Alma Mater

Trinity's current alma mater is “’Neath the Elms,” sung to the tune of “On the Banks of the Old Tennessee,” written by Chapel organist, Augustus P. Burgwin, Class of 1882, M.A. 1885. Trinity's original alma mater (1823-1882) was “Auld Lang Syne.”

Old Campus

Trinity's original alma mater prior to 1882 was “Auld Lang Syne.” Students sang Robert Burns' original first stanza and then followed with two Trinity-oriented stanzas. The third was:

All hail to Trinity we sing
Old Mother, staunch and true
May added years fresh honor bring
and still her age renew.

Origins

Burgwin was sent home to Pittsburgh on suspension in May of his senior year. While enjoying a summer evening singing barber-shop ballads, Burgwin and friends heard a Black man playing guitar and singing. Burgwin retold the story 50 years later: “There came to us gently wafted on the breezes a really beautiful melody never before heard by any of us; 'On the Banks of the Old Tennessee,'” which is a Black spiritual (African American folk song). After hearing the tune, Burgwin superimposed the lyrics “'Neath the Elms of our old Trinity.”

The song first appeared in the April 1, 1882 Trinity Tablet. At the time “'Neath the Elms” was written, the College was planting the first rows of elm trees on the main quad under the direction of the Trustees and Frederick Law Olmsted.

The Tablet's author explained that the song, among others, was written after a College meeting on March 8:

It was decided to reconsider Trinity's representation in the 'American College Song Book,' now in course of preparation at Chicago. A committee was appointed, consisting of Messrs. Young, McCrackan, Burgwin, Ball, and Hotchkiss, to prepare the requisite number of college songs and secure their insertion. The committee immediately went to work to make the selection and have decided upon three of the four tunes necessary. Two of the number are from the collection of German 'Folk Songs' with which every Trinity man to-day is familiar. The third and fourth have been sung in College for some time. To all of these, new words have been set.

The phrase “'neath the elms” is also often used to denote time spent as a student at Trinity, as in, “I spent four years 'neath the elms…”

Lyrics

’Neath the elms of our old Trinity,
’Neath the elms of our dear old Trinity,
No more shall we meet,
Our classmates to greet,
’Neath the elms of our old Trinity.
’Neath the elms of our old Trinity.
’Neath the elms of our dear old Trinity
Oh it’s seldom we’ll meet,
In the moonlight so sweet,
’Neath the elms of our old Trinity.
On the hills of our old Trinity,
In the halls of our dear old Trinity,
There is bright merry cheer,
There are friends true and dear,
In the halls of our old Trinity.
College days are from care and sorrow free.
And oft will we seek in memory
Those days that are past,
Far too joyous to last,
’Neath the elms of our old Trinity.
Then we’ll sing to our old Trinity,
To our dear old Alma Mater, Trinity;
We’re together today,
And tomorrow away,
Far away from our old Trinity.