Praise for Snobbery

The mellow pathos of commencement tide, the sentimental verbiage of commencement speeches were missing last week at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. At a graduating class banquet stocky, well-groomed Prof. Robert Emmons Rogers arose and shattered whatever mood of revery or reminiscence was present.

"I am going to talk to you," said he, "on the necessity of being a snob ... a gentleman, belonging to the ruling class. You have got to take the rule away from the bootlegger, the politician and the man who came up from one suspender button. . . . Put on a front. One of the reasons for Harvard's greatness is that in all her 300 years she has put on a big front. Harvard never apologizes, never argues, never listens to criticism, but goes on calmly putting on her front and gets publicity for that very reason. What applies to the corporation applies also to the individual. . . . You cannot go on the assumption that you are as good as the rest of folks. You should take the attitude that you are a damned sight better. . . ."

Prof. Rogers may have acquired his social doctrine at Harvard, whence he was graduated in 1909. He was an early student in the Harvard Theatrical Workshop of Prof. George Pierce Baker, now Dean of the Yale Drama School. Since 1913 he has taught American, English and European Literature and Drama at M. I. T.