Entries drawn from the college history timeline
Tragedy struck Carlisle on Oct. 23, 1886 as star defensive end E. Herbert Garrison suffered a head injury mid-game vs. Swarthmore and later passed away due to the severity of the injury. After being taken off of the field and to the hospital by an ambulance, the game continued and Dickinson...
Jesse Bowman Young, class of 1868, died on this day. Young had served with distinction during the Civil War in the 4th Illinois Cavalry and later the 84th Pennsylvania Infantry. He was on the Staff of General Sickles, commander of the III Corps at the Battle of Gettysburg. Later in life he wrote...
James Fowler Rusling (Class of 1854) passed away on this date. Dr. Rusling had risen through the ranks during the American Civil War serving in the 5th New Jersey Infantry as well as in the Quartermaster Corps. He continued on in the military after the war and was an...
The College celebrates its 139th Anniversary with an interclass track meet, a grave-decorating ceremony for Presidents Nisbet and Johnson, and an evening song festival.
The College celebrated its 140th Anniversary, with an inter-fraternity track meet, a baseball game versus Delaware, a dramatic festival, a grave-decoration ceremony for Presidents Nisbet, Johnson, and Davidson, and an evening concert.
The College celebrates Founders' Day with an interfraternity track meet, a grave-decorating ceremony for its founders, and a contest between the literary societies.
The College celebrates its 146th Anniversary with music, an interfraternity track meet, a grave-decorating ceremony for Presidents Nisbet, Davidson, and Johnson, and addresses from various faculty.
After suffering from lobar pneumonia for two week, Professor John F. Mohler passed away at the Carlisle Hospital. Dr. J. F. Mohler was head of the Physics department for 34 years and a member of the Class of 1887.
Former President George E. Reed passed away suddenly from a heart attack at Polyclinic Hospital in Harrisburg on February 14, 1930. Dr. Reed was president at Dickinson College from 1889 to 1911. During that time, Dr. Reed founded the Dickinson School of Law, rebuilt Denny Hall, and tripled the...
Fridtjof Nansen, a "special lecturer" at the college for the previous two years, passed away at his home in Oslo, Norway. Nansen, who received the Noble Peace Prize in 1922, was an explorer, statesman, and scientist. Nansen had delivered a lecture at Dickinson on February 12, 1930 on "Why the...
Abram Boser, class of 1905, Trustee of the College, and president of the Carlisle Deposit Bank, committed suicide using a revolver. It was suspected that he was driven to shoot himself by recent losses in the stock market.
Dickinson College President Mervin G. Filler passed away in the University of Pennsylvania hospital after a struggle with influenza. Upon learning of his death, students in Carlisle took turns to ring the Denny bell for a total of two hours. Filler had been President since 1928.
Funeral services for President Mervin G. Filler were held in Allison Methodist Episcopal Church following a service at his home. Bishop William F. McDowell gave the funeral oration; Bishop E. G. Richardson, '96, spoke on behalf of the Dickinson alumni. President Filler was interred at...
The Hon. Edward W. Biddle (Class of 1870), president of Dickinson's Board of Trustees, died on July 4th in his home in Carlisle after a lengthy illness. He was buried in Ashland Cemetary on July 7th. Honorary pallbearers included Acting-President James Henry Morgan, Dean Montgomery P. Sellers...
The College celebrated its 149th Anniversary with music, a grave-decorating ceremonies for Presidents Nisbet, Davidson, Johnson, Reed, and Filler, an inter-fraternity track meet, and an evening garden party.
Chi, the collie mascot of the Sigma Chi fraternity, was put down in the biology lab by Professor Milton Walker Eddy after years of debate and veterinary recommendations. Chi was buried later that day in the backyard of the Sigma Chi house.
Major Robert Y. Stuart, Dickinson alum, Board of Trustees member and Chief forester of the United States Forest Service, passes away. Major Stuart had previously received a honorary degree of doctor of science for his work in the forestry service. Major Stuart was responsible for the plan of...
Mr. Lahman F. Bower, principal of the Dickinson Preparatory school from 1884 to 1887, passed away shortly after becoming ill at the Carlisle hospital. Mr. Bower, along Mr. Erin Rittenhouse and Mr. Henry C. Whiting, was a charter member of the Pennsylvania Alpha chapter of Phi Beta Kappa on...
Dr. Wilbur Harrington Norcross, head of the psychology department for twenty years, passed away after suffering a heart attack on June 11, 1941, two days after leading the academic ceremony at Commencement.
Dr. Paul H. Doney, chair of the English department, passed away on August 9, 1941. He suffered a fatal heart attack subsequent to rescuing his son from drowning.
Dr. William Weidman Landis, professor of mathematics at Dickinson for 47 years, passed away due to a brain hemorrhage on April 8, 1942. He had been a patient at Carlisle Hospital since he suffered a stroke in November.
After the Homecoming chapel service, President Fred Pierce Corson dedicated the Dickinson Service Flag, which had a star for each Dickinsonian known to be serving in the armed forces and three gold stars for those three known to have died in service. The flag was hung from a front window of Old...
Dr. Montgomery P. Sellers, professor of rhetoric and English at Dickinson for fifty years, passed away on Friday, December 4, after suffering a sudden heart attack. He was the longest-serving faculty member to date.
President Cornelius William Prettyman, a member of the Class of 1891, died on August 9, 1946 at 74 years old. Prettyman, who joined the college faculty in 1900, was appointed President in June 1944 and held that position through June 1946.
Chairman of the Chemistry Department, Dr. Ernest Albert Vuilleumier, was fatally struck while walking through the chemicals section of the main stockroom in Althouse Hall of Science on October 6, 1958. Vuilleumier had been part of the Dickinson community since 1920, when the president of the...
