At its core, Stevens is a future-forward institution as demonstrated by its investment in technology, research, and entrepreneurship. However, the Samuel C. Williams Library continues to shed light on Stevens’ rich past, serving not only as a provider of study space, but also as a museum showcasing the raw materials of history, most recently through the opening of two exhibits earlier in October.
The first, titled “Early Campus Traditions and Activities at Stevens,” is situated on the first floor, just outside the Sam’s Place Reading Room and focuses on exactly that—the activities and traditions which instilled a sense of camaraderie and school spirit within Stevens students during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The exhibit highlights the early days of the “do-it-yourself” tradition of the Stevens Dramatic Society as well as the university’s earliest publications, namely the student-run newspaper The Stute as well as the Eccentric and The Bolt, two competing yearbooks published by fraternity representatives, which ultimately gave rise to The Link after their “linking” in 1890.
Another aspect of the “Campus Traditions and Activities” exhibit that might resonate with any student currently enrolled in Differential or Integral Calculus is its description of The Cremation of Calculus. Beginning in 1889, this tradition—involving proclamations of Ol’ Man Calculus’ crimes against the sophomore class, the public parading of an effigy of the “numerological overlord,” and his “death by pyre and bonfire”—marked the end of the required course for sophomore students and continued as a monolithic tradition well into the 1950s until the parading and subsequent bonfires were deemed safety hazards by the city and school administration.
For Ted Houghtaling, the project archivist responsible for processing the collection, it’s a matter of “making sense of chaos.” When asked about the relevance of the exhibit’s topic, he noted “There is something about student traditions because in the present, there are kinds of activities and clubs still going on but there is this type of early, antediluvian era of Stevens that exists in this murky haze of the past.” Going into the project “completely cold,” Houghtaling reported that his findings within the archives were not necessarily unique to the Stevens campus. “There was this whole culture of tradition and school spirit […] and other things that were happening at colleges all over the country,” said Houghtaling, referencing the more physical traditions, such as the Cane Spree or Flag Rush. “So there is a general student tradition but you see it specific to engineering and ‘nerding out’ by burning calculus and effigy.”
Houghtaling calls this exhibit chapter one, however he is interested in exploring the shift in campus traditions and activities in the second half of the 20th century. “I’d be interested in chapter two […] and to speak with people who experienced these things first hand instead of relying on primary sources who can’t speak for themselves.”
While Houghtaling’s work showcases the masses, the second exhibit focuses in on the man who truly set the tone in Stevens’ infancy: Dr. Henry Morton, the first president of the university. Leah Loscutoff, Head of Archives & Special Collections, has always been fascinated with Dr. Morton. “I was always impressed by the fact that he was always so well-rounded,” said Loscutoff. “He was a great artist, he wrote poetry, he had his science background in physics and chemistry mainly, and he really made a name for himself namely with the lectures in the Philadelphia area.” The exhibit gives details into Morton’s series of lectures on chemistry at the Franklin Institute and the Academy of Music in Philadelphia, which were immensely popular given his ability to articulate difficult scientific concepts in digestible, laymen terms.
During his prolific 32-year tenure as the President of Stevens, Morton was responsible for creating curriculum and selecting the original faculty members, whom Loscutoff noted “were some really impressive people.” Included in the first faculty cohort were Robert Thurston, the first professor of Mechanical Engineering and Charles William MacCord, one of the engineers behind the USS Monitor—the first ironclad warship commissioned by the Union Navy in the Civil War—recruited by Morton to run the drafting department. The exhibit includes one of Morton’s persuasive letters to potential faculty, which reads “the Institute building is situated at a distance of nine blocks from the ferry and directly on the river.”
“It’s the same thing you hear today to bring students to Stevens,” said Loscutoff, thus demonstrating the timeless power of Stevens’ attractive geographical position.
The exhibit also recognizes the friendship between Dr. Morton and the industrialist Andrew Carnegie. “Dr. Morton was the reason Carnegie came to Stevens as a Board of Trustee member,” said Loscutoff. “I’m not sure where their friendship originated, but it is obvious that Carnegie thought very highly of Dr. Morton.” Their friendship, albeit platonic, was also financial; Carnegie bequeathed a substantial amount of money to Stevens in his will, understood to be a product of his friendship with Dr. Morton.
Both Loscutoff and Houghtaling are looking forward to continuing their work within the archives, not only for current members of the Stevens community, but also for researchers interested in the history of Stevens. “Archivists come in and make sense of the boxes of stuff representing the history for the university and more importantly, for researchers,” said Houghtaling. “We want people to know about these collections and then digitize them so […] you don’t have to be here in person to experience them.”
Students are encouraged to explore both the Campus Traditions and Activities and Dr. Henry Morton exhibits while they remain available and open to the Stevens community.
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