Frank Ilsley Paradise, PA class of 1884, was from Boston. A student in the Classical department during his four years at Andover, he was very involved in Philomathean Society and often wrote for the Phillipian. Frank sang with the chorus and attended many choral, operatic, and orchestral performances at Abbott Academy, Phillips, and in Boston. Throughout his PA career he spoke “original compositions” for the Means Prizes and “selected declamations” for the Draper Prizes, many times earning first, second, or third prize. Frank Paradise attended many PA athletic events and participated in at least one “Lightweight Sparring” event in 1882. By his senior year, Frank was on the board of Philo and The Society of Inquiry, and was an active orator in Classical department events. He spoke at the Senior Classical dinner in his senior year, and his humorous toast titled “To the Young Ladies of Bradford Academy” was printed in the Phillipian. At the end of his year Frank also spoke at the “Ivy Exercises,” the graduation ceremonies before commencement. Frank then went on to Yale University, class of 1888. During his first year at Yale, Frank and some fellow PA classmates who were at Yale with him (Wallace, Ripley, and Stimson) wrote a letter to the Phillipian sending their congratulations to PA on beating Exeter and commenting on life at Yale. Frank was a member of the Yale crew team, joined the Society of Christian Brethren, the Psi Upsilon Fraternity, and by his senior year was elected to the board of the Yale Literary Magazine.

Frank’s scrapbook is in fragile condition; most of the browning pages crumble a little when touched and are separated from the binding. Its front cover is a maroon color, with gold ornamentation of birds, butterflies, and plants. The word “Scraps” is in all capital letters surrounded by gold coloring. Scott H. Paradise, class of 1910, donated the scrapbook. The contents are mostly newspaper clippings, starting in 1879 and ending with a Boston newspaper stuck in the back from 1901. There are quite a few clippings of poetry by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Oliver Wendell Holmes. Also included is a memorial pamphlet from George C. Merrill’s funeral, an English teacher who was at Andover 1865-1869 and 1875-1882. There are countless pamphlets from public speaking events and operatic performances as well as orchestra ticket stubs from Boston and ticket stubs from Yale athletic events. Other ephemera in his scrapbook include notes from Yale Dean Henry P. Wright, notifying Frank of his various class and church absences: “On December 13th your absences from class-room exercises, as far as reported, amounted to 14…” Throughout the entire scrapbook he stuck red maple leaves in the pages, pressing them very well so that many of them are still intact.

by Bianca Navarro Bowman, class of 2015

 

Scrapbook Box 13