1888 Emerson Institute Graduates & Prize Recipients

The Emerson Institute was established in 1853 and is known today as Emerson College Preparatory School. It is currently located at 18th Street, NW, at Dupont Circle. In an April 5, 1853, edition of The National Intelligencer, Charles B. Young placed an advertisement announcing he would be opening the Emerson Institute in May 1853. Young described his school as 'a select, classical, and mathematical school for boys.' At that time, it was located at the corner of H and 12th streets and was formerly known as Woodbury's Academy. Henry E. Woodbury, founder of Woodbury's Academy, having disposed of his interests in his Academy, turned the building over to Young to be reopened as the Emerson Institute. Tuition at Emerson was $15 per quarter for the full course with an additional $10 per quarter for the English branches. Emerson remained at the H street address until 1863. In September of that year, Emerson opened the school year in their new building located at 14th Street, between I and K.

Commencement Program:

Presiding Official: Charles B. Young, Principal of Emerson Institute.
Other Dignitaries Present: General Hunt, Governor of the Soldiers' Home.
Salutatory Address: Wright Smith.
Valedictory Address: R. A. H. Clark.
Music: U.S. Marine Band
Location: Universalist Church

Graduates of the 1888 Emerson Institute:

George W. Burleigh, who will enter Princeton.
R. A. H. Clark, who will enter Trinity.
Hugh Dallas, who will enter the Naval Academy.
R. Spencer Douglas, who will enter the Naval Academy.
Presley E. Hunt, who will enter Columbian University.
Paul E. Johnson, who will enter the Naval Academy.
Wilton J. Lambert, who will enter Georgetown College.
Wright Smith, who will enter Columbia College, New York.
S. E. Watkins, who will enter the Naval Academy.
J. R. Wilkes, who will enter the Stevens' Institute.
Sherwood Wilson, who will enter Cornell University.

1888 Prize Recipients:

Prizes Awarded to Advanced Course Students:

Satisfactory in All Studies: James Phillips, George W. Burleigh.
Pinkney Scholarship Medal (Gift of Dr. J. W. Bulkley): R. A. H. Clark.
Pinkney Character Medals: Wright Smith, Paul Johnson, Hugh Dallas.
Punctuality and Scholarship (Gold Medal): Presley E. Hunt.
Scholarship (Gold Medal): E. Sherwood Wilson and Connie Haines.
Mr. Bulkley's Medal for Deportment and Improvement: S. E. Watkins.
Distinction in Latin, Greek, and Mathematics: W. J. Lambert.
Distinction in Mathematics, English Grammar and Physics: J. R. Wilkes.
Honorable Mention: Howard Forman, Thomas Fant, Bladen Jackson, Joseph Cranford.

Prizes Awarded to Second Class Students:

Class Honors Gold Medals: Luther Smith, Edward Behrends.
Punctuality and Scholarship Gold Medals: W. K. Stone, Jose Romero, Godwin Ordway.
Prize in Latin, Greek, and Mathematics: Philip King.
Distinction in Latin, Greek, and English: Cabot Lodge
Prize in Bookkeeping and Arithmetic: Howard Forman, A. Goldschmid.
Medal for Penmanship: Thomas E. Fant.
Medal for Punctuality: Thomas Dowling.
Prizes for Punctuality: Harry Bonie, Harry Hughes, Arthur Goldschmid.

Prizes Awarded to Third Class Students:

Gold Medal: Clarence Wilson
Prizes in Mathematics: Charles Suesuer, Louis Aspinwall.
Proficiency in Latin, English Grammar and Penmanship: H. Burdette, D. Verdi, W. Carlton.
Proficiency in Latin and Arithmetic: Drew Campbell.
Proficiency in English Grammar and Arithmetic: Harry Hughes.
French First Class ' Gold Medal: Paul E Johnson.
French Second Class ' First Prize: J. R. Wilkes.
German Gold Medal: Wright Smith

Prizes Awarded to Mr. Fisher's First Class Students:

Scholarship Gold Medal: Joseph D. Sayers, Jr.
Scholarship Silver Medal: Albert Walker.
Scholarship Prize: Robert J. Walker
Honorable Mention: Loring Hildreth, Harry P. Walker, Clymer Brooke.
Special Commendation for Improvement: Copeland Jones, Frank Bailey, Frank Hagner, Sidney Baar, Eddie McCauley.

Prizes Awarded to Mr. Fisher's Second Class Students:

Gold Medal for Scholarship and Punctuality: Morris Wheeler, Leigh Gignilliat.
Honorable Mention: Louis Hopkins (Did not remain for examination).
Special Commendation for Improvement: James Powers, Frank Hellen, Theodore Wilson; Bertram Graves, Oliver Metzerott, Frederick Forman.
Medals for Punctuality: Sidney Baar, Elliott Hunt.
Mr. Fisher's Medal for Diligence and Deportment: Tsiu Tson Way.
Distinction in Special Studies (Latin, French, and German): Harry Walker.
Distinction in Special Studies (English Grammar) Frank Hagner.
Distinction in Special Studies (Arithmetic): Copeland Jones, Guy Huntington, Fred Forman.
Distinction in Special Studies (Algebra): Yates Sterling, Guy Huntington, Frank Hagner.
Distinction in Special Studies (Geography): Copeland Jones, Frank Hagner.
Distinction in Special Studies (History): Copeland Jones.
Distinction in Special Studies (Spelling): Eddie McCahley.
Distinction in Special Studies (Penmanship): James Powers, Elliott Hunt, Frank Hagner.
Distinction in Special Studies (Bookkeeping): G. V. Armstrong, Silver Medal.
Special Prize for Improvement: James Powers.

Prizes Awarded to Mr. Williams' First Class Students:

Scholarship Gold Medal: Robert Stickney.
Scholarship Silver Medal: N. T. Wilson.
Scholarship Prize: Arthur P. Gorman
Honorable Mention: Percy Coryell, Fred Brooke, Lee Britton, and Richard T. Merrick.
Improvement: Robert Sticking (Stickney?), N. T. Wilson, and Arthur P. Gorman.

Prizes Awarded to Mr. William's Second Class Students:

First Prize, John W. Wright.
Second Prize: Percy Sticking.
Honorable Mention: Tredwell Hopkins, Ernest Budington, George Crouse, Lawrence Foreman, Percy Crawford, and Joseph Saks.
Improvement: Logan Tucker, Paul Scharf, Harry Berlin, Tom Evans, and Kenneth Burnes.
Gold Medal for Punctuality: Lee (Leo?) Britton.

Other Prizes:

Gold Medal for Excellence in Declamation: Wright Smith
First Silver Medal for Excellence in Declamation: Philip King
Second Silver Medal for Excellence in Declamation: Leigh Gignilliat
Third Silver Medal for Excellence in Declamation: Richard T. Merrick
Dramatic Prize: Samuel Watkins.

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Details about the 1888 commencement program were taken from the June 19 and June 20, 1888, editions of the Washington Post, Washington, DC, pages 2 and 5.