SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 1955
Chapel Furnishings
Are Seniors' Gift
The Class of 1955 presented approximately $lO,OOO to the University last night to be
used for pews and furnishings for the nave of the Helen Eakin Eisenhower Chapel.
Donald Balthaser, senior class president, presented the class gift to Adrian 0. Morse,
provost, during the Class Night exercises in Schwab Auditorium.
The seniors had made their selection by ballot from five proposed gifts suggested by
members of their own class. The other suggestions were social television facilities, rebuild-
ing of a recreation lodge, a cen
tennial monument, and an en
dowment fund for the library.
Third Gift to Chapel
This is the third year that the
class gifts have been contributed
toward the chapel project. The
Classes of 1954 and 1953 suggest
ed that their gifts be used for
the chancel and a stained glasg
window, organ or chimes.
William Luyben, chemical en
gineering major, gave the vale
valedictori at 'the exercises. Bruce
Schwalm, an agricultural engi
neering major, gave the saluta
torian addr es s. Luyben and
Schwalm were at first reported
to have a tie in scholastic aver
ages. However, further research
revealed that Luyben has a
2.94776 All-University average
and Schwalm has a 2.940 average.
Paul Smith Trophy
The Paul Smith trophy was
awarded to the outstanding senior
in the physical education curricu
lum on a basis of scholarship,
character, and extra curricular ac
tivities. Patricia Farrell, vice
president of the Physical Educa
tion Student Council s presented
the trophy to the president of the
council, Donald Bell.
Paul Smith was an outstanding
boxer at the University and died
while he was a student.
Robert Dennis, arts and letters
major, received the Hetzel Me
morial Award. It was given on
the basis of scholarship, charac
ter, and activities. Wilmer E. Ken
worthy, director of student affairs,
made the presentation.
Eleven Honored for Service
Eleven seniors were honored
during the ceremonies for their
service to the student body. They
were selected by their classmates
from a group of 55 outstanding
seniors chosen by the Class Night
committee. Each senior that was
honored received a golden charm
symbolic of his title.
John Speer, All-University vice
president ' and master of cere
monies, presented Donald- Bal
thaser, senior class president, with
a hand charm as the Class Donor
for men's honors. 13althaser, in
turn, introduced Jesse Arnelle,
All-University President, as Spoon
Man. '
Arnelle in turn presented. Bar
rel Man Ronald Weidenhammer,
president of the Athletic Associa
tion. Weidenhammer introduced
Cane Man Robert Homan, All-
Univer si t y secretary-treasurer,
who gave a golden pipe to John
Carpenter. Carpenter, president
of the Interfraternity Council, de
livered the humorous Pipe Or
ation.
Gail Smith, managing editor of
LaVie, was introduced by Speer
as Class Donor for Women's Hon
ors. Miss Smith, in turn; intro
duced Joyce Shusman, president
of Mortar Board, as Bow Girl.
Arrelia Arre, member of Judicial,
received a slipper charm, and
Polly Moore, treasurer of the
Pan-Hellenic Council, was given
a fan charm.
Ellis Gives Class Poem
Patricia Ellis, president of the
Women's Student Government As
sociation, who gave the class
poem received a quill as class
poet. Miss Ellis introduced Faith
Gallagher as the Mirror Girl, who
gave the mirror oration.
The Statesmen, a quartette com
posed of Ralph Cryder, Roger
Staub, James Holmes, and Andy
Zerban, and organist Roy Clark
provided the music for the Class
Night exercises.
Centennial Booklet
Now on Sale in HUB
A 48-page Centennial Booklet,
illustrated with old and new pic
tures and including a history of
the University, is now on sale in
the Hetzel Union building and at
other c amp us and downtown
points.
Priced at 25 cents, the booklet,
which is an official publication of
the University, comes in an enve
lope to facilitate mailing.
5 Awarded Honors
At Commencement
Five seniors received honor awards at commencement exercises
on New Beaver Field this morning.
The five were among 101 seniors who graduated with honors
at the exercises.
William Luyben, eighth semester chemical engineering major,
and Bruce Schwalm, eighth se
mester agricultural engineering
major, were honored as valedic
torian and salutatorian of the
graduating class at Class Night
activities in Schwab Auditorium
last night.
McGrew Gets Medal
William Luyben
Selected Valedictorian
Bruce Schwalm
Named Salutatorian
Diplomas Will Take On
The University broke with tra
dition this year when the diploma
took on a "new look" at the cen
tennial commencement exercises
today.
Completely restyled diplomas
were distributed to 1828 candi
dates for bachelor's and advanced
degrees at 10:30 this morning at
New Beaver Field.
morning at New Beaver Field
Smalfer size, simpler type and
less elaborate text are keynotes
of the "new look" sheepskins.
They are enclosed in a blue leath
er case with gold lettering and the
University's seal embossed on it.
For this year only, the lettering
"100th Anniversary" was added.
The case is lined with white
:satin and the diploma affixed by
a blue and white ribbon, the Uni
versity colors. The text is in simple
Roman Architectural type and
features simple words. The only
decoration is the University seal.
For the first time in the Uni
versity's 100-year history, a new
type of degree was awarded at
THE DAILY COLLEGIAN STATE COLLEGE PENNSYLVANIA
Carl McGrew, eighth semester
physics major, received the John
W. White Medal, awarded an
nually to a senior for outstanding
scholarship.
The John W. White Fellow
ships were awarded to. Alex Sim
kovich, eighth semester metal
lurgy major, and Sidney Gold
blatt,' eighth semester pre-medi
cal major. The two $6OO fellow
ships are awarded for graduate
study at the University or else
where on the basis of high scho
lastic attainment.
Two seniors were also awarded
Evan Pugh Medals. The awards
for academic achievement were
presented to Aurelia Arre, eighth
semester arts and letters major,
and John Boyd, eighth semester
education major.
Class Marshals
Also honored were the class
marshals, who represented the
classes of their respective colleges
in the symbolic acceptance of
diplomas from Dr. Milton S. Ei
senhower, president •of the Uni
versity. •
Marshals are Schwalm, Agricul
ture; Fred Zimmerman, Business
Administration; Luyben, Chemis
try and Physics; John Boyd, Edu
cation; David Overmier, Engineer
ing and Architecture; Janice
Holm, Home Economics; Miss
Arre, Liberal Arts; Simkovich,
Mineral Industries; and Martha
Rojahn, Physical Education and
Athletics
John Carpenter, eighth semes
ter arts and letters major, was
marshal for men receiving com
missions in the U.S. Army; Roy
Clark, eighth semester arts and
letters major, for men receiving
Navy commissions; and Jack Con
ner eighth semester metallurgy
major, for men receiving com
missions in the Air Force. James
Starling, graduate student in ag
riculture, served as marshal' for
the Graduate School.
commencement—an "associate in
engineering," representing tw o
years of work. The program was
started two years ago.
Another break with tradition
this year is the change from hand
engrossing of names, degrees, cur
ricula, and dates on the diplomas
to machine engrossing. For more
than 30 years, William S. Hoff
man, who retired as University
registrar in 1949, lettered the
diplomas. He had hand-lettered
50,000 sheepskins until illness
forced him to give up the job last
fall.
While the significance of the
diploma as an educational symbcd
has remained unchanged, its phys
ical appearance has altered con
siderably. The oldest diploma in
the University's collection is dated
1865, four years after the first
class was graduated.
The earliest diplomas bear the
name of the Agricultural College
of Pennsylvania. Originally known
as the Farmer's High School of
Pennsylvania, the name was
changed in 1862.
The first diploma was elaborate-
President Inspects
New Atomic Reactor
President Dwight D. Eisenhower got a sneak preview of the
University's new nuclear reactor today, prior to his scheduled
commencement address at New Beaver Field.
The President, accompanied by his brother Dr. Milton S. Eisen
hower, president of the University, and several members of the
Board of Trustees, inspected the
new building early today.
The reactor, which was dedi
cated on the University's 100th
birthday in February by Admiral
Lewis L. Strauss. is expected to
be in operation in late summer
or early fall
Visit President's Wish
The President had expressed a
desire to see the new building,
the second to be constructed on
a college campus, and the visit
was open only to members of the
press.
The building was authorized by
the Board of Trustees early in
1953 and was constructed by the.
University at a total cost of $310,-
000. No outside funds were sougl - 4,
for the construction.
Enriched uranium, however, the
vital substance necessary for its
operation. will be allocatcd by the
Atomic Energy Commission.
Operates at 100 Kilowatts
It is expected that the initial
operation of the reactor will be at
a power of 100 kilowatts as com
pared to the 10 kilowatt "water
boiler" type now in operation at
North Carolina State College. The
University's reactor will be of
the "swimming pool" type, and
is modeled after the Bulk Sheild
ing Facility at the Oak Ridge
National Laboratory.
Since the dedication in Febru
ary, the electrical reactor and
controls have been installed, and
a demonstration of the operational
process \llls conducted for the
President
Library Disp'ay
Notes Birthday
A Centennial Exhibit, consist
ing of photographs, letters, clip
pings, and other mementos of the
University's 100-year history, is
now on display in the lobby of
the Pattee Library..
Arranged by the staff of the
Penn State Rooms, center of a
collection of Penn State lore start
ed in 1904, the display is called
"Ten Decades of Penn State."
Each ten-year period is repre
sented with special a tt e n t i o n
being given to the first and last
ten years and to the records of
the 50th and 75th anniversary
celebrations.
Other items of special interest
are many of the awards and hon
ors which have been given to
President Milton S. Eisenhower
since his inauguration as the 11th
president of the University in
1950. Also prominent are items
noting the expansion of the in
stitution since World War 11, vari
ous alumni projects, and national
athletic honors.
'55 LaVie Honors Prexy
The 1955 LaVie, University
yearbook, has been dedicated to
President Milton S. Eisenhower
by the senior class. The theme of
the publication is built around the
Centennial Year celebration.
'New Look'
ly engraved with ornate figures
and symbols and had a flowery
text presented in a combination
of Old English type and script.
The diplomas had to be altered
in 1874 when the Agricultural
College of Pennsylvania became
the Pennsylvania State College.
The next change came in Novem
ber, 1953, and the first diplomas
to bear the name of the Pennsyl
vania State University were is
sued at the January, 1954, com
mencement exercises.
Since the first graduating class
' of 11 men in 1861, the University
has granted a total of 56,426 de
grees. The first master's degree
was awarded in 1863 to Alfred C.
Smith, '6l and the first doctor of
philosophy degree went to Marsh
W. White, professor of physics at
the University, in 1926.
The task of preparing the diplo
mas is done by the office of C. 0.
Williams, Dean of Admissions and
University registrar. Helping with
the details are Robert M. Koser,
a - sistant registrar; Helen Klein,
chief recorder; and Ruth Kapp, I
assistant dean of admisisons.
Alum Group
Low Rates
End Toda
Nearly one-third of today's
'rad- -iting class have already
D:n2d the Penn State Alumni
/13soc:ation. Today is the last day
in which students may obtain a
:educed price in seeking their
first year's membership.
In an announcement, Ridge
Riley, secretary of the Alumni
Association, re-emphasized the
saving that could be affected by
those interested in either a year's
membership or life subscription
to the organization. Students may
register at the Alumni Office in
Old Main.
Still available are special rates
for seniors of $2.00 for the first
year and $70.00 for a life mem
bership, the latter of which may
be paid in installments. After to
day, the rates become $3.00 for
each of the first five years after
graduation and $75.00 for a life
membership.
Riley pointed out that alumni
dues are used to maintain ad
dress and occupational files of
more than 50,000 former students;
share in the organization and op
eration of the Alumni Fund; 1,1' 1 )-
lish a quarterly newspaper, the
Penn Stater, for all graduats of
the University; publish. a mar a
zine seven times each year. ti-e
Alumni News, and a Football I. -
ter .weekly during the
both only for active members of
the association; work with n-n. 'y
70 district clubs throughout o.e
country; and sponsor ocean': s
such as Homecoming in the. fall
and class reunions and the Alumni
Institute in June.
The need for Alumni Associa
tion members to notify the Alum
ni Office of changes in adc - 1 - :-s
in order to keep the files up to
date was explained by Riley. He
urged students going into he
service to keep in contact wlth
the office so University news
could follow them.
205 Awarded
New Degree
For the first time, the Univer
-Jity conferred associate degrees
at the commencement exerC;es
:his morning in New Beaver Field.
Included in the nearly 2000 de
gree candidates were 205 students
who have completed two-year
courses at the various Penn Sate
centers throughout the state. The
candidates came to the campus to
receive their degrees.
The majority received the de
'tree of associate in engineering,
having been enrolled in programs
of electrical technology and of
drafting and design technology.
Eleven women were candidates
for the degree of associate in sec
retarial sci - bnce, having completed
studies at Ogontz Center.
Candidates for the associate de
grees wore royal blue caps and
owns to distin,guish them from
the recipients of bachelors and
advanced degrees who wore black
raps and gowns.
Ed, Home Ec Grodluales
Honored at Coffee Hours
Graduates from the Colleges of
Education and Home Economics
and their parents and friends
were guests of honor at informal
coffee hours this morning.
Members of the faculty of the
College of Education were hosts
to seniors from 8:30 to 9:45 a.m.
in dining rooms A and B in the
Hetzel Union Building.
The Home Ec coffee hour, spon
:ored by the faculty members,
was held in the Home Economics
:r,s.ring Center from 8.30 to
9:30 a.m.
PAGE THREE