Page 64 - 1901 Pinakidia

So, as the Stale Collt:g~ began to grow and re.tch out, it came to be realized that it was nect:ss1ry to han!
some fonn of literary societies in the school.
The Forum and B~ma Societies were organized in the y~ar 1S9,1· the ninth year in the life of the
Colkge.
A larg~: amount of cr~:dit for the organization of th~: societi~:s is due to the efforts of Professor\\'. W. Seals,
then Instructor of English , who was con11nonly known among the boys as" Billy" Seals. This gentleman took
gr<"ltt interest in the work of the soci<:ties, and it \\"aS by his influence, seconded hy the work of Professor Stewart,
Inslractor in History and Lati11 at that time, that the two societies were firmly established.
During lh~ preceding year considerable interest had been manifested in work of this kind by a nutuber of
the studenh, and several d~hales were held on Saturday afternoons. Xo societies had been formed, and, as it was
a habit of a great number of cadets to be serYing punishment at this time as a consequence of some fun they had
had the pre,·ious week, it can he readily seen that these debates were not entirely satbfactory or \'ery largely
attended. And so the societies were organized. ·
During the first year there was more ri,·alry and feeling between the two societies tlnn there has c\·cr been
since. In fact there were a good many broken heads and a large number of black eyes as a result of the discus·
siom; whic"h were fre<[Uently held concerning the merits of the two societies.
During the first two years the meetings were held on Saturday afternoons, but, as has been already said,
cirnunslances made it impossible for some of the students to attend.
[t was only after strenuous e!Terls on the part of the societies that permission was given to meet Saturday
nighh. This pri,·ilege was granted by President Clute, and was due largely to the influence of Lieutenant Smoke,
then Commandant of Cadets, who is now a captain in the United States army.
The "Cadet Bugle," a college paper, \\"as published in the interest of the two societies during the first
years of their li\·es by cadet Lieutenanh Jackson and ~lcKean. While it receiYed no great assistance from the
college during its first year of its existence was, perhaps, the most successful year in the issue of this publication,
which should be a cause of congratulation to thest men as they look back on their efforts in this line while
cadets .
. \fter the graduation of these :nembers, Captains Oliver. Johnson, Curry and Cone, together with Lieu-
tenants Williams, Drumright and Flournoy, and last, but not least, ~lajor Cox, ad,·anced the growth of the
society by their able work.
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