Angus Black, Class of 1912, documented his Phillips Academy career and experience in a scrapbook. He was a four-year student from Brattleboro, Vermont. He was matriculated in 1908, but his scrapbook contains documents from 1910, 1911 and 1912.

College Memory Book Company designed the scrapbook especially for Andover because the cover page of the book has a big “A” and is blue in color. The first few pages are pre-printed with spaces to collect signatures from friends and enter any athletic records and names of teammates. The album is arranged in chronological order, and a few clippings and pages are loosely attached. The overall condition is intact. However, half of the scrapbook pages are empty.

The album has various newspaper clippings from the Boston Globe with reference to the athletics of Phillips Academy. One of them describes the cross-country team’s victory against various institutions such as freshmen from Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Worcester Academy and University of Pennsylvania. Angus Black’s athletic record included his cross-country team and as manager of the basketball team. There are records of victories of Andover against Exeter in 1911 along with photographs of the football matches capturing the enthusiasm at the rivalry between the schools. His album also contains schedules for basketball games against almost 7 schools reflecting on the involvement of Andover in athletics. The sports facilities and athletic life was also documented in a receipt of $5 received by Black for his subscription to the PA swimming pool. Items related to academics in the scrapbook include excuse slips in Black’s name for classes, admission certificate and the constitution for a debating club called FORUM. Angus Black was appointed as the Chairman of the Executive Committee in 1912 for the Annual Commons Stag organized each year. His scrapbook carried dance schedules for the Stag in 1911 and 1912, schedules for student-directed musical performances, train tickets from the Pullman company, the first printed PA dining hall menu card and orchestra tickets organized by the Globe Time Company. From his documents and photographs with his friends, Black lived a well-rounded, highly social and enjoyable life at Andover.

An interesting job offer by Headmaster Alfred E. Stearns was also attached in Black’s scrapbook. It was a summer job in New Hampshire to tutor some boys attending a camp near Connecticut Lake in 1911 organized by Stearns’ brother. Another fascinating document is the letter from the Dean of Dartmouth regarding Black’s entrance exam for the school in 1911. Unfortunately, it was a letter of regret to inform Black that his credits were not enough to admit him after his Upper year. However after he graduated from PA, Black did attend Dartmouth and became a surgeon. Another remarkable reference in Black’s record was the menu and invitation for an Interscholastic Dinner organized by Harvard University. His stellar record with various colleges speaks to his remarkable academic and athletic record and career at Andover. A student laundry list confirmed that Black lived in Draper House in the year 1911-1912. His Andover career was filled with many beautiful memories of sports achievements, academic experiences and extra-curricular activities as he documented in his scrapbook.

by Saadiya Lakhani, class of 2017

Scrapbook Box 81