] ▁seemed ▁a ▁living ▁symbol ▁of ▁all ▁that ▁was ▁best ▁and ▁bright est ▁in ▁Harvard ▁itself , ▁manif ested ▁to ▁us ▁briefly ▁after ▁three ▁hundred ▁years ." ▁ ▁Com men cement ▁ ▁Gr adu ating ▁cum ▁la ude ▁in ▁English ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 9 1 5 , ▁he ▁was ▁selected ▁to ▁compose ▁both ▁the ▁Class ▁Po em ▁and ▁the ▁Bac cala ure te ▁H ymn . ▁His ▁poem ▁was ▁" a ▁stir ring ▁ly ric ▁adj uring ▁all ▁Harvard ▁men ▁in ▁the ▁present ▁crisis ▁of ▁civil ization ▁[ i . e . ▁World ▁War   I ] ▁to ▁stand ▁for ▁their ▁historic ▁ide als ▁of ▁freedom ": ▁ ▁His ▁h ymn ▁reflected ▁similar ▁them es : ▁ ▁Spe aking ▁to ▁the ▁Al umn i ▁Association ▁immediately ▁after ▁receiving ▁his ▁di pl oma ▁he ▁said , ▁" I ▁have ▁had ▁four ▁years ▁here ▁full ▁to ▁the ▁br im ▁of ▁happiness ▁and ▁ever - in cre asing ▁joy ... ▁I ▁can ▁never ▁say ▁enough ▁in ▁grat itude . ▁When ▁I ▁say ▁' Thank ▁you !' ▁that ▁word ▁was ▁never ▁charged ▁with ▁more ▁fer vor ." ▁ ▁He ▁later ▁wrote ▁to ▁How e : ▁" I ▁have ▁never ▁been ▁able ▁to ▁find ▁out ▁who ▁were ▁the ▁gentlemen ▁who ▁have ▁been ▁so ▁gener ously ▁looking ▁after ▁me ▁in ▁money ▁matters ▁whilst ▁I ▁have ▁been ▁in ▁Cambridge . ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁aw fully ▁gener ous ▁of ▁them , ▁and ▁I ▁do ▁appreciate ▁it . ▁I ▁hope ▁I ▁shall ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁rep ay ▁the ▁kind ness ▁of