The Two Towers: Main

come a definite promise. At an alumni meeting in New York, Admiral Earle had invited a volunteer to assume the cost for this long-desired project. Before the Admiral had finished speaking, his old classmate, Henry J. Fuller, and Mr. Fuller's business partner, John E. Aldred, had indicated their willingness. Mr. Fuller, who had become involved in the directorship of at least thirty manufacturing companies, was a son of Dr. Homer T. Fuller, the second president of Worcester Tech.

At the first Commencement after President Earle's inauguration, he had the great good fun of standing on the springboard of the pool to accept this gift of what became known as the Fuller Memorial in honor of President Fuller. On the same day, Ralph Earle officiated at the groundbreaking ceremonies of Tech's first dormitory.

President Earle announced his intention of making the Institute the finest engineering college of medium size--not in the East or in the country, but "in existence." No one before had ever quite dared to say it. He advised keeping the enrollment at about six hundred. He expected to institute sabbatical leaves and insurance programs for the faculty, to broaden the English and business courses. But before the cultural course and business course, he said, "we wish to add aeronautics."

The hysteria of air flight, climaxing with Lindbergh's flight, was reaching its peak. While some persons expected the craze soon to subside, there were others who were aware of the potentials of aviation and supported this initial enthusiasm of Admiral Earle's. As far as Tech's board was concerned, it gave approval--but no funds.

Undaunted, Ralph Earle asked one of his youngest professors, Kenneth Merriam, to set up such a course and even agreed that it might be an option reserved for honor students. Francis Roys, the head of the Mechanical Engineering Department, counseled: "Develop something which is, and will remain, sound." With this administrative support and departmental advice, Professor Merriam scheduled a year of self-directed study before attempting to teach the new technology. His program included consultation with experts in aviation (many of them Tech graduates) and long hours at the new Worcester airport, of which Admiral Earle had become president. It also involved time at the Boston airport, where Professor Merriam one day chartered a plane at fifty dollars an hour--at his own expense. It was quite an hour. The pilot, who had been told to take off and land and stand by the rest of the time, afterwards wryly commented that it had been a fairly busy time of "standing by."

Professor Merriam built up his Aeromechanics option with more ingenuity than equipment. The students themselves developed a wind tunnel with a roar tremendous enough to impress the most indifferent visitor. And eventually there were helpful gifts--another tunnel, a Liberty engine, a Wright radial engine,