Vermont Edward Allen, senior photo from the Scarlet Letter yearbook

Vermont Edward Allen, senior photo from the Scarlet Letter yearbook

Senior photo of Vermont Edward Allen with a biographical note, printed in the 1925 Scarlet Letter yearbook. Allen was known to his classmates by the nicknames "Ethan" and "eight ball." Allen was a commuter student and the only black student in his graduating class. The yearbook committee teased Allen, writing in his biographical note: "'Ethan' commutes to our midst daily from Metuchen, but stoutly denies that his complexion was caused by the soot and smoke of the Pennsy Railroad."

1925

English

VERMONT EDWARD ALLEN

Metuchen, N. J.

Liberal Arts


5, 6, 7—EIGHT BALL" No friends, that is not a pool combination, but merely Prof. Greider's cheering section giving the jovial and ever good natured Mr. Allen his customary cheer upon his entrance into the Business class. "Ethan" commutes to our midst daily from Metuchen, but stoutly denies that his complexion was caused by the soot and smoke of the Pennsy Railroad.

There is no one on the campus that has more good nature or a more ready "hello" than Ethan, and this, coupled with his intellectual ability and oratorial powers, should make him a successor to the immortal Booker T. Washington. Vermont is leaving us this year, but we have his promise that his brothers New Hampshire and Connecticut will be with us soon.

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Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University Libraries

Rutgers University Yearbook Collection