1915
The first transcontinental telephone call was made. Congress established the US Coast Guard.
San Francisco opened the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. The film Birth of a Nation
was first shown in Los Angeles for the exorbitant admission price of $2. Heavyweight Jess
Willard beat Jack Johnson in a 23-round fight in Cuba. The Lusitania was sunk without
warning by a German submarine, drowning 1,198 of its 1,924 passengers, of whom 124 were
Americans. US novelist Henry James became a British citizen. Somerset Maugham published
Of Human Bondage. In December, Ford produced his one-millionth automobile.
• Frederick Wilson • Freshman Banquet
• Miss Peabody • New Fraternity
• Library • New Courses
• Alumni Role • Tennis Association
Frederick Wilson.
Frederick C. Wilson arrived in April to head the civil engineering
department, a position he held until his retirement in 1950. Bom in England, he came to
America as a child, and settled in Illinois. He was graduated from the University of Michigan
with a BSCE, but while working on an advanced degree he decided to enter the teaching
profession after obtaining some practical experience as an engineer. In 1906 he took a job as
locating engineer for the Cuba railroad, extending lines between Havana and Santiago,
constructing bridges, and planning the layout of a mining village—a seven-million-dollar job.
Upon completion of this job, he was appointed assistant superintendent in direct charge of all
iron mining, land transportation, and the upkeep of the railroads he had just built. A few years
later, he was made superintendent of the job, but when he returned to the United States to allow
his son to attend school here, he chose to accept the position of the head of Clarkson's
Department of Civil Engineering.
He served as dean of engineering from 1929 until that office was abolished in 1939. For
his loyal service to the College, Prof. Wilson also was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in
Engineering by Clarkson. He was a member of the ASCE, a member of the Eastern Association
of College Deans, as well as being a licensed Professional Engineer and Land Surveyor. He was
a charter member of Tau Beta Pi, a member of the Varsity C Club, member of the Student
Discipline Committee, and chairman of the Athletic Board of Control. He also had numerous
honors in community life. He died on November 11, 1968, in Kokomo, Ind.
Prof. John H. Griffith had served as chairman until 1901, when Prof. Edwin Haviland
took over for four years. He was succeeded for two years by Charles Rogers, and then by
Donald Fraser McLeod; in 1909, Sherman March Turill served for one year to be followed by
Prof. Hugh Miller until Prof. Wilson assumed the job.
Miss Peabody.
Miss Ethyl Peabody came to Clarkson as the only member of the office staff.
She performed all the stenography and bookkeeping, and maintained the College library.
Later she took a special course in library work, and after her various other duties were
transferred to other administrative staff members, she was named full librarian around 1935 so
