chemistry, the second Clarkson faculty member to receive this prestigious award; Stephen
Brunauer, who came to Clarkson in 1965, had received one earlier. He was honored during his
career by being named a Ford Foundation Fellow, a Fellow of the Optical Society of America,
and Unilever Visiting Professor. He retired in 1991.
Outdoor Commencement.
Clarkson's first outdoor Commencement was held Sunday, June 5,
on Snell Field, when a record 162 men received degrees. Seated in front of a stage for speakers
and Trustees erected in the middle of Snell Field, the students and faculty heard Senator Ralph
Flanders (R, Vt.) give the Commencement address before being granted an honorary degree.
Liberal Studies.
From its earliest days, Clarkson had recognized the educational virtues of
"cultural studies which tend to make men liberal." Such cultural studies were organized in 1949
within the framework of the Department of Liberal Studies. Formed under the leadership of Dr.
Donald G. Stillman, this department pioneered interdisciplinary courses in the humanities and
social sciences which were woven skillfully into the engineering, science, and management
curricula.
Interest by many Clarkson students led to the creation in 1961 of a degree in the
humanities and social sciences. Many students in this program had come to Clarkson to study
engineering or the sciences, but soon found that their interests lay elsewhere. Prior to 1949,
these students normally would have transferred to liberal arts colleges. However, with continual
growth and the addition of new specialized areas, separate departments of Humanities and
Social Sciences were established in 1965, making it possible for students to major in such
varied areas as literature, government, history, sociology, psychology, and economics. The
degree earned was a BS in Humanities or Social Sciences.
Local Fraternity Founded.
Kappa Kappa Tau, the fifth local fraternity on campus, was
founded by Richard Marsh, Chester Kondel, Herman Steinborn, Vaughn Weidel, M. Alan
Champlin, Frederick Lattanzi, and Donald Decker. These men felt the need on Clarkson
campus for a national fraternity, and began studying which national group to approach. In fall
1951, they leased the second floor of 3 Maple Street, a building known as the Fall Island
Dormitory because it had been leased by Clarkson as a dormitory between March 1946 and
March 1951. This area housed 50 men and allowed a spacious lounge area as well; the ground
floor was occupied by the Montgomery Ward department store. In 1952, this new fraternity
joined Theta Chi to become the first national fraternity on campus.
Placement Director.
Prof. Alan F. Lafley '46 was appointed Clarkson's first placement
director. His office on the second floor of the administration building offered students
counselling on placement opportunities, interviewing techniques, and application procedures.
Over 500 different companies interested in hiring Clarkson men provided information for
students seeking career jobs.
Science Fair.
Over 125 entries from elementary, junior, and senior high school students from
the seven North Country counties were submitted to the second Northern New York Science
Fair held in May. Special awards were made by Gamma Sigma Epsilon, national chemistry
fraternity at St. Lawrence, and Tau Beta Pi, national honorary engineering fraternity at
Clarkson, in addition to blue, red, and white ribbons for excellence.
