The story made headlines 
across the nation and around 
the world. The controversy 
made front-page news in the 
June 23, 1922, Detroit Jewish 
Chronicle.

A BRILLIANT MIND
But who was the real Leonard 
Kaplan?
Kaplan, age 22, was a brilliant 
Jewish student who graduated 
second in his class. He won sev-
eral academic prizes, including 
the Sexton Prize for excellence 
in practical and theoretical nav-
igation and the Superintendent 
Award for best essay on the 
Tactics of Examination. A dil-
igent student, he often arose 
at 4 a.m. to study and did not 
engage in extracurricular activ-
ities.

During his four years at the 
Academy, Kaplan was forced 
to live in “Coventry,
” a term 
indicating that he had been 
ostracized by his classmates. He 
lived in isolation. He was forced 
to live alone as no one would 
room with him. No one would 
speak to him unless necessary. 
He was given the silent treat-
ment, which today is consid-
ered to be a form of emotional 
abuse.
The layout of the yearbook 
was also reprehensible.
Kaplan’s yearbook page was 
perforated near the binding 
so that it could be easily 
removed without damaging 
the yearbook. The reason for 
the perforation was that some 
classmates did not want to take 

Kaplan’s page home. The 
perforation, therefore, allowed 
students to delete the page 
without mutilating the book.
What’s more, Kaplan’s year-
book page was not numbered 
and, as a result, his name did 
not appear in the index or any-
where else in the yearbook. This 
was a further humiliation to 
Kaplan. In making it convenient 
for the page to be deleted and 
omitting his name from the 
index, his memory was obliter-
ated as if he never was.

But who was responsible for 
the attack on Kaplan?

Attention was naturally 

The story made headlines 

across the nation and around 
During his four years at the 

OUR COMMUNITY

THE CARTOON 

PARODY OF 

LEONARD KAPLAN 

WAS NAMED 

“PORKY” — WHO 

HAILED FROM THE 

TOWNSHIP OF 

ZION, STATE OF 

IGNORANCE,

AND EDUCATED IN

THE CONVENT

OF ZION.

16 | MARCH 23 • 2023 

ON THE COVER

The front page of the Detroit Jewish 
Chronicle reporting on the story.

continued from page 15

ABOVE: The controversial page 
from the yearbook with the 
sketch of “Porky” opposite the 
photograph of Leonard Kaplan.

Jerauld Olmsted, editor-in-
chief of the yearbook and 
Kaplan’s academic rival.

DETROIT JEWISH NEWS FOUNDATION ARCHIVES

EXCERPTS FROM 1922 USNA YEARBOOK

