SHOWED GREAT ABILITY HERE

Since his retirement as an active teacher in the University in 1909, undergraduates have known little of the part played by Professor John William White, A.M., Ph.D. '77, in the College affairs. Coming as a young man from Ohio Wesleyan, he was made tutor in Greek in 1874, took the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in 1877, was made Assistant Professor the same year, and Professor in 1884. He early showed a very marked ability as a teacher, an administrator, and a leader of men. He was for many years chairman of his department and division; as chairman of the Athletic Committee he played an important part in organizing the sports of the intercollegiate world. As president of the Archaeological Institute of America he placed that body on a firm foundation. He had an important part in establishing the American Schools of Classical Studies in Athens and Rome. He greatly contributed to the success of the famous performance of the Oedipus Tyrannus of Sophocles in 1881. As editor and writer of school and college text books in Greek he was with professor Goodwin the most widely known of American Grecians, both in this country and England. Probably no other teacher of Greek in America has taught so many students as Professor White, and no one has had greater success as a teacher. He insisted that his students should acquire the power to read Greek at sight, and he actually accomplished his object and won at the same time the love of his pupils, as is attested by the universal appellation of "Johnny Williams" affectionately applied to him. He not only taught the Greek language, but he made his students see the Greek people as human beings. There are few American colleges which have not today a course modelled on his "Greek 10," which showed the Greeks as they lived.