Harvard memorial biographies ...

Thomas Bayley Fox.

117

for debate, 'Is a man justified in obeying a law of his country
which he believes to be morally wrong?' And 'T. B. Fox, Jr.
and H. W. Hall' are the regular disputants on the negative. All
the leading political questions of the day were discussed in this little lyceum..... The majority of the members had a decided taste
and no small talent for theatricals; but from first to last, debating
and oratory were the main work of the society."
The lyceum, referred to in the above letter, led to the
formation of the "Pickwick Club," an association of Dorchester young men for mutual improvement. Of this society
Thomas was an interested and active member. One of the
best of his juvenile performances was an oration on "The
Youth of Great Men," delivered at the request of his associates, July 4, 1857. The maturity of his thoughts, the chaste
beauty of his diction, and his sincere eloquence impressed
all who listened to him on that occasion. The tone and
spirit of this fraternal club, including, as it did, a majority
not yet of age, may be inferred from these facts in its history.
Thirteen of the twenty-seven active members, and nine of
the twenty-two honorary members, joined the Union army.
Four of the former and three of the latter died of wounds
or sickness. Among those who became soldiers were one
lieutenant-colonel, four captains, three adjutants, and one chaplain. Two of these, as already intimated, have their names
inscribed, with prefixed stars, on Harvard's roll of honor.
In 1856 Thomas entered college, one of four graduates of
the Dorchester High School who passed the examination
unconditionally, and took foremost places in their Class. Of
this happy portion of his life, his most intimate daily associate from childhood and nearly to the hour of his death
(Rev. C. A. Humphreys) writes thus:"You have asked me to give some account of Tom's college life.
How can I compress four years into as many pages, especially
four such years, so full of experience and growth? Our preparation for college was more broad than thorough; so in the first year
we had no stock to fall back on, except a good will to work. Tom
took a good stand in the first year, but in the second he was sixth
in rank; and in the third, he was second in his Class, and obtained