TBT in the Archives 11/19/15: Thanksgiving

The semester is almost over, which means there will only be one more Throwback Thursday after this week! There will not be a TBT post next week due to the Thanksgiving holiday, so this week we thought it would be appropriate to talk about Ship's old Thanksgiving plays and their connection to a short-lived student organization, the Sock and Buskin Club.

Students starring in the play, "Nothing but the Truth," 1920

The Sock and Buskin Club was formed in 1919 under the direction of Margaret Stroh, an instructor in the Reading and Public Speaking Department. The purpose of this club was to broaden the "students' minds along dramatic lines." The club provided its members with public speaking practice, an important skill for future teachers to learn. Programs were held throughout the school year and three major plays were performed, including the annual Thanksgiving play.

"Nothing but the Truth" program, 1920

The 1920-1921 school year play was called "Nothing but the Truth," a three act comedy by James Montgomery about a stock broker who was carefree with investors' money, betting $10,000 that he could tell the truth for twenty-four hours. The play was later adapted into a silent film that premiered on April 20, 1929, just six months before the crash of the stock market in October 1929. It appears that the Sock and Buskin Club disbanded by the 1923-1924 school year. With its end, the Thanksgiving plays stopped as well.

Want to learn more about Ship's history? No need to wait for the next Throwback Thursday! Contact Archives & Special Collections via e-mail: specialcollections@ship.edu or phone: 717-477-1516.


Outside Sources:
"Nothing but the Truth." Richard Dix Website. Accessed November 19, 2015. http://www.richarddix.org/truth.htm