With the growth of the college in number of students there has inevitably come
about an increase in the number of members on the teaching staff. This increase
in Faculty members has not been due altogether to the growth of the College
numerically but to the desire of President Roberts and the trustees to lessen
the number of students to each Faculty man. Smaller divisions of classes has
been the rule and the wisdom of this is becoming daily apparent. Last year
several new men were added to the teaching stay, and these have, with one
exception, been reselected for another year of service. This year, eight new
additions are to be noted, making a total of 25 Faculty members.A brief account of the additional instructors added this year is given below.
Without exception, they are men of pleasing address, most of them having had
teaching experience, and all of them with long theoretical training. Four of
them have received the degree of Ph. D. from leading universities.Thomas Brace Ashcraft, Ph. D., is the new head of the department of mathematics
to succeed Professor F. J. Holder, resigned. Professor Ashcraft was born in
Marshville, N. C., attended the public schools of his native town, and was
graduated from the Wingate High school. He entered Wake Forest college in North
Carolina, graduating therefrom with magna cum laude honors, and with the
degree of A. B. in 1906. He was principal for a time of the Wingate High
school, and then entered Johns Hopkins. During his last year at the University
he was instructor in the Polytechnic Institute of Baltimore. In 1911 he was
granted his degree of Ph. D. from the department of mathematics in Johns
Hopkins.Edwin J. Roberts, Ph. D., is the new instructor in Chemistry to succeed David
M. Youg, A. M., resigned. Dr. Roberts was born in Laconia, N. H., and is a
graduate of the New Hampshire College, class of 1906. From New Hampshire
College he entered Yale University and obtained his Ph. D. degree from the
department of Chemistry in 1911. While a student in Yale, Dr. Roberts was an
assistant in the laboratories of the Chemistry department.Frank Burnham McLeary, A. B., one of the new instructors in the English
department, is a native of Maine, having been born in Farmington, his present
home. Mr. McLeary is a graduate of the Farmington Normal school and has had
experience as a teacher. He entered Harvard College in 1907, and after three
years of study, received the degree of A. B. He did graduate work in Harvard in
the department of English.Henry E. Trefethen, A. M., is a new instructor in the department of
mathematics. Mr. Trefethen was born in Wilton, Maine, educated at Wilton
Academy, Kent's Hill Seminary, and graduated from Wesleyan University in 1881.
For over 25 years he was connected with Kent's Hill Seminary during four of
which he served the institution as its president. He is a contributor to
astronomical and mathematical journals. In Colby he has classes in mathematics,
astronomy, and Latin.Frederick Warren Grover, Ph. D., has been elected to the position made by the
resignation of Professor Gilbert Tolman, of the Physics department. Dr. Grover
was born in Lynn, Mass. He was graduated from Massachusetts Institute of
Technology in 1899, with the degree of S. B.; from Wesleyan University in 1901,
with the degree of M. S.; from George Washington University in 1907, with the
degree of Ph. D.; and from the University of Munich, in 1908, with the degree
of Ph. D. Since graduating from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dr.
Grover has held the following positions: In 1899, he was Volunteer Observer at
the Harvard College Observatory; 1899-1901, he was assistant in Physics and
Astronomy, Wesleyan University; 1901-1902, Instructor in Electrical
Engineering, Lafayette College; 1902-1904, Laboratory assistant, Bureau of
Standards; 1904-1907, Assistant Physicist, Bureau of Standards; 1907-1908,
studying in Germany; 1908-1911, Assistant Physicist, Bureau of Standards; 1911,
Associate Physicist, Bureau of Standards. Dr. Grover has written many valuable
articles for scientific journals, many of which have appeared in the
Bulletin issued by the Bureau of Standards.Sherman Brown Neff, A. M., one of the new instructors in the English
department, was born in Bolton, Missouri. He was educated at the Ridgeway High
School, Ridgeway, Missouri, entering the University of Missouri in 1901. In
1907 he attended the summer school at the University of Wisconsin, after which
he entered Yale college, receiving his degree of A. B. in 1908. A year later he
received his Master's degree from Yale, and in 1910, his Master's degree from
Harvard College. During 1910-1911, he continued his graduate work in English in
Harvard University.George B. Obear, Ph. D., is the new instructor in the department of Physics. He
is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and has done
graduate work at Brown University.Arthur J. Adams is the newly elected athletic director. During the spring of
1911, Mr. Adams was engaged as coach in track athletics at Colby and his work
proved so satisfactory that he was engaged for the present year as director. He
has had long experience in the work of coaching athletic teams. He first served
as coach at the Concord (Mass.) High School, then at Pinkerton Academy, Derry,
N. H., then two years later at Brewster Academy, Wolfboro, N. H. After his work
at Brewster Mr. Adams was engaged in business until he came to Colby.
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