College Men Honored By King George, January 30, 1919

Item Information

Title:
College Men Honored By King George, January 30, 1919
Description:
A newspaper clipping published by the Springfield Union on January 30th, 1919. Included in the article is a portrait photograph of Frank G. Armitage. The article titled "College Men Honored by King George" celebrates the service of men who showcased bravery during World War I from the king of the United Kingdom, George 5th, announced at the college by Ernest M. Best. It mentions Armitage and Thomas H. Hutchinson receiving the Military Cross. The article also highlights special mentions by the king including Oscar L. Pearson, Gordon R. Virgo, and Edgar M. Smith (name spelled wrong, listed as Edward M. Smith, in the news article and pencil correction). On the second page is the continuation of the article with acknowledgement of James A. Summers. Ernest Best began his career as a student at Springfield College (then the International YMCA Training College), graduating in 1911. He returned in 1913 as a teacher of Religious Education and Normal Religious Work. In 1916 he left Springfield College to go overseas and join the war effort as a Senior Officer with the Canadian YMCA War Services in France. In 1937 he returned to Springfield College as its fifth president, a position he held until 1945. Frank G. Armitage was a part of the class of 1916 and as an alumni recieved special honors (Military Cross) for his work and conduct during the Battle of Amiens in August 1918. Gordon R. Virgo was born in Sydney, Australia. Prior to college, he worked for three months as a clerk at the Sydney Association. Virgo then moved to the United States and enrolled at Springfield College. During the summer of 1912, he moved to England and became the Assistant Physical Director of the London YMCA. For his heroics in World War I, Virgo received the honor of Special Mention by order of King George of England in June 1919. After the war, Virgo moved to Hawaii and worked as Director of the Industrial Service Bureau of the Waialua Agricultural Company of Hawaii until his retirement in 1936. Edgar Nelson Smith (1892-1963) was born in Brediton, Ontario. He enrolled in 1914 at Springfield College, but left in 1916 to join the YMCA work for the Canadian Troops during World War I. He went into the Jewelry Business. He died on May 19, 1963. Frank N. Seerley graduated from the International Young Men’s Christian Association College in 1890 and began working at the college as an instructor in the same year. He served as a member of the Springfield Board of Education from 1896 to 1912. In 1907, he served as an official lecturer for the American Society of Sanitary and Moral Prophylaxis. From 1917 to 1918, he gave lectures on sex hygiene in encampments for the War Work Council. After World War 1, he served as Dean of Springfield College from 1918 to 1934. Seerley was awarded the Tarbell Medallion in 1942. Born in Australia, James S. Summers first heard of Springfield College (then known as International YMCA Training School) while life-guarding as a young man in Honolulu, Hawaii. Impressed by his swimming prowess, Dr. Hand, then the physical education director of the Y.M.C.A, advised Summers to study physical education at Springfield College. He began his studies the same year and graduated in 1911. He then performed Y.M.C.A. work with the Canadian and British armies during World War I, ultimately earning an honorary Captaincy in the British Army. After the war, he established the Physical Department of the Y.M.C.A school in Midmay, London. Eventually, Summers moved to Uruguay, where he founded the Montevideo YMCA (1909) and dedicated more than twenty-five years to serving the country as a Y.M.C.A. secretary. This item was original held loose within a bound book titled “War-Work Courses in Great War, 1917-1918 Incomplete.” This volume was unbound and its contents foldered in the original order, which is chronological. The binding string was cut and the glue was removed with a razor blade. The edges are intact and the placement of stitches are visible. Each page or booklet was individually lifted out of the binding and placed in their own folder or a folder with like materials. Oversized materials were removed and placed in the oversized materials collection.
Creator:
Springfield Union
Date:
January 30, 1919
Format:
Documents
Location:
Springfield College Archives and Special Collections
Collection (local):
Springfield College Armed Forces Collection
Subjects:
International Young Men's Christian Association
Young Men's Christian Association of North America
World War, 1914-1918
Springfield College--Alumni and alumnae
Springfield College
International Young Men's Christian Association College
Springfield College--Presidents
Armitage, Frank G.
Pearson, Oscar L.
Virgo, Gordon R.
Best, Ernest Maurice, 1880-1963
Smith, Edgar N.
Summers, James S.
Hutchinson, Thomas H.
YMCA
War
War Work
Awards
Military decorations
Places:
Massachusetts > Hampden (county) > Springfield
Extent:
2 Pages
Link to Item:
http://cdm16122.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p16122coll16/id/3846
Terms of Use:
Text and images are owned, held, or licensed by Springfield College and are available for personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided that ownership is properly cited. A credit line is required and should read: Courtesy of Springfield College, Archives and Special Collections. Any commercial use without written permission from Springfield College is strictly prohibited. Other individuals or entities other than, and in addition to, Springfield College may also own copyrights and other propriety rights. The publishing, exhibiting, or broadcasting party assumes all responsibility for clearing reproduction rights and for any infringement of United States copyright law.
Contact host institution for more information.
Publisher:
Springfield Union
Language:
English
Identifier:
rg104-04-b-05-03-010