Staff Reporter

In a local restaurant, not so many years ago, a party of men met and dined. The meal was not a celebratory one, not quite. The conversation trembled with expectation, but what would have been joy was replaced by uncertainty and trepidation. The fellows present shared a common emotion: determination. For by sunrise the next day, the lot of them would ship out to camps across the Eastern Seaboard to an uncertain future. The year was 1862, and war raged.

Like it had in so many other cities, the patriotic fervor swept through Troy. Young men jumped to their leader’s call, waving flags and shaking arms. Everyone was affected, with men of age swarming the streets to march and call for action. Rensselaer’s school found itself swept by that same tide, the passions of the students boiling along with those of the city’s folk. Many engineers-to-be found themselves torn between nationalistic pride and academic intrigue. Some made the decision to stay and finish their schooling. Others, like Albert M. Harper 1867 of Pittsburg, Pa., elected to join the military and fight. It was he, and a group of like-minded students, that took their final meal before departing to join the Union army.

Years passed, and men died. In September 1865, the now-Major Harper returned to finish what had been a promising academic career. With characteristic zeal, Harper sought to nurture his sharpened mind in spite of his wounded body. His energy and wisdom impressed his classmates, and in 1866 they presented him with a ceremonial sword, as was fitting in a time of war. In return, Harper was tasked with the representation of “the entire student body on all occasions in all relations.” He did so during his final year at RPI, 1867. Harper was the first Grand Marshal.

Things have changed since then. What started as a recognition of outstanding character and ability has grown into an important elected office of student government. The election of the GM is a tradition 144 years old, a proud piece of Rensselaer’s history. Many have served through the years, with our current head, Kara Chesal ’09 the 142nd to hold the office. (There were several years where no GM was elected—a few in the 1890s and in 1944—hence the difference between the age and iteration of the office.)

As with any long-standing ceremony, other traditions have arisen from the election to grow, diverge, and recombine. In the next “Rensselaer Revisited,” we will explore some of these occurrences in more detail. The current form of this tradition is the upcoming Grand Marshal Week, a seven-day program of performances, carnivals, and free food. This year’s GM Week runs from March 27 to April 3.