Whiffenpoofs (Musical group)

The Whiffenpoofs, a Yale student singing group, was founded in 1909 by four members of the University Quartet: George Pomeroy (1909), James M. Howard (1909), Meade Minnigerode (1910), Carl A. Lohmann (1910), and Denton Fowler (1909). The founders took their name from a fish story told by Joe Cawthorn, a popular comedian of the time. In a musical show called "Little Nemo," he described a fabulous creature which he caught by boring a hole in the lake and putting cheese around the hole. The Whiffenpoof, led on by the cheese, came up the hole, squawked, and then was caught. The Yale Whiffenpoofs claimed that they too could be led on by food and drink to squawk.

From the description of Whiffenpoofs, Yale University, records 1904-2009 (inclusive). (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 702170290

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