Come On, Governor, Boys Will Be Boys!

Climaxing a morning devoted to the traditional Senior literary exercises, including the class oration, ode, and poem, Governor Saltostall, Chief Marshal of Harvard Alumni, led a colorful parade of six brightly costumed classes headed by the 25th year delegation of 1914 into the stadium yesterday afternoon at two o'clock.

Other years were represented besides those of '14, '19, '24, '29, '33, and '36, with even one lone survivor of 1869 in line, but it was primarily the day for uniforms, bands, and hilarity. Following 1914, the class of '19, wearing red and white striped blazers, marched behind a four-horse tallyho, and '24, dressed as toreadors, had a steam calliope which played "Ferdinand the Bull."

1929, the class that graduated into the depression, was preceded by three old jallopies, and was clad in white dusters, caps, and driving goggles, while '33 was rigged out on masse as "fairies," with dunce caps, balloons, wings and a placard that characterized it as "The Grover Boys."

And the baby reunionists, '36, were the perfect costumes for yesterday's heat-wave--bloomers and blouses. As usual there were slogans and sign boards, witticisms touching on recent and long dead issues. 1919 wanted to know "Who Said Widow Nolan's Is A Racket". 1929 bewailed the fact that "In '29 Our Stock Was High, In '39 Our Hock Is Higher," while 1936 punned, "Undergraduates Learn To Swallow Goldfish, Graduates Forced To Swallow Nude Eel."

After the ritual of cheers--for the Governor, the ladies and the various classes, President Conant gave a short address in which he characterized Governor Saltonstall and himself as the victims of a tradition by which ". . . the 25th class puts on a skit. His Excellency and I are the skit; you, ladies and gentlemen, are the goats."

Previously, H. Lane Blackwell, Jr. '39 had delivered the Ivy Oration to which President Conant referred, remarking that: "The Chief Marshal, Mr. Saltonstall, can speak for himself, but as far as I am concerned I can but repeat Falstaff's remark that while I, myself, am not funny, I am often times a source of with in other men. The Ivy Orator has proved that this afternoon."