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SUNDAY MAGAZINE
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1921
Te U. of . Club of . Y.
(By Edmund S. C. May,'90E) Extracts from a Personal Story main circuit to the Union Building at
Have we a live alumni club in New Ann Arbor where alumni and under-
York? Ask Prexy Emeritus Hutchins C It H graduates, were assembled. "Billy"
--ask Prexy Burton, Dean Effinger, 0f Its H itory Maxwell, '90, Chairman of the dinner,
Dean Cooley, and others in the faculty. speaking in an ordinary tone, extend-
They have seen us in formation, at board two other alumni whom we had a dozen foreign countries. The theme ed the greetings of the New York Club
grub call, doing squads right, and do- never seen before, and that was the of this dinner was "The University of to the Michigan men assembled at San
ing other things right. beginning of the "Ann Arbor Round Michigan in National Affairs," and Francisco and Ann Arbor, finding the
The present club known as "The Table.'" when the 800 guests sat down, Dr. transmission perfect. Captain Inman
University of Michigan Club" of New Without a regular organziation, with Royal S. Copeland, '89, then president Sealby responding for the San Fran-
York is just about old enough to vote, no by-laws, no officers, no business of the club, and Mr. Babst, toastmast- cisco alumni, suggested that in future
has more than 500 members, has meetings, guided only by an autocrat, er, occupied the center of the "capitol" the annual dinners of both assoca-
money in the bank, owns bonds, snd we met for almost two years, monthly, table, flanked by four senators and 24 tions be held on the same night. Presi-
nones Michigenda at every pore. All after tse business cares of a day, representatives, all Michigan alumni. dent Hutchins, over the wire, invited
we lack is a thousand or so more mem- around a large table to break bread William R. Day, '70, of the Supreme the San Francisco Alumni to revisit
hers--and a club house, but the time and get acquainted. Our membership Court, President Emeritus Angell, Ann Arbor. William Mc Andrew dis-
does not appear to be ripe for the increased, and we found it imprac- President Hutchins, and Governor coursed with Senator Boynton at San
latter. Any man with anything Michi- ticable to continue the informal Round Osborn. It is doubtful if there has Francisco in regard to the Federal
gan on his mind while in New York Table with its ever increasing num- ever been a more largely attended and Reserve Bank, "Charlie" Riegelman
need only step to a telephone and call, hers. On Dec. 8, 1899, therefore, a generally successful college alumni talked with Captain Sealby, Dean Ef-
Cortland 2071. Howard W. "Hap" formal organization was effected, and dinner. Across the gerat banquet hall finger and Bishop Burch with Welles
Ford, '12, will take care of you. The the Ann Arbor Round Table there- behind and above the "Capitol" table Whitmore, '75, and then the roar of
telephone is listed undsr, "Iichigan after became the University of Michi- stretched an immense painting 30 feet the Pacific Ocean at Seal Rocks was
University Club." gan Club." by 60 showing a birdseye view of the turned on. "The Yellow and Blue"
Although our club has attained, its Thus was the University of Michi- campus. In the balcony behind the was sung by the Ann Arbor and New
majority it might have been much gan club launched in the city of New old library tower a surprise lay in York assemblages, and the demonstra-
older if a, few more Michigan men had York, but the 400 members of the wait for the unsuspecting diners. Al- tion wound up by New York, Ann
turned their faces eastward in the Round Table did not materialize. It len Broomhall, chairman of one of the Arbor, and San Francisco giving the
early days. Our club is in fact a rein- took a long time, years in fact, to work sub-committees , had conceived the Michigan yell, each n turn. Thus
carnation of a much earlier one in up to 400. The annual dinner was idea of reproducing the Michigan were tichigan men from coast to
Nes' Yorkc. About seven years ago, 5 established as a formal function of chimes and had secretly obtained the coast introduced to what was then the
S. Wright Dunning, '160, dug up an the club from 1900. The informal af- written music from Professor Stanley. latest marvel of the telephone.
inscription which disclosed the fact fairs were monthly dinners partak- Mayland, the Brooklyn chime-builder, In deference to the feeling of the
that the earlier club was "The New ing of the nature of smokers although did a good job, and when the riot was club members and American spirit
York association of University of little was offered in the way of pro- at its height the old familiar tones in general, the formal annual banquet
Michigan Alumni." The inscription fessional entertainment for some filled the great room and stilled even was omitted in 1918. Instead, our
shows that the club held three dinners years. The fellows just ate and drank, the most enthusiastic. I war president, Major John Walter F.
but does not give that date of the first smoked and talked, sang Michigan Although there can be no question Bennett, '99, pulled off a patriotic ral-
one. It is stated, however, that Judge songs and went home with "The Yet- about the 1911 National Dinner being ly which was christened 'Army and
Thomas M. Cooley was present. low and Blue" ringing In their ears. the highest point In the club's career, Navy Night.' It was one of our most
But the club passed into history and In 1903 Archer Brown, '72, since de- to date, there were many other/ club successful get-togethers, and was
for ages the Babylonian biscuits lay ceased, who was our fourth president, occasions which will linger long in strictly informal. In effect it was a
buried. The leaven, however, was started what he called "Wider Outlook our memories. In 1914 the entertain- great big smoker tendered to Michigan
working, for we now come to the Meetings." He got prominent Michi- ment committee began questing for men in the service, and uniforms were
discovery of a comparatively modern can men to address us on world poll- new ideas. So this time they connect- everywhere in evidence. All the men
papyrus discovered by Henry W. tics or other topics of the day at our ed up with Thomas Edison and borrow- in uniform were lined up and intro-
Weboer, '94, who has made the follow- informal affairs, thinking that such ed a couple phonographs to show us duced one by one by Major Bennett,
ing careful translation of the beautiful things should not be confined to the something new. After several of the a salvo of cheers greeting each pre-
flowing characters: annual dinners. A high spot in the speakers had spoken their pieces, the sentation. President Hutchins, Dean
"Four young graduates of the uni- club's career was reached on Nov. 10, recording machine was brought out, Effinger, Professor Hobbs, and Colonel
versity, so recent that their sbeep- 1909, when a monthly paper was es- set going, and a message to Dr. Angell, Elliott gave us up to the minute war
skins had not yet gone into a frame, tablished by Allen Broomhall, '02, who who was not present, was recorded on speeches.
were dining informally in a well- was then secretary-treasurer of the a wax cylinder. The wax record was In 1919 we were not sure that the
known Bohemian restaurant on the club. It was called "The University of carefully packed and sent to Dr. An- war was over. Most of our service
East Side, the evening after Dewey's Michigan Gothamite," later shortened gell, who doubtless enjoyed hearing it men were still in uniform, and Presi-
great victory in Manila Bay, in the to "The Gothamite." The paper was reproduced at Ann Arbor. dent Howard E. Chickering, '94, de-
spring of 1898. The Hungarian band. and is devoted chiefly to news of the The 1916 dinner received the name cided to have another patriotic rally
the western judge, and the noisy pat- club-personals being strongly featur- by which the club members speak of in place of the annual dinner. Well,
riot, each in turn had charged the ed, stories of the dinners and smokers, it from one of its most inconsequential President Chickering, with the aid of
atmosphere with music, oratory, and Ann Arbor jottings, and so forth. though wlf remembered features- Stanley McGraw, '92, as chairman, and
song, followed by "My Country 'Tis The idea of a dinner to be given by the "Maori" stunt. In its serious vice-president Evans E. A. Stone, '12,
of Thee,' by the assembled multitude, the New York Club which should be features this dinner was a close rival put the 1919 affair over with a hoop'
. when a rapid cros-fire of variant col- truly national in its character was of the National Dinner and in the and a holler.
lege yells rang out vigorously from first suggested in 1909 by Earl D. number and variety of stunts both President Evans E. A. Stone, '12,
different parts of the crowded dining- Babst, '93, then one of the members serious and comic, all the club dinners and Chairman Chester W. Bigelow, '13,
hall, to the Utter consternation of the of the Board of Governors. The Board before or since were outdone. presented us with a great line-up at
proprietor, but to the complete edifi- fell in with the idea with unanimity The last stunt of the evening was the speakers' table at our 1920 dinner,
cation of an appreciative audience. and under the direction of Mr. Babst a transcontinental demonstration staged to say farewell to President
A calm followed the storm; but only preparations went forward. The date which Alva B. Clark, '12, had arranged Hutchins as active head of our Alma
for an instant. Our quartete, not to of the dinner was finally fixed for with the telephone company. Each I Mater. Distant be the day when we
be outdone by Princeton and Yale. Feb. 4, 1911 at the Hotel Astor. Local dinner had a telephone receiver at shall have to say farewell forever.
quickly got on their legs, and emitted committees were appointed at Chicago, his plate and the line was connected Last spring, President Frank W.
the beloved Michigan yell. The yell. Detroit, Ann Arbor, and other large through to the Brush Street Terminal Pennell, '12, and Emory J. Hyde, '04,
shriek, or whatever you may call it alumni centers, and things began to in San Francisco where the members chairman, pulled off an excellent din-
more than served the purpose of dem- move. On the morning of Feb. 4, the of the San Francisco Michigan Alumni ner. The attendance of 260 was larg-
onstrating the Michigan spirit-never corridors of the Astor were crowded Association were assembled. Also a er than at any of our dinners except-
to be outdone. It brought to our with alumni from 30 states and half branch lice was extended from the (Continued on Page Five)
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