To School!

What was new, parents asked, last week, when the pageant of "prep" school boys moved across the U. S.? Mothers (as before) kissed their sons, counted their shirts, sorted socks. Mothers (of heroes) hoped for no broken collar bones. But during the summer the preparatory schools had been preparing. What had they that was new? This the anxious parents asked.

In most preparatory schools yearly changes consist of a few new faces on the faculty and perhaps some broken ground for a building. Significant changes have generally remained subtle.

Nevertheless, last week, some changes proved of interest.

At St. Paul's in New Hampshire, an enlarged chapel, a new dining hall, gift of late Henry Chalfant, a manual training shop from Mr. John E. Barbour.

At Lawrenceville in New Jersey, the loss (for a year) of Novelist-Professor Thornton Niven Wilder, writing a novel in England, tramping with a friend; the gain of ten new Masters.

At Choate in Connecticut, greater stress on Music & Art.

At Hotchkiss in Connecticut, a new infirmary, a pointing of the way to much needed, much neglected medical surveillance in preparatory schools.

Similarly at Taft in Connecticut, a new infirmary.

Similarly at Kent in Connecticut, a new resident doctor.

At Hill in Pennsylvania, a new headmaster.

At Mercersburg in Pennsylvania, a new headmaster, Dr. Boyd Edwards, former headmaster of The Hill School, succeeding the late Dr. William Mann Irvine.

...

Dr. Harry J. Wieler, the Hotchkiss resident physician, last week began his second year as director of the year-old Medical Department. Observers saw in him a symbol. He marked the end of ignorance and carelessness in the medical departments of preparatory schools. Hotchkiss earned praise last week for its organized, efficient medical department, as did Taft and Kent.

Rivals of HotchKiss, the Hill School boys arrived last week in Pottstown, Pennsylvania-Dutch town, where the phrase "the coffee is all" means "there is no more coffee." All the boys were very excited. Not only were they at school, but "Jimmy" Wendell was their headmaster.

Tall, athletic James I. Wendell came to The Hill from Wesleyan in 1913. About him, when he first strode up the Hill School hill, was glory. He was then holder of the intercollegiate record in low hurdles, had been holder of the world's record, and point winner in the 1912 Olympic games.

When urbane Dwight Raymond Meigs resigned his headmastership in 1922 Mr. Wendell became treasurer of The Hill School. Dr. Boyd Edwards, pastor of the Hillside Presbyterian Church, Orange, N. J., became headmaster.

Dr. Edwards resigned his headmastership last winter. His action surprised and bewildered many younger alumni. Abundant, thereafter, were false rumors. Facts known were that there had been several excited meetings of the trustees, that Dr Edwards had offered his resignation voluntarily more than once, that finally the debates ended in amity. To the younger alumni it was enough to know that Dr. Edwards was now headmaster of Mercersburg, and to remember that The Hill School is also The Hill School Corporation, that financial reasons are often inscrutable and equally often sound.

This year, therefore, experienced and popular "Jimmy" Wendell and Mrs. Marjorie Potts Wendell are at the head of the school.