The Motor Boys as Freshmen is the 17th volume in the 22-volume series. It was originally entitled Ned, Bob and Jerry at Boxwood Hall but, wisely, was changed to fit in with the rest of the series. As you’ll see, the publisher did the same thing with a later volume. The boys’ parents have decided that after graduating from high/prep school, they have become too “wild,” and send them off to college at Boxwood Hall. They do manage to spend some time at their studies, but mostly they adventures: ice-racing and getting their old friend, Professor Snodgrass who, coincidentally, is teaching at Boxwood Hall out of scrapes. Organized athletics becomes a new attraction for the boys, and while Frank is a better-than-average gymnast, it’s Spring, and all three boys excel on the baseball field. Joining a “secret society” carries additional risks as they steal the Boxwood Hall portrait and, literally, run it up the flagpole. Aren’t you glad college didn’t take the “wild” out of the boys?

Clarence Young was a Stratemeyer Syndicate pen name. Howard Garis almost certainly wrote the series, although Stratemeyer usually provided his authors with an outline of the books. Garis and his wife, Lillian, wrote many children’s books under their own name. They are best known for a series of books that featured the character of Uncle Wiggily Longears, an engaging elderly rabbit. Many of Garis’ books were illustrated by Lansing Campbell. Garis and his wife, Lilian Garis, were possibly the most prolific children's authors of the early 20th century. Garis wrote many books for the Stratemeyers Syndicate as well, over a period of some 30 years.