Class of 1904

John Steese was born June 27, 1884 in Mount Holly Springs, Pennsylvania, the younger son of James and Anna Shaeffer Steese. He prepared at the State Normal School in Millersville and entered Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania with the class of 1904 in September 1900. His older brother James graduated from Dickinson in 1902. He, like his brother, was a member of Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity but left the College in 1902 and returned to Mount Holly. There he worked for the Mount Holly Paper Company.

Steese was commissioned and rose to the rank of captain in the Chemical War Service of the United States Army. He died of influenza at Camp Humphreys on October 2, 1918.

John William Williams was born on September 12, 1880, in Ocean View, Delaware. He was the son of Reverend W. S. H. and Catharine Williams. He attended preparatory school at Wilmington Conference Academy in Dover, Delaware, before entering Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania in 1901 with the class of 1904.

While at Dickinson Williams was a fraternity brother of Phi Kappa Psi, a member of the Sophomore Band, and the Glee Club. He was in Raven’s Claw, and was editor of the Microcosm. Williams also captained the College football team that beat Penn State and Lafayette in 1903. He graduated from Dickinson in 1904.

In the autumn of 1904, Williams enrolled at the University of Virginia to study law. He only remained in Virginia a short time before returning to Dickinson. Williams took a position as the assistant athletic coach to Forrest Craver and later became the head football coach in 1905 and 1906. While coaching at Dickinson, his record was seven wins, eight losses and two games that resulted in a tie. Williams enjoyed his time at Dickinson but his health deteriorated and he was forced to resign in the spring of 1907. He returned to his home state of Delaware that summer.