How simple student Oliver Smoot became the measure of the Harvard Bridge

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Harvard Bridge is no different. An ordinary bridge. Unless it is the longest of those that pass across the Charles River. It also connects the two cities of Cambridge and Boston. It was built in 1890 and its length is 364, 4 Smoot plus one ear. No, this is not a joke. More precisely, it was a joke sometime in 1958, when students decided to measure the bridge with their friend Oliver Red Smith. But now it is quite a formally used unit of measurement. There is certainly some funny story behind all this. And we'll tell you about it.

Student joke

Fraternities, or the so-called student fraternities, were widespread in America, but appeared in Great Britain. In the 16th century, representatives of the royal families studied on an equal basis with everyone else in ordinary universities. Of course, a certain circle of people gathered around the royal persons, who wanted to break out into the people by communicating with a titled person. It was a kind of mutually beneficial exchange. The royal student was helped with his studies, carried out small assignments. And in adulthood, they received help from a high-ranking friend.

It was people from such near-royal parties who received the most prestigious places when applying for a job and supported each other throughout their lives. Despite the fact that the royal offspring were far from all universities, such "gentlemen's clubs" began to appear everywhere. The founder of such a movement is the politician John Hiff. He was not accepted into the already existing company of friends. Then he created a club, according to the principles of which modern fraternities also exist.

The name consisted of three Greek letters. This will become a tradition in the future. Getting into such a brotherhood will be an extremely difficult task. Apparently this was also part of the plan of the rejected John Hiff. He was not going to recruit just anyone, it was possible to get into the closed club only after the initiation ceremony.

It was all part of a game or conspiracy. Community members could communicate using signs or secret gestures, come up with their own language. They arranged meetings, but with special relish they came up with tests for newcomers, those who wish to join their ranks. Their essence is hazing. Only yesterday's newcomer, who was invented tough tests, could, with triple zeal, scoff at those in whose position he was just recently.

In order to become a member of the group, one had to look a certain way, be a diligent student or an outstanding athlete. The reason for enrollment in the community could be the well-being of the parents. Simply put, it was necessary to distinguish itself in some way from the rest of the students in order to try to get into the number of the elite.

Only after the student hooked and interested older friends with something, tests were organized for him. They were often not only funny, but humiliating and even dangerous. The so-called "hell week" is full of various kinds of trials. The night in the basement, the appearance at the university in an obscene form - these are only flowers. Sometimes the tests were actually dangerous. To bury it in the ground, take it naked out of town and leave it alone - all this was part of the tests to which the students voluntarily agreed.

Was the game worth the candle? Judge for yourself. Hell week ends sometime, and those who managed to get through it received the support of the rest of the fraternity in building their careers, and during their studies too. Both George W. Bush, John F. Kennedy, Franklin Roosevelt, Gerald Ford - they all belonged to this kind of gentlemen's private clubs.

There is a funny statistic, according to which about 2% of the male population in the United States are members of such associations. At the same time, in the same America, 80% of the heads of large corporations, the overwhelming majority of the supreme justices were in this type of brotherhood. This is truly a caste of the elite. Is a week worth the shame of such opportunities? It is likely that statistics are just statistics and rather indicate that the number of members of the brotherhoods included people of purpose and spirit. After all, only a few could overcome the tests.

Oliver and his "hell week"

This time, the Lambda Hi Alpha fraternity was tested at the Harvard Bridge. Undergraduate and community member Tom O'Conor was in charge of rookie hell week and generated one idea after another. Oliver Smoot was a freshman at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and dreamed of becoming a member of the fraternity.

Senior Tom, like many other members of the fraternity, did not live near an educational institution on campus, but in Boston - on the other side of the river. And every day he went back and forth several times. The monotonous landscape and inclement weather (it happened in October) did not add romanticism to such walks. No identification marks along the way - it was not at all clear how long it would take to go.

Although it is unlikely that the students, having decided to measure the length of the bridge with Oliver Smoot, hoped that a new measurement value would appear. Probably, then there would be more applicants. But it was a hell of a week, so the test fell to the lot of Oliver, who was the smallest of all. It is logical - the lower the height of the "measure of measurement", the more often he will have to get up and lie down to measure the entire bridge. This means that the test is more difficult, which, in fact, is the whole point.

It was Tom who chose Oliver from among the newcomers, thereby perpetuating his name. Oliver's height is 1.7 meters. He lay down, his comrades made a mark at the head, he got up and lay down with his feet to the previous mark, so they measured the entire bridge in the Troubles. It turned out 364, 4 Troubles and one of his ears.

Smoot was ideally suited for this role, not only because of his height, but also because of his surname. It seemed funny to him that Smoot was in tune with the foot, because later at the university it would definitely become a joke. At least for the near future. It is worth noting that the students carefully prepared for the test, because the marks were made with paint. Every ten "troubles" marks were numbered.

Oliver's strength dried up quickly enough, but this was not a reason to stop the experiment. The comrades simply carried it further and further, making new markings.

Troubles and other strange measures of measurement

It turned out that not only the students of this company suffered from the fact that there were no marks on the bridge. Pretty soon everyone got used to them so much that "troubles" as a measure of measurement actually came into use. Even the police officers appreciated the practical side of the student joke, because it was extremely convenient to report the places of incidents in the unrest. If earlier in the report they vaguely reported about the incident on the Harvard Bridge, now they could concretize, indicating that the accident happened, for example, at 38 Troubles.

People made dates with each other at the time of troubles under one number or another. And the students carefully updated their marks every trimester. The authorities tried several times to get rid of the marks, but they appeared again and again, besides, the majority liked them and brought practical benefits. Over time, they became the attraction of this place. And the funny story associated with their appearance added zest.

However, troubles are not the worst thing. America has an even more ridiculous system of measurements. It was designed to counter the desire of the Americans to use the feet and pounds that the British inherited. The FFF measurement system offers even stranger unit measures.

Distance in this system of measures is measured in furlongs and is an eighth of a mile. The mass in ferkinas is a quarter of a barrel of beer. Time in fortnights, which are equal to two weeks, following the example of the ancient Germanic tribes. It is extremely inconvenient to use such measures of calculation, but their creators are sure that the British system of measures is no less complicated and ornate, they are simply accustomed to it.

However, the story with Oliver is not the only one that formed the basis of the measuring unit. A number of them are used just for fun, while others have become quite viable, like the troubles.

Marks as part of a bridge

In 1987 the bridge was reconstructed. Of course, this led to the fact that all the marks were destroyed. But it is worth paying tribute to the local authorities, realizing that this is a local landmark, they called Oliver Smoot with a proposal to provide himself to resume the marking. No, just measuring 1, 7 meters would be too easy, but here is an initially humorous subtext. And since the measure of measurement of a particular bridge is within reach, why not do this?

Oliver Smoot, who at that time was already president of the American National Standards Institute (ironic if you know the whole background, right?), Stated that he was not at all sure if he wanted to experience it again. It's a pity. But the show with the participation of a former student, and now a respectable person, did not work out. Then, for the construction of the bridge, special slabs with a width of 1.7 meters were used. That is, in one confusion.

The marks with numbers were restored, the police insisted on this, who had already got used to registering an accident on the bridge due to unrest.

Modern students have made their own adjustments by making new marks. So, in the middle of the bridge there is a mark with the inscription "Halfway to Hell" and an arrow pointing to the university. There is an inscription "Paradise" at 69.

So, a rather harsh joke became the basis of a new tradition and laid down a measure of measurement, albeit rarely used. And Oliver Smoot, judging by his high post, was nevertheless accepted into the closed club of his university.