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Long before Ezra Pound made a name for himself through his poetry or political viewpoints, he strolled the paths of College Hill. His association with his alma mater, like his life in general, was riddled with controversy. Pound, Class of 1905, may rank just behind statesman Elihu Root, Class of 1864, on the list of Hamilton’s most prominent alumni. Still, after his graduation Pound returned only twice to campus, and on one of those visits he got into a shouting match.

Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. That was unique, as was his marriage in the White House at age 49 to his ward, Frances Folsom, a recent Wells College graduate. But why is any of this of interest to readers of the Alumni Review? The relevance is that young Grover planned to enroll at the college on the hill in Clinton, N.Y., where his family had lived. His older brother and mentor, William, graduated from Hamilton in 1851. But family finances and the death of his father precluded the president-to-be from enrolling.

Alonzo Jay Whiteman, Class of 1881, will not be remembered as one of Hamilton’s most distinguished graduates. Nevertheless, published reports of his illustrious career as a con man who may have swindled as much as $5 million throughout his lifetime consistently mention his four academic years in Clinton, New York.