Reminiscence of President Minor
Dublin Core
Title
Reminiscence of President Minor
Subject
Nostalgia
Creator
[Unknown]
Source
http://addison.vt.edu/record=b1775388~S1
Publisher
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Date
May, 1883
Contributor
Devon Keyes, Libby Howe
Format
Text
Language
English
Type
Letter to the editor
Identifier
LD5655.V8 L4, ser.1, v.2, no.5 (May 1883), p.2
Coverage
none
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
REMINISCENCE OF PRESIDENT MINOR.
I intended to write this letter about President Minor but in writing, other things suggested themselves so naturally [illegible] it may strike a sympathetic chord in old students and be not uninteresting to others. In view of this I hope none will be tempted, in following my ramblings to say impatiently: "Mais revenous a moutons."
President Minor, the first president of the V.A.& M.C., was an M. A. of the University and an L. L. D.
During the later years of his stay he was generally called Dr. Minor; indeed when I was a "rat" there was a traditions,- with as little foundation doubtless as many other college traditions,- that to get an excuse favorably considered the president should be addressed as Doctor. Many are the excuses and other documents of like kind that I have presented to him and judging from the rapidity with which he considered them I don't believe he ever noticed anything except the very pith of the matter.- However that may have been, he was as I have said usually addressed as Doctor.
Who that has known him cannot recall his manuer of coming into morning roll call? He comes in with short quick steps, brushing his cuffs up his arms with that quick nervous movement which is noticeable in all his actions, mental I think as well as bodily. He brings himself to a step behind the reciting desk, faces the well filled creaking benches, draws himself up erect,- and so erect,- and roll call begins. Occasionally he used to call the roll himself in a jerky, ieterrogative manner. During the roll call of, then, about 230 names he watched everything, not assisted then as he would be now by a watchful Officer of the Day at the other end of the room. Roll call over he went through with the exercises that gave the meeting the name of morning chapel He seemed to do it more as a matter of business than one of devotion but then he was nothing if not a business man. After chapel he generally had something to speak about,- some mischief that had been done, the number of demerits accumulating, the closeness of the exammations, and a list of other things which helped to make up our life there. On examination days he always warned us to avoid all appearance of unfairness in standing the examinations. We priding ourselves, and justly, I think, on our fairness in this respect thought his cautions needless, not considering that this high standard had probably been produced by the repetition of these cautions. He always spoke rapidly. We were seldom detained more than fifteen minutes, until half past eight, at which hour most of the professors were waiting for us.
He would then transact office business until about nine when he usually went to breakfast. Between ten and eleven he came up to his classes, book-keeping for the juniors, Moral Philosophy and Psychology for Seniors and Political Economy for the Intermediates, at one time he had no Intermediate class Political being in the Senior but I surmise he found the time allotted to his favorite study Political, too short and therefore put it in the Intermediate. Formerly also he taught the Prep's Geography. So he was a professor, and a busy one, as well as president. I have attended all his classes except Geography. I have been told his lectures on this subject were very interesting. In Moral Philosophy and Psychology he usually followed the text books, but his class in bookkeeping and Political were more of the nature of lecture. [Illegible] subjects he had a great number of written notes which led us to belive that he was writing a book, but probably he had prepared them for us, anyhow it is not yet forthcoming, I think. I have heard bothered students of the science of wealth say, (referring to another tradition) "Charlie can get away with me on Political but old Francisco can get with him." Is it necessary for me to say that "Charlie" was our familiar abbreviation of the president's name? I don't doubt the ability of our genial friend (a direct descendant, if I am not mistaken of the revolutionary hero, Francisco on economic subjects, yet I expect this tradition, a consoling one, nevertheless, it had a very slight foundation.
Let us go into his lecture room.- There is perhaps a student standing before him saying, "Doctor I know the answer, but I can't exactly express it." Then up he speaks sharply, yet not unkindly, "Man! man! what's the use of [illegible] if you cannot express yourself. Sit down, sit down. Mr. B. can you help Mr. A. out?" Mr. B perhaps, not expecting the call, hesitates, but is brought on his feet with a "Get up! get up! How can I see you sitting down. Answer, quick!" "Well, Mr. Minor," says the young man who might as well expect time to wait on him, "if I had time I could answer." "Oh! my dear sir, in this world a man has often to answer without time for consideration, Mr. C." This call perhaps wakes Mr. C. up from the contemplations of the [illegible] curve of his initial on the back of the bench before him; he shoves his knife into his pocket and rises with a changed air only to be told, "Ah, see you know nothing about it. Sit down, sir. Mr. D. can you answer?" Mr. D. answers correctly and briefly and is commended thus, "Very good. very good, that'll do sir." Messrs. A. B. and C get 0's and Mr. D. a 10, these marks to be averaged in at the end of the month. Of course these are typical cases, neither did he call on us in alphabetical order. His classes were a contrast to the repose of some of the other class rooms; but how soon does a student adapt himself to the ways of the professors!
Some restless spirits once observing the close connection between the ringing of the college bell and the necessity of attending to some duty thought matters might be improved if the bell were spirited away. And in the morning the bell was gone. Of course I don't intimate that there was the same close connection observable here but so it was the bell was not to be found. At roll-call President Minor, equal to the [illegible], said that until the bell was replaced a horn would take its place, also if it was not returned that day he would telegraph for another one, the expenses to be paid out of our contingent deposit. Query. If another bell had been procured in this way would not the old have belonged to us to carry about the town and to make night hideous?- The bell would certainly not have been returned before that night, perhaps not then, had not Col. Berkely found it in [illegible] straw stack. He hauled it up but threatened to charge heavy drayage expense on our contingent fee, but I believe the kind hearted farm manager added this to the many services he rendered to the laborious members of his farm details. In all the minor derangements of the bell, such as fixing the clapper and padding its sides, our janitor, the vice president, socalled, was also equal to the emergency.
Dr. Minor used to take a good deal of interest in our debating societies occasionally attending our meetings. Under the call of speeches for "the good of the society" he was always called on vehemently for a speech and always responded very much to the point. The societies bad been in the habit of meeting in two of the lecture rooms Prof. Martin's and Dr. Ellzey's. Inconvenient for us and also, I expect, for Dr. Ellzey as the lecture room joined his laboratory; at one of our meetings,-sometime, I think, at the beginning of the session or'78-'79,-the question if a hall for the societies was raised by Dr. Minor. And, to slight adapt a part of the Bigelow Papers, (Ye keen eyed critics, I may be mistaken in the name).
C. L. C.
[Illegible]
Said he could not very well see.
Why such things should longer be.
So he undertook to lay the matter before the Board of Visitors and ask for an appropriation. He did so, they gave the money and the present society hall was fitted up.
I ought perhaps to close this letter with something not so far from the subject but the length warns me to close. V. A. M. C.
P. S.-The column of the GRAY JACKET about old students is especially interesting but as one cannot expect even an editor to be omniscient I think items for this column would be welcome. Would they not, Mr. Editor?
I intended to write this letter about President Minor but in writing, other things suggested themselves so naturally [illegible] it may strike a sympathetic chord in old students and be not uninteresting to others. In view of this I hope none will be tempted, in following my ramblings to say impatiently: "Mais revenous a moutons."
President Minor, the first president of the V.A.& M.C., was an M. A. of the University and an L. L. D.
During the later years of his stay he was generally called Dr. Minor; indeed when I was a "rat" there was a traditions,- with as little foundation doubtless as many other college traditions,- that to get an excuse favorably considered the president should be addressed as Doctor. Many are the excuses and other documents of like kind that I have presented to him and judging from the rapidity with which he considered them I don't believe he ever noticed anything except the very pith of the matter.- However that may have been, he was as I have said usually addressed as Doctor.
Who that has known him cannot recall his manuer of coming into morning roll call? He comes in with short quick steps, brushing his cuffs up his arms with that quick nervous movement which is noticeable in all his actions, mental I think as well as bodily. He brings himself to a step behind the reciting desk, faces the well filled creaking benches, draws himself up erect,- and so erect,- and roll call begins. Occasionally he used to call the roll himself in a jerky, ieterrogative manner. During the roll call of, then, about 230 names he watched everything, not assisted then as he would be now by a watchful Officer of the Day at the other end of the room. Roll call over he went through with the exercises that gave the meeting the name of morning chapel He seemed to do it more as a matter of business than one of devotion but then he was nothing if not a business man. After chapel he generally had something to speak about,- some mischief that had been done, the number of demerits accumulating, the closeness of the exammations, and a list of other things which helped to make up our life there. On examination days he always warned us to avoid all appearance of unfairness in standing the examinations. We priding ourselves, and justly, I think, on our fairness in this respect thought his cautions needless, not considering that this high standard had probably been produced by the repetition of these cautions. He always spoke rapidly. We were seldom detained more than fifteen minutes, until half past eight, at which hour most of the professors were waiting for us.
He would then transact office business until about nine when he usually went to breakfast. Between ten and eleven he came up to his classes, book-keeping for the juniors, Moral Philosophy and Psychology for Seniors and Political Economy for the Intermediates, at one time he had no Intermediate class Political being in the Senior but I surmise he found the time allotted to his favorite study Political, too short and therefore put it in the Intermediate. Formerly also he taught the Prep's Geography. So he was a professor, and a busy one, as well as president. I have attended all his classes except Geography. I have been told his lectures on this subject were very interesting. In Moral Philosophy and Psychology he usually followed the text books, but his class in bookkeeping and Political were more of the nature of lecture. [Illegible] subjects he had a great number of written notes which led us to belive that he was writing a book, but probably he had prepared them for us, anyhow it is not yet forthcoming, I think. I have heard bothered students of the science of wealth say, (referring to another tradition) "Charlie can get away with me on Political but old Francisco can get with him." Is it necessary for me to say that "Charlie" was our familiar abbreviation of the president's name? I don't doubt the ability of our genial friend (a direct descendant, if I am not mistaken of the revolutionary hero, Francisco on economic subjects, yet I expect this tradition, a consoling one, nevertheless, it had a very slight foundation.
Let us go into his lecture room.- There is perhaps a student standing before him saying, "Doctor I know the answer, but I can't exactly express it." Then up he speaks sharply, yet not unkindly, "Man! man! what's the use of [illegible] if you cannot express yourself. Sit down, sit down. Mr. B. can you help Mr. A. out?" Mr. B perhaps, not expecting the call, hesitates, but is brought on his feet with a "Get up! get up! How can I see you sitting down. Answer, quick!" "Well, Mr. Minor," says the young man who might as well expect time to wait on him, "if I had time I could answer." "Oh! my dear sir, in this world a man has often to answer without time for consideration, Mr. C." This call perhaps wakes Mr. C. up from the contemplations of the [illegible] curve of his initial on the back of the bench before him; he shoves his knife into his pocket and rises with a changed air only to be told, "Ah, see you know nothing about it. Sit down, sir. Mr. D. can you answer?" Mr. D. answers correctly and briefly and is commended thus, "Very good. very good, that'll do sir." Messrs. A. B. and C get 0's and Mr. D. a 10, these marks to be averaged in at the end of the month. Of course these are typical cases, neither did he call on us in alphabetical order. His classes were a contrast to the repose of some of the other class rooms; but how soon does a student adapt himself to the ways of the professors!
Some restless spirits once observing the close connection between the ringing of the college bell and the necessity of attending to some duty thought matters might be improved if the bell were spirited away. And in the morning the bell was gone. Of course I don't intimate that there was the same close connection observable here but so it was the bell was not to be found. At roll-call President Minor, equal to the [illegible], said that until the bell was replaced a horn would take its place, also if it was not returned that day he would telegraph for another one, the expenses to be paid out of our contingent deposit. Query. If another bell had been procured in this way would not the old have belonged to us to carry about the town and to make night hideous?- The bell would certainly not have been returned before that night, perhaps not then, had not Col. Berkely found it in [illegible] straw stack. He hauled it up but threatened to charge heavy drayage expense on our contingent fee, but I believe the kind hearted farm manager added this to the many services he rendered to the laborious members of his farm details. In all the minor derangements of the bell, such as fixing the clapper and padding its sides, our janitor, the vice president, socalled, was also equal to the emergency.
Dr. Minor used to take a good deal of interest in our debating societies occasionally attending our meetings. Under the call of speeches for "the good of the society" he was always called on vehemently for a speech and always responded very much to the point. The societies bad been in the habit of meeting in two of the lecture rooms Prof. Martin's and Dr. Ellzey's. Inconvenient for us and also, I expect, for Dr. Ellzey as the lecture room joined his laboratory; at one of our meetings,-sometime, I think, at the beginning of the session or'78-'79,-the question if a hall for the societies was raised by Dr. Minor. And, to slight adapt a part of the Bigelow Papers, (Ye keen eyed critics, I may be mistaken in the name).
C. L. C.
[Illegible]
Said he could not very well see.
Why such things should longer be.
So he undertook to lay the matter before the Board of Visitors and ask for an appropriation. He did so, they gave the money and the present society hall was fitted up.
I ought perhaps to close this letter with something not so far from the subject but the length warns me to close. V. A. M. C.
P. S.-The column of the GRAY JACKET about old students is especially interesting but as one cannot expect even an editor to be omniscient I think items for this column would be welcome. Would they not, Mr. Editor?
