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the garnet etter
V O L XIII
MAY 1949
NUMBER 3
ALUMNI DAY - JUNE 4. 1949
PROGRAM
Softball— Faculty vs. A lu m n i........ 3:30 p.m.
Alumni Association M eeting............ 11:00 a.m.
Tea—Parrish
Hall
.................. 4:30 p.m.
Luncheon (outdoors if possible) . . 1:00 p.m.
Reunion D inners................................. Evening
D r e w P e a r so n ’19, Luncheon Speaker
The President’s Dance—Parrish .. 9:00 p.m.
Parade of Classes............................. 2:30 p.m.
Alumni Sing—Parrish P o rc h ........ 10:00 p.m.
Baseball Game ............................... 3:30 p.m.
Reservation blank enclosed
2
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MORE ABOUT ALUMNI DAY
Many a milestone will be marked at Swarthmore this June. In contrast to the
class of ’99, planning its 50th reunion, the 219 members of ’49 will probably take
little note of the year 1999, the inexorable date of their 50th reunion.—
BUT CHECK THIS PROGRAM . . .
REMEMBER ALSO . . .
Drew Pearson ’19, guest speaker, back for his 30th,
will be featured in a brief luncheon program.
A photographer will be on hand in the Alumni Office
for those who want individual or group pictures. Proofs
will be available before you leave.
Popular Jack Thompson ’27 will again manage the
parade.
After the parade, a simultaneous doubleheader! Bob
D unn’s Garnet nine will tangle with the M arine Bar
racks Philadelphia Naval Base. O n the north end of
the football field a very unacademic faculty softball
team will take on an alumni team. This much we can
say, John Nason will be the starting pitcher for the
faculty team.
President and Mrs. John W. Nason will be hosts at
the traditional dance starting at nine in the evening.
Bert Brown and Ed Dawes will again be on hand to
lead the singing at 10 P. M.
The pools and the tennis courts will be open for you
and the children.
If you want baby-sitters, make a special note on your
reservation.
IN ADDITION . . .
All the college buildings will be open for inspection.
Dr. Paul Schrecker, professor of philosophy, will open
his personal library to visitors. Housed in Roberts Hall,
on the corner of Chester Road and H arvard Avenue,
this priceless 5000-volume collection of 16th and 17th
century works includes the complete writings of Leibnitz,
many originals, and complete editions of K ant and
Fichte.
GOLF TOURNAMENT — FRIDAY, JUNE 3
Contestants for the President’s Trophy in the
Annual Alumni Golf Tournam ent will again tee
off at the Rolling Green Country Club at 2:30
P. M., June 3.
Entries should be sent immediately to Samuel
G. Eckerd ’26, Swarthmore College.
First awarded in 1939 by Frank Aydelotte, the
present holder of the trophy is George Wil
liams ’48.
Reunion Headquarters
1879
1884
1889
1894
1899
1904
1909
1914
West End Parlor
West End Parlor
West End Parlor
West End Parlor
Somerville Parlor
Lodge 1
Lodge 2
Lodges 5 & 6
1919 Commons
1924 Bond Memorial
1929 Somerville Gym
1934 Palmer Lounge
1939 W hittier House
1944 Lodge 4
1947 East End Parlor
RESERVATIONS
L u n ch e o n reservations m ay be picked up in P arrish
H a ll any tim e^before 1 :0 0 P.M . on J u n e 4 th or will be
m ailed w h en a self-addressed, stam p ed envelope ac
com panies th e reservation. Please send paid reservation
in advance.
I f you are a m em ber of one of th e R e u n io n classes
please m ake y our reserv atio n fo r the R eunion Dinner
with your Class R eunion C h a irm a n a n d not th ro u g h the
A lum ni Office.
Because of overcrow ded housing conditions, the
n u m b er of available C ollege room s is lim ited. Paid
reservations w ill be accepted in th e o rd e r of th e ir receipt,
a n d w hen o u r cap acity is reach ed any fu rth e r a p p lic a
tions will have to be re tu rn e d . H ousing reservations will
not be accepted after June 1st. R eservations will be held
in th e H ouse D ire c to r’s Office (W est E nd — P a rrish ).
RESERVATION BLANK FOR ALUMNI DAY — 1949
ALUMNI OFFICE, SWARTHMORE COLLEGE
1. Alumni Luncheon
........Reservations @ $1.00 (payment in advance) _________ $
2. Housing (Women in Parrish—Men in Wharton)
For Friday______ ____Saturday__________ Sunday......... .....
□
□
□
□
Q
Myself
Husband or wife
Sons, a g es________
Daughters, ages__ __ _
Others
Housing Reservations
cannot be accepted
after June 1st
Total of____________ rooms @ $1.50 per person per night
(payment in advance)...........................................—
------$......—-
Total check enclosed*............................... ................ --------$1............. —
*Please make checks payable to Swarthmore College and send with
reservations to the Alumni Office.
Name...... .................................... ..........................................— Class ......................... .
Address................................................................................................................ ...............
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garnet
IN
letter
BRIEF
Edgar M . Rauh ’23 Memorial
Five Swarthmore graduates have
contributed to a series of studies re
cently published by the University of
Pennsylvania Press titled “IndustryWide Collective Bargaining” . -Edited
by George W. Taylor, this series in
cludes studies by Frank C. Pierson
’34, currently on leave from Swarth
more at the Institute of Industrial
Relations at the University of Cali
fornia; Sylvestor S. G arrett ’33, re
cently appointed to the law faculty
at Stanford; M. Thomas Kennedy
’34, professor of industry at Penn;
Clark Kerr ’32, Director of Califor
nia’s Institute of Industrial Relations
and John E. Seybold ’36, Industrial
Relations representative, Printing In
dustries of Philadelphia.
FOLK FESTIVAL
Swarthmore’s annual folk festival
this spring comes on May 6, 7 and 8.
Unique among intercollegiate events,
Swarthmore yearly invites squaredancers and folk-music lovers to par
ticipate in a week-end full of events.
Highlighting the celebration will be
a concert on Sunday afternoon by the
famed folk singer, John Jacob Niles.
There will be square-dancing in the
Field House Friday and Saturdav
nights, a demonstration of foreign
dances on Saturday morning, and a
concert Saturday afternoon by Woody
Guthrie of “Talking Union” fame.
Dick Best of H arvard will be on hand
Saturday night to do the calling.
Everyone is invited.
OSBORNE QUAYLE T 9
Dr. Osborne R. Quayle, professor
of chemistry at Emory University was
recently awarded the Herty Medal
for his outstanding contribution to
chemistry in the southeast. This
award was made in recognition of his
advanced research and because of his
work in raising the level of graduate
study at Emory, one of the first uni
versities in the southeast to meet the
standards necessary for awarding a
Ph.D. in chemistry.
3
SCOTT FOUNDATION
In a public demonstration of its
twenty years of operation, the Arthur
Hoyt Scott Horticultural Foundation
announces an all-day open house on
May 10.
Headed by John C. Wister and en
thusiastically supported by its found
er, Mrs. Arthur Hoyt Scott ’96, the
Foundation staff has developed the
Swarthmore campus into one of the
loveliest in the country.
Everyone is welcome to visit during
part or all of the program. Here is
the schedule:
Mounted in the ante-room of the men’s pool,
this attractive records board was presented to
Swarthmore by forty Cleveland friends of
Edgar M. Rauh. Active in the group presenting
this memorial w as Edwin M. Joseph '21, long
time friend of Mr. Rauh.
FACULTY NEWS
Susan P. Cobbs, dean of women,
journeyed to Chicago, April 18-21 to
preside at the sectional meeting of
college deans held during the con
vention of the National Association
of Deans of Women.
Late M arch found President John
W. Nason in South Carolina giving
two speeches at Furman University
and addressing the South Carolina
Association of College Registrars. In
April he presented one of the Avirell
lectures at Colby College in Maine:
his topic, “M an Against Darkness.”
Patrick Malin of the economics de
partm ent has been lecturing part-time
at the Crozer Theological Seminary
this semester, filling the gap left there
by the sudden death of a close friend.
Ex-faculty in the news include for
mer political science professor, Arnaud Leavelle who has been ap
pointed an associate professor at Stan
ford; and Jean Walton ’35, ex-math
instructor and assistant dean of
women, who becomes dean of women
at Pomona next fall.
11:00 a.m . —- P ru n in g dem onstration
starting from the steps of M artin.
12:30 — Picnic lunches m ay be eaten
in the Scott O utdoor A uditorium .
(Bond, in case of rain.)
2:00 p.m . — H a rry W ood, A cting
S uperintendent of B uildings and
G rounds, will discuss a n d illustrate
w ith colored slides th e w ork of the
F oundation.
3:00 p.m . — C o n d u cted to u r of the
cam pus.
BEQUESTS
The Swarthmore College Bequest
Committee with Claude C. Smith T4
as Chairman, has been meeting regu
larly since last September. The basic
purpose of this Committee is to bring
to the attention of alumni and friends
the opportunities to assist Swarthmore
College by appropriate provisions in
wills and trusts.
The Committee calls attention to
the recent decisions of the United
States Supreme Court showing that
in preparing a trust it is important
to eliminate even the remote possi
bility that the trust will revert to the
grantor in the event of the prior death
of his family. In one recent case a
federal estate tax of more than
$400,000 would have been avoided
if an educational institution or charity
had been named to receive the trust
fund in the event of the prior death
of all members of the grantor’s family.
The Committee does not expect to
make direct personal appeals to the
alumni, but stands ready to assist any
interested alumni, and to discuss the
opportunities for bequests to Swarth
more College in terms of its continu
ing needs.
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EDW ARD BRINTON TEMPLE '91
The Swarthmore community was
stunned by the sudden death, on
M arch 12th, of Edward Brinton
Temple of the Class of 1891. Over
a period of many years Mr. Temple
has been a familiar figure in the Bor
ough and around the College. Still
active as President of the Swarthmore
National Bank and Trust Company
and as Treasurer of Swarthmore Col
lege, he will be widely missed by his
colleagues, neighbors and friends.
Born in Concordville, Pa., Mr.
Temple entered Swarthmore College
in the fall of 1887. As.an undergradu
ate he was an outstanding student in
engineering and laid well the foun
dations for his future career. He was
also active in the extra curricular life
of the college and has been long re
membered as a top athlete, especially
on the football field. He was gradu
ated with honors, in the way that
honors were bestowed in those days,
by being selected as one of the Com
mencement speakers.
Mr. Temple became chief engineer
of the eastern branch of the Penn
sylvania Railroad. As such, he di
rected the construction of the 30th
Street Station in Philadelphia, the
electrification of the lines, and the
elevation of the tracks through
Chester. He retired from this posi
tion in 1939.
In 1911 he was elected the second
president of the Swarthmore National
EDWARD B. TEMPLE
Bank and Trust Company. Holding
this position until his death, he is be
lieved to have been a bank president
longer than any other banker in
Pennsylvania.
Mr. Temple was a member of the
Union League, of the Swarthmore
Chapter of Phi K appa Psi Fraternity
and of the Pennsylvania Historical
Society. He is survived by his wife,
a son and a daughter and six grand
children.
The following remarks made by
John W. Nason at the funeral serv
ices on M arch 15 th are a well ex
pressed estimate of Mr. Temple’s
character:
“Edward Temple was connected
with Swarthmore College in one way
or another for sixty-two years. In
1918 he became a member of the
Board of Managers and served con
tinuously in that capacity for over
thirty years. In 1940 he was elected
Treasurer of the Corporation of the
College. He served in an active ca
pacity on more of the Board’s com
mittees than any other member of
that body, and as a member of its
working committees, he made many
distinguished contributions to the
welfare and progress of this institu
tion.
“I want particularly to pay tribute
to the kind of loyal and generous
service which he gave to Swarthmore
College and which was typical of his
attitude toward his fellow men. There
was a mixture of shrewdness and
gentleness in his approach to people
and to problems. Indeed, he possessed
an element of sweetness which en
deared him to a great many people.
He loved a joke. This element of
boyishness, which he r e t a i n e d
throughout his long and successful
life, was a guarantee of his remain
ing perpetually young. He gave him
self to many worthwhile causes—to
individual members of the community
and to institutions—notably to this
college. The college, along with the
community, will feel a great sense of
loss with Edward Temple’s going.”
JOHN E. ORCHARD ’ 16 ELECTED ALUMNI M AN AGER
John E. Orchard T6, Professor of
Economic Geography at Columbia
University and noted public figure,
was elected by the alumni to be their
next representative on the Board of
Managers. Mr. O rchard will fill the
vacancy created by the resignation of
Clement M. Biddle ’96. His term will
run through 1950 and this election
brings the total number of Alumni
Managers on the Board to five.
A native of Nebraska, Mr. Orchard
was one of a series of outstanding
Western Swarthmore scholars. He
graduated Phi Beta Kappa, was
editor of both the Phoenix and
Halcyon and belonged to Book and
Key and the Delta Upsilon Fraternity.
He took his Ph.D. in Economics at
Harvard.
In 1920 he was appointed to the
Columbia faculty and, except for sev
eral leaves, has been there ever since.
Last year he served as Acting Dean
in addition to his regular teaching
duties.
His special interest has been the
Far East and with his wife, the
former Dorothy A. Johnson ’18, has
lived in Asia for extended periods. In
1947 he was awarded the Presidential
Certificate of M erit for outstanding
service in top government posts.
Recently, ECA chief Paul Hoffman
named Mr. O rchard special advisor
to Averell Harrim an, ECA’s roving
ambassador. In that capacity he will
spend the coming months in Paris.
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PROPOSED ALUMNI ASSOCIATION CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS
Article IX — By-Laws
In June 1946 the Alumni Council recommended the appointment of a committee to
consider revisions in the Alumni Association Constitution and By-Laws. The President of
the Association named William Poole ’30, Chairman and Lois Thompson Thompson ’27,
Raymond K. Denworth ’l l , and Richard H. McFeely ’27 as members. After detailed study
the committee recommends the adoption of the documents which follow. These are being
published thirty days before the next meeting of the Association when they will be brought
up for discussion and adoption. This meeting will be held in the Meeting Heuse at
11:00 A.M. on June 4, 1949.
Constitution
Article I — Name
The nam e of this A ssociation shall be
“S W A R T H M O R E C O L L E G E A L U M N I
A S S O C IA T IO N ” .
Article II — Objects
The objects of this A ssociation shall be
to prom ote u n ity an d fellow ship am ong the
alumni an d to advance the interests of
Swarthm ore College.
Article III — Membership
G raduates a n d ex-students of S w arthm ore
College shall, for th e purposes of this C o n
stitution, be considered alum ni a n d shall
autom atically be m em bers of this Associa
tion.
Article IV — Meetings
Section 1.
A n n u al M eetings. T h e an n u al
meeting of this A ssociation shall be held at
Sw arthm ore, Pennsylvania, d u rin g C om
m encement W eek, a t such tim e an d place
as shall be designated by th e A lum ni C o u n
cil or by the P resident.
Sec. 2. Special M eetings. Special m ee t
ings shall be held a t such tim es an d places
as may be designated by th e A lum ni C ouncil
or by the P resident.
Sec. 3. N otice of M eetings. N otice of
meetings shall be given by p u b lic a tio n in
T h e G a r n e t L e t t e r or by such o th er
means as th e A lum ni C ouncil shall from
time to tim e determ ine.
Sec. 4. Q u o ru m -V o tin g . T h e m em bers
present in person shall con stitu te a qu o ru m
at any a n n u a l or special m eeting. E ach
member present shall have one vote on each
question presented.
Article V — Alumni Council
T he business of this A ssociation shall be
managed by a n A lum ni C ouncil. T h ere
shall be elected to th e C ouncil by th e As
sociation, as prescribed by th e By-Laws,
fifteen m en a n d fifteen w om en. In a d d itio n ,
the officers, if elected from th e general
membership of th e A ssociation, shall be
members ex officio of th e C ouncil. T h e
By-Laws shall pro v id e for th e o rganization
of the A lum ni C ouncil, th e term s of office
of the m em bers, th e geographic zones from
which th e respective m em bers are to be
chosen a n d th e n u m b er to be elected th e re
from, respectively. T h e A lum ni E xecutive
Secretary shall be a m em ber ex officio of
the Council.
Article VI — Officers
Section 1.
T h e officers pf this Associa
tion shall be as follow s:
( 1 ) A P resident, w ho shall also be C h a ir
man of the A lum ni C ouncil.
(2) T w o V ice Presidents, one of w hom
shall be a m an , an d one of w hom shall be
a woman.
(3) A S ecretary -T reasu rer, w ho shall also
act as Secretary of th e A lum ni C ouncil.
All officers shall p erfo rm th e usual duties
pertaining to th e ir respective offices and
such a d d itio n al duties as m ay be prescribed
by th e By-Laws, th e A lum ni C ouncil or the
P resident.
Sec. 2. E ligibility for Office. A ny of the
officers designated in this A rticle m ay be
elected from the general m em bership of the
A ssociation or from the m em bership of the
A lum ni C ouncil.
Sec. 3. T e rm of Office. All of said
officers shall be elected by th e C ouncil for
a term of tw o years com m encing a t the
a d jo u rn m e n t of th e a n n u al m eeting of the
A ssociation held in each odd-num bered
year.
Sec. 4. N om in atio n an d E lection of
Officers. A N o m in atin g C om m ittee a p p o in t
ed by th e P resident in th e m an n e r provided
in th e By-Laws, shall n om inate a t least two
c an d id ate s for each office a t least th irty days
p rio r to th e re g u la r a n n u al m eeting of the
A lum ni C ouncil a t w hich any such officer
is to be elected. E léction of officers shall
th en be con d u cted by p rin te d b allot to be
m ailed to all m em bers of the C ouncil p rio r
to the a n n u al m eeting. E ach m em ber of the
C ouncil m ay cast one vote for each vacancy
to be filled. T h e polls shall be closed a t the
tim e of a d jo u rn m e n t of the a n n u al m eeting
of th e C ouncil.
Sec. 5. V acancies. In case th a t any office
becom es v a c a n t by reason of d e ath , resigna
tio n or any o th er cause, the A lum ni C ouncil
shall fill th e vacan cy ; and th e person thus
designated shall serve u n til the next ann u al
m eeting of th e C ouncil a t w hich tim e the
u n expired term shall be filled by nom ination
a n d election as hereinbefore provided.
Article VII — Alumni Executive Secretary
Section 1. Selection. T h e A lum ni E xecu
tive S ecretary shall be selected jo in tly by the
A lum ni C ouncil and the college ad m in istra
tion w ith th e app ro v al of the B oard of
M anagers.
Sec. 2. D uties. T h e A lum ni E xecutive
S ecretary shall be th e chief o p e ratin g agent
of th e A ssociation in th e accom plishm ent of
its functions an d shall be th e chief liaison
officer betw een th e A ssociation and the
college adm in istratio n . H e shall serve as the
c o o rd in a to r of all alum ni activities.
Article VIII — Alumni Managers on
Board of Managers
P u rsu an t to the provisions of the By-Laws
of th e B oard of M anagers of S w arthm ore
C ollege, th e alum ni of Sw arthm ore College
shall from tim e to tim e m ake nom inations
to th e B oard to fill all vacancies in the
nu m b er of “A lum ni M anagers” , as such
vacancies occur. A lum ni M anagers shall be
n o m in a ted for a term of four years each or
to fill th e u nexpired term of a predecessor,
as th e case m ay be. A t all tim es, in so far
as p racticab le, one-half of th e nu m b er of
A lum ni M anagers shall be m en and one-half
w om en. A lum ni M anagers shall be nom i
n a te d for th e term s, respectively, and in the
m an n e r p rovided in the By-Laws of this
A ssociation.
Pow er to M ake By-Laws. T h e m em bers
of th e A lum ni C ouncil shall have th e
pow er to m ake, alter, am end an d rep eal the
By-Laws of th e A ssociation, subject always
to the pow er of th e m em bers of th e Associa
tion to change such action. T h e pow ers
hereby conferred shall be exercised by not
less th a n a m ajority vote of th e m em bers of
th e C ouncil or of th e m em bers of th e Asso
ciation en titled to vote thereon, as th e case
m ay be, present a t any re g u la r or special
m eeting duly convened afte r notice of th a t
purpose to the m em bers of th e C ouncil or
of th e A ssociation, as th e case m ay be.
Article X — Amendment
T his C onstitution m ay be am ended in
w hole or in p a rt a t any a n n u al or special
m eeting of the Association by vote in favor
of such am endm ent of n o t less th a n twoth ird s of the m em bers p re se n t; provided
th a t such proposed am en d m en t shall have
been presented a t a previous m eeting of the
Association or th a t notice of th e a m en d m en t
shall have been given to th e m em bers a t
least th irty days p rio r to th e m eeting, in
T h e G a r n e t L e t t e r or by such o th er
m eans as the A lum ni C ouncil or th e Pres
id en t shall determ ine.
SCHEDULE
In order th a t no inconvenience m ay arise
from the am endm ent of th e C onstitu tio n of
the Sw arthm ore College A lum ni A ssociation,
it is hereby declared as follows:
Section 1. T h is am ended C onstitu tio n
shall take effect im m ediately upon its a p
proval by a vote of not less th a n tw o-thirds
of th e m em bers present a t any a n n u al m ee t
ing of the m em bers of th e Association.
Sec. 2. T h e offices of th e present m em
bers of the A lum ni C ouncil an d officers
shall not be v acated or otherw ise affected
by this am ended C o n stitu tio n an d said
m em bers and officers shall co n tin u e to serve
until th e end of the term s for w hich they
w ere respectively elected.
By-Laws
Article I — Alumni Council
Section 1. M em bership. T h e m em bership
of the A lum ni C ouncil shall be as d e te r
m ined by A rticle V of th e C on stitu tio n . A n
A lum ni M an ag er shall n o t a t th e sam e tim e
serve as a m em ber of th e C ouncil. All past
presidents of th e A ssociation an d all A lum ni
M anagers on the B oard of M anagers, b o th
p a st and those c u rre n tly in office, m ay
a tte n d m eetings of the C ouncil an d p a rtic i
p a te in its proceedings b u t shall n o t be
en titled to vote.
Sec. 2. T erm of Office. E ach m em ber of
the A lum ni C ouncil shall be elected for a
three-year term beginning a t th e convening
of th e a n n u al m eeting of th e C ouncil held
d u rin g C om m encem ent W eek. T h e term of
office of the m em bers of th e C ouncil shall
be so a rranged th a t as n early as possible the
term of one-third of the m em bers shall
term in ate a t th e opening of each an n u al
m eeting of the C ouncil.
Sec. 3. N om inations. T h e N om in atin g
C om m ittee shall m ake nom inations for all
zones. T h e A lum ni E xecutive S ecretary shall
cause to be m ailed to all m em bers of the
A ssociation the ballots for all zones.
Sec. 4. E lection of M em bers. T h e m em
bers of th e A lum ni C ouncil shall be selected
from th e m em bers of th e A ssociation and,
excepting the officers, shall be ap p o rtio n ed
am ong th e five geographical zones below
6
th e
in d ic a te d so th a t each p a rtic u la r zone shall
be rep resen ted by an equal n u m b er of m en
an d w om en, as follow s:
Z one 1. 7 m en m em bers— 7 w om en m em
bers. D elaw are, N ew Jersey (ex cep tin g the
counties in clu d ed in Z one 2 ), Pennsyl
vania.
Z one 2. 3 m en m em bers— 3 w om en m em
bers. C o n n e cticu t, M aine, M assachusetts,
N ew H am p sh ire, N ew Jersey (B ergen,
Essex, H udson, M iddlesex, M o nm outh,
M orris, Passaic, Som erset, Sussex, and
U n io n C o u n tie s), N ew Y ork, R hode
Isla n d , V erm ont.
Z one 3. 2 m en m em bers— 2 w om en m em
bers. A lab am a, A rkansas, D istrict of
C olum bia, F lo rid a, G eorgia, K entucky,
L ouisiana, M a ry lan d , M ississippi, N o rth
C a ro lin a , O klahom a, S outh C a ro lin a , T e n
nessee, T exas,' V irg in ia , W est V irginia.
Z one 4. 2 m en m em bers— 2 w om en m em
bers.
Illinois, In d ia n a , Iow a, K ansas,
M ichigan, M innesota, M issouri, N ebraska,
N o rth D a k o ta, O hio, S outh D a k o ta, W is
consin.
Z one 5. 1 m an m em ber— 1 w om an m em
ber. A rizona, C alifo rn ia, C olorado, Id a h o ,
M o n ta n a, N evada, N ew M exico, O regon,
U ta h , W ashington, W yom ing, territories,
dependencies, a n d foreign countries.
M em bers of th e A ssociation are eligible
to vote only for can d id ate s from th e zone in
w hich such m em bers respectively resid e; and
only m en m ay vote for m en c an d id ate s and
only w om en m ay vote for w om en candidates.
M em bers of th e A ssociation m ay cast one
vote for each v acancy to be filled.
Sec. 5. M eetings. T h e A lum ni C ouncil,
follow ing th e election of new m em bers,
shall m eet in J u n e of each year, w hich
m eeting shall be desig n ated th e a n n u al
m ee tin g ; a n d shall m eet a t such o th e r tim es
as shall be agreed u p o n o r a t th e call of
th e President.
Sec. 6. Q u o ru m — V o tin g . Five m en and
five w om en shall c o n stitu te a q u o ru m of
th e A lu m n i C ouncil. E ac h m em ber present
in person or by proxy a u th o rize d in w riting,
shall have one vote on each question or
m a tte r presented.
Sec. 7. Ju risd ic tio n . T h e A lu m n i C o u n
cil shall consider a n d m ay tak e action
w ith respect to all such m atters p e rta in in g
to th e C ollege as are re fe rre d to th e C ouncil
by th e C ollege a n d shall also consider and
m ay tak e action w ith respect to m atters of
general a lu m n i policy or interest. T h e C o u n
cil m ay also consider any o th e r m atters p e r
ta in in g to th e m an ag em en t, o p e ratio n or
policy of th e C ollege w hich seem desirable;
pro v id ed , how ever, th a t no such m atters
shall be re p o rte d by th e C ouncil to the
A ssociation o r acted upon by th e C ouncil
w ith o u t consulting th e college ad m in istratio n
or th e B oard of M anagers.
Sec. 8. V acancies. All vacancies on the
A lum ni C ouncil caused by d e a th or resigna
tion shall be filled by a p p o in tm e n t of the
P resident for th e respective u nexpired
term s.
Article II — Alumni Managers on
Board of Managers
Section 1. P u rsu an t to th e provisions of
A rticle V I I I of the C o n stitu tio n , th e alum ni
of S w arthm ore C ollege shall no m in ate from
th e ir own nu m b er persons to fill all v a ca n
cies in th e nu m b er of “A lum ni M a n a g ers”
as such vacancies occur.
iSec. 2. N om ination.
T h e N om in atin g
C o m m ittee of th e A lum ni C ouncil shall
select a t least th ree persons for each vacancy
garnet
letter
in the nu m b er of A lum ni M anagers as
each such vacancy occurs. In th e event th a t
th e position to be filled was held by a m an,
th ree m en shall be selected, an d in the
event th e position to be filled was held by
a w om an, th ree w om en shall be selected.
T h e A lum ni E xecutive S ecretary shall cause
to be sent to th e m em bers of th e A lum ni
C ouncil ballots co n ta in in g th e nam es of the
persons selected by th e N o m in atin g C om
m ittee, a lp h ab etically a rra n g e d , an d co n
tain in g also one or m ore blanks in w hich
a d d itio n al nam es m ay be w ritten . P e rtin e n t
bio g rap h ical d a ta a n d in fo rm atio n about
th e c an d id ate s selected shall be com piled by
th e N o m in atin g C o m m itte e ; an d th e A lum ni
E xecutive S ecretary shall cause such d a ta
an d in fo rm atio n to be sent w ith each ballot.
F o r each vacancy to be filled, each m em ber
o f, th e C ouncil shall have one vote an d the
ballots shall be re tu rn e d to th e A lum ni
Office w here they shall be ta b u la te d an d
c o unted by or u n d e r th e supervision of the
A lum ni E xecutive S ecretary or in his a b
sence by th e person for th e tim e b eing in
ch arg e of said office. T h e A lum ni E xecutive
S ecretary or in his absence such person in
charge of th e A lum ni Office shall p ro m p tly
re p o rt to th e P resident of th e A ssociation
th e nam es of th e tw o c an d id ate s receiving
th e highest n u m b er of votes for th e vacancy
to be filled an d these tw o persons shall be
the c an d id ate s for such vacancy.
Sec. 3. Selection.
Selection
of
the
nom inee for a vacancy in th e office of
A lum ni M a n a g er shall be c o n d u cted by
p rin te d ballots w hich th e A lum ni E xecutive
S ecretary shall cause to be m ailed to all
m em bers of th e A ssociation a t least fifteen
days before th e d a te set for the closing of
th e polls, w hich d a te shall be determ ined
by th e A lum ni E xecutive S ecretary, or in
his absence by th e person in charge of his
office. T h e person receiving th e m ost votes
shall be th e nom inee of the A lum ni Associa
tion for th e vacancy in th e position of
A lum ni M a n a g er on th e B oard of M anagers
of S w arthm ore College.
Sec. 4. R en o m in atio n . A n A lum ni M a n
ager w ho shall have been elected for a full
term of fo u r years shall not be eligible for
re n o m in atio n as an A lum ni M a n a g er u n til
a t least one year shall have elapsed afte r
th e ex p iratio n of th e original term of four
years for w hich he shall have been elected.
Article III — Committees
Section
1. A p p o in tm en t. U nless o th e r
wise d e term in ed a t any tim e by th e A lum ni
C ouncil, th e P resident or, in his absence or
in ability to serve, th e V ice Presidents or the
V ice P resident, as th e case m ay be, shall
a p p o in t all re g u la r an d special com m ittees
of th e A ssociation. All m em bers of the
E xecutive C om m ittee shall be m em bers of
th e A lum ni C ouncil. M em bers of all o th er
com m ittees m ay be chosen from th e general
m em bership of th e A ssociation or from the
m em bership of th e A lum ni C ouncil. U nless
otherw ise d eterm in ed by th e C ouncil, the
P resident of th e A ssociation shall be a m em
b e r ex officio of all com m ittees, excepting
th e N o m in atin g C om m ittee. U nless o th e r
wise d ete rm in e d by th e A lum ni C ouncil or
by th e P resident, as th e case m ay be, th e
A lum ni E xecutive S ecretary shall be a
m em ber ex officio of all com m ittees. T h e
re g u la r com m ittees shall serve for tw o years
an d special com m ittees shall serve for such
periods of tim e, respectively, as the C ouncil
or th e P resident, as th e case m ay be, shall
from tim e to tim e determ ine.
Sec. 2.
E xecutive C om m ittee.
There
shall be an E xecutive C om m ittee consisting
of six m em bers, n o t m ore th a n three of
w hom shall be of th e sam e sex. T h e Executive C om m ittee shall m eet from tim e to
tim e, shall act on b e h alf of th e Alumni
C ouncil in respect to th e functions and
purposes of th e C ouncil an d of th e Association, respectively, an d shall recommend
m ethods an d p ro c ed u re for th e c arrying out
of said functions an d the accom plishm ent of
said purposes.
Sec. 3. N o m in atin g C om m ittee. The
P resident shall a p p o in t a N o m in atin g Comm ittee of six persons, not m ore th a n three
of w hom shall be of th e sam e sex, which
com m ittee shall m ake all nom inations for
officers of th e A ssociation an d for Alumni
M anagers in accordance w ith the Constitu
tion an d th e By-Laws of the A ssociation. In
m ak in g such nom inations, th e Committee
m ay consult alu m n i an d alum nae clubs and
o th er groups in o rd e r to obtain suggestions
for n om inations for th e various offices. No
person shall be nom in ated for any office
w ith o u t his consent.
Sec. 4. O th e r C om m ittees. T h e re shall
be such o th er com m ittees as th e Alumni
C ouncil or the officers of th e Association
shall from tim e to tim e determ ine. Such
com m ittees m ay m eet w ith or serve as
jo in t com m ittees w ith a p p ro p ria te commit
tees from th e A dm in istratio n , th e Faculty or
th e B oard of M anagers of th e College.
!
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Article IV — Class Organization
P rio r to g ra d u a tio n each senior class shall
elect a p re sid en t an d such o th er officers as
it desires. Such officers shall serve for a
p eriod of five years or u n til th e ir successors
shall have been duly elected and qualified. [
I t shall be th e d u ty of th e class secretary I
to certify to th e A lum ni E xecutive Secretary I
a list of class officers an d to notify him I
from tim e to tim e of all changes. Class f
officers of all respective classes, including i
those classes w hich have heretofore grad
u a te d from th e C ollege, m ay be elected
every five years in o rd e r to insure th e con- I
tin u in g in office of persons w ho have an
in terest in a n d o p p o rtu n ity to keep in touch
w ith th e affairs of th e College. T h e Execu
tive C om m ittee of th e A lum ni C ouncil and I
th e A lum ni E xecutive S ecretary shall en- j
d eavor to assist th e respective classes in
accom plishing th e p urpose of this Article.
Article V — Amendment
T hese By-Laws m ay be am ended, altered
or repealed by th e A lum ni C ouncil or by
th e m em bers of th e A lum ni A ssociation at
any re g u la r or special m eetin g duly convened a fte r notice to the m em bers of the
A lum ni C ouncil or to th e m em bers of the
A ssociation, as th e case m ay be, for that
purpose. If th e A lum ni C ouncil shall have
a d o p te d any am en d m en t, a lte ra tio n , or re
p eal of these By-Laws, w ritte n notice there
of shall be given as soon as practicable
th e re a fte r in T h e G a r n e t L e t t e r or by
such o th er m eans as th e C ouncil shall de
term ine, to th e m em bers of th e A lum ni Association. A t th e next m eeting of the mem
bers of th e A ssociation, w h e th er annual or
special, an d w ith o u t fu rth e r notice as to
th e p u rpose of such m eeting, the members
of th e A ssociation m ay fo rth w ith annul or
rescind, in w hole or in p a rt, th e amend
m ent, a lte ra tio n or re p ea l so ad o p te d by the
A lum ni C ouncil, b u t no such amendm ent
or rescission a d o p te d by th e m em bers of
th e A ssociation shall be retroactive.
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4
Report of the President
Review of the Year
The post-war period, with its surplus of students and deficiency
of funds, has presented so many problems that it is easy to focus on
the difficulties and to forget the achievements. In many ways the past
year has been the most difficult and the most successful in the history
of the college.
I
have discussed the difficulties at considerable length in previous
reports and shall say no more about them now. It is more important
to note some of the achievements of a year of busy and exciting
activity. The students have worked hard and successfully, both inside
and outside their classes. They have been serious about their studies
and have accomplished a prodigious amount of work. There has
probably never been a time in the history of the college when so many
extra-curricular activities have been supported by so many students at
so high a level of interest and performance. The faculty have worked
hard with such excellent material. They have also written a considerable
number of important books, and they have engaged in an extraordinary
amount of research either on their own momentum or sponsored by
some outside agency. There have been hectic moments. In general the
pace has been a little breathless. But the results have been good. The col
lege has been at work at the tasks it exists to do. The credit belongs
to the faculty who have found a way around every difficulty and to
the students who have displayed both zest and a high degree of
responsibility in pursuing their education.
The Veterans
In the summer of 1945 four veterans entered college. By the fall
of 1946 there were 433 (out of a total of 638 men). Since then the
number has gradually dwindled until there are 290 veterans this fall
(out of 644 men). Altogether 631 different veterans have enrolled
1
in the college since the war. Their influence on the life of the college
has been very great.
Many of the veterans were former students. They returned with
an intensity of purpose hardly known before on the campus. The
majority felt that they must make up for lost years, but their success
in maintaining high standards of academic work indicates that the
years of their war service were by no means wholly lost. Their greater
maturity has been a stimulus to their instructors, a wholesome goal for
freshmen straight from school, and a valuable influence within the
student body in general. Problems of discipline have decreased. Prop
erty damage in the dormitories, in spite of overcrowding, has prac
tically disappeared. The veterans have lifted Student Government to
new levels of responsibility. They have enabled it to speak more
effectively for the student body. They have helped it to administer the
budget for student activities, to run a student employment office, to
supervise the extra-curricular activities of students. They have par
ticipated on joint student-faculty committees. At no time has the
public discussion of current issues been more vigorous or more intelli
gent. The academic program of the college has been subjected to
critical scrutiny and to constructive suggestions. The Hamburg Show
has been transformed from slap-stick vaudeville to a musical comedy
with book and music written by students.
A number of the veterans have been married. Their satisfactory
or superior records provide sufficient evidence that marriage and college
are not incompatible. Their wives have added to the college community,
and many have held jobs which have helped to pay the bills. The
college will miss the veterans when they have gone. They have added
much of permanent value—personal friendships, the recollection of a
strenuous but significant era, and a college functioning on a more
mature and responsible level.
The Selection of Students
For the past three years the college has had very large numbers
of applicants for admission—so large in fact as to be embarrassing.
Additional staff members have been added to take care of the inter
views and correspondence. The faculty committees on admissions have
worked overtime. The numbers, however, have permitted a degree of
2
selection rarely achieved before, and the quality of the student body
as a whole has been extraordinarily high. The veterans have set the
standards and the pace. The best students are no better than the best
students of previous years, but there are more of them, and the general
level of work is higher. The playing fields have been active. In a
period of intense competition Swarthmore teams have won many
honors. The orchestra and the chorus have been stronger. The
Little Theater Club has put on many distinguished performances. The
Swarthmore Network has boomed into a major activity. The perennial
complaints of lack of time have been heard and perhaps with some
justice. But the variety of student activities and the almost incredible
amount of accomplishment indicate a healthy, vigorous, well rounded,
and intelligent student body.
As the tide of veterans recedes and as the number of places for
women in other institutions reduces the pressure on colleges like
Swarthmore, it will be a challenge to maintain the kind of student
body we now have. Admissions is an art, not a science, a complex and
difficult art. The secondary school record is no guaranty of performance
in college. There are tests of academic ability, but not of motivation
and character. The high school senior, replete with distinctions and
activities, may make a poor showing in the different atmosphere and
competition of the campus. The shy or immature boy or girl may blos
som out at a later age and under different conditions. The college
seeks no one type of student. Diversity of geographical origin, of aim
in life, of potential contribution to society, of interests, of economic
background is important for a rounded and healthy student body. Mis
takes are made and doubtless always will be. Some students admitted
prove irresponsible and undesirable. No doubt others turned down
would have proved far better. And so long as there is selection, there
will be disappointed candidates whose relatives and friends will oc
casionally be critical of the policies of the college. None the less, the
deans and the faculty committees on admissions perform a central
and difficult function, and they perform it well.
It is well to bear in mind that selection is the responsibility not
only of the college, but also of the parents. Since there are many kinds
of institutions, the wise candidate and his family will try to select the
kind of college best suited to his needs and purposes. This is less
3
widely and intelligently done than might be supposed. Alumni some
times assume that because the college was the right place for them,
it will be the right place for their children. A moment’s reflection on
genetics will show the error of this assumption. If the college is the
right place for one group of applicants, it will be the wrong place for
another group. Intelligent parents recognize this fact and spend their
energies in finding the right institution.
It is sometimes argued that Swarthmore should be more lenient
in its policy of admissions and more hard-boiled in its policy of drop
ping unsuccessful students once admitted. Such a course would be
morally and practically wrong. From a practical point of view it would
be wasteful of time, energy, and money—for the college as well as for
the student and his family. The damage sometimes done to students
under such a program is morally indefensible. It lowers their prestige,
self-confidence, enjoyment of life, and capacity to adjust to their
environment, and makes it extremely'difficult to find another college in
which to continue their career. The college must accept the responsibil
ity of selecting its students with extreme care and then of doing every
thing in its power to make their college careers successful.
The Role of Scholarships
Scholarships and grants-in-aid play an important part in the
policy of admissions. The cost of attending Swarthmore is relatively
high. The decision this past year to increase the charge for board and
room from $550 to $600 and to advance the student’s activity fee from
$50 to $75, however justified and necessary, adds that much more to
the cost. A belief in the value of the kind of education which the
college offers and in the importance of bringing it within the economic
reach of the deserving student prompted the founders of the college
to establish scholarship funds in addition to general endowment. The
belief has been justified many times over. Some of the most dis
tinguished alumni could not have come to Swarthmore without the
additional help.
It is important to bear in mind that since the end of the war the
United States Government has paid under the G. I. Bill of Rights
$600,000 to Swarthmore College for the tuition and fees of veterans
and has paid to the veterans themselves roughly an equal amount
4
which has been passed on to the college for board and room. The
families of many of these veterans could undoubtedly have paid the
college’s charges if the Government had not undertaken to do so, but
for many others education at Swarthmore would have been impossible
without substantial scholarship help. The number of veterans is
diminishing, and the time is nearly upon us when we shall have to
increase our appropriations for such aid if we expect to have the right
kind of student.
While the number of scholarship funds is considerable, most of
them were established in the early years of the college when charges
were a fraction of their present size. As a result, the income they pro
duce provides only a small part of the total allocation for scholarships
and grants-in-aid which run in the neighborhood of $75,000. Increased
scholarship funds are one of the objectives of the current campaign,
and it is encouraging to note how many alumni express a preference
for this use of their contributions. No man is more closely identified
throughout the country with the principle of scholarship help than
Frank Aydelotte. During his distinguished career at Swarthmore the
present Open Scholarships were established. I hope that in the near
future his name can be associated at the college with a scholarship
fund large enough to meet some of the pressing demands on the col
lege and to do honor to his educational vision.
There is a distinction between a scholarship and a grant-in-aid,
though the two are frequently called by the same name. Perhaps it
would be better to say that a scholarship involves both the reward of
ability and the recognition of need. This becomes clear in the case of
Open Scholarships where the candidates are awarded the scholarship
on the basis of individual merit, but where the stipend is adjusted from
a maximum of $1000 to a minimum of $100 on the basis of need.
It would be a mistake to deny the honor earned by the individual, but
it would equally be wrong to subsidize students who do not need
financial help.
All grants-in-aid should be what the name implies, grants to those
who need and deserve financial assistance. To buy students may be a
less heinous sin than to buy athletes, but it remains a sin. To offer
more money to an applicant than he really needs is to waste the
resources of the college and to encourage an immoral attitude on his
5
part and on that of his family. Every institution is constantly on the
lookout for outstanding students, and no institution ever gets as many
of them as it would like. There are signs that the competition in terms
of scholarship offers is in danger of becoming a racket. Voluntary
action by admissions officers on the basis of good sense and good
ethics is the best safeguard. The college which maintains a high stand
ard in this respect is at the mercy of the unscrupulous. The legitimate
demands of alumni, faculty, and friends for ever more students of
outstanding intelligence, character, and range of activities place the
admissions officers in an impossible position unless the principle of
genuine need is fully accepted and honestly followed.
The Alumni and the College
Real progress has been made in bringing about closer understand
ing and cooperation between the alumni and the college. The cam
paign has been partly responsible for this. Nothing will produce
criticisms so readily as asking for money. Nothing produces greater
interest than giving money. While many criticisms are based on mis
understanding, it is healthy to get them into the open. They not only
let off steam; they provide the opportunity for explaining college
policy. Other criticisms have been valid and helpful and are already
bearing fruit. The active interest and support of the hundreds of
alumni who have served on various campaign committees have added
to the sense of common enterprise.
Advice has been taken on ways of making the Garnet Letter
more informative to alumni. The past year has seen the beginning of
the Swarthmore Reports which supplement the Garnet Letter. These
brief sheets with summary news of interest to alumni have been well
received and will be continued. Many of the improvements have been
the result of the excellent work of the joint Board-Faculty-Alumni
Committee on Public Relations. This committee was further responsible
for hammering out on the anvil of prolonged discussion the Statement
of Purpose and Policy which was approved in May of this year by
board and faculty and which has subsequently been distributed among
all alumni and students.
For some years a limited number of alumnae, nominated by
6
various Swarthmore clubs, visited the college for a three-day period
each spring in connection with Somerville Day. These extended visits
have been so illuminating and successful that it was decided this fall
to invite the members of the Alumni Council for a similar visit just
preceding the Homecoming weekend. Twenty-four of the thirty-two
members of the Council visited the college for all or part of the
extended program which included visits to classes and seminars, a
guided tour of the campus, attendance at a meeting of the Student
Council, dinner with members of the faculty, and tea at the president’s
house. The enthusiastic letters which were received testify to the suc
cess of the program and to the new understanding which the visit cre
ated. One wishes that a similar experience were possible for all alumni.
Certainly the invitation to the Alumni Council will be renewed in the
years ahead. Through change in its membership an increasing number
of alumni can be brought in this way into intimate understanding of
the college.
A few large cities have had organized alumni clubs for some
time. The recent tendency of alumni in smaller communities to form
small groups of their own initiative is evidence of their growing sense
of common interests and common concern for the college. Members
of the Alumni Council have been active in this movement. They are,
of course, in a strategic position to interpret the college to alumni in
general and the thinking of alumni to the college. The work of
special alumni committees appointed by the Council has already been
helpful. This method of improving the work of the college through
the cross-fertilization of campus and off-campus views deserves further
extension.
The increasing importance of the alumni contribution to the col
lege was recognized this past year in a change in board membership.
After much careful consideration the by-laws of the board were
amended to provide for eight life members, sixteen term members, and
eight alumni members. Term and alumni members may not serve con
tinuously for more than three successive terms of four years each.
According to the by-laws of the Alumni Association, however, the
tenure of the members it nominates is limited to one term. As soon as
sufficient vacancies occur the alumni body will nominate—which is
tantamount to electing—one-fourth of the Board of Managers. Through
7
the principle of rotation it will be possible for an increasing number
of alumni to participate in the most important council of the college.
C olby-Swarthmore Summer Language School
One of the suggestions made by the Alumni Committee on Edu
cational Policy concerned the teaching of foreign languages. Impressed
by the success of Army and Navy programs of intensive language
instruction, the committee recommended the adoption of intensive
methods at Swarthmore. It is difficult to provide time for intensive
work within the regular curriculum, and half-way measures tried at
other institutions did not impress the faculty as worthwhile. The
suggestion of the committee bore fruit, however, in the establishment
this past summer of an intensive language program in French, Ger
man, Spanish, and Russian. Swarthmore joined with Colby College
which served as host to 110 students on its lovely new campus outside
of Waterville, Maine. The program of seven weeks of intensive work
was the equivalent of a year’s work at the conventional academic pace.
W hat was tried as an experiment—for it was the only such program
at the undergraduate level—proved a great success and will be con
tinued in the summer of 1949.
The Campaign
The second year of the campaign was less immediately and
obviously successful than the first. Gifts and pledges amounted to
$336,060.15, bringing the total for the two years to $1,394,566.86.
The results were disappointing, but not discouraging. The significant
feature of the year’s activity lies in the extensive groundwork for future
gifts. No one can say just when these will be realized, but the excel
lent work done belongs among the intangible assets of the campaign
ledger.
Campaign plans for the current academic year have already been
announced. Chief emphasis will be put on the Annual Alumni Fund,
of which I shall have more to say later. A Committee on Bequests has
been established under the chairmanship of Claude C. Smith with a
group of keen and hard-working members. The results of their activity
may not appear for some time, but the committee is quietly going
about its work in a most encouraging manner. The Committee for the
8
New Women’s Dormitory under the energetic leadership of Hilda
Lang Denworth will continue the work already so successfully begun,
and the recent decision of the Board of Managers to make available
to this committee the $186,213 of the Rushmore bequest, on condition
that the balance of the money necessary is raised by June 30, 1951,
should provide a potent stimulus to alumnae and friends of the col
lege. The high-powered Committee on the Science Building, still
handicapped at this writing for lack of a chairman, has continued to
make plans both for the science building and for raising the funds
for its erection. The current year should see much progress made in
this direction. Other special projects within the framework of the
campaign will be pursued as opportunity arises.
The Annual Alumni Fund
The pressure on the budgets of all private institutions is now
becoming an old story. I have said enough about the situation at
Swarthmore in past reports to make a detailed explanation unnecessary.
In the past Swarthmore has had two major sources of income—endow
ment and student fees. Before the war tuition and endowment income
shared almost equally in the cost of the educational program of the
college. Inflated operating costs since the war have not been matched
by the increase in tuition or by any significant increase in the return on
endowment. The result has been and will continue in the foreseeable
future to be a gap between the traditional sources of revenue and the
necessary expenses of maintaining the kind of educational program
for which Swarthmore is now nationally known.
Some pessimists assert that the era of additions to endowment is
over. Any study of large gifts to endowment during the past few years
will refute this suggestion. It is clear, however, that increases in
endowments are not keeping pace with increased educational needs
and rising costs, and it is doubtful whether under the present tax
structure they can do so. W hat are the alternatives?
One is to cut costs to the point where income and expenditure
are in balance. It is sometimes argued that this is the only practical
approach; all we need are more sound business methods in running
our educational institutions. The college must certainly be run on a
9
business-like basis in the sense that all reasonable economy and effi
ciency are exercised and that the budget is by some means ultimately
balanced. The college, however, is not run for the sake of showing
favorable operating balances, but for the purpose of providing the best
education it possibly can. There would be no great difficulty in lim
iting expenditures to endowment income and student charges. The
trouble comes with the price that would be paid for such a balance—
a price that would consist of cheapening the educational program and
eliminating services which students and their parents demand of the
college. As one alumnus put it in replying to this kind of suggestion,
Sure, the college could balance its budget without asking the alumni
for more money, and we would be the first people to kick about the
results. ’ If the educational program is cheapened, people will be less
interested in sending their sons and daughters to the college. They
will refuse to pay relatively high charges for second-rate education.
The process of deterioration and demoralization would begin its down
ward spiral.
The other alternative is to seek current funds which will supple
ment traditional income. Two sources have been proposed—govern
ment subsidies and private gifts to current income. Having previously
discussed the disadvantages and dangers of federal or state support,
I propose to say something here about the advantages of annually
donated income. The functional value of endowment is the income
it provides. W ith one important exception shortly to be noted it would
make no difference to the college whether the $360,000 received this
past year as income on endowment came from investments controlled
by the Trust Committee, from trust funds controlled by outside
agencies, or from current gifts. Whatever the source, the money was
available for the education of students at Swarthmore, and that educa
tion would have been vastly inferior without it.
For all practical purposes annual gifts for current use are the
equivalent of so much endowment. Dartmouth College, which has had
the most spectacular success with alumni giving of any college in the
country, calls this its Living Endowment. The great majority of private
colleges and universities now use this method of supplementing income
from other sources. The current budget of the college calls for an
Annual Alumni Fund this year of $70,000—a figure approved by the
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Board of Managers, the Executive Committee of the campaign, and the
Alumni Council. An Alumni Fund Committee under the chairmanship
of Isaac G. Darlington, ’07, is off to a flying start. The general alumni
understanding of the situation and their widespread enthusiasm are a
source of great encouragement. The ultimate goal for this Fund in
future years should be $100,000. This is equivalent to the income, at
current rates, of an additional $2,500,000 of endowment.
The disadvantages of gifts to current income are the element of
uncertainty and the necessity for annual solicitation. Income from
endowment cannot be guaranteed, as the experience of many colleges
during the depression proved, but it is less subject to the vicissitudes
of the national economy and of practical politics than an Annual
Alumni Fund. The great advantages of such a Fund lie in the fact,
first, that it is often easier to give income than the capital which will
produce an equivalent amount of income and, second, that it binds
the college and its alumni together in a continuous working partner
ship. Such a partnership has many values besides the financial.
Necrology
I regret to report the deaths during the past year of Robert H.
Walker and Scott B. Lilly. Robert Walker of the class of 1902 served
for twenty-five years as a member of the Board of Managers. He was
prominently associated with the Religious Society of Friends in Balti
more where the college had its real origin. The long period since 1936,
when he became an Emeritus Manager, was largely one of illness
which prevented the continuation of his active association with the
college.
Scott B. Lilly came to Swarthmore in 1911 as assistant professor
of civil engineering. Except for twelve years in industry from 1917
to 1929 his active life was spent on the Swarthmore campus and in
the service of the college. At the time of his death he was professor
of civil engineering and chairman of the Division of Engineering. As
teacher he stimulated the interest and affection of the hundreds of
students in his classes. As chairman of the Division he worked indefatigably for two goals—a liberal basis for engineering science and
11
closer cooperation between the college and industry through the devel
opment of a research program. Recent recommendations by national
engineering groups have subsequently proved the wisdom of his early
insistence upon broad training. The research program had made a
good beginning, but only a beginning, by the time of his death. The
best memorial which the college could provide to his memory would
be the continuation and development of the program which embodied
his hopes for the Division and to which he gave himself without stint.
Jo h n
12
W . N aso n
Swarthmore College Alumni Bulletin 1949-05-01
The Swarthmore College Bulletin is the official alumni magazine of the college. It evolved from the Garnet Letter, a newsletter published by the Alumni Association beginning in 1935. After World War II, college staff assumed responsibility for the periodical, and in 1952 it was renamed the Swarthmore College Bulletin. (The renaming apparently had more to do with postal regulations than an editorial decision. Since 1902, the College had been calling all of its mailed periodicals the Swarthmore College Bulletin, with each volume spanning an academic year and typically including a course catalog issue and an annual report issue, with a varying number of other special issues.)
The first editor of the Swarthmore College Bulletin alumni issue was Kathryn “Kay” Bassett ’35. After a few years, Maralyn Orbison Gillespie ’49 was appointed editor and held the position for 36 years, during which she reshaped the mission of the magazine from focusing narrowly on Swarthmore College to reporting broadly on the college's impact on the world at large. Gillespie currently appears on the masthead as Editor Emerita.
Today, the quarterly Swarthmore College Bulletin is an award-winning alumni magazine sent to all alumni, parents, faculty, staff, friends of the College, and members of the senior class. This searchable collection spans every issue from 1935 to the present.
Swarthmore College
1949-05-01
21 pages
reformatted digital
The class notes section of The Bulletin has been extracted in this collection to protect the privacy of alumni. To view the complete version of The Bulletin, contact Friends Historical Library.