Word: porcellians
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Portia side-stepped into the Porcellian doorway (to the red-eyed dismay of a vanishing aristocrat who had chanced to the building in high hopes of a little wit and bourbon). She was just in time to avoid a pack of Summer School girls prowling the walk in search of males. "Mouse-trap," "parietal rules," and "sports car" drifted back from their grim and whispered ruminations...
...afterthoughts in the first days of formation, and through the high seriousness of purpose penetrates the underlying bitterness of boys who have been hurt by being kept out. Thus, in explaining the aims of the Society to new members at the first initiation, the president referred to Porcellian as "well suited to receive diminutive swine, but not that portion of the human race who think they possess a soul"; Pi Eta lacked "even a standard of admission, much less one of conduct." But the harshest words of censure were reserved for the arch-enemy...
...flute player, refused. For two years he met with himself, wrote up the minutes, played to himself, paid dues, and probably drank with himself. His Pierian spirit gradually attracted other musicians so that they were strong enough to found the Glee Club in 1834, and to play for a Porcellian Club entertainment...
...upperclass years, Roosevelt ate at his various sophomore, junior, and "final" clubs--the Institute of 1770, the DKE, and the Fly. But he failed to gain election to the most elite club--the Porcellian--despite the fact that his cousin Theodore had been a member. A scandal involving one of his cousins may have hurt his chances. But whatever the reason for his rejection, it was a serious blow to him. Eleanor Roosevelt thought it gave him an inferiority complex and led him to become more democratic...
That he had non-"clubbie" tendencies is clear. "Franklin was not a typical club man of his generation at college," a classmate recalls. "He had more on his mind than sitting in the Club's front window, doing nothing and criticizing the passers-by. Thus his not 'making' the Porcellian meant only that he was free of any possible restraining influence of a lot of delightful people who thought that the world belonged to them, and who did not want to change anything...