{"id":148923,"date":"2022-09-30T12:09:54","date_gmt":"2022-09-30T16:09:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/?p=148923"},"modified":"2025-05-30T16:22:52","modified_gmt":"2025-05-30T20:22:52","slug":"from-bates-history-world-war-ii-flag-sports-pin-ash-tray-whats-that","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/2022\/09\/30\/from-bates-history-world-war-ii-flag-sports-pin-ash-tray-whats-that\/","title":{"rendered":"From Bates History: World War II flag, women’s sports pin, ash tray (what’s that?)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Here’s another selection of items that tell stories about Bates’ past from the Muskie Archives and Special Collections and elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Nice Run<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

This vintage trophy honors the three straight Maine state titles, 1968 through 1970, won by Walt Slovenski\u2019s cross country runners. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wait, vintage<\/em>? Not so fast. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Objects
This vintage trophy, featuring a photo by Joe Gromelski ’74, honors the three straight Maine state titles, 1968 through 1970, won by Walt Slovenski\u2019s cross country runners. From left, Joseph Grube \u201973, John Emerson \u201973, Kirk Ives \u201973, Walt Slovenski, Neill Miner \u201971, Jim Leahy \u201971, Steve Fillow \u201971, Joe Bradford \u201973, and Wayne Lucas \u201974. (Theophil Syslo\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Three of the runners in that photo \u2014 Joe Grube \u201973 (left), Jim Leahey \u201971 (No. 65), and Joe Bradford \u201973 (second from right) \u2014 just returned to campus for the 50th Cross Country Alumni Race. So, too, did the alumnus who took the photo, Joe Gromelski \u201974.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Others in the photo also have returned regularly for the alumni race ever since it got started in 1972. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before the start of the 50th anniversary edition, on Sept. 3, Leahy proudly displayed a photo of the first group of alumni and students who took part in the first alumni race. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among that group, Bradford, Grube, Leahy, and Mortimer, as well as Gromelski, came back for the 50th. Among the race founders, Bradford had the best time for the six-kilometer course, 31:48.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Leahy told Bates Athletics<\/a>, he\u2019s \u201cprobably more dedicated now in terms of running than I have ever been in my life; I’m grateful for the times we all have.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Before the start of the 50th running of the Annual Cross Country Alumni Race, on Sept. 3, Jim Leahy ’71 displays a photo of the first group of alumni and students who took part in the first edition, in 1972. Standing, left to right: Bradford \u201873, Bill Thornhill \u201875, Steve Fillow \u201871, Steve Mortimer \u201872. Seated, left to right: Bob Thomas \u201869, Lloyd Geggatt \u201870, Leahy, and Grube \u201873. (Phyllis Graber Jensen\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Star Bright<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

At the opening of the college 70 years ago, the College Club presented this Service Flag to Bates. It was installed in the Chapel and hung there throughout World War II. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking at the first chapel service of the year, on Sept. 24, 1942, President Clifton Daggett Gray described the war outlook as \u201cgrim.\u201d But, he said,  \u201cIt is our privilege to march forward toward an unknown future unafraid, with the invincible faith in the justice of our cause and with unshakeable confidence in ultimate victory.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Objects
In 1942, the College Club presented this Service Flag to Bates. It was installed in the Chapel and hung there throughout World War II. (Theophil Syslo\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

By war\u2019s end the flag displayed 30 gold stars, symbolizing Bates students or alumni killed in the war.  The number 1,305 represents the total who served.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quimby\u2019s Key<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

In 1964, legendary debate coach Brooks Quimby, Class of 1918, earned a distinguished alumni award \u2014 and this key \u2014 from the collegiate debating honor society Delta Sigma Rho\u2013Tau Kappa Alpha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Legendary debate coach Brooks Quimby, Class of 1918, earned a distinguished alumni award \u2014 and this key \u2014 from a national college debate society that excluded Black members in the early 1900s. (Theophil Syslo\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As a student, Quimby was a member of the Bates chapter Delta Sigma Rho (which merged with Tau Kappa Alpha in 1963). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the national level, DSR was problematic: It prohibited Black debaters from becoming members of local chapters, including Bates\u2019. The college fought the rule, while also benefiting from membership<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sporting Interest<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

This Women\u2019s Athletic Association key belonged to Virginia LaFauci Toner \u201953. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The WAA was formed in 1905 to offer organized physical education to Bates women for the first time. Among the group\u2019s first activities was a \u201chare and hound chase\u201d for the women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Objects
This Women\u2019s Athletic Association key belonged to Virginia LaFauci Toner \u201953. (Theophil Syslo\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A popular game in the early 1900s, it went like this: Fast runners (the hares) ran ahead creating a trail with pieces of paper or other clues.  The others, the hounds, tried to pick up the trail.  The 1914 version went like this: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe hares had been unusually diligent in making the trails as blind and misleading as possible, and the little paths of red, blue, yellow and white paper led over gates and railway embankments, thru swamps, fences, and thickets. It was nearly sunset before the Hares’ Retreat was reached, at a beautiful spot by the [Androscoggin River], where a brilliant camp fire was burning and a delicious lunch was served.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tennis and the relatively new American sport of field hockey were early offerings, too. The latter \u201cinvolves much running and is both scientific and interesting when well-played,\u201d noted The Bates Student.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Betrayed<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
\"Objects
A Bates-themed ash tray from the mid-1900s. (Theophil Syslo\/Bates College)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ash trays aren\u2019t seen much in homes anymore (or anywhere, for that matter). This one \u2014 with an image of Coram Library, and belonging to the late Melvin \u201942 and Natalie Webber Gulbrandsen \u201942 \u2014 is safely in the Archives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s hard to believe the strength of the cigarette smoking culture through most of the 1900s. Here’s a 1930s ad in The Bates Student<\/em> for Don Draper’s favorite brand, Lucky Strike:<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
This 1930s ad in The Bates Student<\/em> touted the quality of Lucky Strike because it’s important for smokers to “safeguard your delicate membranes!”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Here’s another selection of item from the Muskie Archives and Special Collections Librarythat tell stories about Bates’ past.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":104,"featured_media":148924,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_hide_ai_chatbot":false,"_ai_chatbot_style":"","associated_faculty":[],"_Page_Specific_Css":"","_bates_restrict_mod":false,"_table_of_contents_display":false,"_table_of_contents_location":"","_table_of_contents_disableSticky":false,"_is_featured":false,"footnotes":"","_bates_seo_meta_description":"","_bates_seo_block_robots":false,"_bates_seo_sharing_image_id":0,"_bates_seo_sharing_image_twitter_id":0,"_bates_seo_share_title":"","_bates_seo_canonical_overwrite":"","_bates_seo_twitter_template":""},"categories":[4,7],"tags":[11787],"class_list":["post-148923","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-life","category-alumni","tag-from-the-archives"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148923","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/104"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=148923"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148923\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":169570,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148923\/revisions\/169570"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/148924"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=148923"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=148923"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=148923"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}