CRAIG CONLEY (Prof. Oddfellow) is recognized by Encarta as “America’s most creative and diligent scholar of letters, words and punctuation.” He has been called a “language fanatic” by Page Six gossip columnist Cindy Adams, a “cult hero” by Publisher’s Weekly, a “monk for the modern age” by George Parker, and “a true Renaissance man of the modern era, diving headfirst into comprehensive, open-minded study of realms obscured or merely obscure” by Clint Marsh. An eccentric scholar, Conley’s ideas are often decades ahead of their time. He invented the concept of the “virtual pet” in 1980, fifteen years before the debut of the popular “Tamagotchi” in Japan. His virtual pet, actually a rare flower, still thrives and has reached an incomprehensible size. Conley’s website is OneLetterWords.com.
"I gazed into a kaleidoscope once and juxtaposed there I saw everything I am and ever will be." The photo isn't kaleidoscopic, and "juxtaposed" is the wrong word, but there are worse things about his yearbook. From Lenoir-Rhyne's 1973 yearbook.
The blind driver labeled "begger man" is a precursor to the extremely nearsighted cartoon driver Mr. Magoo (who debuted 32 years later). From Akron's 1917 yearbook.
What does a yearbook on drugs sound like? "Focusing yesterday's indelible recall in silhouette with eternity while playing the game of my own undoing." Just say no. From Lenoir-Rhyne's 1973 yearbook.
Basketball has changed over the years, but some might say that the original spirit of the game endures. (We wouldn't, but some might.) From Mansfield's 1933 yearbook.
This is what we think when critics attempt to mar our workmanship. "Could it be dissemination of some wicked defamation of our blameless reputation by some imp of hell's creation?" From the Ole Miss yearbook of 1898.
If there's anything worse than yearbook writers trying to sound deep, tell me, because it'll be news to me. "Praying for voiceless cannons silenced by golden hopes of distant realities." From Lenoir-Rhyne's 1973 yearbook.
From the University of California's Blue and Gold yearbook, 1885. For instructions on how to use vintage spiders for payback or peace of mind, see How to Hoodoo Hack a Yearbook.