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[[File:1935YalePipeCeremony.jpg|thumb|left|This photo dated June 17th, 1935 shows Yale graduates smoking clay pipes, which were afterward broken and ground into the dirt to symbolize their passage from their "Bright" college days. Other Eastern Colleges had similar traditions. Courtesy Brian Robertson]][[File:1935PrincetonPipesSmashedAgainstCannon.jpg|thumb|left|Princeton Class Day, June 17, 1935, showing the tradition of seniors smashing clay pipes against the school's cannon. Courtesy Brian Robertson]]Around 1900 and slightly earlier, pipe smoking on college campuses, by faculty and students, seems to have been the tobacco implement of choice. From the 1890's until at least the early 1940's , the pipe was the "big man on campus". My research indicates that several Eastern colleges in the late 1800's had a single "class pipe" that was smoked during a school ceremony, marking the end of a school year. Emulating early western movie scenes, the pipe was passed among faculty and chosen ranking students, not unlike the native American "peace pipe" shown in those same films. Some colleges even had a pipe annually used in a ritual, not a "class pipe", but literally referred to as "the peace pipe". This "peace pipe” was smoked by the warring "tribes" of the senior and junior classes, symbolically ending their conflict as the seniors graduated. | [[File:1935YalePipeCeremony.jpg|thumb|left|This photo dated June 17th, 1935 shows Yale graduates smoking clay pipes, which were afterward broken and ground into the dirt to symbolize their passage from their "Bright" college days. Other Eastern Colleges had similar traditions. Courtesy Brian Robertson]][[File:1935PrincetonPipesSmashedAgainstCannon.jpg|thumb|left|Princeton Class Day, June 17, 1935, showing the tradition of seniors smashing clay pipes against the school's cannon. Courtesy Brian Robertson]]Around 1900 and slightly earlier, pipe smoking on college campuses, by faculty and students, seems to have been the tobacco implement of choice. From the 1890's until at least the early 1940's , the pipe was the "big man on campus". My research indicates that several Eastern colleges in the late 1800's had a single "class pipe" that was smoked during a school ceremony, marking the end of a school year. Emulating early western movie scenes, the pipe was passed among faculty and chosen ranking students, not unlike the native American "peace pipe" shown in those same films. Some colleges even had a pipe annually used in a ritual, not a "class pipe", but literally referred to as "the peace pipe". This "peace pipe” was smoked by the warring "tribes" of the senior and junior classes, symbolically ending their conflict as the seniors graduated. | ||
During a period when pipe smoking registered among the principle pastimes cultivated by students, a yet to be credited marketing genius came up with the idea to place a silver letter on the outward facing bowl of a pipe . Young men couldn't wait to have someone remark "oh, you must be a Yale man", or Princeton, or Harvard, etc.. Then around 1900, Mr. Lew L. Stoddard came up with an idea that would change the fad into a tradition. He put a student’s class year on the pipe, along with the school initial. Student class pride and rivalries were fierce, so this was an excellent way of displaying "class pride". In a 1908 ad, Mr. Stoddard claims to be "the originator of numerals on the class pipe". In a recently found earlier ad Mr. Stoddard claims to be the originator of the "class pipe", and he may well be. Yale university may have been the first college to adopt the "student class pipe". In a 1900 newspaper article it is reported that Yale students would adopt a class pipe instead of their usual class cane, which I have to assume was the current tradition of the period. It appears this was not done as a substitute for the original single class pipe, used in the year end ritual, but the beginning of a new tradition for students. | During a period when pipe smoking registered among the principle pastimes cultivated by students, a yet to be credited marketing genius came up with the idea to place a silver letter on the outward facing bowl of a pipe . Young men couldn't wait to have someone remark "oh, you must be a Yale man", or Princeton, or Harvard, etc.. Then around 1900, Mr. Lew L. Stoddard came up with an idea that would change the fad into a tradition. He put a student’s class year on the pipe, along with the school initial. Student class pride and rivalries were fierce, so this was an excellent way of displaying "class pride". In a 1908 ad, Mr. Stoddard claims to be "the originator of numerals on the class pipe". In a recently found earlier ad Mr. Stoddard claims to be the originator of the "class pipe", and he may well be. Yale university may have been the first college to adopt the "student class pipe". In a 1900 newspaper article it is reported that Yale students would adopt a class pipe instead of their usual class cane, which I have to assume was the current tradition of the period. It appears this was not done as a substitute for the original single class pipe, used in the year end ritual, but the beginning of a new tradition for students. | ||
[[File:1998YaleClassDayClay.jpg|thumb|Rare 1898 Yale Class Day Ceremonial Clay Pipe, courtesy Brian Robertson]]Although not a class pipe, the pipe to the right and bellow is a thick branch of the family tree. The class day pipe ceremony began at Yale in 1859. The purpose of the rite was to have senior students gather, smoke a single bowl of tobacco, and afterwards smash the pipe on the ground. This was intended to signify the students' end of days at Yale. This tradition was performed for over 100 years and revived in 2018. The rarity of this pipe cannot be overstated. The combination of fragility, age, and that its purpose was to be destroyed upon a single use, should have created a "perfect storm" of destruction. Regarding the pipe itself, the Yale insignia , appears to have been hand painted, and the numerals are "raised". Although the pipe has not been smoked, the exterior has not been cleaned. The display stand is a deserved recent addition. | |||
<gallery widths=300 heights=300 caption="Rare 1898 Yale Class Day Ceremonial Clay Pipe, courtesy Brian Robertson"> | |||
1998YaleClassDayClay2.jpg | |||
1998YaleClassDayClay3.jpg | |||
</gallery> | |||
As the popularity of the class pipe grew, more local pipe shops and tobacconists added class pipe offerings to students. In many cases campuses elected students to "class pipe committees" to seek out new designs for each year. The samples would then be voted on, and students would place orders on the winning design. In a 1912 article this process was mentioned as taking place at Purdue University in Indiana. Ads for class pipes from around the same period have been seen as far west as Idaho University. I recall reading a mention of a West Point class pipe (circa 1907), that had raised letters and numerals upon a silver shield. The cadet would need a strong jaw, and perhaps wear a glove to protect his hand from being burned after a couple of bowls had been smoked in such a design. | As the popularity of the class pipe grew, more local pipe shops and tobacconists added class pipe offerings to students. In many cases campuses elected students to "class pipe committees" to seek out new designs for each year. The samples would then be voted on, and students would place orders on the winning design. In a 1912 article this process was mentioned as taking place at Purdue University in Indiana. Ads for class pipes from around the same period have been seen as far west as Idaho University. I recall reading a mention of a West Point class pipe (circa 1907), that had raised letters and numerals upon a silver shield. The cadet would need a strong jaw, and perhaps wear a glove to protect his hand from being burned after a couple of bowls had been smoked in such a design. | ||