Category Archives: Alumni

Tales about Purdue alumni.

Overcoming the Odds: A Look Back at Our Earliest Chinese Students

Items from the Purdue University Chinese Students collection, MSP 155, Purdue University Archives and Special Collections

Editor’s Note: All the names in this post are presented as they appeared in the original Purdue publications. The preferred Anglicized spellings of names may have changed since that time.

Continuing in our series on Purdue firsts, we take a look at some of our earliest Purdue alumni from China.

1916 Purdue Alumni Directory

One can search the earliest Purdue Alumni Directories to see who these students were. The 1916 Alumni Directory, which can be found in the Purdue Archives, shows this list of men as the first alums in China. Upon further research, one learns that G.L. Hagman was from Louisville, Kentucky; H.H. Arnold hailed from Denver, Colorado; and L.E. Crowell was from Portland, Indiana, when they attended Purdue. One can deduce that they must have moved to China after graduation.

Fuchen K. Sah, the first Chinese student to graduate from Purdue, 1910 Debris. Click image to view larger version.

That leaves F.K. Sah, 1910, and P.L. Yang, 1911, as the first Purdue graduates from China.

Fuchen K. Sah (sometimes spelled Fuchuen Sah) graduated from Purdue in 1910 with a B.S. in Civil Engineering. He later became Engineer-in-Chief on Chiou-Chi Railway (The Chinese Students at Purdue, 16).

The earliest membership of the Purdue C.E. Club, 1910 Debris. Click image to view larger version.

Further research shows that another student from China was also part of the class of 1910 at some point. The membership roster for the Civil Engineering Club for 1910 lists L.C. Yen as a member and a part of the Class of 1910.

Cosmopolitan Club, 1909 Debris. Click image to view larger version.

L.C. Yen also appears in this 1909 photograph of the Cosmopolitan Club. The Cosmopolitan Club was first established at Purdue in 1907 and its membership comprised international students.

Per the listing for Yen in The Chinese Students at Purdue booklet, Yen “swung himself into action immediately after graduation. He served as District Engineer for the Szechuen-Hankow Railway and the Caton-Hankow Railway from 1910-1916. Then he took his own initiative in promoting an engineering company in Shanghai, China” (18). Yen led the Pacific Engineering Company, while also managing the Pacific Trading Company.

Both Sah and Yen made tremendous contributions to the infrastructure of China in the early 1900s. They were pioneers in their efforts, and made important contributions to improve transportation in China.

From The Chinese Students at Purdue, Purdue University Chinese Students collection, MSP 155, Folder 3. Click image to view larger version.

The Purdue Chinese Students’ Club was founded in 1909 with only six students in the initial club. (The Chinese Students at Purdue, p.12). The Club’s 1925 publication The Chinese Students at Purdue is a valuable resource about both the club and its members. As stated in the text, “As an instrument for developing a cooperative spirit among the Chinese students in American universities, and for cultivating and promoting friendly relations with the people of the United States, the club has proved itself worthy of its existence.” Cora Whang, one of the first female Chinese students appears on the first row. The Chinese Students at Purdue booklet lists her as “Cora Wang, Sc., ex-’25.” (15) Note the difference in the spelling of her last name. There are no other photographs of her in the Debris yearbook under Whang or Wang.

The following profiles highlight several other early Chinese alumni.

Chi Ting Sun, 1915 Debris

Chi Ting Sun graduated in Electrical Engineering in 1915. Sun reminisced about his time at Purdue in Purdue in China, a 1961 publication by the Purdue Alumni Association of Taiwan: “I arrived at W. Lafayette in September 1911 by rail and was welcomed by a Y-man at the station. At that time a rough game, Tank Scrap, was to take place at the beginning of each school year. In the evening when the Scrap was going to start, Mrs. Goldsmith treated me as her own son. She pulled down the curtains of my room and told me to be quiet. Soon I heard shouting outside, ‘Freshmen out!’ She answered from downstairs, ‘He has been out already.’ She then turned and said to me, ‘Our American boys are accustomed to games of rough nature and they are near to their parents. You come to America for education and your parents are far away, on the other side of the Pacific. I must act as your mother. I want you to stay away at such occasions.’ Her lovely attitude toward a foreigner made me remember her forever.

I passed that winter without an overcoat for some unavoidable reasons. But Prof. Cole questioned me about the overcoat every time I met him. He watched over the foreign students so closely that it impressed me deeply.

I was in Purdue for four years and was getting on well with the professors and classmates. In the fall of 1915 I registered in M.I.T. But before long I was badly homesick for Purdue. I am having the same feeling for Purdue in Taiwan now as I did in Boston 49 years ago.” (26)

Chi Ting Sun taught at Nan Kai College after he left Purdue. He later gave up teaching and went on to hold prominent positions with the famous Chiou-Chi Railway. It is said that many students held his recommendations in high regard. (The Chinese Students at Purdue, 16).

Kwo-Chun Lee, 1918 Debris

Kwo-Chun Lee (later spelled Kuo-Chun Li) also shared his accomplishments in Purdue in China. He wrote, ”Just before the war broke out in July 1937, I joined the Ministry of Railways and was assigned to supervise the construction of a large railway workshop in Chuchowm Huan. Having completed this job the following year, I took up a post as section engineer of the war time construction of the Huan-Kwangsi Railway. My section was located half-way between Kweilin and Liuchow, in Kwangsi Province, winding alongside a small stream through a narrow deep valley fully infested with malaria. In worst cases, victims died within three days and due to this disease we had lost several thousand men within a period of two years.” (Purdue in China, Purdue Alumni Association of Taiwan, p. 19). After the war, Li went on to help rehabilitate the war torn railroad system in three provinces. He was able to accomplish the rehabilitation by May 1949, the railway was opened to traffic, and an extension of the railway was undertaken. Li reported that he left the mainland for Taiwan about this time. His first job in Taiwan, as reported by Li, “was the erection of sixteen spans of 205 feet steel trusses for the Silo Bridge, the famous highway bridge in central Taiwan.” (Purdue in China, 20). Li later went on to hold prominent positions within the Military Construction Bureau, Ministry of National Defense. In his words, “The Bureau undertakes all kinds of construction projects, including designing and building airfields, harbor, roads, barracks, shops and all kinds of installations for the armed forces.” (20).

Practical knots, hitches and splices Norman, C. A. ; Purdue University. Division of Rural Engineering 1920. Click image to access the full publication.

Chen Yew Tang, 1921 Debris

Chen Yew Tang graduated in 1921 with a B.S. in Agriculture and was a skilled illustrator. His talent is shown in this Purdue Extension Bulletin he contributed to while a Purdue student.

J.C. Li, 1923 Debris

Ju Chi Li also contributed to agriculture worldwide. He graduated from Purdue in 1923. As a student, Li wrote about agriculture in China in the October 1922 issue of The Purdue Agriculturist.

Purdue Agriculturist, October 1922. Click image to view larger version.

Purdue Agriculturist, October 1922, p. 14. Click image to view larger version.

This fictionalized diary page from the 1927 Chinese Students’ Year Book describes what it was like for a Chinese student at Purdue in 1927. “Rent $12.00…”

Page from a Chinese student’s diary, Chinese Students’ Year Book, Purdue University Chinese Students collection, MSP 155, Folder 5. Click image to view larger version.

Alumni graduate students from China have also made major contributions to their fields.

Yong-piao Liu, Purdue in China, p. 35

Dr. Yong-piao Liu’s work was important to the field of veterinary science. As Liu recalled in the Purdue in China booklet, “Through the recommendation of Dr. I.E. Newsom, veterinary advisor of JCPR (the former president of Colorado Agriculture and Medical College) as well as the financial aid offered by China Foundation, I joined the Department of Veterinary Science of Purdue University to study veterinary bacteriology for one year from 1953-1954. I spent many a happy hour there in carrying out various experiments with adequate laboratory facilities, materials and assistance of the staff. Before going to the States I investigated Swine Pneumonia and this work I continued at Purdue University in order to determine the real cause. From 108 heads of the diseased pigs, I isolated Listeria organism from three cases. This was the first successful trial of isolation of Listeria organism for swine in Indiana.” (23).

Dr. Y.P. Liu later became the head of the Department of Veterinary Medicine at National Taiwan University, in charge of Veterinary Bacteriology and Infectious Diseases of Domestic Animals.

Deng Jiaxian, 1950. Courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

Another Chinese Ph.D. student from Purdue to make his mark in history was Deng Jiaxian, known as China’s “Father of the Atomic Bomb.” He received his Ph.D. in Physics from Purdue in 1950. After graduation, he returned to China and dedicated over 20 years working with a team of scientists who developed the nuclear and hydrogen bomb for China. Jiaxian’s contributions were critical to China’s nuclear program. In 1999 he was posthumously awarded the National Merit Medal for his contributions to Chinese Military Science.

The Purdue University Archives and Special Collections has a collection of articles that document some of the press releases after Deng Jiaxian’s death, from a local story by Jack Alkire of the Journal and Courier to publications from China. The Archives also has Jiaxian’s Ph.D. dissertation, “The Photo-Disintegration of the Deuteron.”

The Chinese Students at Purdue booklet provides a list of the earliest Chinese Purdue alumni. Two women, Lillian Lee, (ex ’25) and Cora Wang, (ex ’25), do not appear in the Debris yearbook, but are noted as alumnae.

The earliest Chinese Purdue alumni. From The Chinese Students at Purdue, Purdue University Chinese Students collection, MSP 155, Folder 3. Click image to view larger version.

The 1927 Chinese Students’ Year Book lists Anna Lee as the only female Chinese student at that time.

Pages from Chinese Students’ Year Book, Purdue University Chinese Students collection, MSP 155, Folder 5

Programs from the Chinese Students’ Alliance Mid-West Conference, 1921. Purdue University Chinese Students collection, MSP 155, Folder 4

Another important contribution Chinese students at Purdue made was participation in the Chinese Students’ Alliance. The Alliance was a nationwide organization of Chinese students studying in the United States, the first nation to which modern China sent students for an education.

Program from the Chinese Students’ Alliance Mid-West Conference, 1925. Purdue University Chinese Students collection, MSP 155, Folder 4

The Alliance was divided into three sections; the Eastern, Midwest and Western. Each section was composed of a number of Chinese Students’ Clubs.

Chinese Students’ Annual Conference Closed Wednesday, Purdue Exponent, September 10, 1921. Click image to view larger version.

Each year during early September, an annual summer conference was held by each section at a convenient location for the purpose of bringing the Chinese students together to exchange ideas and discuss important problems. Purdue University was the site of the Mid-West Conference in 1921 and again in 1925.

There are so many other stories that could be featured as firsts among the Chinese Purdue students! This is just a sampling of those that made an early impact among the Purdue community and worldwide. Their efforts have made the world a better place.

Blog post by Mary A. Sego (’82), Processing Assistant, Purdue University Archives and Special Collections.

References

Purdue University. Chinese Students’ Club. Alumni Committee. (1924). The Chinese students at Purdue. LaFayette, Ind.: Purdue University.

Purdue Alumni Association of Taiwan. (1961). Purdue in China. Taipei, Taiwan.

Burg, David F. “Chinese Students’ Alliance.” Encyclopedia of Student and Youth Movements. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 1998. Modern World History Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 17 June 2014.

Yu, C.C. “The Chinese Students’ Alliance in the United States.” Young China, July 1921. Web. 17 June 2014.

Bevis, Teresa Brawner. “The Chinese Students’ Alliance.” A History of Higher Education Exchange: China and America. New York : Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group, 2013. Web. 17 June 2014.

File:鄧稼先普渡照片.jpg. (2017, October 3). Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository. Retrieved 20:28, July 18, 2018 from https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:%E9%84%A7%E7%A8%BC%E5%85%88%E6%99%AE%E6%B8%A1%E7%85%A7%E7%89%87.jpg&oldid=261298137.

Celebrating Black History Month: Firsts by Purdue African-American Students and Alumni

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Items from the Purdue University African American Students, Alumni and Faculty collection

Black History Month is a great time to take a look back in Purdue’s history and honor our African American pioneers, the people who broke new ground and paved the way for others. Actually, any time is the right time to honor people who have succeeded, but particularly those who faced obstacles outside the norm of typical student life.

If one flips through the Debris yearbook from the earliest years in Purdue’s history, it becomes clear from the atmosphere that is portrayed, the cartoons that are illustrated, and the words that are used that students were not always kind or inclusive towards one another. Although all students struggle from time to time, it is important to remember that people of color, or any people who differed from the majority, faced additional struggles inside and outside the classroom, and their voices are not always included in these historical accounts of student life. We believe this creates even more cause to celebrate, as a means of honoring those individuals who succeeded despite the odds.

According to historical accounts in the Archives, in 1944 there were twelve African American students at Purdue (Cornelius 10), and records show 145 black students in 1965. Thirty years later, during the 1994-1995 school year, there were 1,175. In 2015, the number was only a bit higher, at 1,183.

Below are some of the Purdue “firsts” among the African American student population:

1890, Purdue’s First Black Graduate

George W. Lacey is noted as having graduated from Purdue in Pharmacy. He is not found in the Debris yearbook, but he is mentioned elsewhere as having been Purdue’s first black graduate. His name is found in the 1890 Druggists’ Circular and Chemical Gazette with the listing of those who graduated from the Purdue School of Pharmacy that year. Fred Whitford, author of The Grand Old Man of Purdue University and Indiana Agriculture: A Biography of William Carroll Latta, also makes mention of Lacey as being the first black Purdue graduate (Whitford 37).

Or was it David Robert Lewis?

David Robert Lewis has also been noted in Purdue’s historical accounts as the University’s first black graduate. He was from Greensburg, Indiana, and he earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 1894. His senior thesis was titled “Highway Road Construction.”

Click to learn more about Lewis.

One problem in identifying the first African American graduate of Purdue, is that although Purdue began offering courses in 1874, the first records that include images of students are in the Debris yearbook, which did not exist until 1889. Therefore, the possibility exists that neither Lacey nor Lewis were the first African American graduate from Purdue– it is possible that a student who graduated prior to invention of the yearbook may have been African American, but thus far there is no record in the University Archives that confirms this. Official university records did not include race or ethnicity prior to 1974.

Other Early African American Graduates

Richard Wirt Smith graduated from the School of Pharmacy in 1904.

1904 Debris

Smith in a Purdue Pharmacy Lab in 1904.

Indianapolis Recorder, February 4, 1939

1904 Debris

Per Mr. Smith’s obituary in the Indianapolis Recorder, February 4, 1939, he died a successful druggist, at the young age of 54.

1905, John Henry Weaver, Pharmacy

As noted in John Henry Weaver’s Debris entry, he was also a member of the track team for 4 years. Sadly, as mentioned in Alexandra Cornelius’ research, “Purdue teams, like other national sports teams, became segregated in the 1910s and 1920s. They remained segregated until 1947, when black attorney Willard Ransom, a Purdue alumnus, challenged the University, and a student protest led to a black football player being put into the game.” Cornelius found other evidence that life must have been difficult for black students in the early years of the 20^th century. Her research has provided valuable evidence of early African American life at Purdue and is used frequently in the Archives.

1905, Samuel Saul Dargan graduated from Purdue with a Bachelor of Science Degree in 1905. He went on to become the first black man to earn a Law Degree from Indiana University (1909). He was curator of the IU Law Library for 39 years and assisted many law school students during that time.

1905 Debris

More about Dargan

1913, David Nelson Crosthwait Jr., Mechanical Engineering

1913 Debris

David Crosthwait became a pioneer in the field of heating, ventilating and air-conditioning, and is known for finding a way to heat Radio City Music Hall.

More about Crosthwait

Who was the first black woman to attend Purdue? As one turns the pages of the earliest Purdue Debris yearbooks, very few females look up from the pages. Even fewer black females are present. Per Caitlyn Marie Stypa, in her 2013 master’s thesis, Purdue Girls: The Female Experience at a Land-Grant University, 1887-1913: “While university publications make it difficult to determine who the first black woman was to enroll in or graduate from Purdue University, it is quite certain that she was not a student until after 1913.” Stypa goes on to write that “as late as 1911, black women made up just one-third of one percent of female college and university students. Common reasons for the low enrollment rate included lack of funds or outright discrimination” (Stypa 5).

As mentioned earlier, the fact that prior to 1974, a student’s permanent record did not include any racial or ethnic identification makes efforts to locate the first African American students a difficult task.

1910, First African American Women

One of the first black females to be found in the Debris yearbook appears in the middle of this photograph of the 1910 Junior Pharmacy Class. If one looks for her in the following years, she does not appear. Not every student had their photograph taken for the Debris, which makes it difficult to rely upon as a source for verifying the first African American students at Purdue; however, as one of the few early historical records containing images, the Debris yearbook is often our best available source for finding clues about Purdue’s early African American students. Because this woman could not be identified in later issues of the yearbook, it is possible that she was a student who did not finish her degree at Purdue. [Editor’s note, 2023: this woman is likely Rhoygnette Webb. To learn more about Webb and the process of discovering her identity, read “The Search for Miss Webb” https://blogs.lib.purdue.edu/asc/2020/04/23/the-search-for-miss-webb/]

1910, Junior Pharmacy Class

1913, Summer School for Teachers

In this photograph from the 1913 Debris, one finds another black woman. Her name is not noted, but she participated in Purdue’s Summer School for Teachers, which included Indiana high school and college students from around the state. It is unknown whether she was a full-time student enrolled in courses (outside of the Summer School for Teachers) at Purdue.

1910, Summer School for Teachers

1927, Inez Mason

In 1927, Inez Mason was the first cited member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, an early Greek organization established for African-American college women. She received a Bachelor of Science degree the same year. Her membership in the sorority is noted under her photo in the 1927 Debris.

Inez Mason, 1927 Debris

1931, Thelma F. McDonald

McDonald, 1931 Debris

No further information has been located in the Archives about Thelma McDonald.

1932, Silance Sisters

Sisters Delia and Ella Belle Silance of Lafayette appear to be two of the first black female graduates of Purdue. Both graduated with distinction and are shown below in the 1932 Debris.

Silance Sisters, 1932 Debris

“…Male black students could only live in West Lafayette in International House on University Avenue. However, black female students were denied the right and had to live across the river. ‘Practice House’ was a requirement in order to earn a degree in Home Economics. It was a program of 6 weeks duration, during which time home making duties were rotated among the girls each week. During those weeks two girls roomed together in the house. However, I was assigned to a group of five which included a very well liked black student. Those making the room pairings were planning to assign her to her own room, thinking incorrectly that no one would want to room with her. But she did have a room mate and one of the white girls roomed alone. Therefore, all of the assignments had to be rescheduled to accommodate a class of five. Thankfully, those restrictions were lifted long ago.” (Source: The Way It Was at Purdue 1941-1945, by Esther Conelley Boonstra, HE ’45).

1942 – International House established

The first members of International House, 1942

International House became the home for Purdue black male and international students, appearing in the Debris in 1942.

1949 Debris

This page from the 1949 Debris describes International House. Click on the photo for a full view of the page.

Jean Douglas, 1945 Debris

1945

If one searches the Debris for the Home Economics graduates for 1945, the lone black face that looks up from the pages is Jean Douglas. She is most likely the student mentioned in Esther Conelley’s account above.

1940s-50s, Purdue Athletics

As mentioned previously, Purdue athletic teams remained segregated until at least 1947. The pages of the Debris yearbook rarely mention black student athletes before 1950. According to Athletics sources, the first African American students to join the Purdue football team were Herman Murray and Lively Bryant, both in 1949. The Purdue student newspaper reported that Herman Murray played in practice games of the “B Team” against the freshmen as early as November 1948 (Exponent, November 13, 1948). Murray became the first African American Boilermaker to play in an official football game when Purdue played Northwestern at Ross Ade Stadium on November 11, 1950. The 1950 Debris yearbook shows Herman Murray in the team photograph for the Football “B” team. Murray, a tackle, received his varsity letter in 1951.

1950 Debris

1955

Lundy, 1955 Debris

In 1955, Lamar Lundy was a center for the Purdue basketball team.

Many other exceptional black athletes would one day follow in their footsteps.

Other Firsts

Cooper-Shockley

1955, first African American Woman to Earn Ph.D.

In 1955 Dr. Delores Cooper Shockley became the first African-American woman to earn a Ph.D. from Purdue and in the United States. Read more about her

1968, first African American Faculty Member

Bass Williams

It was not until 1968, when Helen Bass Williams was hired, that Purdue had a member of the faculty who was African American. Williams was a key figure in the Civil Rights Movement before coming to Purdue. She was hired as an instructor in French and a counselor in the School of Humanities, Social Science, and Education.

More about Helen Bass Williams

1975, The National Society of Black Engineers

The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) began as the Society of Black Engineers (SBE) and was founded at Purdue University in the 1970s. Because of this, Purdue is also known as the mother chapter of NSBE. The National Society of Black Engineers came into being as a result of a conference planned and hosted by SBE at Purdue in April 1975.

1975 Debris

Per the Purdue University Minority Engineering web page:

“In the early 1970s, only 20 percent of minority engineers stayed in the engineering program after their first year. With this low retention rate, there was a large disparity in the student population. John Logan, Edward Coleman, George Smith, Stanley Kirtley, Brian Harris, and Anthony Harris became known as the Chicago Six, as they took action to help their fellow students. In 1975, they founded the Black Society of Engineers (BSE) with the help of their advisor Arthur Bond at Purdue. Anthony Harris proposed changing the name to Society of Black Engineers (SBE) in 1976 and he began reaching out to engineering programs and advisors throughout the nation, proposing a national organization and collaboration. In 1976, the first national conference was held at Purdue University and included participation from 32 schools and 48 students from all parts of the country.” More Information

1975 Debris

Anthony Harris, one of the society’s founding members, was named chairman of the national advisory board for the society in 2007. He is president and CEO of Campbell/Harris Security Equipment Company, a manufacturer of equipment that detects contraband, explosives and “dirty bombs.” Its primary customers include the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue in 1975 and an MBA from the Harvard Graduate School of Business in 1979. He was named a Purdue Outstanding Mechanical Engineer in 1999.

1978, Kassandra Agee – Purdue’s First Black Homecoming Queen

1979 Debris

In 1978, as a sophomore, Kassandra Agee was elected as Purdue’s first African American Homecoming Queen, following an extensive and energetic campaign. Kassandra “Katie” Agee (now Chandler) took part in many activities on campus. She was a member of Alpha Lambda Delta freshman honors society, Purdue Pals, the Black Voices of Inspiration Choir, and the Society of Minority Managers. In addition, Agee also served as a social counselor for the Business Opportunity Program in the School of Management and was a member of the Mortar Board senior honors society at the time of her graduation. Following graduation, she was successfully employed at a variety of businesses, including the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, Exxon, Dow Chemical, and Procter & Gamble, as well as running her own information technology business.

1990, Robert J. Taylor (M.E. ’60), Purdue’s first black trustee

“Taylor named Purdue trustee” Taylor served as a member of Purdue’s board of trustees until 1996.

1990, Tarrus Richardson was elected as Purdue Student Body President

1991 Debris

In 1990, Tarrus Richardson became the first black Purdue Student Body President, with 70% of the vote. Richardson was very active on campus. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Purdue in 1991and a MBA from Harvard Business School in 1996. He later became CEO of IMB Development Corporation.

There are so many more diverse individuals in Purdue history who could be featured, and the Archives looks forward to continuing to preserve the histories of these individuals and share them with you. It is an honor to highlight the lives of Purdue pioneers who faced tremendous obstacles and persevered, forging the way for future generations of Boilermakers.

As part of Black History Month, and beyond, we aim to celebrate all individuals who helped make Purdue University the outstanding institution of higher learning it is today. To learn more about early African American life at Purdue, please contact us to view the references cited below, as well as related collections on the topic, in the Archives.

Blog post by Mary A. Sego (’82), Processing Assistant, Purdue University Archives and Special Collections. Post updated 7/29/19 with additional source information about Herman Murray, by Sammie Morris.

References:

Cornelius, Alexandra, “Evolution of the Black Presence at Purdue University,” (1994, July 5) Purdue University African American Students, Alumni and Faculty collection, Purdue University Archives and Special Collections (Box 1, Folder 10), Purdue University Libraries, West Lafayette, IN.

Whitford, F., & Martin, A. (2005). The grand old man of Purdue University and Indiana agriculture : A biography of William Carroll Latta. West Lafayette, Ind.: Purdue University Press.

Stypa, Caitly Marie (2013). Purdue Girls: The Female Experience at a Land-Grant University, 1887-1913, Unpublished master’s thesis, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.

Boonstra, Esther Conelley (1945). The Way it was at Purdue 1941-1945, Esther Conelly Boonstra collection, Purdue University Archives and Special Collections, (Communal Collections 3, Placement 20), Purdue University Libraries, West Lafayette, IN.

Debris Yearbook, Purdue University Archives and Special Collections, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN. earchives.lib.purdue.edu, 18 February, 2018.

Related collections:

The records of the Black Cultural Center (BCC) are a treasure trove of source material on African American student life at Purdue, dating from circa 1969 to present. In partnership with the BCC Library, the Archives makes these records available for research and study.

The 2009 film Black Purdue, created by Jamar White, Derek Fordjour, Keith David, and the Purdue Black Alumni Organization provides excellent primary source material. The film includes interviews with many of the students and faculty involved in the early days of the founding of the Black Cultural Center. This film is available through both the Archives and through the media collection of the Black Cultural Center.

Collection Spotlight: The Romance of Bernice Nelson and L. Murray Grant

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Editor’s Note: The Collections Spotlight series will highlight small collections that provide unique glimpses of Purdue and its people.

Among the holdings of Purdue University Archives and Special Collections are many materials that belonged to Purdue students during their time in West Lafayette. Each collection is different and provides a personal view of the student and his or her college experience. In the case of the L. Murray Grant and Bernice Nelson Grant Papers, we get to glimpse two different students during their college days.

Lloyd Murray Grant, 1904 Debris

Bernice Nelson, 1905 Debris

Lloyd Murray Grant graduated from Purdue with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 1904. His future wife, Bernice Nelson, graduated the following year with a B.S. in Science (1905). Both Murray and Bernice were popular students who participated in many clubs and societies. They crossed paths as members of the Debris Yearbook staff, Murray as business manager and Bernice as associate editor.

Bernice Nelson’s dance cards

Bernice attended many social events held by campus groups and kept her dance cards, which document the dances of the evening and allowed young women to record the names of their dance partners. Almost every one of her dance slots was filled. Interestingly, though most of Bernice’s seven remaining dance cards are from the 1903-1904 year, she never once listed Murray as a dance partner. Despite this absence, Grant’s senior biography in the Debris hints at a connection: “Murray holds a strength record in the Gym and also one outside. He is known as the man with the ‘strong hold’ – the ‘full Nelson.'”

Programs (clockwise from left): Annual Dinner of the Purdue Alumni Association of New York City 1906, 1904 Commencement Program, Class of 1905 Junior Banquet, Invitation to 1904 Commencement

Gala Week, the days leading up to graduation, was packed with activities for seniors and their families. Murray saved the programs from many of those events, including the senior class banquet, invitation to commencement, commencement program, and full list of Gala Week activities. The program for Bernice’s commencement in 1905 is also part of the collection, as is the program for a Purdue Alumni Association of New York City Annual Dinner of 1906.

The collection also includes two articles about Purdue written by Bernice Nelson and published in the Exponent. The first, simply titled “Purdue,” extols the prominent role of Purdue graduates in the world. The second, titled “The Purdue of Yesterday,” is a handwritten draft. “The Purdue of Yesterday” shares anecdotes passed along by Purdue students from earlier years, including stories about sneaking out past curfew, riding trains around campus right after the track was laid, and playing lighthearted pranks during chapel services.

“Purdue” (left) and “The Purdue of Yesterday”

After graduating with his Mechanical Engineering degree, Murray Grant found work first in New York City and then in his hometown of Spokane, Washington. Bernice Nelson moved first to Illiopolis, Illinois, then to Rawlins, Wyoming, to teach science. In 1909, the couple married in her hometown of Lowell, Indiana, then moved to Seattle, where they lived for the rest of their lives. Murray built a successful career in water works and piping, and is credited with “design[ing] and construct[ing] most of the large, continuous stave penstocks and pipe lines in the U.S” (Who’s Who in Engineering, Vol. 1, 1922-1923).

David E. Ross to L. Murray Grant, June 7, 1933

The Grants remained active in Purdue alumni organizations throughout their lives. Murray was President of the Purdue Alumni Association from 1907 to 1908, participated in local chapters everywhere he lived, and even co-founded the Spokane chapter in 1908 (Exponent, 12 December 1908). Their move to Seattle was announced in the Exponent with the note that “they will be glad to have all Purdue friends call when in Seattle” (Exponent, 18 September 1909). The Grants were often visited by Purdue’s President Winthrop Stone, an amateur mountain climber, when he traveled to the western United States and Canada to climb the Rockies. The Grant Papers include multiple letters between Stone and Grant planning their reunions during Stone’s visits.

The final item in the Grant Papers is a letter from Purdue Trustee David E. Ross, written in 1933, asking Murray Grant to meet with an international exchange student from Purdue who would be visiting the Seattle area. Nearly thirty years after graduation, Murray was still involved in the promotion of Purdue.

The L. Murray Grant and Bernice Nelson Grant Papers are available for research in the Virginia Kelly Karnes Archives and Special Collections Research Center.

MSA 330, L. Murray Grant and Bernice Nelson Grant papers, Virginia Kelly Karnes Archives and Special Collections, Purdue University Libraries

‘Lil Orphan Annie Attends Purdue

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Did you know that Harold Gray, the creator of ‘Lil Orphan Annie, was a Purdue grad?

Harold Lincoln Gray was born near Kankakee, Illinois, on January 20, 1894, to Ira Lincoln Gray, a farmer, and Estella M. Rosencrans. As a child, his family moved to a farm near West Lafayette, Indiana. Gray graduated from West Lafayette High School in 1912. After graduation he entered Purdue University. Due to losing both parents before he graduated high school, Gray had to serve as a construction worker to pay his college tuition. During college he also worked for the Lafayette Morning Journal creating cartoons and selling advertising.

Gray’s activities while a Purdue student. 1917 Debris yearbook

Gray was assistant art editor for the Debris yearbook for three years and art editor during his senior year. He drew political cartoons for the yearbook and also for the Exponent student newspaper. He served briefly as a reporter for the Exponent as well. Gray graduated from Purdue in 1917 with a Bachelor of Science degree. As was customary in yearbooks of the era, his name was listed along with nicknames such as “Grace” and “Cart.” Below his entry in the yearbook is the phrase “Oh! what a noble mind.”

Gray, 1917 Debris yearbook

Gray’s early student artwork published in the 1916 and 1917 Debris yearbooks speaks to Purdue life from the student perspective, and provides a glimpse of the artistic style for which he would later become known. It has been said that his artwork “cast a spell that enhanced his story. Filling his drawings with solid blacks, heavy shadows, and darkly shaded nooks and crannies.” (Harvey, 2013)

From the 1916 Debris

Gray’s artwork from 1916 Debris

Artwork done by Gray for a Purdue Student Handbook

Gray’s artwork from the 1917 Debris (his senior year)

MSA 255, Collection on Harold Gray, Karnes Archives and Special Collections, Purdue University Libraries

A week after graduating from Purdue, Gray accepted a job as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, at a salary of $15 a week. He soon transitioned to the art department. Gray left the Tribune to enlist in the Army during World War I. He became a bayonet instructor, and rose to the rank of second lieutenant. After a short period in the Army he returned to the Chicago Tribune where he began a 5-year apprenticeship as an assistant to Sidney Smith on the comic “The Gumps.” Gray appreciated the training he received from Smith and began to develop some of his own ideas. At first he created a prototype boy hero and named him “Little Orphan Otto.” At the suggestion of an influential friend from his days at the Tribune, Joseph Medill Patterson, Gray drew a dress on the figure and renamed the character “Annie.” Part of this was because there were 50 boy comic strips at this time and only 3 girl comics. Both the Tribune and the New York Daily News launched “Little Orphan Annie,” on August 5, 1924. The main characters, “Annie,” her dog “Sandy,” and her billionaire foster father, “Daddy Warbucks,” soon took a growing number of readers on adventures, many with a slant toward social commentary.

Gray did not forget his Indiana and Purdue roots. Some of the strips from 1927-1929 featured adventures in Lafayette, Indiana and the vicinity, including Purdue University. Since Gray enjoyed exploring Happy Hollow Park as a boy, his comic strip often mentioned a fictional Happy Hollow Seminary.

In the comic below, Little Orphan Annie prepares to go to Purdue.

MSA 255, Collection on Harold Gray, Karnes Archives and Special Collections, Purdue University Libraries

In the following cartoons from 1928 and 1929, Annie again interacts with Purdue. Note the Purdue pennant in the first frame, and mention of “Happy Hollow” in the 3rd. Please click on the comic strips to get a better view.

MSA 255, Collection on Harold Gray, Karnes Archives and Special Collections, Purdue University Libraries

In these comics, Annie studies hard, while Gray reflects on his college days.

MSA 255, Collection on Harold Gray, Karnes Archives and Special Collections, Purdue University Libraries

Annie has a touch of spring fever, is happy Purdue beat its rival Indiana University, and learns about some famous Purdue alumni. Note the Purdue pillow that is prominently displayed.

MSA 255, Collection on Harold Gray, Karnes Archives and Special Collections, Purdue University Libraries

Bob Kriebel, a columnist for the Lafayette Journal and Courier newspaper wrote that Gray’s character, Annie, in many ways “reflected Gray’s personal convictions that all Americans should act with honor, independence of thought and industry; mind their own business and remain true to the traditional pioneering virtues.” (Kriebel, June 3, 2016)

The “Annie” cartoon took on a more political color in the 1930s. Eventually, the comic strip incorporated subtle commentary from Gray on income tax, organized labor, communism, left-wingers, food and fueling rationing, and public welfare. In regard to the latter, he named one of his characters Mrs. Bleeding Heart.

MSA 255, Collection on Harold Gray, Karnes Archives and Special Collections, Purdue University Libraries

By the late 1930s, hundreds of U.S. newspapers presented “Annie” to tens of millions of readers. Gray was sometimes criticized for his use of the comic strip to voice his conservative Republican political and social views. When he died of lymphatic cancer on May 9, 1968, in La Jolla, California, Gray was a millionaire, owing much of his wealth to his creation of “Annie.” Other artists later tried to draw “Annie,” but not with the same success. In the fall of 1979, Leonard Starr began writing and drawing new adventures under the title “Annie.”

In October 1995, the U.S. Postal Service chose “Little Orphan Annie” as one of 20 “Comic Strip Classics” in a series of commemorative stamps. Gray was also part of a select group of artists inducted into the Hall of Fame of the International Museum of Cartoon Art.

“Little Orphan Annie” as one of 20 “Comic Strip Classics” in a series of commemorative stamps from 1995.

Article by Mary A. Sego, Purdue Archives Processing Assistant.

References:

MSA 255, Collection on Harold Gray, Karnes Archives and Special Collections, Purdue University Libraries

Harvey, R.C. (2013, May 13). “The Orphan’s Epic.” The Comics Journal. Retrieved from http://www.tcj.com/the-orphans-epic/

Kriebel, Bob. (2016, June 3). ‘Annie’ cartoonist got his start in Lafayette. Journal & Courier. Retrieved from http://www.jconline.com/story/news/2016/06/03/annie-cartoonist-got-his-start-lafayette/84825770/

Thomis, Wayne. (1968, May 10), “Harold Gray, Orphan Annie’s Creator, Dies in West at 74.” Chicago Tribune. Retrieved from http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1968/05/10/page/3/article/harold-gray-orphan-annies-creator-dies-in-west-at-74

1967 Rose Bowl, Purdue Astronauts and the Anticipation of the Moon

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moon

January 2, 2017 marks the 50th anniversary of Purdue’s win against the University of Southern California in the 1967 Rose Bowl game. The theme for the 1967 Tournament of Roses parade was “Travel Tales in Flowers.”

Rose Bowl program from alum Gary J. Glazer papers

This comes as no surprise considering NASA’s success with the space program and its mission to land a man on the Moon, per mandate of recently slain President Kennedy. In 1967 the American public was waiting with bated breath to see NASA land an astronaut on the Moon. The Soviet Union had entered the race first with the successful launch of Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, on October 4, 1957. President Eisenhower reacted slowly, but eventually set the gears in motion to launch the United States’ first satellite, Explorer 1, four months later on February 1, 1958.

Pamphlet distributed to nation-wide outlets hailing the achievements of Purdue, from Purdue University Athletics Collection.

In anticipation of the Rose Bowl game and the guaranteed national media coverage, the Purdue University News Service created promotional documentation that they sent to newspapers, radio stations, and television stations all over the country so that they could accurately tell news stories about Purdue. These news bulletins documented information about the school ranging from the official colors, mascot, and famous alumni to different education programs. Also included were photographs, the float that the students created for the parade, and stories about the astronaut alumni anxiously awaiting their ride to the Moon. One bulletin boasts “Purdue University had aviation ‘in its blood’ before it had Rose Bowl fever.” This bulletin goes on to celebrate the pioneering history of Purdue aviation by telling of early years of the airport and the connection the university has with Amelia Earhart. Another bulletin titled “Purdue Astronauts on Moon, Natural as Apple Pie,” opens with the eerie prediction, “It would be hard to imagine reaching the moon without a piece of Purdue going along.” The bulletin continues talking about how there is as much anticipation for the Apollo mission as there is the Rose Bowl.

“A Purdue tribute to the heroism of her men” 1967 Debris, p. 549.

The float that Purdue students constructed for the 1967 Tournament of Roses parade honored four of their own Purdue alumni astronauts at the time of the game. The float depicts a Gemini capsule and the names of the four current Purdue astronauts: Armstrong, Cernan, Chaffee, and Grissom, along with the caption, “Alma Mater of Astronauts.”

Footage of 1967 Tournament of Roses Parade Courtesy of Purdue University Athletic Department

Above is Armstrong’s Debris yearbook photo from 1954. He is second from the left.

Neil A. Armstrong

At the time of the Rose Bowl, Neil Armstrong had already completed the Gemini 8 mission. The significance of this mission was the successful rendezvous and docking with another spacecraft.

Finding Aid for the Neil A. Armstrong papers

Gene Cernan

Above, third from the left, Cernan is pictured here in his 1956 Purdue Debris yearbook photo.

By 1967 Gene Cernan had completed the Gemini 9A mission. Lasting from June 3 to June 6, 1966, NASA planned for Cernan to complete a spacewalk, strap into the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU), and perform tasks while rendezvousing with an Agena Target Vehicle. This task was not easily completed. Cernan struggled tremendously moving about while spacewalking. His suit became rigged, his visor fogged up, and there were not enough hand-holds and foot-holds on the craft for Cernan to steady himself. To make things worse, the Agena Target Vehicle failed to release its casing, making it impossible for Cernan to complete that part of the mission.

Finding Aid for the Eugene Cernan papers

Virgil “Gus” Grissom’s yearbook photo from the Purdue Debris 1950. Grissom is on the far right.

Gus Grissom

Gus Grissom was the first Purdue graduate that NASA chose to be an astronaut. NASA selected Grissom as part of the Mercury 7. This group of astronauts flew the single piloted Mercury missions. NASA selected Grissom, along with Alan Sheppard and John Glenn, for the first Mercury flight. Sheppard eventually received the seat on the first flight, but Grissom flew the second sub-orbital mission.

Virgil I. Grissom papers

Roger Chaffee

Roger Chaffee’s yearbook photo from the 1957 Purdue Debris. He is first on the left.

At the time of the 1967 Rose Bowl, Roger Chaffee was a rookie. He had not yet completed any spaceflights but was the capsule communicator for the Gemini 4 mission. Chaffee graduated from Purdue in 1957 with Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Engineering. Chaffee was killed along with Gus Grissom and Ed White in the Apollo 1 fire.

Roger B. Chaffee letter and postcard

The 1967 Rose Bowl was the first time Purdue had ever been to a bowl game, and it was a special milestone to many. The astronauts were just as excited about the 1967 Rose Bowl as other fans. Memorabilia from the game can be found among various astronauts’ papers.

Ticket and Pamphlet from the Jerry L. Ross papers

Program and Ticket from the Jerry L. Ross papers

Jerry Ross was not yet an astronaut at the time of the 1967 Rose Bowl. He was a student at Purdue in his junior year and watched the game from the stands. His ticket and program from the Rose Bowl are a part of his papers, which he donated to the Purdue Archives in 2012.

Jerry L. Ross papers

“For Purdue, it was enough that we were there playing in the Rose Bowl. We didn’t have to win it to be satisfied. I had many great football memories after that, but certainly, the 1967 Rose Bowl was the pinnacle of my collegiate career. I felt a great sense of responsibility and was real proud of what we did. Taking the fans and everyone to the Rose Bowl was the greatest highlight, for me. Just being out there, seeing all the people, going to the Christmas party, visiting Universal Studios, eating at Lowery’s. The overriding factor was that we were taking part in something no one else had. We were the first, and there’s something to be said for that.” – Bob Griese, 2002

“The overriding factor was that we were taking part in something no one else had. We were the first, and there’s something to be said for that.” The astronauts most likely felt the same about their mission to reach the Moon.

rose Footage of 1967 Rose Bowl Game:

1967 Debris, p. 545

1967 Debris, page 558

The Purdue football team gave Neil Armstrong, Gene Cernan, Gus Grissom, and Roger Chaffee each a football signed by the 1967 Purdue Football team. The football pictured here was given to Armstrong. It is part of the Neil A. Armstrong papers, which reside in the Virginia Kelly Karnes Archives and Special Collections Research Center at Purdue.

MSA 5, Neil A. Armstrong papers

Note that near the “Made in the U.S.A.” text on the football, below the laces, is the signature of star quarterback and Purdue football legend Bob Griese.

champs This football game represents a moment in the history of the Space Age filled with anticipation. Both the American public and NASA knew that the impending goal of landing a man on the Moon crept ever closer each day. As 1966 came to a close, so did the Gemini series of missions. These missions set the groundwork for the Apollo missions that lay ahead. Gemini proved that astronauts could stay in space for long periods of time and survive a lengthy three-day trip to the Moon. It also proved that spacecraft could be piloted and controlled in space. The Gemini spacecraft was the first spacecraft to have controls similar to an aircraft. The astronauts were able to adapt more easily than the mostly autonomous controls of the Mercury capsule. Living and working in space, rendezvous and docking, and long duration spaceflights became possible due to Gemini. pennant

1967 meant more than a new year and first time opportunities for the participants and attendees at the Rose Bowl. It meant the beginning of a new era in space travel. An era when astronauts went somewhere other than Earth’s orbit, it meant succeeding in trumping the Soviet Union’s Space program once and for all, and finally it meant completing President Kennedy’s grand goal that he set during his tragically cut short presidency. The Moon was within reach.

Visit this page for a history of Purdue’s college football bowl appearances.

Co-authored by Mary A. Sego, Archives Processing Assistant, and Max Campbell, former Graduate Assistant, Purdue University Libraries Archives and Special Collections.

Bailey Hall and Purdue’s Musical Myth

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Editor’s Note: The Purdue University Buildings Project is an ongoing effort to document and describe every building that has ever existed at Purdue. From time to time, we will highlight buildings on campus and the research taking place to document their histories. For a more detailed description of the Project, see Part I, “Beginning the Research Process, Challenges, and Unfolding Histories.”

Through the Buildings Project, The Virginia Kelly Karnes Archives and Special Collections Research Center is trying to collect the history of all of the past buildings on campus up to the present. I currently work on gathering the information about the buildings on campus that have been built in the 21st century. These buildings are particularly interesting because of the similarities and differences the physical structures have with older buildings, as well as the donors, dedications, and other aspects of adding a new addition to campus that have changed over the years. I have recently worked on buildings such as The Fred and Mary Ford Dining Court, Krach Leadership Center, Marriott Hall, and Bill and Sally Hanley Hall. I find the information on these buildings through our physical archives as well as archives materials that have been digitized.

Bailey Hall

Although the classic Purdue myth made up by students and alumni states that it was John Purdue’s request to not have a music major at Purdue University, the Purdue Musical Organization (PMO) has still managed to surface on campus. I know you’re thinking that this defiance of John Purdue’s wishes is definitely fake, but I promise not having a music major really is a myth. Plus, the PMO was inevitable due to all of the successful musical organizations on campus throughout its history. Technically, no supposed requests have been broken here because music majors are still not an option at Purdue. Almost 80 years after PMO’s founding, its six choral ensembles and one hand bell choir are very successful and continue to grow. Several of the groups have been broadcast on television and radio networks. According to the PMO website, through more than 100 performances each year and over $300,000 in scholarships annually, the PMO has shown how important creativity and hard work really are. Performances like their Christmas Show and Fall Show are annual favorites among attendees. Certain performances are even a tradition for many families.

Ralph and Bettye Bailey at the October 11th dedication.

The Ralph and Bettye Bailey Hall, completed in 2014, is the home for the Purdue Musical Organizations. It features large and small rehearsal rooms, a student lounge and study area named for PMO founder Albert P. Stewart, a music library, and environmentally controlled storage space. Ralph and Bettye Holder Bailey donated $4.5 million of the $7.6 million raised for the building. The Baileys, who reside in Connecticut, have been longtime fans of the PMO. Ralph graduated in 1949 with a degree in mechanical engineering. The couple also established the Ralph and Bettye Bailey Professorship of Combustion in Mechanical Engineering and the Ralph and Bettye Bailey Purdue Merit Scholarship.

The private dedication ceremony for Bailey Hall was held on October 10, 2014, and the public open house was held on October 11, 2014, according to the Purdue University News Service.

Editor’s Note: Erin Hamilton is a junior in Hospitality and Tourism Management. She has worked at the archives for a little over 4 months.

Remembering and Honoring Our Purdue World War I Veterans Who Gave Their Lives – Lest We Forget

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The idea for the construction of a Purdue Union was first suggested by an undergraduate in 1912. He wanted a building where students could meet and work on their various extracurricular activities. The class of 1912 voted an assessment of $5 from each senior to start a fund to erect a home for students, alumni, and faculty activities. Succeeding classes followed the same procedure until 1917.

Photo by Mary Sego – Click on Image

Then came the Great War (World War I). At its close, Purdue looked at the record of 4,013 men and women in the service, at the 67 gold stars, and in many minds there arose the thought that the Union should stand as a permanent memorial to those who had died for it. With this in mind the “Purdue Memorial Union” came into being.
In June of 1922, ground was broken for the Purdue Memorial Union. The building was opened for use in September of 1924. Five additions have been added to the original structure since that time.

A plaque listing the names of those Purdue men who lost their lives during World War I appears on the wall to the right of the main entrance to the Purdue Memorial Union.

“To Perpetuate the Memory of These Men, the Members of the Class of 1926 of Purdue University Have Donated this Tablet.”

The plaque as it appeared on November 11, 1934 during President Edward C. Elliott’s Armistice Day radio address (Purdue Archives photo #PPBUC00797)

As one passes the plaque in the Union bearing the names of those who lost their lives, one wonders what they were like as students or how their short, promising lives came to an end. Many of them came to Purdue for military training; some cut their educations short or put careers on hold. Others made it through the majority of the war, only to face diseases and medical conditions that they could not win the battle against. The influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 took more lives than the war itself, and many died from it before the armistice between the Allies of World War I and Germany, which took effect in the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” of 1918. All gave their lives defending our country in one form or another, and out of respect for them, this document was compiled to provide an enduring record of who they were.

World War I barracks on campus (Purdue Archives photo #PPBUC00915)

Information about the veterans was first sought through the Debris yearbook. In its earliest days, the Debris yearbook often supplied a caption which noted a senior’s activities and sometimes a note about one’s personality. The quotes about each came from those entries. For those who enlisted before they finished their educations at Purdue or came to Purdue solely for military training, other sources were used to find biographical information. The “EX” on the plaque indicates the year the men left Purdue for the service. Otherwise the year indicated is the year they graduated from Purdue.

These are the 67 Purdue World War I veterans who died serving their country.

Killed in Action:

Arthur H. Berges, ‘10

Berges, 1910 Debris

Berges graduated from Purdue with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. While he was a student he was a member of the M.E. Society, Governing Council, and Forum Debating Society.

“Berges stands in a class by himself…”

Jack Burns, ’17

Burns was killed in action on the battlefield. No further information is available.

Sharon McKinley Danford, EX- ‘17

Danford entered the service December 3, 1917, in Indianapolis, IN. He was sent to Ft. Thomas, KY, and then overseas in April 1918. He was assigned to Company D, 1^st Army Supply Train. While stationed in Toul Sector, he was killed in a motor truck accident, November 6, 1918, and was buried in Toul, France.

Joseph Gray Duncan, ‘08

Duncan, 1908 Debris

Duncan received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. He was a merchant and enlisted in U.S. Regular Army in August 1917. He was commissioned Captain at Ft. Niagara, NY, assigned to 315^th Infantry, 79^th Division. He sailed overseas July 7, 1918.

Duncan was killed in action September 20, 1918, near Montfaucon and buried near Montfaucon, France. He was cited for bravery in action.

James Blaine Fellinger, ’16

Fellinger was killed in action July 25, 1918. No further information is available.

Stimson Webb Goddard, EX- ’18

Corporal Stimson Webb Goddard, Company H, 138^th Infantry was killed in the Argonne Forest, France, on October 2, 1918.

John M. Ginney (no date given)

Ginney went to California in early 1917 and was employed on a ranch when he enlisted in Company M, 7^th Infantry, California National Guard. He was sent to Camp Kearney, CA. He went overseas in June 1918, assigned to Company F, 58^th Infantry, 4^th Division. He was killed in action on August 6, 1918, near Bazoches and was buried in Fismes Aisne, France. The American Legion Post, Bunker Hill, IN is named in his honor.

Willard E. Hensley, EX- ‘17

Hensley circa 1917. Photo courtesy of Gold star Honor Roll: a record of Indiana men and women who died in the service of the United States and the allied nations in the world war.

Willard Hensley attended Purdue for one term and was then employed as a clerk in an agricultural store. He enlisted in the United States Marines on June 13, 1917, in Indianapolis, IN, was then sent to Port Royal, SC, and transferred to Quantico, VA. Hensley was then sent overseas on October 6, 1917, assigned to 97^th Company, 6^th Regiment, 2^nd Division.

He was killed in action June 6, 1918, near Bouresches and buried there. The American Legion Post, Morristown, IN, is named in his honor.

Benjamin H. Hewitt, ‘11

Hewitt, 1911 Debris

Hewitt graduated from Purdue with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. As a student, he was a member of the Civil Engineering Society, Purdue Athletic Association, and the Varsity Football Squad.

“With as wise a head and as big a heart as is his, the future can show but one word – Success.”

Floyd D. Holmes, EX- ‘13

Holmes. Photo courtesy of Gold Star Honor Roll.

Holmes was educated at Purdue and became a journalist. He enlisted in Company D, 31^st Infantry, Michigan National Guard, Detroit, MI, June 4, 1917. He was sent to Camp McArthur, TX, and then sent overseas in January 1918. He was assigned to Company D, 125^th Infantry, 32^nd Division. Holmes was killed in action July 31, 1918, near Cierges. He is buried in American Cemetery, Seringes-et-Nesles, Plot 3, Sec. R, Grave No. 144.

Alexander Ferdinand Matthews, EX- ’17

Matthews was a Mechanical Engineering major at Purdue. He was also an alum of Cornell. He served during the war as a First Lieutenant, Aviation, and was killed in action, July 1918. No further information is available.

Worsham circa 1917. Photo courtesy of Gold Star Honor Roll.

Elijah William Worsham, EX –‘08

Worsham was a graduate of Purdue. He saw service on the Mexican Border in 1912 as First Lieutenant of a Machine Gun Company. He re-enlisted in April 1917 and was sent to Camp Lewis, WA. Promoted to 1^st Lieutenant of Machine Gun Company, 326^th Infantry, and later to Captain. He was killed in action September 29, 1918, in Meuse-Argonne Offensive and was buried in the Argonne Forest.

Died of Wounds:

Frank Seely, EX- ’97

Seely died of wounds on the battlefield. No further information is available.

Robert Earl Symmonds, EX- ’16

Symmonds entered the Military Academy in June 1914. He soon endeared himself to those with whom he came in contact by his never-failing good humor and quiet friendliness. He graduated on August 30, 1917, and was assigned to the 2nd Cavalry at Fort Ethan Allen, Vermont. In December 1917, he was assigned to Headquarters Troop, 2nd Division, and proceeded overseas. On June 27, 1918, he was promoted to be a temporary Captain of Cavalry. While with the above organization he took part in the fighting at Belleau Woods, Soissons, and St. Mihiel.

He then left the division, taking a short course of instruction at the Machine Gun School at Sangres, on the completion of which he was reassigned to the 2nd Division and ordered to report for duty with the 5th Machine Gun Battalion. On the afternoon of November 3, 1918, he reported to the commanding officer of this organization, which was then heavily engaged with the enemy in the Meuse–Argonne offensive. Upon reporting he requested that he be assigned to a company that was in actual contact with the enemy. He was consequently placed in command of Company D, which that very night made an attack upon a ridge just south of Beaumont. It was while leading his company in this attack that he was mortally wounded. He was removed to a nearby hospital, where he died November 22, 1918.

These facts were given in a letter by his commanding officer.

Leslie C. Weishaar, EX- ’18

Weishaar, 1918. Photo courtesy of Gold Star Honor Roll.

Weishaar studied Mechanical Engineering at Purdue and entered the service September 5, 1918. He was sent to Camp Taylor and assigned to 34^th Company, 9^th Training Battalion, 159^th Depot Brigade. Weishaar died of influenza on October 16, 1918, at Camp Taylor, KY. He was buried in the Brook Cemetery, Brook, IN.

Walter Dewey White, EX- ’15

White was a Private in the 309^th Infantry. He died of wounds on November 9, 1918. No further information is available.

Wilson, 1912 Debris

Richard Morton Wilson, ’12

Wilson was from Cincinnati, OH. He received a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Purdue and was a member of ASME, the Harlequin Club, and Athletic Association.

“Very few have studied as little, cut as much and still made as many A’s as the ‘Billiken’… With his ability to work electrical problems, we believe he will someday be another Steinmetz, provided he stays away from the Cincinnati Traction Co., and quits ‘riding the rods’.”

Died in Foreign Service:

Buell, 1908 Debris

Frank Andrew Buell, ‘08

Buell graduated from Purdue with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, member of Varsovienne Club, Ohio Club, Athletic Association, and Color Guard Cadet Corps.

“‘Shorty’ hails from the city of Toledo. He has completed the four years’ of work in three and attracted the attention of the Tau Betas by the manner in which he did it.”

Warren Francis Fisherdick, ‘18

Fisherdick enlisted for service in 1917 as a member of Company F, 16th Railway Engineers. He was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in November 1918 but died of disease in Base Hospital No. 79, Bazrilles Sur Meuse, France, on February 20, 1919.

Charles F. Greene, EX- ’15

Green died in France in the service of his country on October 10, 1918. No further information is available.

Edward John Harty, EX- ’16

The exact years Harty attended Purdue are unknown. He moved to Tippecanoe County in 1896 and was a railroad employee. He entered the service February 10, 1918, in Brooklyn, NY. He was assigned to 77^th Machine Gun Company, 306^th Infantry, 77^th Division. He went overseas on March 18, 1918, and was made prisoner by the Germans in July 1918. Harty contracted a disease as a prisoner of war and died December 22, 1918, in Vichy, France, where he was buried.

Reginald Wallace Hughes, ‘06

Hughes, 1906 Debris

Hughes graduated from Purdue with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. He was a member of Phi Delta Theta, the Athletic Association, and Exponent and Debris staffs. His thesis was on tests of steam automobiles.

After Purdue he was an employee of Fletcher Savings and Trust Company. He entered Second Officers Training Camp, Ft. Benjamin Harrison, IN on August 1917 and was commissioned Captain. He was then sent to Camp Funston, Kansas; assigned to 164^th Field Artillery, Bridgade Headquarters, 89^th Division; and went overseas June 23, 1918, with Army occupation into Germany. He died of pneumonia February 1, 1918, in Bitburg, Germany.

Howard William Irwin, ‘03

Irwin, 1903 Debris

Irwin, nicknamed “Flicker,” was from Northhampton, MA. He graduated from Purdue with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, was a member of Mandolin Club and Phi Delta Theta, and took Efficiency Test in the Home Heating Company, Indianapolis, IN.

“A romantic young man with a passionate desire for the society of young ladies. Fond of displaying his skill for the use of the French language. Operator of the dog house in the mandolin club. Owner of a fifteen pound blue and white sweater. Morose and jolly by turns. He will get along in the world.”

After graduating from Purdue he worked for General Electric in Schenectady, NY, Northern Electric in MN, and later Bay State Railway in Boston. On June 10, 1910, he entered the Army as Captain of Engineers. In France he was superintendent of a major railway system. He died of bronchial pneumonia on January 6, 1919, at Tours, France.

Harold Douglas MacLachlan, EX- ’14

MacLachlan was a Mechanical Engineering major while a student at Purdue. He was a Major in the 13^th Regiment, United States Marines and died of disease on September 27, 1918.

Gladstone Bertram Newhouse, EX- ‘20

Newhouse circa 1917. Photo courtesy of Gold Star Honor Roll.

Newhouse was a student at Purdue when he enlisted in the U.S. Regular Army in May of 1917. He was sent to Jefferson Barracks, MO and then assigned to Troop M, 21^st Calvary. He was transferred to Camp Logan, TX and assigned to Battery F, 79^th Field Artillery, 7^th Division. On August 18, 1918, Newhouse was sent overseas. He died of pneumonia on September 17, 1918, in Ploermel, France, and was buried in an American cemetery, grave no. 55, Camp Coctquidan, France.

Elmer Earl Rothenberger, EX- ‘18

Rothenberger, 1918. Photo courtesy of Gold Star Honor Roll.

Rothenberger was a student at Purdue when he enlisted in the U.S. Regular Army in Air Service on November 3, 1917, in Austin, Texas. He trained at Kelly Field, TX and went overseas on May 20, 1918. Rothernberger was an instructor in Aerial Observation at Chatillon-sur-Seine, where he was accidentally killed September 4, 1918. He was buried at St. Thibault, France. He left behind a widow, Ruth Aldrich Rothenberger, of Lafayette, IN.

Carl James Shipe, EX- ‘19

Shipe, 1917. Photo courtesy of Gold Star Honor Roll.

Carl Shipe was a student at Purdue when he enlisted in First Officers Training Camp, Ft. Benjamin Harrison, IN in May 1917. He was commissioned 2^nd Lieutenant and sent to Camp Taylor, KY; then to Washington, DC, to Camp Wadsworth, SC, and later Camp Colt, PA. He was sent overseas on August 30, 1918, and assigned to Company B, 328^th Infantry. He died of spinal meningitis on January 8, 1919, Haute Marne, France. He was buried in an American cemetery, grave 48, Haute Marne, France.

Earl Thomas Steinhart, EX- ‘18

Steinhart, 1918. Photo courtesy of Gold Star Honor Roll.

Steinhart was a Purdue student when he enlisted in Quartermaster Corps, Regular Army on August 26, 1917, Washington Barracks, DC, and transferred to Camp Meigs, Washington, DC. He was assigned to Headquarters Repair Unit No. 301, Motor Transport Corps. Steinhart was sent overseas on January 4, 1918, and assigned to Administration Company, 13^th Motor Transport Corps. He died of pneumonia, March 3, 1918, in Verneuil, France, and was buried in the American cemetery there.

Ernest Raymond Warbritton, EX- ‘10

Warbritton, 1917. Photo courtesy of Gold Star Honor Roll.

Warbritton studied at Purdue in Civil Engineering. He entered First Officer’s Training Camp, Ft. Benjamin Harrison, IN in May 1917. He was sent to Camp Sherman, OH and later assigned to Company B, 334^th Infantry, 84^th (Lincoln) Division. He was sent overseas September 1, 1918, and died October 14, 1918, Hospital No. 101, Fort Manor, England. He is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, Crawfordsville. He left behind a widow, Anna Warbritton.

Merle Jesse Weatherly, EX- ‘16

Weatherly, 1916. Photo courtesy of Gold Star Honor Roll.

Merle Jesse Weatherly was in the U.S. Army and died in France of the flu. He left a wife, Florence Rema (Barnett) Weatherly, and an unborn son, Merle Howard Weatherly. Additional information unavailable.

Died in Service:

Myron Bertman, EX- ’09

Bertram 1917 Photo courtesy of Gold Star Honor Roll

Bertman was educated at Purdue and West Point Military Academy. He was commissioned Captain, assigned to 1^st U.S. Engineering Corps, and stationed in Washington, DC in June 1917. Bertman was sent overseas in July 1917 and died of pneumonia on September 18, 1917, at St. Nazaire, France, where he is buried. The America Legion in Mount Vernon, IN is named in his honor.

Samuel Lewis Booth, EX- ’22

Booth was in the Purdue Student Training Corps and was a Civil Engineering major. He died of disease while in the service on December 12, 1918.

Arthur J. Burgess, EX- ‘22

Burgess, 1918. Photo courtesy of Gold Star Honor Roll.

Arthur Burgess was a farmer and entered the Student Army Training Corps at Purdue in October 1918, where he was assigned to Headquarters Company, Section A. He contracted pneumonia and died in St. Elizabeth Hospital in Lafayette on December 14, 1918. He is buried in the Goodland, IN cemetery. The American Legion Post (Burns-Burgess Post), Goodland, IN is named in his honor.

Henry E. Cobb, EX- ’11

Cobb circa 1918. Photo courtesy of Gold Star Honor Roll.

Henry Cobb was educated at Purdue. At the time of his enlistment he was a supervisor of Manual Training in the public schools of Elgin, IL. He entered the Military School for Aeronautics, Cornell University, November 8, 1917. He graduated February 16, 1918, and was sent to Ellington Field, TX where he died of pneumonia, April 23, 1918. He is buried in Riverview Cemetery in Seymour, IN.

Bruce Culmer, EX- ’14

Culmer circa 1917. Photo courtesy of Gold Star Honor Roll.

Bruce Culmer attended Indiana, Illinois State, and Purdue Universities. He was a railroad employee when he entered the service on November 27, 1917, in Indianapolis. He trained in Pittsburgh and Chicago, was transferred to Camp Mineola, Long Island, and assigned to Aviation Section, Signal Corps, 816^th Aero Squadron. Culmer was killed in an airplane accident July 9, 1918, at Mineola, Long Island. He is buried in Martinsville, IN.

Edwin C. Danner, ‘09

Danner, 1909 Debris

Danner graduated from Purdue with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. While at Purdue, he was a member of the Transit Club, Civil Engineering Society, Webster, Athletic Association, Cadet Corp – Second Lieutenant, Mandolin Club, and Band (Manager Senior Year).

“His only deficiency was in the matter of Junior essays and it was only after a conference with Dr. Hatt that ‘Claudie’ decided to hand in the required essay.”

Russel Harrison Dwiggins, EX- ’19

Dwiggins circa 1917. Photo courtesy of Gold Star Honor Roll.

Dwiggins attended Purdue and entered Officers’ Training at Ft. Benjamin Harrison, IN on May 1917. He transferred to Aviation Service, was sent to Columbus Barracks, OH and then to Ellington Field, TX, where he was killed in an airplane accident on April 4, 1918. He is buried in Waynetown, IN. He left behind a wife, Mabel E. Dwiggins, and one son, Gerald Russell Dwiggins.

Louis Earl Eisensmith, ‘10

Eisensmith, 1910 Debris

“Eisey” graduated from Purdue with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. While at Purdue he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, ME Society, and a member of the Football Varsity Squad his senior year.

“He is a product of Kentucky, and he never tires of telling of the good old ‘Blue Grass’ state. He is a good fellow, and is always ready to listen to a good story. If things become too quiet, he has the happy faculty of stirring them up…”

Records show he died October 31, 1918.

Edward B. Foresman, EX- ‘20

Foresman circa 1918. Photo courtesy of Gold Star Honor Roll.

Foresman trained at Camp Purdue and entered the service on October 9, 1918. He was assigned to Company 5, Student Army Training Corps. He died of pneumonia on December 8, 1919, in Lafayette, IN and is buried in Lafayette.

Walter Raymond Gartin, ‘12

Gartin circa 1917. Photo courtesy of Gold Star Honor Roll.

Gartin was educated at Purdue and served on the Mexican Border in 1916. He entered First Officers’ Training Camp, Ft. Harrison, IN in May 1917, was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant, transferred to Camp Bowie, TX, and then to Camp Taylor, KY. He was assigned to 46^th Infantry and died of pneumonia on February 18, 1918, at Camp Taylor. He was buried in Rushville, IN.

George Everhard Glossop, ‘15

Glossop, 1915 Debris

Glossop graduated from Purdue with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. As a student he was active in the Varsity Club, Canoe Club, AIEE, Jeffersonian Debating, Football, Track, Basketball, Athletic Association, Student Council, and Student Union Committee.

After graduation he became the Athletic Director at University of Washington. He entered the service May 15, 1918, at Walla Walla, WA, and was sent to Camp Taylor, KY. He was an instructor in Officers Training School, Field Artillery. Glossop died of influenza October 16, 1918, at Camp Taylor, KY. He was buried in Brownsburg, IN, and was survived by his wife, Alfrieda, and children, George and Sarah Ellene.

Grounds, 1917 Debris

George Lester Grounds, ‘17

Grounds’s parents died when he was nine months old and he was reared by an aunt and uncle. Grounds received his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from Purdue. After graduation he was a life insurance salesman. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy on April 29, 1918, in Indianapolis. He was sent to the Great Lakes Naval Training Station, Chicago, IL, where he died September 30, 1918. He is buried in Second Prairie Creek Cemetery, Vigo County, IN.

Albert Leas Hall, EX- ‘05

Hall circa 1913. Photo courtesy of Gold Star Honor Roll.

Albert Leas Hall entered the Civil Engineering School at Purdue in 1901. Before graduating, he passed a competitive examination for a commission in the U.S. Regular Army, appointed Second Lieutenant in the Infantry, April 11, 1905. He was promoted to First Lieutenant, July 11, 1907. He graduated with honors from the Mounted Service School, Ft. Riley, KS and the School of Fire, Ft. Sill, OK, and appointed Inspector and Instructor of Artillery for Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan in 1913.

At the outbreak of World War I he was stationed in the Philippine Islands, ordered to return to the United States and appointed Director of Artillery, Ft. Sill, OK. When the 38^th Division was formed he was the choice of his state for Brigadier General for Artillery, but was barred because of his young age. He was appointed Commanding Officer at Camp Bowie, TX and Colonel of the Fiftieth Regiment of Artillery. He died October 18, 1918, of influenza at Camp Bowie, TX, and buried in Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis, IN. He was survived by his wife, Daisy De Graff Hall, and one son, Lewis Albert Hall.

He was the highest ranking Army Officer from Indiana who died while in service during the World War.

Carl A. Heilman, ’06

Heilman died in the service to his country in July 1919. No further information is available.

Daniel George Hood, EX- ‘18

Hood circa 1918. Photo courtesy of The History and Achievements of the Fort Sheridan Officers’ Training Camps, Chicago.

Daniel Hood was a Purdue student in Electrical Engineering when the war broke out. He gave up his studies and was admitted to the First Officers’ Training at Fort Sheridan, 5^th Company. Upon receipt of his commission, he requested a transfer to the Aviation Service, which was granted, and he was transferred to the aviation school at Austin, TX, then to Geratner Field, Lake Charles, LA. He was then ordered to Mitchell Field, Mineola, NY, where he was assigned to the 52^nd Squadron. He was awaiting his sailing orders when he became ill with pneumonia and passed away November 2, 1918. He was survived by his wife, Cora Amphlett Hood.

Harold Roscoe Johnson, EX- ’18

Johnson was a Private, Company F, 36^th Infantry when he died of pneumonia at Camp Devins, MA on September 25, 1918.

Lewis Merrill Kirkpatrick, EX- ’20

Kirkpatrick circa 1918. Photo courtesy of Gold Star Honor Roll.

Lewis Kirkpatrick was a farmer. He entered the service on August 31, 1918, and was assigned to Automobile Mechanic School at Purdue, was transferred to Motor Transport Corps, Ft. Sheridan, IL, and then Ft. Wingate, NM. He was assigned to the Motor Transport Corps, 578^th Company. He died of pericarditis at Ft. Wingate on April 13, 1919. He is buried in East Hill Cemetery, Rushville, IN.

Eugene Haskins Kothe, ‘07

Kothe, 1907 Debris

Kothe graduated from Culver Military Academy in 1902 and Purdue University in Civil Engineering in 1905. He was a buyer for Kothe, Wells, and Bauer Company. He was commissioned Captain in Quartermasters Department, U.S. Regular Army in June 1917 and called into service September 8, 1917. He was then sent to Washington, DC, in January 1918. He died of influenza October 14, 1918, in Washington and is buried in Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis.

Albert U. Loeb, EX- ’98

Albert Loeb died in the service of his country on June 7, 1920. No further information is available.

Lynn Rowland McBroom, ’02

Lynn McBroom died February 7, 1918. No further information is available.

Herbert Stahl McCauley, EX- ’20

Herbert McCauley was an Electrical Engineering student at Purdue. No further information is available.

John Ray Mertz, ‘11

Mertz, 1911 Debris

John Mertz graduated from Purdue with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. While a student he was a member of Fluer-de-Lis, A.I.E.E. and the Purdue Athletic Association.

“ ‘Squirt’ received a great many votes as the funniest man in the class, deserved them, though his funnyisms are sometimes ill-timed and out of place.”

Robert Elmer Morse, ‘11

Morse, 1911 Debris

Robert Morse graduated from Purdue with a Ph.C. (Pharmacy degree) and belonged to the Pharmaceutical Society as a student.

“To look at him you would not think it, but he must have been pretty nervy when he answered one of Sturmer’s class questions with ‘Who wants to know’.”

He entered the service on June 26, 1918, in Lafayette, IN. He was sent to Camp Sherman, OH, assigned to 20^th Company, 5^th Training Battalion, 158^th Depot Brigade, then transferred to the Medical Department at Base Hospital, Camp Sherman, OH. He died of accidental causes at Camp Sherman, August 19, 1918. He is buried in Lafayette, IN.

Herbert Newby, EX- ‘22

Newby circa 1918. Photo courtesy of Gold Star Honor Roll.

Herbert Newby was a farmer. He enlisted in Student Army Training at Purdue on October 10, 1918. He was assigned to Company I, Section A. Newby died of scarlet fever December 1, 1918, at St. Elizabeth Hospital, Lafayette, IN. He is buried in Gartland Brook Cemetery, Columbus, IN.

Earl Franklin Retherford, EX- ‘21

Retherford circa 1917. Photo courtesy of Gold Star Honor Roll.

Retherford was a student at Purdue when he enlisted in the U.S. Navy on November 20, 1917, in Chicago, IL. He was assigned as radio service electrician, Company Clerk. He died of pneumonia on March 21, 1918, at Great Lakes Training Station, IL. He is buried in Muncie, IN.

Raymond Frederick Reitemeier, EX- ‘21

Reitemeier circa 1917. Photo courtesy of Gold Star Honor Roll.

Reitemeier was a student at Purdue when he enlisted in the U.S. Navy December 13, 1917, in Indianapolis. He was sent to Great Lakes Naval Training Station, IL and then transferred to Aviation Repair Unit, U.S. Naval Base, at Eastleigh, England. He died of pneumonia in January 1919 at Navy Hospital, Pelham, NY. He is buried in St. Boniface Cemetery in Lafayette, IN.

Sherman Lawin Rhude, EX- ‘22

Rhude circa 1918. Photo courtesy of Gold Star Honor Roll.

Rhude was an employee of Nordyke-Marmon Company, Indianapolis, IN when he entered the Student Army Training Corps at Purdue, October 1, 1918. He died of influenza January 23, 1919, at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Lafayette. He is buried in Garland Brook Cemetery in Columbus, IN.

Anthony Arthur Sego, ‘17

Sego, 1917 Debris

Sego graduated from Purdue with a Bachelor of Science in Agronomy. While a student he was a member of the Purdue Athletic Association and Varsity Track Squad.

“The mile wasn’t the only thing he could run.”

He enlisted in Aviation Service May 1, 1917, in Chicago, IL and trained at the Aviation Ground School, Cornell University, NY. He transferred to Camp Dick, TX, then to Ellington Field, TX. He was rated as Reserve Military Aviator at Door Field, FL and commissioned Second Lieutenant, August 7, 1918. Sego was killed in an airplane accident September 12, 1918, Love Field, TX and buried with military honors in Kentland, IN.

Leslie Selby, EX- ’17

Selby was educated at Arsenal Technical School, Indianapolis, IN, and Purdue University. He was later a teacher at Vincennes High School. He was rejected for military service but accepted for Y.M.C.A. war work on September 5, 1918. He was sent to Great Lakes Naval Training, IL, where he contracted pneumonia after three weeks duty and died on September 27, 1918. He was buried in Vincennes, IN.

Harry Wiltrout, EX- ‘20

Wiltrout was a student at Purdue when he enlisted in the United States Navy on May 17, 1918. He was sent to Great Lakes Naval Training Station, Chicago, IL and promoted to 2^nd Class Seaman. He died of empyema on October 21, 1918, at Great Lakes Naval Training Station, IL and buried in Oakwood Cemetery, Warsaw, IN.

William Willington Smith, ‘17

Smith, 1917 Debris

Smith received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue. While a student he belonged to ASME, Purdue Athletic Association, and the YMCA.

“He has common sense in a way that is uncommon.”

Sidney Bain Swaim, ‘10

Swaim, 1910 Debris

Swaim’s nickname was “Sid” and he was from Dallas, Texas. He received his Bachelor of Science from Purdue in Mechanical Engineering.

It is noted in the Debris, “While not possessing all the qualities of a mixer, ‘Sid’ is known to us as a quiet, unassuming, good natured fellow, who takes an active interest in his work, and is never too busy for a chat on Heating and Ventilation or Automobiles. Swaim’s specialty is finishing mechanics tests ten minutes before anyone else in the class.”

Ilo Ivan Taylor (no year noted)

Taylor circa 1910. Photo courtesy of Colorado School of Mines Alumni Magazine, Mines Magazine, volumes 3-4, 1913, p. 211.

Taylor may have been a Purdue instructor. He became a First Lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He died at Camp Lee, Virginia, perhaps of the flu, on January 25, 1919.

Douglas Viele, ‘14

Viele, 1914 Debris

Viele received a Bachelor of Science in Science with honors from Purdue. He was a member of the Purdue Athletic Association and the Glee Club. He was a Captain of the Purdue Cadets for 2 years.

He entered First Officers Training School at Ft. Benjamin Harrison, where he became ill and died of spinal meningitis on July 7, 1917. He was buried with military honors in Oak Hill Cemetery, Evansville, IN.

Carl Williams, ‘15

Williams, 1915 Debris

Williams graduated from Purdue with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. As a student, he was a member of the Band, Orchestra, ASME, and P.A.A., and was a Cadet Lieutenant.

He enlisted in May 1917 and was sent to Ft. Benjamin Harrison, IN. He was transferred to Camp Shelby, MS, where he served as a member of Headquarters Company Band, 151^st Infantry. He contracted pneumonia, which caused his death on April 21, 1918, at Camp Shelby, MS. He was buried with military honors in Poseyville, IN.

Sources:

Purdue University. Senior Class. Purdue … Debris. (1889). e-Archives, Virginia Kelly Karnes Archives and Special Collections Research Center, http://earchives.lib.purdue.edu/

Hepburn, William Murray, and Louis Martin Sears. Purdue University Fifty Years of Progress. Indianapolis: Hollenbeck, 2008.

Oliver, John Williams. Gold Star Honor Roll. A Record of Indiana Men and Women Who Died in the Service of the United States and the Allied Nations in the World War. 1914-1918. Indianapolis: Indiana Historical Commission, 1921. Print. Indiana Historical Collections, [vol. VI].

Fort Sheridan Association, and Fred Girton. The History and Achievements of the Fort Sheridan Officers’ Training Camps. Chicago?: The Fort Sheridan Association, 1920.

Respectfully compiled by Mary A. Sego, Processing Assistant, Purdue Archives and Special Collections. Mary lost four great-uncles during WWI, and she is committed to honoring their legacy.

The President’s Freshman Brother

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In 1900, Winthrop Stone became President of Purdue University. In the fall of that year, Lauson Stone, his much younger brother, enrolled as a freshman. What was life like for a student whose older brother was running the university?

Winthrop Stone in 1902; Lauson Stone in 1904

A 21-year age gap between the brothers meant that by the time Lauson was born in 1883, his brother Winthrop was already a college graduate who had left the family home. After studying in Germany around the time of Lauson’s birth, Winthrop moved to Tennessee. He later became a Professor of Chemistry at Purdue, in 1889. When Winthrop’s oldest son was born in 1890, Uncle Lauson was only seven years old.

Winthrop Stone was promoted from being the first Vice President in Purdue’s history to being President after the sudden death of President James Smart on February 21, 1900. It’s unlikely that the brothers spent very much time together before Lauson’s arrival at Purdue in the fall of that year.

Lauson became famous early in his college career for being the president’s brother. The Debris yearbook, created by seniors who usually had little time to spend on freshmen, included a joke about the Stone brothers in its 1901 volume:

Great disturbance in the Dormitory! A Freshman kicking posts out of the banisters, just to see ‘em drop down the stairs. Prof. Alford rushes wildly upon the scene. “Stop that noise, immediately! Who is the cause of all this disturbance?” “I, sir.” “Report to Dr. Stone at once! No explanations are necessary. Save them for Dr. Stone.” Dr. Stone is greatly surprised to receive, within the next few minutes, an official call from his brother. (p. 301)

Despite the attention, or maybe because of it, Lauson was a popular student active in many clubs, including the Chemical Society, Mechanical Engineering Society, Minuet Club, Irving Literary Society, and the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He was also a Cadet Captain in the Cadet Corps, Associate Editor of the Debris yearbook his junior and senior years, Junior Class Secretary, and part of the Senior Class Banquet Committee. When the 1903 Debris yearbook made humorous suggestions for the following year’s yearbook titles, one suggestion was, “How I was Chased by All the Frats at Purdue, by L. Stone.” (p. 296)

Sigma Alpha Epsilon in 1904. Lauson Stone is in the center row, fourth from the right.

Lauson contracted typhoid fever in late 1903, and his prolonged absence from school meant he would not be able graduate with the Class of 1904 as planned. Still, he was listed among the seniors in the 1904 Debris with this thorough biography:

Lauson Stone has labored under three handicaps in his college career, any one of which would have had nine out of ten of us down and out before we had passed the Sophomore milestone. In the first place the incubus of being a brother to the president of the University has weighed upon him in the shape of his nickname of “Doc,” which was bestowed on him early in our Freshman year, and has clung to him ever since. Secondly, at about the same time as above mentioned, he developed what is technically known as a “case,” which has not become any less acute with years, and which was partly responsible for his attempt to take both Mechanical Engineering and the Science Course at the same time. Lastly, a six months’ tussle with typhoid did indeed send his chances of graduating with us glimmering, but he is an ’04 man through and through, even if he does have to fall back on ’05 for his sheepskin. He is from Amherst, Massachusetts. (p. 112)

Lauson spent the following year working as a student assistant in the Practical Mechanics department while completing his coursework, and finally graduated in spring 1905 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. In 1909, he married Helen Estelle Darby, a fellow member of the Purdue Class of 1904. Their marriage announcement in the Exponent student newspaper makes no mention of Lauson’s notable brother. It also misspells Lauson’s first name.

Helen Estelle Darby, 1904

The marriage of Miss Helen E. Darby and Mr. Lawson Stone occurred yesterday at 3 o’clock at the Darby home on East Main street. The ceremony was performed by Rev. G. W. Switzer and was witnessed by the relatives and a few intimate friends of the bride and groom. Both Mr. and Mrs. Stone are graduates of Purdue of the class of ’04 and have a host of [f]riends at the University. Mr. Stone holds a government position in the department of the interior at Pittsburg[h]. He is a member of the S. A. E. fraternity. (March 28, 1909)

Lauson did not stick around Purdue after graduation. He spent his career in Pennsylvania, first in a teaching position at Western Reserve University, then with the United States Geologic Survey, and later in the steel industry.

Meanwhile, as Winthrop and Lauson Stone were advancing their career and education at Purdue, their middle brother, Harlan Fiske Stone, was building his legal and political career and eventually became the most notable member of the family. Harlan served as Dean of Columbia University Law School, United States Attorney General, Associate Supreme Court Justice, and eventually Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

All images from the Debris Yearbook.

HAPPY 60th BIRTHDAY PURDUE PETE!

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Celebrating 60 Years of Purdue Pete

1940 University Bookstore “Pete”

When Purdue Pete ran out onto the football field September 24, 2016, he was 4 days shy of his 60th birthday. Pete was actually born in 1940, as a logo for University Bookstore. University Bookstore owners Doc Epple and Red Sammons hired artist Art Evans to create Pete as an advertising logo. He appeared on different products and dressed to portray the different majors.

Vertical Files, Karnes Archives and Special Collections, Purdue University Libraries. Original copies courtesy of University Bookstore.

The logo became popular, and Pete made his way from University Bookstore to the pages of the 1944 Debris student yearbook. He also became officially known as “Pete” at this time, when Doc Epple was asked what his name was. Pete may have also served as an image of strength for Purdue during World War II.

1944 Debris http://earchives.lib.purdue.edu/cdm/ref/collection/debris/id/23509

1944 Debris http://earchives.lib.purdue.edu/cdm/ref/collection/debris/id/23516

Purdue Pete took on human form in 1956 when athletic director Guy “Red” Mackey gave the go-ahead to create a sports mascot to inspire fans at home football games. Larry Brumbaugh (ME ’57) was selected to be the first Pete by the Pep Committee. Brumbaugh was tasked with creating a costume for Purdue Pete. After doing research and contacting various costume companies, he was still at a loss as to what Pete should look like. Mrs. John Keltner from Brumbaugh’s hometown of Union City, Indiana, made a head out of chicken wire and papier-mache. The head weighed 36 pounds, and the chicken wire made it cumbersome to move. Purdue Pete made his first public appearance on September 28, 1956, at a pep rally before the Missouri game.

Two other students donned the first version of the Purdue Pete costume, David Hull (AAE ’58) and John Knote (LA ’59).

http://earchives.lib.purdue.edu/cdm/ref/collection/puhistphot/id/47

http://earchives.lib.purdue.edu/cdm/ref/collection/puath/id/2352

Tragedy struck in 1962 when Pete’s head flew out of the Boilermaker Special on the way back from the Iowa State game and was never found. This led to a makeover in 1963.

1976 Debris, page 252

The new Pete had a larger head, rosy cheeks, and a smaller open-mouthed smile. This Purdue Pete costume was in use circa 1963-1976. His big head limited the movement of the student portraying him, and his head even served as a target for snowballs at a Michigan game.

1976 was the dawning of yet another Purdue Pete. This Pete was created by Van Betulius (A ’76) with the help of an artist from Evansville. His head was all fiberglass, and his look was more boyish and less like something from the pages of a cartoon strip. Unfortunately, the head weighed 50 pounds.

Boyish Pete

Photo courtesy of http://hailtopurple.com/av/photos_1970s_newspaper.html

Purdue Pete saw a few more changes in 1977, his hat got bigger, his eyes were bolder, and his ears were less flat. Pete’s head was five feet high, and still weighed around 50 pounds. This Purdue Pete costume was used circa 1977-1980.

1979 Debris, page 121 http://earchives.lib.purdue.edu/cdm/ref/collection/debris/id/47487

1980 Debris, page 73

A new decade in 1980 saw the creation of a scowling, meaner Pete with thick eyebrows and furrowed brow. The new head, weighing only 10 pounds, was a welcome relief for those who wore it. Keith Butz, art director in the Telecommunication Center, worked with Donald Carter, a designer in the office of publications, to create the tougher Pete. This Purdue Pete would be around 1980-1983.

1981 Debris http://earchives.lib.purdue.edu/cdm/ref/collection/debris/id/48062

Debris 1983 http://earchives.lib.purdue.edu/cdm/ref/collection/debris/id/43853

In 1983 Purdue Pete sprouted hair and a construction hard hat. His scowl was replaced with a slight smile. The chin strap made his eyebrows wiggle up and down. This head weighed 12 pounds. This Pete costume would remain in use until circa 1989.

MSP 160, Purdue University Athletics Collection, Karnes Archives and Special Collections, Purdue University Libraries

In 1989, the Aviation Technology Composite Manufacturing Laboratory created a 5 pound head that was easier to move around in. They continue to make several heads out of composite materials over the course of a year and fix any damages that occur. Starting in 1995 the individuals who were selected to portray Pete were allowed to paint their own hats. This version of Purdue Pete continues to this day.

Purdue Pete doing research in the Purdue Archives and Special Collection, September 2012. We welcome all researchers!

PeteNow

Image courtesy of http://purduefootball.weebly.com/purdue-pete.html

There was an attempt to replace Purdue Pete in 2011 with a softer, more kid-friendly Pete. He donned a one piece suit, and big bulky shoes. Fans made it known that they were partial to the current Pete and demanded that the Purdue Pete they had known and loved be returned!

In 2014 Purdue fans rallied to help Purdue Pete win the Chicago Tribune’s Big Ten best mascot contest. Purdue Pete won with a landslide 5,422,716 votes: 74% of the total.

2004 Debris http://earchives.lib.purdue.edu/cdm/ref/collection/debris/id/65831

Over the years Purdue fans have made it known that Purdue Pete is an important member of the Purdue family. Kids flock to him, he pumps up the fans at sporting events, and he is a loyal ambassador for Purdue in general. We in the University Archives wish Purdue Pete a Happy 60th! Boiler Up!

If you would like further information on Purdue Pete, please see:

Purdue Alumnus

Purdue Alumnus, January/February 2011

http://www.purduealumni.org/alumnus/2011_jan_feb/player/files/pdf/publication.pdf

Aviation Technology Composite Manufacturing Laboratory

Purdue University ECN

https://engineering.purdue.edu/ECN/Support/KB/Docs/PurduePeteHistory

The Virginia Kelly Karnes Archives and Special Collections Research Center would also like to thank Tom Frey, Manager of University Bookstore, for sharing his file on the original “Pete.”

Submitted by Mary A. Sego, Processing Assistant, Purdue Archives and Special Collections.

Taming Electricity: A Purdue Student’s Career in Electromagnetic Compatibility

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Electricity, or the flow of electric charge, is arguably the most important invention behind the spectacular advancement in technology witnessed over the last century. It has truly revolutionized our lives on planet Earth, and the way we explore other worlds in the universe. Today, as we sit in our comfortable climate-controlled buildings talking to people on the other side of the globe, we take electricity for granted. We also tend to overlook the hard work of countless engineers and scientists for harnessing the power of electricity. Donald Heirman is one such electrical engineer who worked on some fundamental problems in electrical circuits.

The EMC “can of worms”

One interesting problem faced by engineers early on was the relationship between electricity and magnetism: they are intertwined, each is a by-product of the other. When an electrical circuit is powered up, it produces a magnetic field. This can create “disturbance” in a nearby (or even in the same) circuit, and cause performance degradation. If this seems too technical, recall experiencing cross-talk on a 90’s landline telephone, or static noise-lines on a TV. The phenomenon is known as Electromagnetic Interference (EMI), and becomes of greater concern as electronic devices shrink in size. Lots of electrical components are in close proximity of each other, and hence prone to electromagnetic interference.

Mr. Heirman working in a “noise-free” environment c.1979

“Taming” electricity is hard work but vital for the smooth functioning of our modern lives. That is exactly what Donald Heirman dealt with during his career at AT&T spanning more than three decades. Having graduated with BS (1962) and MS (1963) degrees in EE from Purdue, Mr. Heirman joined AT&T Bell Labs as a young electrical engineer. Over the years, he worked on some of the most important and exciting projects at AT&T including the development of an Open Area Test Site facility, and a Transverse Electromagnetic (TEM) cell for the Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) analysis of devices. His work focused on electromagnetic interference testing and compliance, and stretched to a range of systems including computer processors, early telephone systems, antennae, road vehicles, and medical devices. Mr. Heirman was also the founding manager of Lucent Technologies (Bell Labs) Global Product Compliance Laboratory. In this role, he was in charge of the company’s major EMC and regulatory test facility, and its participation in national and international EMC standardization committees.

Mr. Heirman started his EMC career at a time when there were few legal limits on EM emissions from electronic devices (the FCC did not have EMC standards for electronic devices until 1979). His passion led him to join (and later lead) international efforts towards EMC standardization. He continues to work with all major national and international standards organizations including ANSI, IEEE and IEC. His many contributions to global electro-technical standardization in the field of EMC have been acknowledged in the form of some of the highest awards in the area.

Click to see the Bicycle Water Race c.1961

Mr. Heirman’s papers (http://collections.lib.purdue.edu/heirman/) provide a fascinating peek into the life and career of an EMC engineer. In addition, the papers offer an unparalleled insight into the history and evolution of EMC standards. The collection also includes some of Mr. Heirman’s amateur videos showcasing life at Purdue University during the early 1960’s. These videos are a rare glimpse of some of the events (sports at Purdue, the Purdue grand prix, ground breaking of the Purdue Airport, and the 1961 visit of President Eisenhower), and traditions (pie throwing, Iron Key, bicycle water race) at Purdue University. The video clip on the right shows just one such tradition (now forgotten): the bicycle water race.

Mr. Heirman currently runs a training and consulting business by the name of Don HEIRMAN Consultants. He continues to be a key player and educator in the field of EMC. His papers are part of the Donald N. Heirman Collection in the Virginia Kelly Karnes Archives and Special Collections Research Center at Purdue Libraries. The collection is open for research.

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Taming Electricity: A Purdue Student’s Career in Electromagnetic Compatibility