A Collection of College Words and Customs Part 68

REBELLION TREE. At Harvard College, a large elm-tree, which stands to the east of the south entry of Hollis Hall, has long been known by this name. It is supposed to have been planted at the request of Dr. Thaddeus M. Harris. His son, Dr. Thaddeus W. Harris, the present Librarian of the College, says that his father has often told him, that when he held the office of Librarian, in the year 1792, a number of trees were set out in the College yard, and that one was planted opposite his room, No. 7 Hollis Hall, under which he buried a pewter plate, taken from the commons hall. On this plate was inscribed his name, the day of the month, the year, &c.

From its situation and appearance, the Rebellion Tree would seem to be the one thus described; but it did not receive its name until the year 1807, when the famous rebellion occurred among the students, and perhaps not until within a few years antecedent to the year 1819. At that time, however, this name seems to have been the one by which it was commonly known, from the reference which is made to it in the Rebelliad, a poem written to commemorate the deeds of the rebellion of that year.

And roared as loud as he could yell, "Come on, my lads, let us rebel!"

With one accord they all agree To dance around _Rebellion Tree_.

_Rebelliad_, p. 46.

But they, rebellious rascals! flee For shelter to _Rebellion Tree_.

_Ibid._, p. 60.

Stands a tree in front of Hollis, Dear to Harvard over all; But than ---- desert us, Rather let _Rebellion_ fall.

_MS. Poem_.

Other scenes are sometimes enacted under its branches, as the following verses show:--

When the old year was drawing towards its close, And in its place the gladsome new one rose, Then members of each cla.s.s, with spirits free, Went forth to greet her round _Rebellion Tree_.

Round that old tree, sacred to students' rights, And witness, too, of many wondrous sights, In solemn circle all the students pa.s.sed; They danced with spirit, until, tired, at last A pause they make, and some a song propose.

Then "Auld Lang Syne" from many voices rose.

Now, as the lamp of the old year dies out, They greet the new one with exulting shout; They groan for ----, and each cla.s.s they cheer, And thus they usher in the fair new year.

_Poem before H.L. of I.O. of O.F._, p. 19, 1849.

RECENTES. Latin for the English FRESHMEN. Consult Clap's History of Yale College, 1766, p. 124.

RECITATION. In American colleges and schools, the rehearsal of a lesson by pupils before their instructor.--_Webster_.

RECITATION-ROOM. The room where lessons are rehea.r.s.ed by pupils before their instructor.

In the older American colleges, the rooms of the Tutors were formerly the recitation-rooms of the cla.s.ses. At Harvard College, the benches on which the students sat when reciting were, when not in use, kept in piles, outside of the Tutors' rooms. When the hour of recitation arrived, they would carry them into the room, and again return them to their places when the exercise was finished.

One of the favorite amus.e.m.e.nts of the students was to burn these benches; the spot selected for the bonfire being usually the green in front of the old meeting-house, or the common.

RECITE. Transitively, to rehea.r.s.e, as a lesson to an instructor.

2. Intransitively, to rehea.r.s.e a lesson. The cla.s.s will _recite_ at eleven o'clock.--_Webster_.

This word is used in both forms in American seminaries.

RECORD OF MERIT. At Middlebury College "a cla.s.s-book is kept by each instructor, in which the character of each student's recitation is noted by numbers, and all absences from college exercises are minuted. Demerit for absences and other irregularities is also marked in like manner, and made the basis of discipline. At the close of each term, the average of these marks is recorded, and, when desired, communicated to parents and guardians." This book is called the _record of merit_.--_Cat.

Middlebury Coll._, 1850-51, p. 17.

RECTOR. The chief elective officer of some universities, as in France and Scotland. The same t.i.tle was formerly given to the president of a college in New England, but it is not now in use.--_Webster_.

The t.i.tle of _Rector_ was given to the chief officer of Yale College at the time of its foundation, and was continued until the year 1745, when, by "An Act for the more full and complete establishment of Yale College in New Haven," it was changed, among other alterations, to that of _President_.--_Clap's Annals of Yale College_, p. 47.

The chief officer of Harvard College at the time of its foundation was styled _Master_ or _Professor_. Mr. Dunster was chosen the first _President_, in 1640, and those who succeeded him bore this t.i.tle until the year 1686, when Mr. Joseph Dudley, having received the commission of President of the Colony, changed for the sake of distinction the t.i.tle of _President of the College_ to that of _Rector_. A few years after, the t.i.tle of _President_ was resumed.

--_Peirce's Hist. of Harv. Univ._, p. 63.

REDEAT. Latin; literally, _he may return_. "It is the custom in some colleges," says the Gradus ad Cantabrigiam, "on coming into residence, to wait on the Dean, and sign your name in a book, kept for that purpose, which is called signing your _Redeat_."--p. 92.

REFECTORY. At Oxford, Eng., the place where the members of each college or hall dine. This word was originally applied to an apartment in convents and monasteries, where a moderate repast was taken.--_Brande_.

In Oxford there are nineteen colleges and five halls, containing dwelling-rooms for the students, and a distinct _refectory_ or dining-hall, library, and chapel to each college and hall.--_Oxf.

Guide_, 1847, p. xvi.

At Princeton College, this name is given to the hall where the students eat together in common.--Abbreviated REFEC.

REGENT. In the English universities, the regents, or _regentes_, are members of the university who have certain peculiar duties of instruction or government. At Cambridge, all resident Masters of Arts of less than four years' standing and all Doctors of less than two, are Regents. At Oxford, the period of regency is shorter. At both universities, those of a more advanced standing, who keep their names on the college books, are called _non-regents_. At Cambridge, the regents compose the upper house, and the non-regents the lower house of the Senate, or governing body. At Oxford, the regents compose the _Congregation_, which confers degrees, and does the ordinary business of the University.

The regents and non-regents, collectively, compose the _Convocation_, which is the governing body in the last resort.--_Webster_.

See SENATE.

2. In the State of New York, the member of a corporate body which is invested with the superintendence of all the colleges, academies, and schools in the State. This board consists of twenty-one members, who are called _the Regents of the University of the State of New York_. They are appointed and removable by the legislature. They have power to grant acts of incorporation for colleges, to visit and inspect all colleges, academies, and schools, and to make regulations for governing the same.--_Statutes of New York_.

3. At Harvard College, an officer chosen from the _Faculty_, whose duties are under the immediate direction of the President. All weekly lists of absences, monitor's bills, pet.i.tions to the Faculty for excuse of absences from the regular exercises and for making up lessons, all pet.i.tions for elective studies, the returns of the scale of merit, and returns of delinquencies and deductions by the tutors and proctors, are left with the Regent, or deposited in his office. The Regent also informs those who pet.i.tion for excuses, and for elective studies, of the decision of the Faculty in regard to their pet.i.tions. Formerly, the Regent a.s.sisted in making out the quarter or term bills, of which he kept a record, and when students were punished by fining, he was obliged to keep an account of the fines, and the offences for which they were imposed. Some of his duties were performed by a Freshman, who was appointed by the Faculty.--_Laws Harv. Coll._, 1814, and _Regulations_, 1850.

The creation of the office of Regent at Harvard College is noticed by Professor Sidney Willard. In the year 1800 "an officer was appointed to occupy a room in one of the halls to supply the place of a Tutor, for preserving order in the rooms in his entry, and to perform the duties that had been discharged by the Butler, so far as it regarded the keeping of certain records. He was allowed the service of a Freshman, and the offices of Butler and of Butler's Freshman were abolished. The t.i.tle of this new officer was Regent."--_Memories of Youth and Manhood_, Vol. II. p. 107.

See FRESHMAN, REGENT'S.

REGISTER. In Union College, an officer whose duties are similar to those enumerated under REGISTRAR. He also acts, without charge, as fiscal guardian for all students who deposit funds in his hands.

REGISTRAR, REGISTRARY. In the English universities, an officer who has the keeping of all the public records.--_Encyc._

At Harvard College, the Corporation appoint one of the Faculty to the office of _Registrar_. He keeps a record of the votes and orders pa.s.sed by the latter body, gives certified copies of the same when requisite, and performs other like duties.--_Laws Univ.

at Cam., Ma.s.s._, 1848.

REGIUS PROFESSOR. A name given in the British universities to the inc.u.mbents of those professorships which have been founded by _royal_ bounty.

REGULATORS. At Hamilton College, "a Junior Cla.s.s affair," writes a correspondent, "consisting of fifteen or twenty members, whose object is to regulate college laws and customs according to their own way. They are known only by their deeds. Who the members are, no one out of the band knows. Their time for action is in the night."

RELEGATION. In German universities, the _relegation_ is the punishment next in severity to the _consilium abeundi_. Howitt explains the term in these words: "It has two degrees. First, the simple relegation. This consists in expulsion [out of the district of the court of justice within which the university is situated], for a period of from two to three years; after which the offender may indeed return, but can no more be received as an academical burger. Secondly, the sharper relegation, which adds to the simple relegation an announcement of the fact to the magistracy of the place of abode of the offender; and, according to the discretion of the court, a confinement in an ordinary prison, previous to the banishment, is added; and also the sharper relegation can be extended to more than four years, the ordinary term,--yes, even to perpetual expulsion."--_Student Life of Germany_, Am. ed., p. 33.

RELIG. At Princeton College, an abbreviated name for a professor of religion.