NSF Summer Institute.
Clarkson became one of 92 colleges in the United States selected by
the National Science Foundation to conduct a summer Mathematics and Science Institute. Its
purpose was to improve the subject matter competence of the participating teachers, to
strengthen the ability of these teachers in motivating students considering careers in
mathematics and science, and to bring these teachers in contact with highly productive
scientists.
Clarkson's 52 participants were selected from approximately 500 applicants from the
New England states, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. Each participant took two courses of three credit
hours each. These courses included Foundations of Mathematics, Analysis of Functions,
General Physics, Demonstrations in Physics, Recent Advances in Chemical Theory, and
Organic Chemistry. They were taught by Milton Kerker and Charles Howe in chemistry,
Theodore Renzema and Frank Moore in physics, and John Perry and Robert Larson in
mathematics; Gordon Lindsey was director.
Fraternity News.
A local fraternity, Beta Tau, was organized. A year later, it purchased a
house at 42 Bay Street.
In February 1957, a group of 25 men interested in forming a local fraternity organized
Clarkson's ninth fraternity, the Alpha chapter of Nu Phi, but expressed great interest in
affiliating itself with a national fraternity. Official Clarkson recognition came soon, and by May
1957, Prof. Raymond Andrews, chemistry department, pledged all the men of Nu Phi to Theta
Xi fraternity. In September 1957, the pledges were initiated officially into the Clarkson Colony
of Theta Xi, and nine months later the Colony became the Beta Kappa chapter of the fraternity
in May 1958. In December 1958, they bought a house at 11 Lawrence Avenue which housed
only six men at first, but with renovations completed shortly thereafter, it grew to accommodate
18 by February 1959. It later bought the Bertrand Snell home at 88 Market Street. It lost its
charter in 1987. (See 1987)
Karma fraternity received its charter to become a chapter of Pi Kappa Phi on November
3, 1957. The Alpha Tau chapter at RPI was the installing chapter of this large national
fraternity. With over 100 chapters, Pi Kappa Phi ranked 20th in number of members. Its colors
are royal blue, white, and gold; its pin is diamond shaped with a star and lamp which are
symbolic of the fraternity. It later transferred its national allegiance to Delta Sigma Phi. (See
1967)
Student Killed.
Richard Lutke, a junior business administration major, was killed instantly
when his 1951 convertible was hit by a freight train on the Rutland Railroad crossing on the
Madrid Road. The two engineers in the train testified that not only had they not seen the car as
it approached the crossing, but that the crossing had no flashing signals to warn motorists.
Mathematics Major.
The mathematics department created a major in mathematics, and began
the long, slow process of obtaining College and state approval of a degree-granting program
designed to prepare students for graduate work. Under this curriculum, students could minor in
engineering, physics, or economics by designing an elective sequence of 18 hours in a different
area of specialization. It was scheduled to become effective with the class entering in
fall 1961.
