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Eton's greatest holiday takes place on Speech Day. This, June 4, is the birthday of King George III, Eton's greatest patron, who is more revered even than King Henry VI who founded Eton in 1440. It is because King George III is dead that Eton keeps to its melancholy mourning garb of black suit and shiny topper. All but 29 Etonians must throughout the year observe a number of strict rules: they must leave unbuttoned the bottom waistcoat button, (and in after life they usually continue to do so). They must walk, with coat collar turned up, on only one side of the town streets. They may not carry an umbrella rolled up. The 29 leaders of the schools, the "Pops," however, are permitted proudly to exhibit the insignia of their position at all times: a boutonniere, a tightly rolled umbrella, patent leather shoes, a gaily colored waistcoat, and topper affixed with blobs of colored sealing wax.
All are privileged to dress as Pops on the day of Eton-Harrow match and on June 4. There are then cricket, fireworks, a parade of crews costumed as 18th Century sailors, and from the river the sounds of the famed Eton Boating Song. Because this is the school's gala day, Old Etonians the world over celebrate it with alumni dinners. In India one might travel 1,000 miles and dine with a score of local governors, all Old Etonians, wearing cravats of black striped with pale blue. In Manhattan this month 20 Old Etonians assembled in honor of Speech Day. The day before was the birthday of His Majesty King George V. But Eton does not celebrate that.
Wilbur's Leave
Alumni who believe that Stanford University suffers while its president, Dr. Ray Lyman Wilbur, carries on as U. S. Secretary of the Interior, waited anxiously last week as Stanford's Board of Trustees held its meeting in San Francisco. Few were surprised but many were increasingly dissatisfied when the Board, after what was called "considerable discussion," announced "that at the request of the President of the United States, and in recognition of the outstanding importance to the nation of the continuation to effective completion of the services of Dr. Wilbur as Secretary of the Interior, his leave be extended to and including Dec. 31, 1932." Dr. Robert Eckles Swain will continue as acting president; Dr. Wilbur will continue to draw no salary. Opponents of the plan to abolish Stanford's lower division (TIME, June 8) took comfort in reflecting that while Dr. Wilbur is absent the plan will not be consummated.
* Founded in 1787 by Thomas Lord, a Yorkshire ground bowler, Lord's is the home of the Marylebone Cricket Club, world arbiter. fAt the first Eton-Harrow match in 1801, Bowler Tom Loyg beat Harrow in one inning, caught cold forthwith and died.
* Famed young Etonians this year are: Hon. Francis David Langhorne Astor and Hon. Michael Langhorne Astor; Viscounts Chelsea and Northland; Earl of Shrewsbury. Eton's many celebrated graduates include: 17 British Prime Ministers (Harrow has six including Lord Peel, Lord Palmerston and .Stanley Baldwin), Lord Roberts, Viscount Byng, Marquis Curzon, Sir Humphrey Gilbert, Major General Corn wall is, Arthur Wellesley Duke of Wellington, Novelist Henry Fielding, Poets Phineas and Giles Fletcher, Edmund Waller, Thomas Gray, Percy Bysshe Shelley (but George Gordon Lord Byron was a Harrovian).