‘I Will Try' becomes official NU motto

By Kylee Dalmata
Norwich Guidon Managing Editor

The Corps of cadets gathered and marched once more on Nov. 4. A little after 1 p.m. that afternoon the President of Norwich University, Richard Schneider, gathered the upper class members of the Corps of cadets in Plumley Armory to hear his address.

It had been a while since the he had last called the corps together, and no one was quite sure what he would be speaking about.

The meeting itself brought to light many issues that had been discussed at the recent Board of Trustees meeting, but the one topic Schneider focused on was the school motto.

"I can't have a school with two different mottos," Schneider said, explaining that there had been competing mottos for years. "Essayons" versus "I will try," the terms, which are seemingly interchangeable, have created great controversy in the past.

"Essayons" is a French term, which translates into "Let us try." It is the motto of the Army Corps of Engineers.

"Partridge was too good of a scholar to not have known the difference," Schneider said. "He wouldn't have stolen one units' motto and made it his own." Col. Truman Bishop Ransom at the Battle of Chapultapec reputedly said "Essayons" in 1847 right before he led his troops in an attack. But that is inaccurate, according to research done by Norwich's historian Professor Gary Lord.

This event could not have become confused with "I will try" and become the school motto at this time, because "I will Try" had been in use as the Norwich motto since at least 1839, where it appears on diplomas, according to Lord's research.

The "I'll try" version also appeared on a flag given to the university in 1844, which was still before Ransom's battle.

"I, as the president, am trying to get back to our roots," Schneider told the corps. "In any way that I can, I am trying to restore the original traditions. I also want to get rid of some of the traditions that have crept in over time that are not honoring to our founder or are just not right."

The origin of the original "I will try" stems from Col. James Miller's response at Lundy's Lane when asked if he could "take that battery," according to Lord's research.

The motto change itself was a long time coming.

It was officially changed to "Essayons" in the 1970s when the president ratified it in an attempt to clarify the dual motto problem.

"Older alums have not liked it ever since," Schneider said. "Some of the older alums had never heard ‘Essayons' when they were here."

When Schneider became president, Dick Keenan, the Vice Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Trustees, presented this problem to him.

"I asked Dr. Lord to research the topic and help shed some light on the problem," Schneider explained.

The information and research used at the time "Essayons" was declared the motto was not solid, Schneider said, explaining that Lord's research has made it obvious that "I will try" is the accurate Norwich Motto.

With this in mind, recent research was presented at the Board of Trustee's meeting this year.

"The Board voted unanimously to go back to ‘I will try'," Schneider said. "I have gotten some wonderful comments from older alums who didn't like it when they changed it in 1972. ‘Essayons' just isn't right."

"To me, using it in English seems to make more sense. For people just coming to Norwich they don't know what ‘Essayons' means," said Assistant Provost Joseph Byrne. "When you say ‘I will try' then there is a motto people will be able to interpret."

Making "I will try" the official Norwich University motto is a formality.

"This doesn't change the motto, it just clarifies it," Schneider said.

Byrne said that "I will try" expresses an "attitude for faculty and students. It says that I will make an effort, I will do my best."

The Norwich Guidon is a twice-monthly student newspaper distributed at Norwich University. It provides laboratory experience for students in the Communications program. Claims asserted by letter writers, editorials and other articles do not represent the positions of Norwich University. The Norwich Guidon welcomes signed letters to the editor. They should be no longer than 300 words. Unsigned letters will not be printed, but names may be withheld upon worthy request. All letters are subject to editing for length and good taste. Mailing address: The Norwich Guidon, Communications Center, Norwich University, Northfield, VT 056632. www.norwich.edu/guidon. If you have any questions or comments about the paper, please contact Professor Ken Bush at kbush@norwich.edu.