vermont

Page in Washington, D.C – Courtesy of The University of Vermont Special Collections

One of the biggest naval mysteries of WWI is the inexplicable loss of the USS Cyclops while transporting 300+ passengers and a load of manganese from Brazil to Baltimore. Carroll Goddard Page, UVM Class of 1917, was aboard as paymaster when the ship disappeared without a trace on March 4th, 1918. Although a structural failure in the engine is likely the cause, we may never know the true reasons behind the disappearance.
Carroll was a member of the Class of 1917, originally from Hyde Park, he studied business and banking at UVM. His nickname was “flunko”, and his ambitions at UVM included “raising a mustache that resembles a cross between the Kaiser’s and a hair-lip.”

1917 Yearbook Entry

Carroll’s Alumni Database Entry

Special thanks to the University of Vermont Special Collections!

UVM SATC (Photo Courtesy of UVM Special Collections)

Drafted UVM Students (Photo Courtesy of UVM Special Collections)

My search for WWI Vermont photography continued this week at the University of Vermont’s Special Collections Annex. Utilizing the Louis McAllister Collection database, I was able to track down two panoramic photographs taken at UVM in 1918. This particular shot was taken in front of Williams Science Hall located on the UVM green. I spent much of my time as an undergraduate studying in this building, so this photograph is particularly close to my heart.

This first photo was taken by McAllister on October 31st, 1918. The new class of the S.A.T.C. was just inducted on October 23rd, just a week before this photo was taken. Although the quality of the image is lacking, the content speaks volumes.

The second photo was taken a few months earlier, in July of 1918, and shows the first round of students from UVM to be drafted. McAllister enjoyed using the Williams Hall entrance as a backdrop for his photographs; this is a panoramic style we see until the early 1960s.

While searching for reference material, I came across this advertisement from the 1918 Ariel yearbook of UVM. It looks like Louis McAllister was a supporter of UVM!