DEPARTMENT REPORTS. 100 



tcini. They came as instructors in French for members of the Student's 

 Army Training Corps. After the disbanding of the Corps they were as- 

 signed to other work. Mr. Le])el took charge of one of our regular daily 

 classes of first-year French and of four sections of conversational French, 

 the latter sul)j(U't l)eing added to the curriculum with the beginning of 

 the Avinter term. Mr. Van Speybroeck, who had had training and 

 experience in teaching English as well as French, was assigned to instruc- 

 tional work in composition and public speaking for freshmen engineers. 



At the beginning of the spring term the teaching force was augmented 

 by the addition of Mr. C. B. Mitchell. In September, 1918, Mr. Mitchell, 

 who had been a member of the department since 1912, resigned to accept 

 a position with the Cincinnati office of the J. Walter Thompson Advertising 

 Company. In March, 1919, he was reappointed to his assistant professor- 

 ship in my department and was assigned to seventeen hours of class work 

 for the spring term, fifteen in public speaking and two in composition. 



I have not included, in the list given above, the name of Arthur S. 

 Burket. Mr. Burket was a member of my department from the first of 

 September 1916, to March, 1919; but from April, 1917, to the time at 

 which he resigned his position at the College, he w'as on leave of absence, 

 granted for the duration of the war. Mr. Burket was commissioned as 1st 

 Lieutenant of Infantry in the Reserve Corps on April 17, 1917, and soon 

 afterward was ordered to report at Fort Sheridan for active duty. He was 

 assigned to duty with the 10th and 11th Provisional Regiments R. O. T. C. 

 He was commissioned Captain of Infantry, R. C, August 15, 1917, was 

 ordered to report to the Commanding General of Camp Custer, Michigan, 

 and was assigned to the 338th Infantry. He was transferred to the 160th 

 Depot Brigade, September 13, 1917, and assigned to Command of the 2nd 

 Battalion. He was commissioned Major of Infantry, N. A., December 31, 

 1917. September 26, 1918, he was transferred to the 10th Infantry. While 

 at Camp Custer, Major Burket served as President of the Camp General 

 Court Martial, as Member of three Division General Court Martials, and 

 as President and member of three Special Court Martials. He served 

 also on the Summary Court of Brigade and Regiment, and was a member 

 of various Promotion Boards, Efficiency Boards, Boards adjusting land 

 claims, etc. 



When Major Burket was transferred from the 100th Depot Brigade to 

 the 10th Infantry, all signs pointed toward France; but within less than 

 two months the armistice had been signed. Major Burket was discharged 

 on February 6, 1919, and soon afterward went to Columbus, Ohio to 

 make an address at the state meeting of ice cream manufacturers and to 

 make arrangements for returning to East Lansing. While in Columbus, 

 however, he was offered a very attractive opportunity to return to the 

 practice of law, and resigned his position at the College. It was very 

 shortlv after his resignation that I had a chance to secure again the services 

 of C. B. Mitchell for our work in public speaking. On March 14, 1919, Mr. 

 Burket was recommissioned Major of Infantry, R. C. 



Mr. Van vSpeybroeck, who was engaged in order that he might teach 

 French to our unit of the S. A. T. C, will not remain with the department 

 next year. Mr. Hasselman, whom you have appointed Director of Publica- 

 tions, retains his title of Instructor of English but will devote practically 

 all of his time to publications. It is prol^able that he will teach for the 

 Department of English only the two-hour coiu'se in Writing fov the Press. 



