfaction that comes to the worker rather than in
any grades or awards or credits. The third is that the value in
creative work is relative to the ability of the artist rather than
to any absolute standards. If one has sufficient mastery of
technique to produce something satisfying to himself, he gains
a reward entirely apart from the artistic brilliance of the per­
formance. The game is played for the playing rather than for
the score.
At present, these creative activities fall under seven general
classifications: music, which includes the Chorus, the Orches­
tra, the Informal Singing group, the Chamber Music group,
the Band, and the Glee Club; dramatics, which includes the
Workshop Theatre and its courses in acting, production, and

writing, and the public performances of the Little Theatre
Club and the foreign language departments; writing, which
includes an open house for writers, groups in the various types
of writing, corrective composition, the Dodo, and the Book­
makers’ Club; public speaking and debate, ranging from cor­
rective work in speech, through the choral verse groups to
radio debates; the graphic and plastic arts, sketching and
modeling; the crafts, wood and metal working, printing,
linoleum block cutting and wood carving, pottery, and photog­
raphy; and the dance, folk, modern and social.
The flexibility of the program is one of its most valuable
and distinctive features. Interest in the various arts and crafts
varies with new student generations, with new years, and
with variations in the pressure of academic, athletic and social
demands at any one time. One year there will be intense
activity among the photographers, usually because of the en­
thusiasm of a single leader. With his graduation, the Camera
Club may fall upon less happy days, but the Bookmakers
may that year produce a book, original from the poems included
to the final illustration and binding. The literary quarterly
may one year be modeled on the Atlantic Monthly, the next,
under a new name, on the New Yorker. There may be epi­
demics of copper trays, clay vases, wooden bowls, or carved
plaques. Clothier may be filled to hear Trial by Jury or the
Haydn Mass in B-Flat Major, later recorded by RCA Victor.
The football team may one year have its uniformed band, the
next the Social Committee may have at its disposal a student
jazz orchestra. The dance groups may lead the college in old
fashioned square dances one evening and a month later put
on in Collection an exhibition of the modern dance to the
accompaniment of the recitations of the choral verse group.
Any student or group of students may find within the range
of the creative arts program an outlet not only for his own
interests but for his leadership.
All of this has been accomplished at minimum expense. The
"activity fee,” charged
against all students, pro. . . and C rafts
v i d e s the necessary
equipment and materi­
als for a surprising
small sum. F a c u l t y
members have generous­
ly contributed of time
and energy, and the
College has employed a
few resident directors
and visiting artists on
part time. The entire
program has an annual
budget of less than is
required for the average
department. And no aid
from outside sources has
been sought or received,
even! though such aid
would have tonic effect

I

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_____________ ?

"DOC” PALMER RELINQUISHES ATHLETIC DUTIES
by

C harles G. T hatcher , Chairman of the Athletic Committee

letics. After Dr. Mercer accepted the call to the University of
Pennsylvania in 1931, the guidance of the Department was
turned over to Dr. Palmer. For the last two years he has been
Acting Director of Athletics and Physical Education for Men.
During this time our athletic teams have turned in a good
account of themselves and the department has developed a
most comprehensive program.

N the fall of 1891 a freshman entered Swarthmore from
"down the pike” in Concordville and quickly established
himself as one of the finest athletes the college had ever
seen. In July, 1941, just fifty years later, that same man
will retire from active participation in the affairs of the
Department of Physical Education— a record which seldom
has been equalled in the history of intercollegiate athletics.

I

Sam Palmer, called "Doc” by the younger generation, is so
well known to Swarthmoreans the world over it seems some­
what superfluous to make a record of his contribution to the
athletic destiny of the college. As an undergraduate he was
a star in football. Built "close to the ground,” very sturdy,
and very fast, he was an exceedingly hard running back, and
a constant threat to the opposition. For three years he played
every minute of every game at right halfback. In those days
a player’s endurance was taken for granted, but even to this
day "Doc” can finish a busy day’s work with plenty of pep and
energy. (The accompanying picture is the Swarthmore foot­
ball team of which "Doc” was a member. Can’t you recog­
nize him as the curly haired, heavily mustached athlete in the
front row?)
In his senior year at college, Sam Palmer, track captain,
was in certain respects a team in himself. Indeed, in the
Middle Atlantic States meet in 1895 Sam scored eighteen
points single-handed by winning the 100 yard dash, 220 low
hurdles, the broad jump and placing second in the 220 yard
dash. He was the first Swarthmore man to run the "100” in
ten seconds flat and established other records which stamped
him as one of the greatest track men of his time.
After graduating from college, Sam coached football and
track at the Swarthmore Preparatory School and later became
its Athletic Director. During this period, however, he remained
in constant touch with college athletics and officiated many
games for Yale, Princeton, Syracuse and other big universities.
After taking his doctorate at Harvard, he joined the Swarth­
more College faculty in 1909 as Assistant Professor of Biology
and Geology, and was made a full Professor in 1926. Since
1928 he has been head of the Department of Botany.
Since 1911 he has served on the Athletic Committee and
for twenty-six years he has been Graduate Manager of Ath­

It will be impossible to think of Swarthmore athletics with­
out thinking of "Doc” Palmer. Not only in the Swarthmore
family has his influence been felt but in the entire intercol­
legiate world as well. He has frequently held office in the
Middle Atlantic States College Athletic Association and has
represented the college on numerous occasions at athletic meet­
ings of national importance. But the greatest contribution Sam
Palmer has made lies in his constant vigil over Swarthmore’s
athletic affairs, his success in matching our teams against
college teams of our own class, his insistence on fair play and
sportsmanlike conduct, his concern that the managers perform
their duties in a way to reflect only credit on their Alma
Mater, his ability to appraise the coaching done and its effect
on the players, his watch over our athletic buildings and
fields especially, with an eye to the safety of players and
spectators.
Although
of Athletics
Botany. But
Swarthmore
athletics.

he will retire from active duty in
he will continue at the college
whatever he does he will always
athletes and the "Granddaddy”

the Department
as Professor of
be the Dean of
of Swarthmore

Succeeding "Doc” Palmer as the Director of Athletics
will be Carl K. Dellmuth, ’31, who takes up these duties
in addition to his present work as Alumni Executive Secre­
tary. Carl, an open Scholar in his undergraduate days, found
time to play on the football, basketball and baseball teams for
four years. He was captain of basketball and baseball and
president of the Men’s Athletic Association. In addition to
this, he was an excellent student and won the universal high
regard of faculty and students alike.
After spending seven successful years in the insurance busi­
ness, he returned to the
College to fill the newly
created post of Alumni
Executive Secretary. In
this job he has, during
the past three years, met
a very large proportion
of Swarthmore’s alumni
and helped to organize
them into active loyal
groups. As a member of
the Faculty Committee
on Athletics, Carl has
kept in close touch with
sports and physical edu­
cation, and is unusually
well qualified in all re­
spects to head up the
athletic program.

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LOST, STRAYED OR MARRIED
Do You Know Where or to W hom ? The Alumni Recorder Does
N ot and Will Appreciate Any News That W ill Help to Find Them
J o se ph in e W h it e Br eck o n s , ’79
C harles R. B r o w n in g , ’82
M ary Sharpless K en w o r t h y , ’83
Caleb F. C o p e , ’88
R o w land I vins H a in es , ’88
M ary E liza beth P anco a st , ’90
C lara P iggott R o b in so n , ’97
B. F r a n k l in B e a n , ’00
N orm a n D a rlin g to n V e r n o n , ’03
A lice T im m o n s M o n tgo m ery , ’09
Sa m u el E astburn P h ip p s , T 2
F lorence M. M ered ith , T3
C a rolyn Stra tton Su m m e r , T 4
F rederick P yle G u telius , T 7
H el e n Ca th er in e C lark , ’17
M argaret B. L it t e l l , ’18
Louise L ew is , T 8
M ary D arrach H alsey , ’18
F rederick W illiam Sc h o e w , T 9
H el e n e Sco tt H o lm es , T 9
E d ith T aylor La m m o t , ’22
G eorge J. C o u r t n e y , ’23
H en ry C h ase , ’23
D avid R. W a tson , ’24
G ertrude W . Y a r n a ll , ’24
H ilda G race R u c h , ’25
C h arlotte C rocker B ro om a ll , ’25
K am H o n C h a n , ’26
G eorge R o w e , ’26

H arold Edward M ertz , ’26
E lizabeth W hite Sm ith , ’26
J ean M ayer Conway , ’27
A lexander M cD ougall, ’28
A lice B urling Singleton , ’28
Carl A . A renanper , ’28
W illiam Edwin Lednum , J r ., ’29
A lice A tkinson J ohnson , ’30
G eorgene K eith H opkins , ’30
J ane Ramine Large, ’30
Charles Chia I C heng , ’31
D ouglas A . Sunderland , M . D ., ’31
Edwin L. N ew pher , ’31
A nna C ocks H u f f , ’31
M elva Sm ith Lundy , ’31
W ales E. Sm ith , ’32
Catherine Rambo B ull , ’32
Sarah Sargent Ramberg, ’32
M abel E mma Brooks, ’32
W . W endell Clepper , ’33
D orothy P auline H um phrey , ’34
J anet P arry C u lin , ’34
R uth W eaver Bauer , ’34
D orothy A lden K och , ’35
Laszlo Borbas, ’35
Lionell D . Bright , ’35
P aul A lden H adley, ’35
M atthew D u P ont M ason , ’35

TURNER
( Continued from Page 7)
in advertising and printing business. In 1895 he moved to
New York by invitation of Frederick C. Hicks, ’93, to become
engineer for U. S. Leather Company. He later accepted the
position of engineer for the Brooklyn W harf & Warehouse
Co. and in 1900 found himself out of a job, because of a
change in management of the company.
"This marked the change in my career,” he says. He ac­
cepted a position of draftsman with Ransome Concrete Com­
pany (controlled by the Pratt interests of Standard O il).
Ernest L. Ransome, the president, was an inventor and pioneer
in reinforced concrete construction. He was not a good busi­
ness man, and the Pratts withdrew their interest in the company
in 1901.
This change gave him the opportunity to create a company
and to secure the rights to use the Ransome patents. The
Turner Construction Company was formed and began business
in May, 1902, with Henry Turner as President and Director,
his present capacity.
It may be interesting to note that the first job of the Turner
Construction Co. was a small concrete bank vault costing
$690.00. It is a long way from that to the position of one of
the largest construction companies in the world and major par­
ticipation in the Defense Program of the Navy on the Islands
of the Pacific Ocean, estimated to cost around 150 millions of
dollars, extending over the years 1939, 40, 41 and 42— cover­
ing : the construction of Naval Air Bases on the Hawaiian
Islands at Pearl Harbor, Kaneohe Bay on the island of Oahu,
and on Palmyra, Johnston, Midway, Wake, Samoa, Guam
and the Philippines. The Turner Construction Company has
in its employ as officers, engineers, superintendents and staff
222 college men, graduates of 60 different colleges. Eleven
men are graduates of Swarthmore College.
In 1937 Mr. Turner was appointed by President Roosevelt

G eorge M uller , ’35
Edward Ronald W eismiller , ’35
H enry H. N ew ell , ’36
H arold Bertram Steinberg , ’36
Sidney H amilton Robinson , ’36
J eanne C. C urtis, ’36
Ruth Q uinby , ’36
K atherine K. T yson , ’36
D orwin P hilip Cartwright , ’37
Robert L. F oreman , ’37
Charles G arland Steinway , ’37
Raymond G ustave Schroeder, ’37
W illiam J ames Stevens , ’37
M arion Best D rake
E lizabeth P atterson H aller, ’37
E leanor Clapp Stevens , ’37
Burgess H udson , ’38
E manuel Scoll , ’38
Ruth F eeley M errill , ’38
Robertson Sillars, ’39
J oseph L. V ila , ’39
J ane Sh o hl , ’39
A n n Sutton Rice , ’39
H arold A. A dams, ’40
Edward F airchild G reen , ’40
E leanor Evans H arman , ’40
R uth Elvira W olfe , ’40
M argaret R obeson , Ex '42
H oward B. Lew ine , E x ’4 2 ..

to confer with him and the Federal Reserve Board officials
on the advantages of a large Housing Program for this country.
"This was an interesting experience—especially the conferences
with the President,” he says modestly.
Aside from the above activities Henry Turner finds time
to enjoy his farm at Buck Hill Falls, Penna. It is a real farm,
too, and he sells some of his produce to the Inn there, for
which he is a member of the Board of Directors of the Buck
Hill Falls Co. "Last Fall,” he says humorously, "I purchased
a beautiful Ayrshire cow having an unusual name, 'Humming
Bird.’ Her daughter (born last November) has been given
a more appropriate name, 'Butterfly’.”
by H. Stanley L ange , ’38.

M ARSH
( Continued from Page 7)
obstetrics in the Nurses’ Training School of the hospital even
after resigning from active maternity service in 1940.
Three daughters graduated from Swarthmore College—Jean
Marsh Brownfield, ’25; Rebecca Marsh Baker, ’27; and Louise
Marsh Cafferty, ’31. One son, William E. Marsh, M.D., gradu­
ated from Lafayette College, and Jefferson Medical College.
When Jean Marsh entered college in the fall of 1921,
Dr. Aydelotte was just beginning his years as president of
Swarthmore. Dr. Trotter was the only member of the college
faculty remaining from her mother’s student days. Appropri­
ately enough Jean majored under Dr. Trotter and Dr. Palmer,
the latter being a classmate of Dr. Montgomery.
Mary Louise Montgomery Marsh and her daughters are all
merqbers of the Swarthmore Club of Pittsburgh.
by J ean M arsh Brow nfield , ’25.

20

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COMMENCEMENT WEEK PROGRAM
{Daylight Saving Time)
THURSDAY, MAY 29, 1941
Golf Tournament at Rolling Green Country Club
10:30
11:00
12:15
2:30
5:00

6:00
8:30
9:00

FRIDAY, MAY 30, 1941— CLASS DAY
A.M. Ivy Planting: Ivy Orator
A.M. Class Day Exercises. President’s Lawn
P.M. College Luncheon
P.M. Meeting of the Board of Managers
P.M. Annual Business Meeting of the Swarthmore
Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa and Initiation, Bond
Memorial
P.M. College Dinner
P.M. Meeting of the Alumni Councils
P.M. Senior Class Dance, Collection Hall

SATURDAY, MAY 31, 1941—ALUMNI DAY
11:00 A.M. Annual Meeting of the Alumni Association,
Meeting House
R aymond K. D en w orth , President, Presiding
12:30 P.M. - 1:30 P.M. Alumni Buffet Luncheon
Served by the American Friends Service Sewing
Group of the Swarthmore Meeting
2:00 P.M. Parade of Reunion Classes
3:15 P.M. Baseball Game—Drexel Institute vs. Varsity
Tennis Match— Alumni vs. Varsity

Just as we are ready to go to press word comes that our
shipment of 200 dozen Swarthmore Commemoration
Plates has arrived in this Country from the Wedgwood
factory in England. About half of this shipment has
been ordered in advance. The remainder is available to
alumni who get word to us at once, enclosing their
check at the rate of $18.00 per dozen.

ALL alumni are eligible to vote on the enclosed ballot
where a vacancy occurs in THEIR particular zone. Men
vote only for men; women vote only for women. Other
instructions are on the ballot and should be read care­
fully before sending to the College. These ballots should
be returned at once and can not be counted unless they
arrive at the Alumni Office before Wednesday, May 28.

4:00 P.M.
6:00 P.M.
6:30 P.M.
9:00 P.M.
10:00 P.M.

Alumni Tea
Served by the Class of 1942
College Dinner
Class Reunion Suppers
Alumni Dance. College Dining Room
College Sing in front of Parrish Hall
B ert Brow n , Leader

SUNDAY, JUNE 1, 1941—BACCALAUREATE DAY
11:00 A.M.
1:00 P.M.
4:00 P.M.
6:00 P.M.
7:00 P.M.
8:00 P.M.

Baccalaureate Sermon, Clothier Memorial
College Dinner
Members of Faculty at home to Alumni, Seniors
and friends in front of Parrish Hall
College Supper
Last Collection, Clothier Memorial
Phi Beta Kappa Address, Meeting House
R alph Lin t o n

MONDAY, JUNE 2, 1941-COMMENCEM ENT DAY
11:00 A.M.

Commencement Exercises, Clothier Memorial
Conferring of Degrees by the President
12:00 - 1:00 P.M. College Luncheon

Results of Athletic Contests 1940-1941
MEN'S SPORTS
F ootball................................
Soccer ..................................
Cross C ountry.....................
Basketball ...........................
Swimming...........................
F encing................................
* B aseball................................
*Lacrosse ..............................
* Track ..................................
*Tennis ................................
*Golf ....................................

Won
5
5'
2
9
3
2
1
.. 4
.. 2
“S
.. 3
..
..
..
..
..
..

Tied
■-•
1
—

—1
.—
•--§
---

__

W O M E N ’S SPORTS
Hockey ................................ . . 4
1
Basketball ............................ . . 3
1
/w-*.' v
Swimming ......................... • . 3
._ ■
Badminton ......................... . . 4
*Tennis ................................
1
-- .
*GoIf .................................... . . 1
* Season not yet complete.

SEND IN YOUR R E S E R V A T I O N S

FDR A L U MN I DAY

Lost
2
3
3
7
5
• 4
5
1
1
2
3
1
4
3

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1