Just recently the College heard that our own Bachelor took several awards for excellence in journalism. Among other awards, The Bachelor was named best college newspaper of the year!
With that news buzzing around, I thought it might be nice to have a look at the founding of The Bachelor. Here is the story as told in our college history Wabash College, The First 100 Years:
In March, 1907, two seniors, C.C. Stevens and D. C. Adams, and a junior, M.H. Brubaker, decided to establish a college newspaper. They interested number of other men in their plan and established the Press Club. But the difficulties in their way were too great for them to overcome that year. Their plan was dropped; and the Press Club languished. But the one of them remaining in college the next year, Brubaker, reorganized the club during the winter term, and this time the obstacles to publication were successfully overcome.
On April 9, 1908, appeared the first number of the new paper. It was a four page, four column sheet, with a page size 16 inches by 11. The first page of the first number bore a half tone cut of Thomas R. Marshall, recently inaugurated Governor. As a name for the new publication they selected The Bachelor in reference to the chief peculiarity of the college. The name has never been changed. The first editor was M.H. Brubaker, ’08, the first manager, C.F. Ball, ’08. The paper was to be issued twice a week, on Monday and on Thursday. The Monday editor was Blaine Patton, ’10, the Thursday editor was Edward H. Ziegner, ‘10. Later these days were changed for greater convenience to Tuesday and Friday. The first editor-in-chief, Brubaker, was a brilliant and promising young man; but he died in 1910, while he was a student in the law school at Columbia.
In its beginning The Bachelor, like every other innovation in the affairs of Wabash College, had at first a rough road to travel. But well before its first birthday it had established itself firmly; and it soon came to be regarded as indispensable. It chief editor through its first full college years was Harter Walter, 09. Ziegner was managing editor that year, and Carl Merkel, ’09, was business manager. In each succeeding year capable and zealous editors and managers and contributors were found for the little paper, many of whom later became professional newspaper men.
The Bachelor has seen nearly complete coverage of student life here at Wabash. During WWI and again during WWII The Bachelor ceased publishing. These brief breaks hardly count in a history that runs over 106 years. The Bachelor of today continues to be an excellent publication, one that is full of youthful energy, a sincere earnestness, and sometimes even simple joy in the pleasures of life lived on campus. To all of the editors over all of the years we say, “Well done!”