fraternity and club houses, tennis courts, or perhaps a particular memorial building. Plans called
for the rest of the estate to contain homes for the faculty, main College buildings, and
dormitories.
Statistics.
At the 30th Commencement on June 3, 69 degrees were awarded: 65 bachelor's, two
master's, and two engineering degrees. Enrollment in fall 1929 rose to 355, and tuition rose to
$250 per year.
Deans Appointed.
To free the president for such off-campus activities as fund raising, the first
deans were appointed, effective in September: John Ross, dean of administration, and Frederick
Wilson, dean of engineering. These deanships were suspended in 1940.
New Faculty.
New members appointed for this year included William Henry Allison, civil
engineering; Arthur K. Waltz, mathematics; Herbert A. Weiss, mechanical engineering; Charles
Hecker, chemical engineering; and Henry R. Hodge, physical education.
New Courses.
Two new courses were introduced by the electrical engineering department. The
first one, Radio, taught by Prof. John Stiles, was designed for those interested in the art, but
who did not have the specialized engineering training. It emphasized fundamental radio
principles and the thorough study of the theory involved in vacuum tube operation.
In the second, Radio Engineering, Prof. William Dart covered the work of the three-
element thermionic tube. Practical application of these courses was carried out in the radio
laboratory. In April, when the first talking picture was shown at the Rialto theater in Potsdam,
the electrical engineering department announced proudly that its lab had "complete television
apparatus available for experimentation."
Phalanx Formed.
Through the efforts of Associate Professor and Dean of Men William
Farrisee, 12 campus leaders drew up the constitution for an organization to recognize leaders
and thereby to stimulate student activities on the campus. They chose the name Phalanx for this
organization because the ancient definition of the word signifies the formation of ranks, and
thus Phalanx on Clarkson campus signified the formation of those who rank high in the affairs
of the College.
Phalanx Tapping Ceremonies.
In 1929, Moving-Up Day ceremonies began with a student
convocation at 8:30 a.m. at which time the installation of the new officers of the student
Engineering Assembly took place. Athletic awards followed.
Then the tapping ceremony for Phalanx occurred. First, the active members of Phalanx
instructed the students to form a large block C of double lines by classes facing each other,
freshmen to the left, then sophomores, and so on. Once that formation was created, the Phalanx
members, dressed in caps and gowns, marched between the lines looking for the new Phalanx
tapees. Usually making two passes between the lines, the four to six members of Phalanx then
paused by the foot of the stairs to pick the name of the first person to be tapped into Phalanx.
Two Phalanx members then linked arms, and marched between the lines again until they
approached the unsuspecting candidate. Stopping abruptly, wheeling to face the student, the
two Phalanx members "tapped" the student a resounding blow on his shoulders with their left
and right hands, respectively. Then, holding the poor stunned student between them, they would
