# Traddiest College



## TylerK (Aug 18, 2008)

What college, in your opinion, best exemplifies the trad tradition?


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## Joe Tradly (Jan 21, 2006)

No, no, no, no. Please, no. 

At least he used a new word, "Traddiest".


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## Beefeater (Jun 2, 2007)

Faber College, of course.


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## Zot! (Feb 18, 2008)

Naturally Old Ivy, alma mater of J.B. Biggley in _How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying_.


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## Bog (May 13, 2007)

Not Harvard.


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## HL Poling and Sons (Mar 24, 2006)

The Electoral College


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## playdohh22 (Dec 4, 2007)

Joe Tradly said:


> No, no, no, no. Please, no.
> 
> At least he used a new word, "Traddiest".


Let's consult my favorite trad member. Which one sounds better? "Tradliest"or "Traddiest"? 

TylerK- Any Ivy League would, I guess?


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## Joe Beamish (Mar 21, 2008)

Currently? Probably somewhere in the South. 

Ivy league students don't dress tradly anymore, I don't think.


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## Joe Tradly (Jan 21, 2006)

HL Poling and Sons said:


> The Electoral College


I had a friend who went there. He wore lots of pleats, though.

JB


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## vwguy (Jul 23, 2004)

Joe Tradly said:


> No, no, no, no. Please, no.
> 
> At least he used a new word, "Traddiest".


Why do I have the feeling there is unfortunately much more of this to come?

Brian


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## Senator LooGAR (Apr 19, 2008)

University of Georgia -- oldest public institution in the United States :icon_smile_big:


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## Pentheos (Jun 30, 2008)

Take it from me, it's definitely not Cornell.


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## P Hudson (Jul 19, 2008)

Trinity College, Cambridge. 

Others include St Andrews University, St Andrews, Scotland (esp cool on Sundays when the students wear crimson academic gowns in town), and Trinity College, Dublin. I was once privileged to visit the faculty common room at the latter. It is everything you would want in a men's club, and reputedly has the best wine cellar in Ireland. It was filled with plush leather chairs, decanted wine (maybe there was coffee and tea somewhere, but I didn't notice), and subscriptions to whatever journals and newspapers the lecturers might request. Of course they had two large matching rooms, one for smokers, one for non-.

...and I prefer 'tradly'.


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## Andy S. (Mar 27, 2007)

Senator LooGAR said:


> University of Georgia -- oldest public institution in the United States :icon_smile_big:


As a current student, I would agree, given it is a Saturday in the fall! Otherwise, I like to think that I do my part to dress/live the good (tradly) college life.


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## Terpoxon (Sep 28, 2006)

Senator LooGAR said:


> University of Georgia -- oldest public institution in the United States :icon_smile_big:


Not to nitpick, but I find these sorts of claims funny. I recently visited UNC Chapel Hill, they claim they are the oldest public school in the country since they were founded as a public college. U of Georgia claims they are by virtue of the fact that they were the first state chartered school. Rutgers is older than both and is a state university. William and Mary is older than Rutgers and is also a state university. Amazing the contortions of definition these places go through to be the oldest something.

Trinity College Cambridge's college library is one of the most amazing libraries I have ever seen, though Merton College's MOB Library is better.


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## mjo_1 (Oct 2, 2007)

Of course we all know that the trad look was once big in the Ivies, but anymore I'd say that some of the best dressed colleges include Sewanee, Hampden Sydney, Washington and Lee, Ole Miss, Georgia, etc


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## babycatcher (Apr 6, 2008)

+1 for Faber College. I hear they have a pretty active Greek life too.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

+2 for Faber....and off he ran, screaming fruitlessly, into the night!


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## fishertw (Jan 27, 2006)

*Wrong I believe?*



Senator LooGAR said:


> University of Georgia -- oldest public institution in the United States :icon_smile_big:


Although I attended NC State, many years ago, and the supposed distance between "Culture and Agriculture" is about 26 miles, I thought that UNC Chapel Hill claimed to be the oldest public? Chartered in 1789. 
Tom


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## Topsider (Jul 9, 2005)

Beefeater said:


> Faber College, of course.


:drunken_smilie:


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## rsmeyer (May 14, 2006)

From what I see of recent graduates, I vote Washington and Lee.


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## TweedyDon (Aug 31, 2007)

P Hudson said:


> Others include St Andrews University, St Andrews, Scotland.


+100 on St Andrews (founded 1411) which, when I was there not too long ago, was awash in tweed, Barbours, and Muffys! :icon_smile_big:

Here's a few pictures for those of you interested in seeing The Most Beautiful University in the World :icon_smile_wink::

The Quad., from St Salvator's Clock Tower:

St. Salvator's Chapel., from the Quad.:

Students in Scarlet Gowns on the Sunday Pier walk:

https://www.saint-andrews.co.uk/CC/pierwalk.jpg

The town from the West Sands:

https://k53.pbase.com/g4/65/679865/2/62765460.IITwH1Wp.jpg


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## wnh (Nov 4, 2006)

I hear UCLA is a hotspot.


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## agnash (Jul 24, 2006)

*Your father's alma mater.*

Bonus points if your grandfather attended, and you win the match if one of your ancestors wrote the legislation for the original land grant.

Note that I am out of the running on this one.


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## LoneSuitinDTW (Jan 24, 2008)

+1 on Hampden Sydney. Its even mentioned in the Preppy Handbook


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## Tucker (Apr 17, 2006)

"trad tradition"? A contradiction in terms, IMO.

Anyway, the obvious ones have been mentioned. Sewanee, Hampden- Sydney, W&L. Are the Ivies "trad" anymore? Probably not.

How about some of the smaller, regional liberal-arts schools, such as College of Charleston?


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## The Louche (Jan 30, 2008)

Tucker said:


> "trad tradition"? A contradiction in terms, IMO.
> 
> Anyway, the obvious ones have been mentioned. Sewanee, Hampden- Sydney, W&L. Are the Ivies "trad" anymore? Probably not.
> 
> How about some of the smaller, regional liberal-arts schools, such as College of Charleston?


Anything in Chucktown is trad IIRC.


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## TommyDawg (Jan 6, 2008)

Senator LooGAR said:


> University of Georgia -- oldest public institution in the United States :icon_smile_big:


+1 on that!
TD


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## chadn2000 (Aug 4, 2006)

Hobart College.


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## Naval Gent (May 12, 2007)

mjo_1 said:


> Of course we all know that the trad look was once big in the Ivies, but anymore I'd say that some of the best dressed colleges include Sewanee, Hampden Sydney, Washington and Lee, Ole Miss, Georgia, etc


Funny, but my high school junior son has considered or is considering every one on that list except Georgia. If anyone has been to Sewanee, Ole Miss, or especially Hampden-Sydney lately (or is an active alum), please pm me.

Thanks,

Scott


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## GBR (Aug 10, 2005)

Neither "tradiest" nor "Tradliest" exists - can therefore stay with proper language not inventions of the minute - after all that is hardly traditional!


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## nolan50410 (Dec 5, 2006)

I spent some time at Harvard and MIT several years ago. There didn't seem to be a lot of trad influence left over. Sewanee is much more of a stoner school then a "trad" school. I am naturally biased towards Ole Miss, but I'd have to see good proof that there is somewhere that has more people in trad attire then the Grove on a football gameday. I think Auburn and Georgia would both be up there too.


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## Joe Tradly (Jan 21, 2006)

GBR said:


> Neither "tradiest" nor "Tradliest" exists - can therefore stay with proper language not inventions of the minute - after all that is hardly traditional!


Well, that disrupts the whole nominal premise of the sub-forum, as "Trad" isn't really a word, either.

JB


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## Sartre (Mar 25, 2008)

Don't sell the Ivies short. They still draw heavily from the private and boarding school ranks; but overall the composition of the student body is more diverse so you must know where to look.

tjs


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## Senator LooGAR (Apr 19, 2008)

agnash said:


> Bonus points if your grandfather attended, and you win the match if one of your ancestors wrote the legislation for the original land grant.
> 
> Note that I am out of the running on this one.


I take the bonus points, but not the match.

I'll try to snap some picks of trad finery at the game this weekend.


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## JRT3 (Feb 11, 2008)

P Hudson said:


> reputedly has the best wine cellar in Ireland.


... and in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. :icon_smile_big:


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## Quay (Mar 29, 2008)

Tucker said:


> "trad tradition"? A contradiction in terms, IMO....


Not contradictory anything, just unnecessary repetition.

From what I see most days, the College of Charleston gets my vote at least in terms of traditional dress. It helps that so many students have to walk by Ben Silver and M. Dumas to get to some of the nicer bars and then have to pass by those stores again when trying to find their way back to their lodgings.

--A.Q.


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## Quay (Mar 29, 2008)

The Louche said:


> Anything in Chucktown is trad IIRC.


One shudders at such apparently tacky if not louche over-familiarity, bless your heart, but still invites you to visit Charleston and happily and freely spend as much money there as possible. :icon_smile_wink:

--A.Q.


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## Acacian (Jul 10, 2007)

Quay said:


> Not contradictory anything, just unnecessary repetition.


aka tautology (just a favorite word I had to throw in there)


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## Quay (Mar 29, 2008)

Acacian said:


> aka tautology (just a favorite word I had to throw in there)


I've no idea who you are but I do know I like you a lot. :icon_smile:


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## Beefeater (Jun 2, 2007)

rsmeyer said:


> From what I see of recent graduates, I vote Washington and Lee.


I had a friend of mine who went to W&L and we were shared an apartment during the malaise post-grad years. He definitely came back more trad than when he first left Texas. And I suppose that's not that big a stretch.


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## septa (Mar 4, 2006)

Sartre said:


> Don't sell the Ivies short. They still draw heavily from the private and boarding school ranks; but overall the composition of the student body is more diverse so you must know where to look.
> 
> tjs


Much agreed. It really means something these days if you wear trad rig at UPenn or Harvard these days...
My college (Haverford) had a lot of preppies, more jeans and patagoina that would be acceptable here, but it wsan't like we were all going around with saggy pants with multiple piercings


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## TMMKC (Aug 2, 2007)

Lincoln Technical Institute:icon_smile_big:


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## crazyquik (Jun 8, 2005)

UNC and UGA have similar campus styles and similar cities. 

UGA was chartered earlier than UNC. North Carolina was able to appropriate money, build a school (well, a building with a professor or two), admit students, and even award degrees before UGA accepted its first students. 

William and Mary is one of the oldest higher education institutions in the country, but did not become public until more recently.


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## Tucker (Apr 17, 2006)

Tucker said:


> "trad tradition"? A contradiction in terms, IMO....





Quay said:


> Not contradictory anything, just unnecessary repetition.


Not repetition or tautology. "Trad" began on this forum in 2004. I've got boxer shorts in regular rotation that are older than "trad". My preschooler is older than "trad". That was my only point - you can't assign a "tradition" to "trad". Not yet, at least.


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## Sartre (Mar 25, 2008)

TMMKC said:


> Lincoln Technical Institute:icon_smile_big:


Yes and I hear the guys at Connecticut School of Broadcasting rock trad.


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## P Hudson (Jul 19, 2008)

"Neither "tradiest" nor "Tradliest" exists - can therefore stay with proper language not inventions of the minute - after all that is hardly traditional!"

I'm not sure I follow. They both "exist" in that they appear in the above posts. It reminds me of the time Shelby Foote's proof editor question a construction. Foote said, "look it up in the Oxford English Dictionary", where the entry was in fact listed, concluding with the words "see Shelby Foote". The editor never queried Foote again.

More to the point, what is more traditional than coining new words? If you're an Anglo, you need only look to Shakespeare for inspiration, and if a Saxon, Luther provides the same. Apart from the French, it is an accepted (indeed expected) feature of human language use.


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## RyanPatrick (Jul 3, 2008)

Quay said:


> Not contradictory anything, just unnecessary repetition.
> 
> From what I see most days, the College of Charleston gets my vote at least in terms of traditional dress. It helps that so many students have to walk by Ben Silver and M. Dumas to get to some of the nicer bars and then have to pass by those stores again when trying to find their way back to their lodgings.
> 
> --A.Q.


While CofC has it's trad contingent, I don't think it can be considered the most trad of all student bodies for two key reasons:
1. the school has a large portion of "surfer" types, more likely to wear hoodies, board shorts and flip flops than khakis, OCBDs and loafers.
2. the student body is to small to compete with the larger campuses like Auburn, UGA UNC, and UVA


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## jpeirpont (Mar 16, 2004)

Devry Institute.


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## Quay (Mar 29, 2008)

RyanPatrick said:


> While CofC has it's trad contingent, I don't think it can be considered the most trad of all student bodies for two key reasons:
> 1. the school has a large portion of "surfer" types, more likely to wear hoodies, board shorts and flip flops than khakis, OCBDs and loafers.
> 2. the student body is to small to compete with the larger campuses like Auburn, UGA UNC, and UVA


I'm only in Charleston part-time these days so my vote is based on my observations, as they are. Since this isn't a very scientific sort of survey I'd say that the "contingent" there makes up for a lot of the stuff you note which seems to over-run most other places.

Perhaps I should split my vote between CofC and Southern Methodist University in Dallas, which still keeps the trad section of Culwell & Son in the black.


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## Miket61 (Mar 1, 2008)

Terpoxon said:


> Not to nitpick, but I find these sorts of claims funny. I recently visited UNC Chapel Hill, they claim they are the oldest public school in the country since they were founded as a public college. U of Georgia claims they are by virtue of the fact that they were the first state chartered school. Rutgers is older than both and is a state university. William and Mary is older than Rutgers and is also a state university. Amazing the contortions of definition these places go through to be the oldest something.


Let's also not forget the University of Pennsylvania, founded in 1740.


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## Miket61 (Mar 1, 2008)

Beefeater said:


> Faber College, of course.


Which was in a movie filmed at the University of Oregon, based on stories about Dartmouth.


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## Beefeater (Jun 2, 2007)

Miket61 said:


> Which was in a movie filmed at the University of Oregon, based on stories about Dartmouth.


Excellent for my next trivia event!


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## Miket61 (Mar 1, 2008)

Beefeater said:


> Excellent for my next trivia event!


Always glad to oblige.


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## JamesR (May 23, 2006)

Miket61 said:


> Let's also not forget the University of Pennsylvania, founded in 1740.


Not sure if this was meant as a joke, but the University of Pennsylvania, located in Philadelphia, is a private university.

The public university for the state of Pennsylvania is Penn State, which is based in State College, PA, and which was founded in 1855.


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## bd79cc (Dec 20, 2006)

Sartre said:


> Don't sell the Ivies short. They still draw heavily from the private and boarding school ranks; but overall the composition of the student body is more diverse so you must know where to look.
> tjs


This might require a door-to-door search on some campuses, but you'll always find more than you baragined for. My understanding is that they (or is that we?) still hold some influence, despite being almost "extinct."



JamesR said:


> Not sure if this was meant as a joke, but the University of Pennsylvania, located in Philadelphia, is a private university.
> 
> The public university for the state of Pennsylvania is Penn State, which is based in State College, PA, and which was founded in 1855.


The University of Pennsylvania is a hybrid institution (_c.f._ Cornell University - a differently arranged state/private hybrid). It has a privately-funded endowment, but, IIRC, approximately 35% of its annual budget is covered by state sources.


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## DukeGrad (Dec 28, 2003)

*UNC*

Gentlemen

My first trip to Chapel Hill, was stationed at Bragg. Long time ago. Reminded me of the Ivey league schools. Fall time, and very preppy. 
I have seen all the Iveys. Recently Princeton.Also Brown impressed me again. 
They stay the same.
There was a comment about private school types (Andover, Exeter etc)
They still get in to the Iveys. Especially if there is a family member that went there as well.
Duke is trad, but not like what we are discussing.
We drank all the time there, and went to basketball games.
No time for dressing well.

Later
Nice day my friends


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## dbgrate (Dec 4, 2006)

Is the singling out of the "tradliest college" post a bit unnecessary and maybe premature? After the thousands(it seems) posts about OBCDs and Alden cordovans,etc.? This one hardly stands out. The young OP is a "starting member",with 7 posts...he's been out of high school for barely 2 months! Why not let him get his feet wet and refrain from the criticism until they are dry?


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## DukeGrad (Dec 28, 2003)

*dbgrate*

My friend,

Nice post. I am in agreement with your comment. The poster has questions about traditional colleges. And he is new. And he should get his answers.
Maybe considering an Ivey, or what have you.
Thanks for the post

Nice day


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## JohnHarvard (Oct 7, 2008)

An example of how typical Harvard grad students dress...


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## DukeGrad (Dec 28, 2003)

*Harvard*

John Harvard

LOL, that is how most grad students dress! Great pic

Nice day


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## J Simulcik (Oct 11, 2008)

Throwing my vote in for W&L's evil twin, VMI. You have to wait until the weekend exodus or look at the alumni to see it, though. Lexington can be a mecca on weekends that both schools are having reunions.


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## BigBasil (Jan 17, 2009)

*El Cid is the tradliest of all*

Citadel cadets also wear blue blazers and grey trousers...the Charleston tuxedo at its finest.


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## JamesR (May 23, 2006)

bd79cc said:


> The University of Pennsylvania is a hybrid institution (_c.f._ Cornell University - a differently arranged state/private hybrid). It has a privately-funded endowment, but, IIRC, approximately 35% of its annual budget is covered by state sources.


This, I believe, is false.


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## PorterSq (Apr 17, 2008)

JamesR said:


> This, I believe, is false.


You are correct and the statement was false. This isn't to say the school gets NO public funding, but that could be said for every university in the nation (e.g. financial aid money, state and federal grants, etc.). Public money getting funneled to a school is how "research" universities do their research.

The only Ivy of which I know with a "public" element is Cornell, and that's just one program that's open to NY applicants (something about industry/labor - I think it's a vestigial program from when Cornell opened a few slots to educate farmers' kids in exchange for state money).


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## oldschoolprep (Jun 21, 2007)

*Cornell and Syracuse Statuatory Colleges*

There are four publicly funded New York State Statuatory Colleges at Cornell University. They are: New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations, College of Human Ecology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the New York State School of Veterinary Medicine. Interestingly, Cornell's highly acclaimed School of Hotel Administration was initially part of the College of Human Ecology (then the School of Home Economics) in the 1920's but was rechatered as a endowed college in the mid-1950's.

In addition, the New York State School of Forestry and Environmental Science is located on the Syracuse University campus. Interestingly, this school was originally established at Cornell but was moved to Syracuse in 1911. However, it is not administered by SU, but rather by an autonomous unit of the State University of New York.

I also believe that the College of Veterinary Medicine at Penn also receives some direct funding from the State of Pennsylvania. However, I am unsure of its actual legal status because I do not believe the Statutory College concept of New York exists in Pennsylvania.


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## clemsontiger (Jun 9, 2007)

BigBasil said:


> Citadel cadets also wear blue blazers and grey trousers...the Charleston tuxedo at its finest.


My brother is a knob at El Cid. The city and several cadets have begun moving him in the right direction sartorially.


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## Joe Tradly (Jan 21, 2006)

Seriously, does someone have it in his tickler file to bump the inanest of threads once a quarter?


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## PorterSq (Apr 17, 2008)

I do, but it's not to be done quarterly; it's to be done once every full moon (lunar calendar = the original trad calendar...which is going to be the thread title for the NEXT absurd thread).


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## bd79cc (Dec 20, 2006)

BigBasil said:


> [. . . ] blue blazers and grey trousers...the Charleston tuxedo [. . . .]


I like that.


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## Miket61 (Mar 1, 2008)

JamesR said:


> Not sure if this was meant as a joke, but the University of Pennsylvania, located in Philadelphia, is a private university.
> 
> The public university for the state of Pennsylvania is Penn State, which is based in State College, PA, and which was founded in 1855.


In 1740, there _were_ no public colleges.

While my MBA is from what people at Penn refer to as "the big school on the other side of the river," my high school was founded by William Penn seventeen years before the birth of Benjamin Franklin.

I've never been to State College, also home of the American Philatelic Society, but I have several relatives who graduated from there, going back to the time when Joe Paterno was a quarterback at Brown.


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## charlie500 (Aug 22, 2008)

Miket61 said:


> my high school was founded by William Penn seventeen years before the birth of Benjamin Franklin.


Benjamin Franklin attended (but didn't graduate) from my high school, Boston Latin School, founded in 1635. Samuel Adams and John Hancock are also alums. It was said that Harvard was built so that graduates would have a place to continue their studies. Latin is a mandatory class and its mascot is Romulus. Doesn't get much more traditional than that.


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## charlie500 (Aug 22, 2008)

Has Tulane been mentioned? Tulane has a strong Greek tradition and it was not unusual to see seersuckers, bow ties, or blazers on campus.


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## Miket61 (Mar 1, 2008)

charlie500 said:


> Benjamin Franklin attended (but didn't graduate) from my high school, Boston Latin School, founded in 1635. Samuel Adams and John Hancock are also alums. It was said that Harvard was built so that graduates would have a place to continue their studies. Latin is a mandatory class and its mascot is Romulus. Doesn't get much more traditional than that.


Boston Latin is the oldest grade school in the country. Penn Charter is number four.

When I was there, we had exactly one Quaker instructor, who has since retired. But we still went to Meeting For Worship every Wednesday morning.


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## DukeGrad (Dec 28, 2003)

*St Johns AnnapolisGa*

Gentlemen

Saw this again, and thought of Annapolis. There is an exclusive liberal arts college in Annapolis
Not USNA
Every year they an USNA play a cricket match
This is very, trad ivey this day

I agree about UGA, been there also. As well as UNC

All the schools up here, your ivey league.
Burned out, not being taken care of most of them. Older doorms and all.
I know Harvard and Princeton have money.
I compare what I see there, compared to Duke for that matter.
Unless the hoop money is a lot, Duke has bee building something everyday
Just a thought

Davidson as well


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## 4dgt90 (Dec 2, 2009)

Actually College of Charleston in Charleston, SC was established 1770. I believe that it is the oldest public university in the US



fishertw said:


> Although I attended NC State, many years ago, and the supposed distance between "Culture and Agriculture" is about 26 miles, I thought that UNC Chapel Hill claimed to be the oldest public? Chartered in 1789.
> Tom


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## 4dgt90 (Dec 2, 2009)

Tulane has a large population of Northern trash, i.e. jersey shore, NYC guido types. I have friends there and have visited a handful of times and have unfortunately observed this.



charlie500 said:


> Has Tulane been mentioned? Tulane has a strong Greek tradition and it was not unusual to see seersuckers, bow ties, or blazers on campus.


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## 4dgt90 (Dec 2, 2009)

Vanderbilt, my alma mater, is probably the best school. We are the only private school in the SEC. Just as "trad" as ole miss, uga, alabama with a social scene that rivals them but with a top 20 education. I believe it is the best balance of work and play. Our academic standards also keep out the "trashy" types that can infiltrate the other SEC schools.



nolan50410 said:


> I spent some time at Harvard and MIT several years ago. There didn't seem to be a lot of trad influence left over. Sewanee is much more of a stoner school then a "trad" school. I am naturally biased towards Ole Miss, but I'd have to see good proof that there is somewhere that has more people in trad attire then the Grove on a football gameday. I think Auburn and Georgia would both be up there too.


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## Pinpoint Style (Jan 15, 2009)

Senator LooGAR said:


> University of Georgia -- oldest public institution in the United States :icon_smile_big:


The first classes at UGA were not actually held until 1801--a good three years after the first student from UNC had already graduated. Go Heels!!

And while not the most Trad, Chapel Hill certainly sees its fair share. I would contend, however, that there are some clear differences between Ivy Leagye Style and it's Southern Trad counterparts. Ivy League trad favors flannels and heavy tweeds, along with wool knit ties, university stripe scarves, etc that wouldn't make much sense in the South given the climate. In the South you see a lot of style that more closely resembles summer on the cape, or nantucket trad--pastels, bowties, seersucker, and generally more GTH.


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## JDDY (Mar 18, 2006)

Carolina has some good looking girls. I've heard Vanderbilt is the same.

I always though W&M was the oldest.

WAHOOWA


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## The Rambler (Feb 18, 2010)

Rutgers: 1766, but not public 'til around WW2.


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## Bruce Wayne (Mar 10, 2008)

Beefeater said:


> Faber College, of course.


:aportnoy:


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## harwellplant (Apr 16, 2007)

if i may, the university of the south at sewanee. the school still observes a traditional dress code of coat and tie for class, and the wearing of academic gowns for its main honor society. much like vanderbilt, w&l, and uva, the student body is largely diverse from most of the southern states, with a majority from south carolina, north carolina, alabama, virginia, texas, georgia and, of course, tennessee.


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## thortonmellon (May 4, 2010)

Dalhousie in Halifax Nova Scotia


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## cumberlandpeal (May 12, 2006)

The University of the South. Coats and ties are not required for class, but I would wager that on any given day there are more students with ties on at Sewanee than all the other colleges and universities and community colleges and on-line colleges combined.


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## At Law (Apr 15, 2008)

Any Community / Junior College will be full of "tradly" examples.

It is simply amazing how these fine students strive and successfully 
carry on the sole purpose and definition of "trad."

From the parking lots full of Pontiacs and Pick-ups, to the classrooms
full of short shorts, pajamas, big hair, hoodies, and buzz cuts.

They just don't give Associate's Degrees away unless you can prove
you have a history and tradition of mediocrity and a guaranteed
future of mediocrity.

And keep in mind, these "trads" make it a point to be married a minimum
of two times by age 35 and typically leave behind a trail of identical offspring
who will grow up to be just like them. :icon_smile_wink:


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## yanre_urriek (Jul 2, 2009)

Sewanee is definitely trad...I know, because I'm typing this on a computer in the Sewanee library...while wearing a seersucker jacket and repp tie. It's not unusual at all--especially in cooler weather--for at least 40% of the men to be in coat and tie for class. All the professors that I've had wear a coat and tie, and the older ones seem to fall in for 3/2 jackets and bowties. The wearing of the academic gown is also common--90% of professors and probably 50% of eligible students wear their gown to class. If that isn't trad, I don't know what is. There's lot of prepiness in general as well--Vineyard Vines, Brooks Brothers, Barbour jackets, Nantucket reds, madras, etc.


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## harwellplant (Apr 16, 2007)

yanre_urriek said:


> Sewanee is definitely trad...I know, because I'm typing this on a computer in the Sewanee library...while wearing a seersucker jacket and repp tie. It's not unusual at all--especially in cooler weather--for at least 40% of the men to be in coat and tie for class. All the professors that I've had wear a coat and tie, and the older ones seem to fall in for 3/2 jackets and bowties. The wearing of the academic gown is also common--90% of professors and probably 50% of eligible students wear their gown to class. If that isn't trad, I don't know what is. There's lot of prepiness in general as well--Vineyard Vines, Brooks Brothers, Barbour jackets, Nantucket reds, madras, etc.


outstanding. i was a poli sci major, which - when i was there - had more trad in that one department than any other. jcw '97

and i am typing in seersucker, as well.


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## Epaminondas (Oct 19, 2009)

At Law said:


> Any Community / Junior College will be full of "tradly" examples.
> 
> It is simply amazing how these fine students strive and successfully
> carry on the sole purpose and definition of "trad."
> ...


You know, there are a lot of people on either of the coasts who would say something similar about someone from, living in, or educated in the midwest. Ever heard of flyover country? Your comments weren't remotely funny, use of icon notwithstanding. You need to grow up. I'd prefer knowing pick-up and Pontiac drivers to a jack @ss who sports a porsche avatar as if he were 16 years old. You need to be more circumspect in your snobbery, or better yet, abandon it all together.


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## jamgood (Feb 8, 2006)

At Law said:


> Any Community / Junior College will be full of "tradly" examples.
> 
> It is simply amazing how these fine students strive and successfully
> carry on the sole purpose and definition of "trad."
> ...


FTFY. :icon_jokercolor:


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## Cajunking (Apr 30, 2010)

Epaminondas said:


> You know, there are a lot of people on either of the coasts who would say something similar about someone from, living in, or educated in the midwest. Ever heard of flyover country? Your comments weren't remotely funny, use of icon notwithstanding. You need to grow up. I'd prefer knowing pick-up and Pontiac drivers to a jack @ss who sports a porsche avatar as if he were 16 years old. You need to be more circumspect in your snobbery, or better yet, abandon it all together.


erm, I think we could all keep in mind a sense of humor, especially given the topic of this thread. Not to affront, but a trad person always can laugh a little at themselves! :icon_smile_wink:


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## oldominion (Dec 8, 2009)

yanre_urriek said:


> Sewanee is definitely trad...I know, because I'm typing this on a computer in the Sewanee library...while wearing a seersucker jacket and repp tie. It's not unusual at all--especially in cooler weather--for at least 40% of the men to be in coat and tie for class.


Only 40%? In the late 80s when I was there it was closer to 75+%. The only men who didn't wear ties were the Art and Geology majors, who were hippies (said with tongue firmly in cheek; I spent my junior and senior years as a tradly hippy myself). And as an English major I was all but required to wear a jacket and tie (I was happy to do it). The loose rule then was, if you were a humanities major (English, Poli Sci, History, etc) you had to wear a tie or you would catch hell from the professor (Reishman, Cocke, Benson, Richardson).

Recently I saw a photo from a football game--1985, I think--and there were a smattering of polos/t-shirts but mostly ties/coats. If you were in a drinking club--I was a Wellington, Viscount of Felloden--you pretty much wore a tie to go with your cape or kilt rig if you were a Highlander.

As a long-haired preppy from Richmond I was assigned to rush Jon Meacham, for reasons that elude me now but which must've made sense back in those distant times. He did not join our brotherhood, needless to say.

If there is a more trad school in the US than Sewanee I'll pull a Herzog and eat my Quoddy.

For anyone here who has no idea what or where we're writing about...good!


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## At Law (Apr 15, 2008)

Epaminondas said:


> You know, there are a lot of people on either of the coasts who would say something similar about someone from, living in, or educated in the midwest. Ever heard of flyover country? Your comments weren't remotely funny, use of icon notwithstanding. You need to grow up. I'd prefer knowing pick-up and Pontiac drivers to a jack @ss who sports a porsche avatar as if he were 16 years old. You need to be more circumspect in your snobbery, or better yet, abandon it all together.


You need to relax and get a sense of humor.

And by the way, your reference to the Midwest as being "flyover country" is
correct. However, Warren Buffet seems to like Omaha just fine....


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## GentlemanGeorge (Dec 30, 2009)

oldominion said:


> Only 40%? In the late 80s when I was there it was closer to 75+%. The only men who didn't wear ties were the Art and Geology majors, who were hippies (said with tongue firmly in cheek; I spent my junior and senior years as a tradly hippy myself). And as an English major I was all but required to wear a jacket and tie (I was happy to do it). The loose rule then was, if you were a humanities major (English, Poli Sci, History, etc) you had to wear a tie or you would catch hell from the professor (Reishman, Cocke, Benson, Richardson).
> 
> Recently I saw a photo from a football game--1985, I think--and there were a smattering of polos/t-shirts but mostly ties/coats. If you were in a drinking club--I was a Wellington, Viscount of Felloden--you pretty much wore a tie to go with your cape or kilt rig if you were a Highlander.
> 
> ...


Sewanee's right.

EQB, '92


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## yanre_urriek (Jul 2, 2009)

Reishman was my English prof. this semester--awesome guy! Class dress isn't as prevalent as it used to be (and should be). Some of the professors still give grief to those without ties. A few of them are saying they are going to start trying to encourage class dress more. The gowns are not being worn as often either. It's still gotta be the most formal campus in the country, but it isn't what it used to be, apparently. Anyway, there are a significant minority of students who wear class dress every single day, and hardly anyone shows up to class in just a t-shirt and jeans. They usually at least put on an OCBD. Most of the fraternities still encourage class dress as well. As a pledge I had to wear it to all classes and meetings. Still, everyone shows up to chapel wearing coat and tie, which is more to be said for most college campuses.


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## hookem12387 (Dec 29, 2009)

Pretty sure I'm going to start dressing up for class at the law school next semester. I may be the only one, but so be it.


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## M. Morgan (Dec 19, 2009)

hookem12387 said:


> Pretty sure I'm going to start dressing up for class at the law school next semester. I may be the only one, but so be it.


What do you plan on wearing? I'm button-down and khakis about half the time, polo and khakis about half the time, with topsiders/penny loafers or running shoes. Pretty casual, though occasionally I'll throw on an odd jacket under the Barbour in the winter.


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## M. Morgan (Dec 19, 2009)

Also, Sewanee _is_ the most formal-dressing school I'm aware of. I went to school in the South and dressing for school is a little more formal than other places in practice, but Sewanee's got rules/tradition to go along with it.


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## hookem12387 (Dec 29, 2009)

M. Morgan said:


> What do you plan on wearing? I'm button-down and khakis about half the time, polo and khakis about half the time, with topsiders/penny loafers or running shoes. Pretty casual, though occasionally I'll throw on an odd jacket under the Barbour in the winter.


That's pretty much what I wear now, though it's probably closer to an 80/20 OCBD/polo split -- mainly because the school is always freezing. I'd kind of like to work some odd jackets in, though, and possibly a knit tie every once in awhile.


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## Grayland (Oct 22, 2007)

William and Mary started in 1693 and was the second college in the US after Harvard (1636). While it's a state college now (W&M), I'm not sure if it started as a state college or not.


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## jsk85 (Nov 4, 2008)

I graduated from Georgia in '08 and just finished up my first year of law school at Ole Miss (which explains my absence from this forum for some time).

At Georgia, there was certainly a cluster of men who dressed traditionally, generally found on Milledge Avenue. However, my experience has shown that Ole Miss surpasses UGA's trad factor. Young men in Oxford are more likely to tuck-in their shirts, less likely to be seen in flip flops, and generally know how to shift their Tahoes into four low.

For what it's worth, Oxford's stores cater more to traditional style than do those in Athens. Sure, Athens has a few decent menswear stores, but none of them compare to Landry's, Hinton & Hinton, or Neilsen's Dept. Store in Oxford. This disparity is even more impressive considering that Athens is five or six times larger by population than Oxford.

However, don't take this as me disparaging Georgia's traditional cred. It's probably in the top 5 for trad colleges. But Ole Miss certainly ranks higher.

Best,
JSK


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