This monumental history of the origin and early years of The Tau Beta Pi Association was written by E.S. Stackhouse after he had spent many years in painstaking research, correspondence, and travel. It was first published in the April 1941 issue of The Bent of Tau Beta Pi and has been reprinted in this form for distribution to every new member of the Association.
The author’s deduction of the precise date of the founding of Tau Beta Pi, explained in the section called “Tau Beta Pi Gets a Birthday,” page 30 and 31, has since been proven correct. In 1943 Irving a. Heikes, Pennsylvania Alpha ’85, first student member of the Association, found his original invitation to membership, signed by Founder Williams and dated in such fashion as to remove any doubt that Brother Heikes was initiated on June 15, 1885.
Brother Stackhouse died at his home in Greenwich, Connecticut, on October 10, 1951, at the age of 85.
Early in 1952, Dr. H.B. Evans, Pennsylvania Alpha ’93, first President (1895-96) of the Executive Council of Tau Beta Pi, wrote a brief report entitled: “The Beginnings of National Expansion in Tau Beta Pi,” which was published in the April 1952 BENT and which differed in detail with certain deductions of Brother Stackhouse. On pages 29 and 30 herein are statements about the date of establishment of the Michigan Alpha Chapter and about the initiation of Professors L.P. Breckenridge and John J. Flather, which according to Dr. Evan’s first-hand recollection, are in error.
Professor Breckenridge was initiated as the first honorary member of Tau Beta Pi on November 5, 1892, by Dr. Evans himself at Michigan State College. Dr. Evans, then President of Pennsylvania Alpha, had traveled to East Lansing as official installing officer for Michigan Alpha and had been instructed to initiate Professor Breckenridge in that way. He installed the chapter later that same day, not on November 2, 1892, as the record had long shown.
Likewise, Professor Flather was not made an honorary member while he was at Lehigh University, but rather was initiated at Purdue University on April 10, 1893, when William A. Payne, Pennsylvania Alpha ’94, traveled to West Lafayette to install Indiana Alpha.
R.H. Nagel
July 1952
Brother Irving A. Heikes, mentioned above, died on June 30, 1953, at the age
of 91.
R.H. Nagel
July 1957
Reprinted July 1961
When Editor Monson asked me, at the Bethlehem Convention
in 1930, to write for THE BENT a history of the early days of Tau Beta Pi,
I thought the task
would be easy and readily accepted the assignment.
Edwin S. Stackhouse
Though my own memory was somewhat lacking on the events of those days, I would hunt up the early minute books of our chapter, I would get letters from I.A. Heikes, ’85, the first student initiate, and my own classmates, I would assemble much data, and I would deftly and easily paint pretty picture of how we started Tau Beta Pi. But that was not the way of it, for the early minute books and papers are not to be found, and my letters from Heikes and my classmates of 1886 were cordial in spirit but blank as to information. Heikes says, “Strange to say, my mind with regard to that period is practically blank.” H.G. Reist, ’86, wrote, “I have no recollection as to the ritual,” and referred me to Heikes. M.H. Fehnel, ’87, who was treasurer in 1887, wrote: "I am very sorry that I am not able to help you in any way in your efforts to compile a brief history of the Society. The only reason that I can remember being treasurer is the calling down that I received from my mother when I informed her that I had been elected treasurer of Tau Beta Pi. She said, “You are always being elected treasurer of something or other; you never have any money of your own, and sometime somebody else’s money will stick to you, and you will get into trouble". I also had letters from J.B. Price, ’85, and from W.H. Dean, L.J.H. Grossart and S.J. Harwi, all the remaining men of ’86, and from about all of the now-living early officers of the Society and practically all are of the same tenor: that the organization of Tau Beta Pi was simply an incident, among others of the day; that none of them realized, or even thought of the possibility of it growing into its stature of today; and that memory could not, at this late day, bring back dates, facts or incidents of an event which did not seem highly important at the time. In my own case, I distinctly recall meeting in Professor Williams’ room in Packer Hall: of his explaining to us the reasons for the organization of the Society, of appointment of committees to complete the organization, of my being on the committee on constitution and by-laws with Heikes, of working on that committee with Heikes, of Prof. Williams bringing to the committee a sketch of the Bent, as the emblem of the Society, and of our embodying this in our report on constitution. Other facts, dates and events are hazy in my mind, although being in the mining and geology course, which was five years in length at that time, I was active in the Society from September 1885 to June 1887. Heikes graduated in 1885, but, inasmuch as he also took the mining course, was active until June 1886. The one thing, which held my memory, was the honor of serving on committee with Heikes, an upper classman, whom we all held in high esteem, rather than the great importance of service for Tau Beta Pi. I am wondering if we should think of all this lapse of member in terms of Goldsmith’s line, “O Memory! Thou fond deceiver!” or of Longfellow’s rather plaintive couplet,
"The leaves of memory seem to make
A mournful rustling in the dark.”
My efforts for several years to locate the early minute books and papers of the Society were quite as fruitless, and all my soundings came back as hollow echoes, a sort of “mournful rustling in the dark.” J.H. Spengler, ’86, was the first secretary, until June 1886; but he died many years ago. A letter to his daughter, Mrs. Helen Spengler Didot, brought from far-away Calcutta this word: I am very sorry to say that all of my father’s papers have disappeared and no records of his college days remain. A rather sad note came from Mrs. Jennie B. Williams, the honored widow of our founder, Dr. Williams, in which she says: I regret being unable to aid you in any way. I feel quite sure that any data regarding Tau Beta Pi is not to be found, for the burning of our home took with it all such matters, and practically everything else. The beautiful loving cup presented by the society on its twenty-fifth anniversary was lost in the fire, with some other silver pieces awarded him for other things. This unfortunate fire of the home in Woodstock, Vermont, occurred in 1920.
A letter from Dr. Benjamin L. Miller, professor of geology at Lehigh, who has for years been a sheet anchor to the Alpha Chapter, said: I recall at the time of one of your visits here that we searched through all of our existing records of Tau Beta Pi, but we were unsuccessful in locating any of the earliest records. I fear that they have bee irretrievably lost. University and library have yielded not results. The fears of Dr. Miller and myself that the old minute book has been lost were recently confirmed, for on May 21, 1940, Dr R.C.H. Heck, Pennsylvania Alpha ’93, of Rutgers University, wrote in response to my inquiries: I know that the original constitution and minute book which were in service when I was active were lost by a careless secretary in the late’90’s. Dr. Heck was active in Pennsylvania alpha from the spring of 1892 until 1908. In response to further inquiries, Dr. Heck wrote me under date of May 31, 1940: I cannot add anything out of my own recollection. I suggest that you find out from the chapter how far back their minute books run. If the earliest runs back to just before 1900, that would fix the year when the old book was lost. It was the original book, that I know; and it was still in use (not filled) at the time it disappeared. Here is definite and positive evidence that the book is lost, and that is that. Dr. Heck does not venture further information as to how or through whom it was lost, and I did not venture further questions. Perhaps some day we shall learn more.
Dr. Miller and myself in a search through the file case of Pennsylvania Alpha in the Tau Beta Pi room at Lehigh found that the oldest minute book of the chapter now on hand dates from November 2, 1904. The first entry is as follows: The meeting was called to order by President Smith. The minutes of the preceding meeting were not read because they could not be found.
One might easily find the key to all the lost records of this, and it may be, other chapters; but let us venture the hope that in this latter day, better and more permanent records are the rule. Other Records It might seem from the foregoing that but few records exist upon which to pin dates, facts and events in the early days of Tau Beta Pi; but such is not the case, for, as I am about to show, we have sufficient of definite data from which to paint a fairly accurate picture of the reasons for organizing Tau Beta Pi, the men who were active I its organization and how they went about it. Probably that is as much as we should expect, at this late day. I have my own original notice of my election to membership, which is postmarked, “Bethlehem, Pa., September 20th. 1885.” It is reproduced herewith. The words TAU BETA PI, were diagonally across the front in large capital letters, and were in red. TAU BETA PI
Bethlehem, PAI have a copy of the notice to Henry S. Jacoby, C.E., Class of ’77, upon the same form and under date of June 12, 1885. This notice is similar to the one above but ends with the world “accept,” and is signed, “Edward H. Williams, Jr., Secretary.” It has a pen notation on the bottom that reads, “Takes in the 1/4th. Of the class according to rank.” Let us not carefully the differences in these two notices in order to aid us when we come to sketch in our outlines later on. Professor Jacoby’s Diary Professor Jacoby was instructor in civil engineering at Lehigh from September 1886 to June 1890, took a very active part in Tau Beta Pi during that time, and has been very helpful in piecing together the story we are working at. One of those rare souls, never fully appreciated, Prof. Jacoby kept a diary of those days and has given me dates and events, as well as comments and correspondence, upon which to base much of my picture. As he served Tau Beta Pi in various offices during that time and was greatly interested and helpful in its various activities, his information will aid us greatly to visualize what was going on in Tau Beta Pi in those days. The following notes, comments and correspondence are from the data furnished to me and to Secretary Matthews by Prof. Jacoby. As you will recall, Professor Jacoby was notified of his election June 12, 1885; and the following letter from Dr. Williams to him, in response to his inquiry in connection therewith, was written June 19, 1885: “Yours of the 16th. Came duly to hand. There will be no dues from graduate members unless they live in the neighborhood of Bethlehem and desire to become active. The idea is to encourage the technical to do literary work and to afford a method of confidential communication among the graduates. Only the first 1/4 of each class are eligible and no one can be so unless his rank for three years is above 7.50. Yourself and Wolle will represent ’77. The cost, therefore, to you will be nothing. The requirements will be to keep up your interest in Lehigh and come to Commencement whenever you can.” (The members from the classes preceding 1885 were selected and their acceptances received before any undergraduates were selected.) Prof. Jacoby Notes:
“Before 1887-88 the officers were nominal, and no regular meetings were held, since the constitution, diplomas and other details had to be perfected by committee work. During 1886-87 I served as president pro tem of the chapter. On June 15th, 1887 I was selected by Prof. Williams as a member of the Advisory Committee for three years.”
His diary entries include the following: “May 13th, 1887. Met Prof. E.H. Williams, Jr., at his residence with Mr. Miller to revise the Constitution of Tau Beta Pi, as a graduate committee. Work completed May 17th.
June 22nd, 1887. Was elected President of Tau Beta Pi. I had been President
pro Tem. The call for annual meeting was signed by H.H. Stoek, Secty. When
I was elected President, Fred P. Spaulding was elected Vice-President and
Prof. E.H. Williams, Jr., Corresponding Secretary. Prof. Williams expressed
this
as his preference so that he could retain possession of the records, papers,
etc.
July 25th, 887. Copied the Constitution and By Laws of Tau Beta Pi.
September 27, 1887. Held the first meeting of Tau Beta Pi for the academic
year.
February 6th, 1888. The society adopted most of the By Laws at the meeting
on this date.
February 13th, 1888. Professor E. H. Williams, Jr., addressed the first of
a series of lectures to be given under the auspices of Tau Beta Pi in Christmas
Hall on Lehigh University campus, on “The Merits of Strikes in the Anthracite
Regions.” He was introduced by me, as President of the society. (The
Bethlehem Daily Times reported the meeting. The lectures were not published.
Notices of the lectures, with speaker, title, etc. were given in the Bethlehem
Times. Only two were given that first year.) The second lecture was delivered
April 20th, 1888, by Doctor Severin Ringer on “Socialism,” in
Packer Hall. He was introduced by me.
February 22nd, 1888. My Tau Beta Pi diploma was signed by E.H. Williams Jr.,
as Secretary and by Fred P. Spaulding as Vice President.
September 25th, 1888. Professor Williams was elected President. I refused
re-election as President on account of heavy work.
October 21st, 1889. I was elected President of Tau Beta Pi, and on that evening
we initiated eight new members.
Prof. Jacoby adds:
“I was an instructor at Lehigh, September,
1886 to June, 1890. Mr. George A. Jenkins was not associated with Tau Beta
Pi
during that period. I
do not recall that A.E. Meaker attended any meetings during the time I was
there.
I signed a lot of diplomas when the first
lot came from the printer, but I do not recall whether they covered all the
classes up to 1888 or not.
In those years and for many years afterwards there were no other chapters
than at Bethlehem, and the idea of honorary members developed later.
The only graduate members who were active were men like Spaulding and Heikes
who were either instructors at Lehigh or studying for an advanced degree.
I do not recall others.
My diploma measures 14” by 17 1/2”. The type adopted received
a lot of study by Professor Williams and was examined by others before its
adoption
and purchase.
The Epitome Records
The Epitome is the college annual published each year by the junior class at
Lehigh, and carries a complete list of the University’s fraternities
and societies. The earliest Epitome to list Tau Beta Pi is that of 1887 which
was published for the year 1886. It shows a cut of the Bent and lists the
officers and members as follows:
Officers
George A. Jenkins 1870 President
Arthur E. Meaker 1875 Vice President
Edward H. Williams, Jr. 1875 Corresponding Secretary
John H. Spengler 1886 Secretary
Simeon C. Hazelton 1886 Treasurer
Active Members
Class of 1885
Irving A. Heikes
Class of 1886
William H. Dean Henry G. Reist
Lewis J. H. Grossart John H. Spengler
Solomon J. Harwi Edwin S. Stackhouse
Simeon C. Hazelton Joseph K. Surls The 1888 Epitome, for year 1887, shows the following members:
Officers
George A. Jenkins 1870 President
Arthur E. Meaker 1875 Vice President
Edward H. Williams, Jr. 1875 Corresponding Secretary
Harry H. Stoek 1887
Recording Secretary
Milton H. Fehnel 1887 Treasurer
Active Members
Class of 1886
Simeon C. Hazelton, B.M. Edwin S. Stackhouse, B.M.
Class of 1887
Robert W. Barrell Elmer E. Snyder
Benjamin A. Cunningham Harry H. Stoek
Milton H. Fehnel John B.F. Hittell
John W. LaDoo* Henry A.J. Wilkens
Mason D. Pratt Frank Williams
The 1889 epitome, for year 1888, shows the following:
Advisory Committee
Wallace M. Scudder, ’73 Charles Bull, ’78
Henry S. Jacoby, ’77 Augustus P. Smith, ’84
Officers
Henry S. Jacoby, ’77 President
Fred P. Spalding, ’80 Vice-President
Edward H. Williams, Jr., ’75 Corresponding Secretary
Charles N. Butler, ’88 Recording Secretary
James B. Glover, ’88
Treasurer
Members
Class of 1888
Charles N. Butler Louis P. Gaston
Phillip H. DeWitt James B. Glover
Manuel V. Domenech Charles D. Marshall
Charles H. Miller
This is the first Epitome which gives the
chapter as Alpha of Pennsylvania, thus pointing towards the spreading of
the Society. This Epitome lists the
names of members from 1869 practically as given in the Tau Beta Pi Membership
Catalog of 1939. It adds to the 1887 list of Walter A. McFarland.
The 1890 Epitome, for year 1889, lists these members:
Advisory Committee
Wallace M. Scudder, ’73 Augustus P. Smith, ’84
Henry S. Jacoby, ’77 Charles Bull, ’78
*Correct spelling Ledoux.
Officers
Edward H. Williams, Jr., ’75 President
George F. Duck, ’83 Vice-President
Louis P. Gaston, ’88 Corresponding Secretary
Clarence W. Hudson, ’89
Recording Secretary
Frederick L. Grammar, ’89 Treasurer
Members
Class of 1889
Francis J. Carman Charles H. Miller
Frederick L. Grammar Lester C. Taylor
Lightner Henderson August T. Throop
Clarence W. Hudson Charles P. Turner
John Lockett Clarence Walker
Charles W. Moffett Edward A. Wright
The 1891 Epitome, for year 1890, carries on as follows:Advisory Committee
Wallace M. Scudder, ’73 Charles Bull, ’78
Henry S. Jacoby, ’77 Augustus P. Smith, ’84
Officers
F. L. Grammar, ’89 President
Henry S. Jacoby, ’77 Acting President
Arthur E. Meaker, ’75 Vice-President
Edward H. Williams, Jr., ’75 Corresponding Secretary
Edwin J. Prindle, ’90 Recording Secretary
Williams C. Perkins, ’90
Treasurer
Members
Class of 1890
John W. DeMoyer William C. Perkins
Frederick E. Fisher Edwin J. Prindle
Frank R. Fisher William A. Stevenson
Frederick K. Houston Charles C. Tomkinson
William V. Kulp Aaron H. VanCleve
Class of 1891
Walton Forstall
Dr. E. H. Williams, Jr Arthur E. Meaker
This was the first time a junior was elected to membership in the Society,
and fixes the time when the custom of election of the highest ranking junior
to membership began. It is to be noted that Grammar, who was what was known
as a five-year student in the mining course, was the first active student to
be elected president. However, Jacoby, w ho still continued as an instructor
at the University, was elected with a new title of Acting President. Jacoby
had for several years been active and faithful in his devotion to the chapter,
and this action placed him in position to continue his devoted service.
Henry S. Jacoby Irving A. Heikes
Simeon C. Hazelton Solomon J. Harwi
Letters
As a source material, letters are of the highest importance. They are not
always accurate, but in the main may be taken as good evident in establishing
dates, facts, events, personalities. I am quoting from a number of letters
from various sources which will shed light on our subject. From a letter of
May 2, 1903, from Dr. Williams to B.C. Waldenmaier:
“The late Mr. Edwin G. Klosé, then manager of the Moravian Publication
Concern, bought for the writer some new type of a peculiar design, and, after
several trials, the present form of the certificate was drawn up, cuts made,
and a number struck off. This was in the Spring of 1885. The work was complete,
after the constitution and by-laws had been coped in an appropriate book, and
all that remained was to catch the birds.
John H Spengler E. S. Stackhouse
Henry G. Reist J. K. Surls
The writer then resolved himself into the society and elected himself corresponding
secretary. He then overhauled the faculty records of all graduates and made
a list of those who were eligible to membership, and wrote to them on properly
headed paper, of their election to membership, The answers were most cordial
and showed that the right thing had been done. With a body of alumni at his
back, the writer was able to go to the valedictorian-elect of 1885, Mr. Irving
A. Heikes, and ask his aid in bringing the society into active life among undergraduates.
In fine, the society was suitably launched shortly before commencement of 1885,
and Mr. Murray M. Duncan, valedictorian of 1880, offered his aid in initiating
the new men. The proper men from 1886 were then initiated and when Phi Beta
Kappa came to Lehigh she found Tau Beta Pi well entrenched and a worthy rival.
The only claim which the writer can make is that he started the society. What
it has become is due to the hands which have trimmed its sails and shaped its
course.
From a letter of April 13, 1905, from Dr. Williams to Professor L.P. Breckenridge,
President, Executive Council of Tau Beta Pi:
“When I compiled the present ritual I thought very little of such a extension
and when the first chapter came I made modifications for An Executive Council,
but that is some time ago.
The ninth annual convention of the Society was held on December 1 and 2, 1905,
at Urbana, Illinois, and Secretary Matthews made a report of the convention
to Dr. Williams in a letter, December 5, 1905, from which I quote as follows:
“Would it be possible to get the exact dates of any of the meetings, for
instance, your first conversation with Brother Heikes and the date of his initiation
and of the initiation of his classmates"
As a long stride in advance, it was voted that Pennsylvania alpha be requested
to take charge of the publication of a Tau Beta Pi quarterly to be known as
THE BENT and to cost not more than one dollar per year. As this is an undertaking
of no small magnitude that Chapter will, no doubt, be much pleased to have
any suggestions or help that you may be inclined to extend. There is not doubt
that there will be a great deal of work connected with this publication, and
the chapter may feel somewhat as if it had been imposed upon. However, it was
the opinion of the Convention that the parent Chapter should be given the opportunity
to launch this project. No action was taken regarding the payment of the Editor
of the publication and the whole affair was left in the hands of the Chapter,
with this exception: that all financial matters were to be handled by the Executive
Council.
Brother Matthew was most anxious to get exact dates and facts as to the beginnings
of the Society, and made frequent requests of Dr. Williams for such information,
such as the following:
January 5, 1906. “It is to be regretted that definite
information regarding the dates, and other interesting points connected with
the founding of the
Association, cannot be obtained. I venture to assert that if you had had any
idea of the future growth of Tau Beta Pi to such dimensions, you would have
kept a particular record of them.”
May 10, 1906. “I am still concerned about the determination of the exact
date of the founding of the Association. It seems to me to be a very regrettable
fact that more definite information is not at hand. Can you not think up some
was to fix some of these dates?”
March 7, 1910. “Did you ever try to establish the exact date of our birth,
as you expressed your intention of doing before we parted at Syracuse? If not,
will you make an effort to find out something definite before long?”
The only answer that I can find from Dr. Williams on this matter is contained
in a letter to Secretary Matthews dated December 26, 1905, as follows:
“I have written to Mr. Heikes, and have an answer from him under date of
21st. He can give me nothing in regard to fixing the exact date. I will look
among my diaries, and see if I can find anything that will exactly fix the date,
but I doubt very much if I can.
Dr. Williams to Secretary Matthews, December 15, 1906:
“When I started this thing I did not know but what something of a continuous
nature might be undertaken by the society which was to be perpetuated, but which
could not be undertaken by any one class, and my ideas were something as follows:
There are a great many scientific topics which are very interesting, and which
can only be solved by collective work or collective observation. Now take for
example, a systematic study of stream measurement under varying conditions.
Take the Lehigh at Bethlehem for example. One survey would establish the contour
of the bottom, and would enable any one who could read a tide gage or a water
gage, to estimate the are of water passing at any given height. Now, if this
could be taken near some bridge where the students were passing continually,
all that one would have to do would be to look at the tide gage and made a
record of it. Now, as this went on year by year, day by day, in the process
of time, eight or ten years, a system of observation would be obtained which
would be worth printing; or here might be some subject of interest in any on
e of the technical departments of the University of a simple nature which would
require comparatively little time. Now, one such would be, if there were two
points, one upon a mountain range, and one upon a plain {sic}, which were comparatively
near one another within six or seven miles, if the survey could be taken within
two fixed points at accurate level of working with the proper rods, if these
were conducted once a year, in ten or fifteen years we could obtain data to
ascertain whether the mountain ranges were rising or settling. These are matters
of geological interest, as there are a good many theories on the subject. Now,
this is something, which in itself would require comparatively little time,
but by having a perpetual work of this kind, interest would be excited in it,
and as time went on, you could tabulate certain estimates.
In the same way, if we have a technical observatory, if distances were taken
of certain stars to ascertain whether there is any change in the latitude,
this could be carried on for fifteen or twenty years as the case may be, and
the results tabulated and published. Now this is something, which would be
not only interesting, but valuable, and all records kept, and work could be
carried on under exactly the same conditions.
This is outside of the regular programme, but it was in my mind at the time
as something, which was plausible and possible. Whether anything of that kind
can be taken up, or whether there is sufficient time to take up work of that
sort, will depend upon the conditions governing each chapter. I merely mention
it.”
In 1914 Secretary Matthew’s was about to write Dr. Breckenridge of Sheffield
Scientific School in the interest of starting Tau Beta Pi there. Dr. Williams
wrote Matthews on April 6, 1914: “Have Br. B. Tell the boys that a Yale
man started the show.”
A letter from Irving A. Heikes to Wm. A. Cornelius, March 20, 1940, says:
“In June 1885 (I do not know the exact date) at the close of a recitation
with Prof. Williams, he asked me (alone) to remain for a conversation. He then
proceeded to tell me how he, a member of Phi Beta Kappa, had endeavored to have
that organization broaden its qualifications for membership so as to make students
in Engineering and Science eligible. Although he had spent some years in this
effort, he had not succeeded and felt that further effort would be futile.
He felt that the value and incentive to high attainment in scholarship and
in material activity of an Honorary Fraternity for Engineering and Scientific
students (paralleling Phi Beta Kappa in the Classical field) were so considerable
that he had decided to found such a society. He had conferred with some of
the alumni of Lehigh (who would be eligible for membership) and had met with
a favorable response. He had selected a name for the Fraternity (Tau Beta Pi)
and had written a Constitution and By-Laws: he had prepared all the essentials
for such an organization. Inasmuch as I was to be the valedictorian of the
class for that year (1885) he wanted to make me the first member. I desired
a few days for reflection. At the expiration of a few days I told him that
I accepted his proposal. He thereupon proceeded to the initiation ceremonies.
No one else was present. He may have had (probably had) a vision of the future
of the society, but I certainly had not. Two other members of the class of
1885 (Price and Birney), both deceased now, were later initiated by Prof. Williams
and me. I am not sure of the following. My impression is that since Commencement
Week with its activities was upon us, the selection and initiation of the men
from the class of 1886 was deferred until the next academic year. I went back
to Lehigh for a fifth year for the degree of Engineer of Mines when, I think,
the men of 1886 were taken in. Later in the academic year the men of the Junior
class, 1887, were taken in.”
On March 19, 1940, Heikes wrote to Cornelius:
“Professor Williams chose or selected or elected me as the “Adam” of
the Association of which he was the Creator, and breathed into me the “breath
of life” by giving me the grip and password.”
Historical Documents
During the spring of 1923 announcement was made that Catherine Drinker Bowen,
the daughter of Dr. Henry S. Drinker, then President Emeritus of Lehigh University,
and wife of Prof. Ezra Bowen, was preparing a history of Lehigh University.
I wrote to Dr. Williams and suggested that he send to Mrs. Bowen such historical
facts about Tau Beta Pi and its establishment at Lehigh as would be interesting
and useful for such a history as Mrs. Bowen was writing. Dr. Williams, however,
sent the material, which I suggested, to me instead of to Mrs. Bowen, and I
forwarded the same to her, having first taken copies of it in my office.
I made this notation on my copy: “copy of a statement of Prof. E.H. Williams,
Jr., original sent to Mrs. Catherine D. Bowen, May 10, 1923.”
The statement of Dr. Williams follows:
Tau Beta Pi
In 1885 as an attempt to secure a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for Lehigh University
was made by members of that fraternity living in the Bethlehems and elsewhere,
among whom were Bishop Howe, Mr. Kitchel and professors Johnson and Williams.
The petition was sent to the fraternity senate in that year, and it was to
lie until the next triennial meeting.
The idea of a chapter for Lehigh was based upon an honorary reward for high
scholarship, which should be open to every student in every department, and
it was supposed that such would be the policy of Phi Beta Kappa. But at the
meeting of 1883, a chapter had been granted to Cornell University, and in the
awarding of keys to students who had attained the necessary standing, there
was made only a consideration of the statistics of those who had taken classical
and pure scientific courses, and thus all technical students were debarred
from membership.
This result was published in the daily press and excited considerable discussion,
so that in the winter of 1884-1884 it seemed to be definitely decided that
if a chapter of this fraternity came to Lehigh it would be valueless to the
great majority of the students, as at that time there were comparatively few
in the university, and especially so in the courses which would lead to Phi
Beta Kappa. Dr. Lamberton’s influence was bringing such numbers of undergraduates
to the schools that a serious consideration of a policy to limit the number
of students was suggested, as at that time tuition was free and the income
limited.
These facts so impressed the writer—who was the only one of the petitioners
connected with the technical schools—that he determined to furnish the
students in those schools with something of a similar nature; and as priority
was a matter of importance in fraternity matters, it became necessary for an
establishment and successful operation of this rival for Phi Beta Kappa, before
the coming of the latter, if the petition for its establishment should be granted.
This required an immediate foundation so that members of the class of 1885
could be put in charge of the work of selection of proper men from 1886. If
this were done successfully it would follow, that when Phi Beta Kappa came
in the fall of 1886 and elections were made according to its laws either then
or in the following summer, this new technical fraternity would have chosen
men from its third class, and, thus, would have become firmly established.
It stands to reason that it is easier to secure agreement in a committee of
one than in a larger number. The writer was the only member of the faculty
interested in this matter, and haste was imperative, so without an idea of
selfishly taking whatever honor that might accrue to the founding of such a
society, he determined to go ahead alone, and at once began a consideration
of the conditions and limitations necessary in granting membership. This was
imperative, as Phi Beta Kappa had been careless in the past, and all in the
first third of a class could secure membership, and few cared to wear the key.
Again, Phi Beta Kappa was purely a graduate society, and its elections were
given only to graduating seniors. As the Lehigh petition had not been granted,
there was nothing to show that the qualifications for membership had been
Changed, and it was determined that the new society should be based on a different
idea—an idea of life and associative work with those who were in charge
of the college government.
Another idea became prominent and imperative—that there should be, if
possible, a continuity in the work, so that the inevitable class antagonisms
should not defeat that work because it had been carried on by a previous class,
and, in its stead, a new start should be made which in its turn should be buried
b the incoming class. This required that all of the eligible men in the senior
class should be in full membership as soon as possible after the beginning
of the senior year. And to secure continuity it required that those certainly
eligible in the junior class should be admitted to membership as soon as possible
after the beginning of the last term of the junior year. They thus would become
acquainted with the ends in view, and could make the necessary selections for
the remainder of their class.
A third idea entered into the consideration, and one which has been a value
in the parent chapter. Seniors are past the period when teachers are natural
villains. They are also arrived at years where they can appreciate the good
and bad points of college discipline, and can discuss them without bias, as
those who win membership in such an organization are o necessity highly qualified
to do their work well and to appreciate good work. And as time passed it would
follow that members of the society would become members of the teaching force,
and selective members of that force would become honorary members of the society.
In these ways there would be found in the society a meeting ground where around
the same table matters of interest could be discussed in a friendly and temperate
manner, and constructive criticism offered b the undergraduate members of the
society.
A fourth idea was entertained which, however, has not been put into force.
Such an association of high-stand men could carry on accurate measurement during
a series of years, the individual work and recording of which would take but
a short time; but the discussion and summary of them would be of value. These
were the basic ideas upon which it was proposed to build the society.
The writer then drew up a Constitution and the skeleton of By-laws, for an
individual chapter and for an association of chapters, with direction for conventions
and the granting of new chapters. A diploma resulted from the saying of Mr.
Parker-Smith, valedictorian of 1884, and one of our fraternity. The writer
congratulated him on getting his university diploma. In his pleasant and lazy
was he said, “______’s got one.” “_______” had
managed—under the rule of endless re-examinations then in vogue—to
graduate. My colleague in mathematics told me that he thought “_______” carried
away more mathematics than any man who had graduated. He had memorized bodily
the whole outfit, and could begin anywhere and reel it off. So the form of
a diploma was drawn up, and Edmund G. Klose´ of the Moravian Publication
House bought for the society (then in embryo) a font of type and the proper
form was struck off.
The class records of the past were unearthed and the standing of each man calculated,
and in this manner the eligibles in the alumni were found. A proper from of
notification was drawn up, and the writer (as “Secty.”) notified
them of their election. All accepted, and diplomas were afterwards given to
some. This was done to feel the pulse of the men, and to see how they looked
upon the scheme. At this time no undergraduates had been approached. But in
May Mr. Heikes was asked to remain after class and the matter was brought to
a head b y his acceptance of election.
Then came the matter you mention, and the adoption of the Constitution and
By-laws.”
Mrs. Bowen’s History of Lehigh University was published in 1924. It is
not a large book and contains only 105 pages. It contains only the most meager
mention of Tau Beta Pi, of its having been founded in 1885 at Lehigh University
by Dr. Williams and of having been adopted by the leading technical schools
of the country. None of the detailed material I sent her was used.
The Ritual History
A number of brief histories of Tau Beta Pi have been written from time to time
for use of the Society and in the Ritual. The best of these, the Ritual History,
bears a similarity to the statement above, but has certain differences in details.
It contains a notation at the foot, “This history was written by Prof.
Williams in 1906, revised by him in 1914, and has since been altered only in
minor details.” It is known to readers of THE BENT and will not be quoted
here.
This is the Story
The genesis of Tau Beta Pi goes back to the early 1880s when the first thought
came to Dr. Williams of securing for Lehigh a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.
Dr. Williams was a professor in one of the engineering courses at Lehigh.
And his aim from the beginning was to secure for Lehigh a chapter of an honorary
fraternity, which in his own words, “was based upon an honorary reward
for high scholarship, which should be open to every student in every department.”
When it became clear that this could not be accomplished through Phi Beta
Kappa, again in his own words, “He determined to furnish the students in those
(the technical) schools with something of a similar nature.” This was
during the winter of 1884-1885.
Dr. Williams was a clever and resourceful man, with foresight and tremendous
energy, and considerable experience in such matters through membership in Phi
Beta Kappa and other similar societies. In other words he had a faculty for,
a knowledge of, and an experience with such matters, and immediately began,
without other aid, to put his plan into being.
In this preliminary stage, as he reasoned it out in his own mind, there were
certain conditions that must be fulfilled in order to assure the success of
his plan.
He would act alone, not from any egotistical or autocratic motives, but because
he was the only member of the faculty interested n the matter, and for the
purpose of greater efficiency.
He must needs hurry, in order that the infant fraternity might be organized
and standing firmly on its feet before the coming along of Phi Beta Kappa,
of which, in a certain sense, it would be a rival.
He would plan a skeleton organization, with an outline of a Constitution and
By-laws.
He would design an emblem for the new society that would be distinctive for
the type of fraternity intended.
He would work out conditions and limitations for membership that would place
the society on a high plane and make it an active and potent force among the
undergraduates and in the college life of the university. They must be good
men, steady, honest and dependable.
He would first enlist the alumni whose rank would have entitled them to membership
had the society been alive in their day; this for the purpose of prestige and
backing as well as to bestow honor where honor was due.
He would provide diplomas for membership, which would be unique, distinctive,
interesting and artistic.
He would provide forms that might be necessary for starting off the new society.
He would select Greek letters as the symbol and use a peculiar style which
were the oldest forms of these characters to be found, and chosen for their
oddity.
From all the evidence we have, from all the letters and documents on hand,
it is safe to say that it is almost as if we could look right down into Dr.
Williams’ busy mind during that year of 1884 and up until May and June
of 1885, when action began in earnest, and watch the evolution of his plans
for Tau Beta Pi as he was slowly, carefully and systematically thinking out,
planning, arranging and setting up from the very beginnings the Tau Beta Pi
which we love so much and which has grown into the sturdy and far-flung society
of today.
The letter which he wrote Jacoby on June 19, 1885, quoted above, reveals the
state of flux of his mind during this period, when he was working out the biggest
problem of his career, the organization of Tau Beta Pi. All honor to the man
whose ingenuity, ability, labor and perseverance made Tau Beta Pi possible!
A rarer spirit never
Did steer humanity.
The records of the alumni were scanned and, based upon their rank, the names
were selected by Dr. Williams and they were notified by him, as secretary,
on the same forms as were used thereafter for the students. Professor Jacoby
of the class of 1877 still has his notice, which is dated June 12, 1885, and
fixes the date of the alumni elections or selections.
Irving A. Heikes, the valedictorian of the class of 1885, was next approached
and upon his acceptance was appointed or elected by Dr. Williams the first
student member of Tau Beta Pi, whereupon he proceeded to initiate him (Heikes)
as the first student member. Heikes says that no one else was present.
Two other members were taken from the class of 1885, Theodore W. Birney and
John B. Price, but the writer believes that these names were selected later
and the men notified the same as the alumni were notified, without initiation
or affiliation as students—this in spite of the fact that both Dr. Williams
and Heikes speak of initiating them. He bases this on the fact of the short
time between the Hiekes initiation and Commencement—three days—as
will be shown later, and that Price, who for many years was president of the
First National Bank of Hazleton, Pa., both in conversation and correspondence
told the writer that he could recall nothing of Tau Beta Pi during his student
days.
The next step was the selection, sometime during this summer of 1885, of the
second student member in the person of John H. Spengler of the Class of ’86,
to act as secretary, which office had been filled, up to this time, by Dr.
Williams. Spengler lived in Bethlehem, was a brilliant student, a splendid
fellow and a fraternity brother of Heikes, so it was perfectly natural for
Dr. Williams and Heikes in going over the 1886 class to select Spengler as
the first name and to appoint him as the secretary and doubtless to get him
in on scanning and selecting the remaining names from the Class of ’86.
These names have been mentioned before, and Spengler as secretary, sent out
the notices to these men on September 19, 1885, and they were formally initiated
into Tau Beta Pi on Wednesday evening, September 30,1885, in Dr. Williams’ room
in Packer Hall by Dr. Williams and Heikes assisted by Duncan and Meaker, alumni
members. The University opened this year of 1885-1886 on September 16, 1885,
and closed on June 24, 1886; and we can readily see that no time was lost in
getting the new society going, once the preliminaries were out of the way.
At this meeting the first item was a talk by Professor Williams explaining
the reasons for starting the new society and the plans for its organization
and future work. The member from the Class of ’86 were duly initiated
in what was doubtless a very simple ceremony.
From the archives we resurrect two most interesting cards on each of which
is pinned samples of brown and white (the Lehigh colors) ribbon. The ribbon
is made up by stitching, properly spaced, three stripes of very narrow white
grosgrain ribbon, lengthwise, upon brown satin ribbon 1 3/8” in width.
Upon one card Dr. Williams has penned the following: “For the archives.
Two pieces of the first Tau Beta Pi badge made by Mr. Edward H. Williams, Jr.,
for the initiation for the first class taken into the society.”
(Signed) Edward H. Williams, Jr.”
Upon the other Dr. Williams has, with his own pen, script
style, written the following note: “Woodstock, Vt. 9/16/11. Dear Professor Moore (L.E.
Moore, president of the Executive Council, 1908-1912): Here is something for
the Tau Beta Pi archives: —This is a piece of the original ribbon we
used in initiating the first man taken into Tau Beta Pi—Mr. Irving A.
Heikes. We afterwards had A.B. Fichter of Bethlehem weave us a brown and white
ribbon (stripes). Yours under the Bent, E. H. Williams, Jr.”
For some years the president and vice-president were selected from the local
alumni, who could give prestige and standing to the new fraternity. Dr. Williams
held the office of corresponding secretary for many years, which was the office
in which he felt he could best direct the new society, and at the same time
retain possession of the records, papers, etc. Jenkins and Meaker were retained
in office for two years. Jenkins was head of the chemical laboratory of the
Bethlehem Iron Co., and “Pop” Meaker was the ideal of all the students
of mathematics as instructor and professor in that science for thirty-five
years at Lehigh.
With the exception of Dr. Williams and on or two others, very little, if any,
service was expected or received from these alumni officers, whose names, however,
gave the new society standing, or face, as the Orientals say, in the university.
Prof. Jacoby says: “The only graduate members who were active were men
like Spalding and Heikes who were either instructors at Lehigh or studying
for an advanced degree. I do not recall others.”
The offices of secretary and treasurer were given to member of the incoming
class of 1886, and this became the regular custom. At this time, probably at
this first meeting, committees were appointed for carrying out the further
plans of organization for the society and prosecution of its work. I can only
recall, as stated above, that Heikes and I worked on the committee on constitution
and by-laws, probably with another member, but whom I do not recall.
Dr. Williams says, in his statement to me of May 1923:
“The writer then drew up a constitution and the skeleton of By-laws, for
an individual chapter and for an association of chapters, with directions for
conventions and the granting of new chapters.”
It is evident that Dr. Williams placed in the hands of the committee his outlines
of a constitution and by-laws, and that, based upon this, the committee completed
and perfected the first constitution and by-laws, which was presented later
to the Society and adopted, doubtless after proper discussion and changes.
I recall very well working with Heikes upon this, and that at one stage of
our work Dr. Williams brought to us a free hand pencil sketch of the emblem,
the Bent, and that we embodied this as the emblem of the society in our report.
From Jacoby’s records we find that a graduate committee met at Dr. William’s
home on May 13 and 17, 1887, to revise the constitution and by-laws, and that
the adoption of this revised constitution and by-laws was practically completed
by February 6, 1888. At a much later date the enactment clause of the Constitution
of 1917 refers to the Constitution of 1885, the first constitution, described
above, which evidently still had force and effect.
All of which goes to show that, inasmuch as new ground was being broken by
a new society, it was natural that new conditions were arising from time to
time, and that basic laws and definitions were required from time to time to
deal with these new conditions. These are the rules of growth and development.
Doubtless other committees were appointed at this meeting of September 30,
1885 and set to work to perfect the organization, but as the old records are
lost, no details can be given. However, the first years of the Society were
given over to a strengthening of the organization and a building up of a modus
vivendi and a modus operandi which through trial and error, expansion and tradition
has finally brought into being the smooth-working code of the present day.
Overall this period and almost until the day o f his death the presiding genius
and the fatherly interest of Dr. Williams was the most remarkable and distinctive
feature in the growth and development of Tau Beta Pi.
Though our principal records of the early years are lost, we have enough facts
and dates of those years to reveal what was going on. The epitome records of
officers and member for five years, from 1886-to 1890, are given above, and
there is no need to repeat them here. During the spring of 1886 the Society
selected and initiated the members from the class of 1887.
On June 22, 1887, the officers for the ensuing year were elected and Prof.
Jacoby was elected president. He had come to Lehigh in the fall of 1886 as
an instructor, and Dr. Williams soon pressed him into the work as an aid in
guiding the new society. He was placed on the board of the newly organized
Advisory Committee, and also acted as president pro tem at the meetings, in
the absence of the regular alumni officers, previous to his election as president.
Jacoby was the type of man who is careful, painstaking, faithful to a trust,
and one to take responsibility, a man to do things, to carry on; and great
credit should be given him for his faithful service to Tau Beta Pi in those
early days, when such service was so much needed to hold things together.
He declined election as president the following year on account of other pressing
duties, and Dr. Williams was elected to that office on September 25, 1888;
but on October 21, 1889, Prof. Jacoby was again elected president for another
year, and that evening, he states, they initiated eight new members.
In those early days, very much as at present, regular stated meetings were
not held, but the Society was called together when there was business at hand,
mostly in the fall shortly after the opening of the University, and in the
spring shortly before Commencement. The election of officers and the selection
and initiation of new members were the principal items of business, and, as
Prof. Jacoby states, most of the business of the chapter was done in committee.
During Prof. Jacoby’s first term as president, however, an effort was
made to broaden the field of the Society, and two lectures were given under
the auspices of the Society, which were duly reported in the local press. The
first was delivered on February 13, 1888, by Professor E.H. Williams, Jr.,
on the subject, “The Merits of Strikes in the Anthracite Regions,” and
the second on April 30, 1888, by Professor Severin Ringer on the subject, “Socialism.”
Debates and lectures were both tried to give the members a greater interest
in the Society, but were abandoned; and as the Society grew, expanded and gathered
tradition and standing among the engineering schools of the country, affiliation
with it became more and more an honor and a prize most eagerly sought.
It is not my thought or intention to give any detailed account of the happenings
of the infant Society during those early days, but rather to sketch in enough
of its activities so that one may see in imagination what was going on and
how the young and tender fraternity was being held together and being made
to mark progress in those years.
It is also far from my thought to carry this history forward for any considerable
number of years. There will follow someone at some time to carry on this story,
perhaps long after we, who were in at the beginning, have passed on. I feel,
however, that we should glance ahead briefly, by mention of the things which
have broadened the fraternity, the stepping stones by which it has climbed
to its present glorious position.
For over seven years Pennsylvania Alpha chapter was the only representative
of Tau Beta Pi. As far as the destiny of the Society was concerned, this might
seem like a waste of time, but not so. The new fraternity needed time to consolidate
its position, time to mature, time for trial and correction, and time to prepare.
And so when, through the instrumentality of Professor Lester P. Breckenridge,
the Alpha chapter of Michigan was established at Michigan State College, in
East Lansing, the time was ripe for expansion and the ground was prepared and
ready for growth.
Prof. Breckenridge had been an instructor in mechanical engineering at Lehigh
from 1881 to 1884. He served again from 1886 to 1891, was elected the first
honorary member initiate of Tau Beta P, took much interest in the Society and
served it in various capacities. So when he transferred to Michigan State he
was already a zealous missionary and soon had the ground prepared for the second
chapter, which was organized at Michigan State College on November 2, 1892.
All honor to Professor Breckenridge for having started the expansion movement.
He is given credit also for the starting of the fifth chapter, Alpha of Illinois,
in 1897, and for the first recommendation for establishment of THE BENT, the
Society’s magazine.
In the same spirit Professor John J. Flather, a graduate of Yale in 1885, served
as an instructor at Lehigh from 1888 to 1891 and was made an honorary member
of Pennsylvania Alpha. He transferred from Lehigh to Purdue University, and
with true missionary spirit was instrumental in starting there on April 10,
1893, the third chapter, Alpha of Indiana.
Tau Beta Pi Gets a Birthday
Only two men were in on the birth of Tau Beta Pi, the
initiation of the first student member; and these were Dr. Williams and Irving
A. Heikes, Alpha of
Pennsylvania ’85. All the early records are lost, and though both Dr.
Williams and Heikes searched diligently, no records could be found of the exact
date.
Here, however, is the solution. The references given are all from data already
quoted in this history. The alumni were selected and notified of their election
before Heikes was approached. See Dr. Williams’ statement to me of May
1923: “The writer notified them of their election. At this time no undergraduate
had been approached.” The Ritual History: “He (Dr. Williams) went
over the records of the classes previously graduated, and determined the eligible
men from each. These were notified. Early in June Profess or Williams asked
him (Heikes) to remain, and unfolded to him the plan. The proposition was not
at once accepted, and another meeting was arranged. The matter was then fully
discussed, Brother Heikes was made a member, and Tau Beta Pi thus had a start
in the undergraduate world.” From Heikes’ letter to Cornelius,
March 20, 1940: “In June 1885 (I do not know the exact date), he asked
me (alone) to remain for a conversation. . . . He had conferred with some of
the alumni of Lehigh and had met with a favorable response. He wanted to make
me the first member. I desired a few days for reflection. At the expiration
of a few days I told him that I accepted. . . . He thereupon proceeded to the
initiation ceremonies. No one else was present. . . . Commencement week, with
its activities, was upon us.” From Jacoby, Alpha of Pennsylvania ’77: “The
members of the classes preceding 1885 were selected before any undergraduates
were selected.” Jacoby still has his notice of election, the date of
which is June 12, 1885. In 1885, June 12 was on Friday; while commencement
was on the next Thursday, June 18.
Referring now to these quotations, it is established that no undergraduate
was selected until after the alumni were selected and notified. The alumni
were notified on June 12, while Commencement was upon them and haste was necessary.
Therefore we may conclude that Heikes was notified the same day, Friday, June
12, 885.
He requested a few days for reflection. The few days for reflection were up
on Monday, June 15; and as time was pressing, Commencement on Thursday, no
further time was lost. Heikes met Dr. Williams, accepted election and was forthwith
initiated. As Heikes says, “he thereupon proceeded to the initiation.” Heikes
also confirms the pressure of time, “Commencement week, with its activities,
was upon us.”
It is therefore established, beyond any reasonable doubt, that Monday, June
15, 1885 is the birthday of Tau Beta Pi, and I would respectfully recommend
o the Executive council that hey f9ormally ordain and establish that day as
the birthday of Tau Beta Pi.
The First Convention
Three working chapters now and enough for a Convention, to bring the men
face to face. This, the first Convention was held at Cleveland, Ohio, on May
18, 1895. The friendships, the discussions, the organization, all were inspirational,
and were, indeed, the sowing of seed and the cultivation of soil for further
expansion, which soon came.
What the conventions mean to the Society is revealed by an editorial in THE
BENT some years later:
“The convention is now a thing of the past, and
has gone down in the history of Tau Beta Pi in a blaze of glory and goodfellowship.
The most noticeable
thing about the convention was the intense loyalty and enthusiasm for Tau Beta
Pi, which was voiced by all present.
That is the sort of stuff that builds and builds, that carries from one success
to another. That is the spirit, which built the present structure.
The Executive Council
The Executive Council was an inevitable outgrowth of the first Convention,
the instrument whose function was to weld all the chapters into a unit with
one head, one government, and one purpose. The members of the first Executive
Council for the year 1895-1896 were:
President—H.B. Evans, Alpha of Pennsylvania.
Secretary—E.J. Fermier, Alpha of Indiana.
Treasurer—C.C. Pashby, Alpha of Michigan
The First Catalog
The first Catalog was published in February 1898 by the Executive Council at
South Bethlehem, Pa., under the direction of Professor Robert C.H. Heck,
of Pennsylvania Alpha. Dr. Heck was Lehigh ’93, and remained as instructor
and professor for fifteen years, rendering inestimable service to Tau Beta
Pi in many various capacities. At the time this first Catalog was published
there were 5 chapters and 427 names. Compared with our 1939 Catalog of 71
chapters and over 30,000 names this was a crude and small affair, but to
the 5 chapters and 427 members of that day, what a stepping stone, what an
inspiration to harder work and greater achievement! The Executive Council,
the annual Conventions, the membership Catalog and THE BENT were a four-horse
team, and Tau Beta Pi was doing things and going places, as the story of
expansion during the following years reveals.
Establishment of THE BENT
It was in Prof. Breckenridge’s report as president of the Executive Council
to the ninth Convention in Urbana, that the first recommendation was made for
the establishing of the fraternity magazine THE BENT. The Convention acted
on it promptly and requested the Pennsylvania Alpha chapter to take it in charge.
This was done under the following Board:
Editor-in-chief—Harry R. Lee
Assistant Editor—Claude B. Hagy
Business Manager—Stewart J. Cort
Secretary—W. Homer Hendricks
Two numbers were gotten out that college year, April, 1906, featuring our
beloved founder, Professor E.H. Williams, Jr., and June, 1906, featuring Professor
Lester Paige Breckenridge, Past President of the Executive Council of Tau Beta
Pi.
These two numbers were a credit to Tau Beta Pi, and must have been a great
inspiration to the officers and members of the sixteen chapters, which were
flourishing at that time, as well as to the Executive Council. Brother Lee
has kindly sent me copies of these two first numbers and much interesting historical
data, but it is evident that I am overstaying my time, and must leave this
for a future historian.
I will let you in on a little secret—the secret, which accounts for much
of the force and energy, which has built up Tau Beta Pi. It is revealed in
letters from correspondents in a very early number of THE BENT (Vol. 2—No.
I.); and that takes us back 34 years. One from the East, Columbia University,
Alpha of New York, says:
“We at Columbia are becoming constantly more impressed by the fact that
Tau Beta Pi is getting each year to be the goal for which each good student aims.
The student body greatly respects the honor of an election to the chapter and
happy is he who has the right to wear the Bent.”
The other from the West, University of Colorado, Beta of Colorado, says:
“Sine the advent of Tau Beta Pi into the College of Engineering, it is
to be noted that those who have the desire to excel, excel still more; those
who occupy the middle ground are climbing higher! Where average grades of 80%
once sufficed, now grades of 87% will not satisfy. Students in the lower classes
are beginning to realize that it means something to become a member of Tau Beta
Pi, and in consequence of this there is being placed a premium on high scholastic
standing.”
A whole chapter could be written upon this; But in the words of Dr. Clement
C. Williams, President of Lehigh University, we have a valued up-to-date opinion,
when he said in an address to the Lehigh Alumni Association on June 8, 1940:
“Tau Beta Pi is one of the most stimulating and inspiring influences in
technical education in the last generation in this country, and we are proud
that it was established at Lehigh.”
TAU BETA PI, to You
Should I fail to mention Edwin F. Gillette’s song, ‘Tau Beta Pi,
to You,” it would seem like a serious omission for which no other words
could compensate. It was first sung at the installation of Beta of Illinois
at Armour Institute of Technology, Chicago, on April 6, 1906. Brother Gillette,
who was president of the newly-installed chapter, had composed both the words
and music, and sprang it as a surprise at the banquet, when he had the new
members sing the new song, which was received with wild acclaim, and has been
spoken of as, “Edwin f. Gillette’s immortal gift to our Association.” Here
are a few of the words:
Tau Beta Pi, to greet you we come from far and near
In joyous celebration, to crown a glorious year.
Your altar fires to kindle, your friendships to renew,
We gather here with gladness, Tau Beta Pi, for you.
CHORUS
Tau Beta Pi, for you, Tau Beta Pi, for you.
We gather here with gladness, Tau Beta Pi, for you.
With spirit joined to spirit, and hand firm-clasped to hand;
With shoulder touching shoulder, a staunch and loving band;
We raise on high our glasses, and pledge these toasts anew;
That years may bring fulfillment, Tau Beta Pi, to you.
CHORUS.
Tau Beta Pi, to you, Tau Beta Pi, to you,
That years may bring fulfillment, Tau Beta Pi, to you.
Stars of the Firmament
No human organization ever prospered without strong and capable men to push
and guide it, Stars, we might say, “who sing their influence on this
lower world.”
Stars are of mighty use.
One twinkling ray,
Shot o’er some cloud,
May clear much way,
And guide a crowd.
Tau Beta Pi has been especially fortunate in having stars of the nth magnitude
to guide and push it forever forward. It would be fine to write a chapter on
each, but we have our limits of space.
We have already mentioned some of them: Dr. Williams, Heikes, Jacoby, Breckenridge,
Heck, Gillette, Lee, and would be happy to list each and every one; but that
is impossible, and we must be content to mention briefly only a very few of
the Grand Old Men of Tau Beta Pi.
R.C. Matthews, Alpha of Illinois ’02. When I was hunting for Secretary
Matthews in Knoxville a few years ago, a student answered my inquiry, “do
you mean Red Matthews?” Red it was but white it is, a crowning glory
for Tau Beta Pi.
Matthew s has been secretary of the Executive council from 1905 and treasurer
from 1912. He has worked on THE BENT in various capacities since 1`9907. He
has issued all the membership Catalogs since the first. He has attended all
the Conventions for nearly a half century. He has attended all the Conventions
for nearly a half century; he has revised laws and rituals, kept records, initiated
classes, established chapter, kept alive interest, installed half the chapter
since coming into office and traveled all over the country in the interest
of Tau Beta Pi. If there were anything, which Red Matthews has not done for
Tau Beta Pi, I would like to know it. All I can say is, “Red is a star
of the first magnitude.” All honor to Red!
H.H. Higbie, Alpha of New York ’04, has served on the Executive Council
in various capacities since 1908. He has been a pioneer in establishing new
chapters, and years ago conducted for the Society, and published in THE BENT
and in pamphlet form, a Survey of Engineering Education which attracted marked
attention throughout the country.
A.D. Moore, gamma of Pennsylvania ’15, is the father of the Fellowship
Plan. He was a good sower of seed for new chapters, was active in getting THE
BENT re-established, was instrumental in placing the Executive Council on a
practicable and workable basis and was a discoverer of other stars, like Spencer
and Monson, and starting them on their road to service.
L.T. Monson, Gamma of Missouri ’24, was not responsible for being discovered,
but once discovered, became the ruler of the destinies of THE BENT. He served
as assistant editor in 1926 and Editor from 1927 to the present. He was Editor
of the council Bulletin, originated the plan of life subscriptions to THE BENT,
and has been especially interested in placing the finances of the Society on
a sound basis.
Charles H. Spencer, Gamma of Michigan ’96, always and forever the “Uncle
Charlie” of Tau Beta Pi. He has been since 1936 the honored president
of the Executive Council, was the Alumni Representative in 1932 has fostered
the spread of the alumni associations and, next to Red Matthews, has contacted
more alumni than any other. His business constantly takes him on the road to
all parts of the country, and Uncle Charlie has a special love for Tau Bates
and hence a special faculty for getting them together. Whenever two or three
of them are gathered together with Uncle Charlie you can count on a Tau Beta
Pi meeting. He is said to have contacted about 2,000 Tau Bates during 1939
alone. Uncle Charlie is high among the stars.
P.W. Ott, Alpha of Illinois ’17, served as president of the Executive
Council, 1930 to 1936, and was the daddy of the Student Loan Plan, proposed
by him and authorized by the act of 1931.
W.T. Magruder, Alpha of New Jersey ’81, served as a member of the Executive
Council from 1930 until his death in 1935. The Constitution and By-Laws of
1934 were largely is work, assisted by fellow-Councillors Ott and F.W. Marquis,
Illinois Alpha ’05.
Lewis E. Moore, Alpha of Wisconsin ’00, was president of the Executive
Council from 1908 to 1912. He helped work out many of the early problems of
the Society ad installed many important chapters of his day and time.
Personality of Dr. Williams
Any story of Tau Beta Pi would be incomplete without a special mention of Dr.
Williams. I have no thought of writing his biography. That has been done by
others, and will be better done by someone at some future day. I should like,
if I can, to paint a word portrait of him worthy of the subject.
I would that for one brief moment I might have the inspiration of true artistic
skill as I try to paint a rue portrait of our beloved Founder, not only for
those who knew and loved him, but rather for those hosts of Tau Beta Pi who
never had that great privilege, and for those hosts who shall come marching
into Tau Beta Pi in the y ears to come; so that, as they march, they may carry
in their hearts the true reflection of the one who made possible for them the
privileges of Tau Beta Pi.
As a basis for our study, we outline the salient facts of his life. Edward
Higginson Williams, Jr., was born in Proctorsville, Vermont, on September 30,
1849, and died in Woodstock, Vermont, on November 2, 1933, at the age of 84
years.
His preparatory education was completed at Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts.
He took the Bachelor of Arts at Yale in 1872 and that of Bachelor of Science
(in Chemistry) at Lehigh in 1875, followed by Engineer of Mines in 1876. In
1872-73 he was engaged in railroad work, and from 1876 to 1881 in practical
mining work, in both the anthracite and the bituminous coal regions of Pennsylvania.
In 1881 he became professor of mining engineering and geology in Lehigh University,
occupying this chair until 1902, when he retired from active teaching, while
still retaining his connection with Lehigh as a lecturer on mining engineering.
Dr. Williams was under average height, and had a well formed, closely-knit,
strong, muscular body. He was quick and active in all his movements, and was
what is sometimes referred to as the wiry type. He had a sensitive, responsive
face, a kindly eye, a friendly smile, a fine sense of humor, a happy disposition
and a helpful spirit.
Dr. Williams’ Mind
Dr. Williams had a very active mind. It was a practical mind, a social and
a patriotic mind. It was alert and progressive. It was an exploring mind.
It was a helpful mind, and one that inspired to service. It was an orderly
mind, quick, forceful, energetic, impelling to action.
Dr. E.H. Williams, 1930
It is the mind that maketh good or ill,
That maketh wretch or happy, rich or poor.
It was his practical mind that sent him out among the coal and iron mines
of Pennsylvania for five years, to fix and to fortify in his mind the theory,
which he had been studying for so many years. It was his exploring mind, which
led him into the field of lithology and geology; that led him into the long
and patient study, in the field, of glacial action and the limitation of the
ice fields across the State of Pennsylvania. It was his sense of order, which
led him into the preparation of text books for the use of his own and other
classes.
It was his sense of the social, which led him into leadership in social and
fraternal organizations. It was his sense of the helpful and the useful that
led him to lead a crusade in the Lehigh Alumni Association for a useful memorial
to Judge Packer, the founder of Lehigh University, rather than statue of the
Judge.
It was his sense of the need of recognition of and inspiration in the great
body of engineering students, which the universities of America were beginning
to pour out into the social and industrial life of America which urged him
on to organize Tau Beta Pi and to so earnestly and so solicitously watch over
its destinies with a guiding hand for so many years.
Dr. Williams had a most interesting personality. He was friendly, without being
boring. He was always presenting a new subject or a new phase of an old topic.
His active and alert mind was like a kaleidoscope, always on the turn. The
world at large and his relations to it were always on the move, assuming new
shapes, new forms, new coloring. He never was a laggard in a rapidly changing
world, rather a seer or a prophet, picking out the new pictures, new combinations,
even while they were in process.
His correspondence
His individuality and personality were revealed in his letters. There was variety
and even an art about his stationery. There was a rapid flow, a certain grace
about his penmanship which seemed to indicate that the words had difficulty
in forming as rapidly as the thoughts. There was a charm about the easy flow
of his sentences, which carried along your keen interest in the subject and
brought conviction on the points he was making. There was delicate humor,
quick turns and illustrations in his words, which seemed to bring you face
to face with him, seemingly in conversation rather than through penmanship.
A few quotations from his letters will reveal the sprightliness of his mind
and the sparkle of his thought, even as years were weighing more and more
heavily upon his body.
On June 3, 1924 in a letter to Secretary Matthews, he sent a proposed amendment
to the Constitution regarding the Association Trust Fund, and closed his letter;
“I enclose something which should also go through—not because
this is a swan-song—but because a fund of such importance as this is
sure to become must be in the hands of young men, of good business habits,
and not tied down by the chains that are sure to come with years. It seems
to me that when a man gets to be 75 years old he should be free to dance, if
he feels like it."
The “something” was his resignation as Trustee
of the Association Trust Fund, and he starts it out in this way:
“In a few weeks I shall be seventy-five years old, and I have no end of
work to do.”
In a letter of December 28, 1929 to Secretary Matthews:
“I come of a long-lived family on the Williams side, and being just over
five feet tall, my heart has a very slight job to send the blood to my fingers
and toes and, besides, I have too much to think about and to do, and so am too
busy to think about my few ills.”
I asked Will Dean, Alpha of Pennsylvania, of my class, to sum up in a few words
the most salient features of his personality: Honesty—Industry—Desire
for facts—Passion to be just—Loyalty to any cause that appealed
to him—Always courteous—Always responsive to request for information—A
very strong personality.
Both Dean and Professor Howard Eckfeldt, Alpha of Pennsylvania, who followed
Dr. Williams in the mining department at Lehigh, recalled this characteristic
of his character:
“One of the outstanding recollections and indelible impressions created
in my mind by Prof. Williams, was his method of imbuing the sense of honor in
his students, when there was practically no honor system in vogue at Leigh.
It was characteristic of him when final examination were held, to write the
questions on the board and hand out the yellow sheets paper on which the answers
were to be written. He would then read the questions and inquire if they were
fully understood. He then frequently said: ‘I am leaving. When you have
finished writing, p lace your papers on my desk; the last man will kindly lock
the door.’”
His generosity and benevolence were also characteristic. He gave liberally
to many causes, which touched his heart, and Lehigh was the recipient of many
of his benefactions. One of his plans which never came to fruition on account
of advancing age, was the erection on the Lehigh campus, through the generosity
of himself and of others, of a building for Tau Beta Pi. In it was to be a
good-sized assembly hall, and a room for the archives of the Fraternity at
large.
Dr. Williams was a gentleman in the finest sense of that term, and nothing
will better illustrate this than the following, quoted from the letter from
his daughter, Mrs. Olive B.W. Parke:
“Father had many interests and was so clever at
all of them. He had a dark room at the back of the house where he developed
his photographs, many
of them in connection with his geological research.
“Above this was a well-equipped carpenter’s shop, including a lathe.
He made three large old-fashioned doll cradles for my two sisters and myself
one year, and built a really beautiful doll house for my youngest sister. There
were also various things for the boys, and he turned out many useful and charming
things for mother. In the back garden he also built us a beautiful two-room play
house. In fact, there just seemed to be nothing he couldn’t do as far as
we were concerned.
“His delightful sense of humor showed itself in various ways. He had a
real talent for drawing and also writing verse and parodies. So there were many
amusing comic valentines, or illustrated bits of verse about family happenings,
etc. He was quite a tease, but he always laughed with us, not at us. I simply
couldn’t read his letters in study hall, when away at school; they reduced
me to stitches, and I should have been in disgrace.
“He understood a child’s approach to any subject, and the unfolding
of a young mind was a continual source of wonder and pleasure to him, and he
held it in respect. All his grandchildren simply idolized him, and his letters
to them were filled with so much of interest and value about nature and history
and bits of science, so delightfully told.
“He was something of a mimic, and when he read aloud the characters were
alive and right in our midst. There was always a joke or bit of nonsense cropping
up.
“He loved music and could play the little box organ quite well. At 40 he
learned to play the ‘cello enough to accompany my brothers, who played
the viola, first and second violin, and my youngest sister, who played the piano.
They did not go far enough to play really difficult music, but father love and
understood the old masters, and awakened that love in all of us.”
Wentworth Williams has said of his father:
“He was always kindly and considerate of others,
never wanting to inconvenience anyone in the slightest manner; he was at
all times fine and clean in thought
and action, ever endeavoring to be scrupulously just and honest; and he was
deeply religious.”
It will always be a matter of satisfaction to the members
of Tau Beta Pi that through all the long series of years that Dr. Williams
was permitted to
live after the founding of the Society, its officers and members manifested
towards him, not only the honor and reverence due him, as the Founder, not
only the love and affection which his friendly nature inspired, but also that
care and solicitude which a devoted child loves to lavish upon an honored parent.
And so modest and unselfish was the man that all the attentions lavished upon
him seemed to come as a surprise and a wonder. Dr. Williams truly exemplified
that passage of Scripture, “it is more blessed to give than to receive.”
There are a couple of verses of the Bard of Avon which I cannot get out of
my mind as I think of him, and so I will pass them on to you, for you to think
on too, as you think of him:
His life was gentle; and the elements
So Mixed in him, that nature might stand up
And say to all the world, “this was a man.”
He had a daily beauty in his life.
Dr. Williams was the honor guest at the Twenty-ninth Convention of the Society,
which was held at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, October 8-10, 1930, and celebrated
as the forty-fifth anniversary of the founding of the society. Dr. and Mrs.
Williams were in attendance throughout, and were the center of attraction and
of attention during the convention.
A fitting memorial to the Founder of the Society, consisting of a bronze portrait
of Dr. Williams in bas-relief, mounted upon a rounded native boulder, and placed
in front of Williams Hall on the Lehigh campus, was unveiled at this time with
a simple and affecting ceremony.
And now, my time is up. It has been a privilege to talk to you men of Tau Beta
Pi. I have just one final word, a salutation to all the brothers of Tau Beta
Pi from Dr. Williams, himself, in this letter from him to Secretary Matthews,
October 11, 1932:
“I have been indulging in lumbago since July. I cannot recommend it
as a steady amusement. I’m up and about; but only on the second floor.
This means that I will send, by you, my best regards tot he brothers. There
is nothing organic the matter wit me; but I surely can hold down a bed.
“I shall move out of doors this week, if the doc. Say so.
“Old Joshua, Son of Sirach, hit the nail on the head in saying, “Let
him that sinneth against his Maker fall into the hands of the Physician.”
As ever, under the Bent,
(Signed) E.H. Williams, Jr.
I am indebted to many of the good fellows of Tau Beta Pi in this, my pleasant
task, and wish to acknowledge all this aid with thanks, and especially the
generous aid and the courtesies I have had from Secretary Matthews and from
Dr. B.L. Miller, and H.S. Jacoby, both of Alpha of Pennsylvania, and also
from the members of Dr. Williams’ own family, who have been so very
kind to me.
Williams Memorial Tablet Unveiled, Lehigh University, 1930
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