Jan Blodgett – Page 5

Welcome themes

March 10, 2015 By Jan Blodgett Leave a Comment

Spring is not quite here – the dogwoods are not yet in bloom – but crowds of high school students with parents in tow (or is it parents with students in tow?) are surging across campus and checking out the town. The ritual of college visits brings to mind the parallel history of college brochures and raises the questions, “how has Davidson College described itself over the years? And how has the town promoted itself?”

Davidson brochure circa 1956

On a 1956 brochure, images of Chambers, the Union, and Johnston Gym ran counterpoint to the question HAVE YOU CHOSEN YOUR CAREER? The tone is serious, “Because a college education today is so important, you must consider carefully every opportunity that exists for you in higher education before deciding what you will do in four years of undergraduate work and where you will take that work.” But for those who have not chosen a career some reassurance is given:

Many students who enroll at Davidson are undecided about their careers. . . . Each student is helped to find the field in which he can attain the highest degree of happiness and success, to fulfill his potential as a a citizen.

1959 brochure

A few years later, the text remains very similar (the first sentence is identical) but the graphics have gotten larger and the emphasis on careers shifted somewhat:

The Davidson educational program seeks to prepare men not simply for making a living but for living lives of service as responsible citizens and leaders in the community, the state, and the nation.

Color comes to the 1966 brochure

By 1966, the college added color and changed the focus a bit. Starting with a bit of college history, the brochure promotes Davidson as a “particular kind of college.” Specifically:

a small residential college for men, priding itself on the personal relationship between students and faculty. Its educational program is grounded in a sound liberal arts curriculum and a devotion on the part of its faculty, to the primary task of teaching undergraduates. A deeply rooted student government tradition is based on a concept of individual honor as old as the college itself.

The Davidson scene in 1969

Less color but more pictures in 1969 with captions including:

On the beautiful front campus, Dr. Mahoney’s class successfully combines learning with informality;
In Wednesday evening “Open End Discussions” students exchange ideas with faculty members on topics from politics to Davidson’s new curriculum;
The campus takes on a “new look” when the students invite more than 700 dates from nearby women’s colleges to the campus for dance weekends.

1974 booklet

This 1974 brochure answered the question “Why choose Davidson?” by noting that

– We have a first quality academic program (stating bluntly – Our academic program is not just good. It is one of the best in the country.)
– You can learn many different ways (assuring students that at the heart of academics at Davidson are shared learning experiences between able professors and able students).
– People at Davidson care about other people (This is no accident. We select students how have shown a concern for others.)
– We’re in the country (just outside a city)
– We play big-time basketball

Davidson graphics 1985 cover, Black background with a red stripe in the middle going left to right with white edges on the red stripe and "Davidson" in the middle

Davidson graphics 1985-style

Inside the 1985 brochure

The town of Davidson was looking back more than the college. No technology highlights in a 1987 brochure. Instead it notes that the Davidson Dry Goods (now Toast) still has the original tin molding on the ceiling and the Natural Resources building (now home to Summit Coffee) served “as the town police station with an upstairs morgue.”

1987 town brochure & shopping guide

A decade later, Davidson was highlighting its selectivity, educational program, Rhodes Scholars, and faculty along with a claim that “Davidson is a leader among liberal arts colleges in integrating technology into the liberal arts.”

1991 brochure

The college’s 1991 brochure returned to the question Why Davidson? The answers include:

– As a Davidson student, you will learn to think broadly and deeply
– Davidson focuses on the individual
– Students at Davidson are bright, talented, and highly motivated

The town brochure for the same year still focused on the historic for its “three block stretch of early 20th century buildings where you’ll find a wonderful assortment of unusual stores” (no mention of morgues).

2011 Brochure

2011 echoed 1969 prominently featuring informal learning outside but the text talks to a new generation – “you are searching for a college, the right intersection between who you are now and who you hope to become” – and also encourages them to go online.

The town also did a bit of updating – going with a new slogan “Hip and Historic.”

Town brochure for a new generation

And expanding from just Main Street to South Main and Exit 30.

Town brochure moving beyond Main Street

The 2013 college brochure goes even farther in the 21st century using a hashtag graphic to place Davidson in the digital world.

2013 brochure

Filed Under: Campus traditions, Town history

Black History Month at Davidson

February 24, 2015 By Jan Blodgett Leave a Comment

As February draws to a close (and we hope takes all ice and snow with it), we mark the end of another Black History Month at Davidson. The origins of Black History Month are found in the creation of a Negro history week in 1926 by the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. Celebrated in February, it provided the impetus during the Civil Rights era of the 1960s and 1970s to promote a Black History Month. President Gerald Ford officially declared the first national Black History Month in 1976.

Davidson was slightly behind the times but making an effort. Members of the Black Student Coalition invited faculty to participate in Davidson’s first Black Week in April 1976.

BSC letter announcing the1976 Black Week.

February 8, 1980 letter to editor on Black History Month

In 1980, the BSC used the Davidsonian to invite students to join in Black History Month activities. This letter begins by acknowledging campus misconceptions, including that the BSC is “not a budding Black Panther Party,” or just a “social club of blacks.” It concludes by quoting the coalition’s constitution, “We the black students of Davidson do establish this kindred to preserve the pride and dignity of the students who have gone on before us, as well as those who will follow after us. With the foundation of a strong liberal arts education, we seek to insure that our cultural heritage is remembered, preserved, and maintained as long as this kindred exists.”

The following year, the chair of BSC’s Special Events Committe wrote an editorial encouraging more participation in Black History Month events noting that

“this year’s programs were most strikingly marked not by the enthusiasm with which Coalition members prepared the programs, nor by the unquestionable benefits to be gained from consideration of the viewpoints expressed, but regrettably by the dismally low attendance of the events by the Davidson student body.”

In 1988, Muadi Mukenge took the opportunity to pen an editorial on the importance of black history, while the calendar listings in the Davidsonian remained silent on any special activities related to black history.

By 1989, the Dean of Student’s Office joined with the BSC in organizing events for the Black History Month Cultural Arts Series. Speakers that year included Dr. C. Eric Lincoln and Dr. Henry Louis Gates.

Program of events for 1988 Black History Month Cultural Arts Series at Davidson

The cultural art series continued into the 1990s featuring alumni speakers, art and dance exhibitions, cooking workshops, and films.

1991 schedule

1993 schedule

Cover of 1996 series schedule

In recent years, the cultural arts series name has faded but the graphics have gotten better. More importantly, more groups on campus have joined in sponsoring the even, including other student groups (OLAS, the Organization of Latin American Studies), centers (Civic Engagement and Vann Ethics) and academic departments (History, German, Film and Media Studies, Education).

2010 calendar with events co-sponsored by OLAS and Dean Rusk

2013 poster with event cosponsored by Film and Media Studies and Civic Engagement

2013 flyer for an event with 9 other groups joining the BSC, Multimedia Exhibit on "The Civil Rights Stuggle, African-American Gi's and Germany"

2013 event with 9 other groups joining the BSC

Filed Under: Student Life, Student organizations

Scrapbooking

February 11, 2015 By Jan Blodgett Leave a Comment

Around the D is back! A technical glitch kept us off-line for a week (but happily not one we caused.) While we haven’t been blogging, we’ve been busy with student projects – focusing on scrapbooks.

Cover of Roy Perry's scrapbook. The cover says, "College D C Memories" with "D C" in red and "College Memories" in tan with a black background. He was a member of the class of 1916.

Cover of Roy Perry’s scrapbook. He was a member of the class of 1916.

Archivists love them and hate them. On one hand scrapbooks can be wonderful documentation of an event, organization or even student life. On the other, they are a mass of glue, photographs, cut up original documents , pins, ribbons, and other odd bits. They can be difficult to store and preserve (all those odd bits falling out of place or photos sticking together). Digitizing them, which seems at first glance a good option, can be amazingly complicated.

Ribbons adorning invitations in Marshall Doggett’s (1922) scrapbook.

At Davidson, we mostly love them and have collected a wide variety. The oldest dates from 1898 and is a collection of cartoons related to the Spanish-American War and the most recent covers the Davidson Historical Society up to 2011.

Photos of Davidson students from the 1920's with the corners cut so they are in the shape of long octagons

Cutting photos into shapes isn’t a new phenomenon, Davidson students did in the 1920s.

In between, there are scrapbooks from student organizations – YMCA, Eumenean Society, fraternities and eating houses; from academic departments (Library, ROTC, Theatre); from local organizations (book clubs, DAR, church groups) and from alumni. The alumni ones date from 1908 to 1994 with the 1920s and 1930s being the prime scrapbooking eras for Davidson.

One of 2 scrapbooks from the Battle of Cowan’s Ford chapter of the DAR.

In the last 2 weeks, our scrapbooks have been coming off the shelf and into student hands. Students in Introduction to Digital Art, searched the scrapbooks for images to use in learning new techniques for manipulating photographs. The students in Digital History of American Knowledge used the same books – plus a few more – to practice their metadata skills. Metadata being the current term for cataloging and indexing – coming up with terms to describe items. They will be creating online exhibits around historical documents –moving history into the digital age.

2015 student in the rare book room with scrapbooks from the year 1925

2015 student with 1925 scrapbooks

More Art students will be using the scrapbooks for projects related to Digital Storytelling. In the coming weeks, as the projects for all these classes are completed, we’ll be sharing links to show how something old and can new again and why we keep making space for those messy, complicated and always fun scrapbooks.

Filed Under: Behind the Scenes, Curriculum

Religious Satire – Davidson Style

January 13, 2015 By Jan Blodgett Leave a Comment

The ability to laugh at ourselves is a gift. The work of political and satirical cartoons is to make us think, to see another perspective and to challenge the practice of taking anything too seriously.

Around the D joins in the international proclaims of “Je suis Charlie” this week with a look at student cartoons around the topic of religion at Davidson.

From 30 October 1953 poking fun at students inattention during Chapel.

The earliest cartoon found comes from 1953. The caption reads “In Davidson Everybody Reads the Davidsonian” and depicts students ignoring a Chapel speaker by reading the paper. Sixteen years later, student efforts to avoid chapel still inspired the Davidsonian cartoonists.

From 7 February 1969, mocking both exam season and student tricks to avoid chapel.

In 1960, segregation was a hot topic at Davidson with students still deeply divided. This cartoon plays on the college’s Presbyterian heritage and the 10 commandments adding an 11th commandment Thou shalt love thy white neighbor as thyself.

From 16 February 1960 protesting segregation.

From 8 April 1960 juxtaposing Davidson College Presbyterian Church and a favorite local bar

This cartoon plays with student love of beer (Our Lady of Milwalkee) and their dislike of regular church attendance.

Student apathy, whether towards church and chapel services or involvement in the religious service activities of the YMCA was a popular theme.

From 10 November 1961 showing a student taking rather than leaving shoes for a YMCA drive

From 19 October 1962 with more direct criticism of student apathy

From 7 December 1962 satirizing student preference for holiday parties over charity

College policies, particularly around the practices of religious requirements for faculty and faculty oaths, became a re-occurring theme.

From 17 October 1958, this cartoon accompanied an editorial on the required faculty oath.

From 23 October 1964, the ball and chain motif reappears, this time hampering new faculty from applying to Davidson

From 20 November 1964, criticizing the Board of Trustees for focusing on faculty oaths instead of campus reforms.

From 20 April 1977, during the Linden controversy

The Cuban crisis in 1962 inspired a cartoon about religious blockades at Davidson.

From 26 October 1962 showing a Cuba-shaped Davidson College caught between tradition and new vesper policies

The appearance of an atheist speaker on campus in 1964 brought a bit of dinosaur humor to the editorial page.

From 14 February 1964, cartoon and headline from editorial

Questions of war and peace arose in 1963 and 1967.

From 18 October 1963, peace message not being well-received by students

From 29 September 1967, using a quotation from the college catalog to raise issues of faith and war

In 1984, a student group, the Davidson Christian Fellowship held a mock funeral on campus. The Davidsonian article reporting on the funeral and the demise of DCF begins:

DCF is dead,”declared Davidson Christian Fellowship President Frank Ivey. In a dramatic ceremony at Coffee and Cokes last Wednesday in front of Chambers, several DCF members dressed in sombre clothes, and bearing a coffin, pronounced the organization’s demise. This means that there will be no more large group meetings. The Fellowship ceases to exist. Spokesmen Craig Detweiler and Ivey explained that DCF had failed in its mission to meet the needs of Davidson students. They criticized themselves and DCF for misrepresenting the true nature of Christianity.

While the DCF members took their decision seriously, the cartoonist in the same issie offered a lighter perspective.

From 20 April 1984, with St. Peter questioning self-martyrdom

Here are a few more editorial efforts:

Filed Under: Student Publications

Davidson Resolutions

December 30, 2014 By Jan Blodgett Leave a Comment

Happy New Year from Around the D!

In case you are having trouble coming up with appropriate resolutions for 2015, here’s a look at some resolutions from New Years past:

In 1922, students were encouraged to attend the YMCA Sunday evening meetings. Noting that these meetings were “the only religious meeting at Davidson which the student body can claim as distinctively its own,” the Davidsonian editors rued that “attendance is not what it should be.” For those editors, it was not enough that half to two-thirds of the student body was now attending. They asked that every student (all 512 enrolled in 1922) to “resolve to become a regular attender.”

January 13, 1922 Davidsonian editoral with the heading, "New Year Resolutions"

January 13, 1922 Davidsonian editoral “New Year Resolutions”

Being a better student has been a popular them – appearing in editorials in 1927, 1955, 1960, and 2011. Taking a very serious tone, the 1927 editors declared, ” To everyone the New Year holds out a challenge, but this challenge is particularly directed at college students, the men and women who are preparing themselves for the great job of making the world fit during the next generation.” They encouraged students to consider the question, “Why are you in college?” and how well their time is being used.

January 13, 1927 Davidsonian editorial challenging students to reflect on why they are in college.

Gilbert Gragg, class of 1955

Gilbert Gragg took a satirical approach in 1955 creating a list of resolutions that included:

I resolve to continue taking every cut allowed me.

I resolve never to been on campus after noon on Saturday and before seven on Sunday.

I resolve to not participate in UCM or attend any of the Artist Series, as I may be stimulated and challenged.

I resolve to be as critical as possible of every aspect of Davidson life to show my maturity and independence.

January 14, 1955 Davidsonian article by Gilbert Gragg.

The writer of the 1960 editorial focused on organizations more than individuals finding that student organizations needed to be more focused, the Interfraternity Council was making “little effort to integrate their work with the educational aims of the college,” the YMCA leadership lacked a clear vision, the Student Council and Davidsonian were deemed below par, and the campus had “little basic criticism and debate, and even less encouragement of them.” He did have kinder words for the International Relations Club for their promotion of African issues and the denominational fellowships for deepening their activities.

One question remains -who is the Robinson offering this critique?

January 8, 1960 New Year’s resolutions editorialIn 2011 the focus shifted from campus life to wellness, with writer Jaqui Logan offering gentle tips for healthy resolutions.

January 19, 2011 resolution advice article

Paul Alderman, class of 1931

On a few occasions, the sports page writers claimed the resolution making. In 1930, P. R. Alderman sought to improve Davidson athletic future by having students join in recruiting efforts. While acknowledging that “No one can truthfully say that Davidson is a losing college as far as athletics are concerned,” he also argued that “at the same time it is fighting against great odds, just as other comparatively small schools are.” His New Year’s suggestion was for students to “write or speak to a friend who has made good in athletics in high school” and encourage them to come to Davidson.

January 16, 1930 article by Paul Alderman

Will Bryan and Suzy Eckl took a wider approach in 2007 encouraging their fellow students to: get interactive, spend time with friends, save money, be kind to your neighbor, get in shape, honor thy elders and learn something new – all with a sports twist. Spending time with friends meant waiting in line together to pick up basketball tickets, saving money happened by attending more sports events (since they are free to students), and honor thy elders meant celebrating Bob McKillop’s 300th win and pushing for the basketball court to named for him (finally happened in 2014!)

January 24, 2007 Davidsonian sports resolutions

And finally, what would resolutions be without at least one humor column? in 1963, Dave Pusey reported statements submitted to the fictional Faculty Committee on New Year’s and Hannukah Resolutions. These included competing demands from benefactors Charles Dana and the Belk Family with Dana demanding Belk dorm be renamed for him and the Belks demanding that the (then) new science building be renamed for them.

Henry Lilly, beloved English professor or snarling gambler?

English professor Henry Lilly announced that he was “sick of being a kindly old gent type, and will revert to my secret desire of being a professional gambler, complete with snarl, eyeshades, and brocaded vest.

Dorm mother Mrs. J. B. Moore declared her intention of selling all the pin-ups she’s confiscated for a college fund and music professor and choir director Don Plott announced his ambition to get the Male Chorus on TV by including “in its repertoire for the coming year numerous Ferlin Huskey songs and a trained chimp act.”

For more fun, click on the article below:

January 11, 1963 article in the Davidsonian with the heading, "New Year's And The Resolutions"

January 11, 1963 tongue-in-cheek resolutions

What ever your resolutions are for 2015, Around the D hopes following us will be one of them!

Filed Under: Campus traditions, Student Life, Student Publications

Evolution of Martin Chemical Building

December 9, 2014 By Jan Blodgett Leave a Comment

The view from the library looks different these days. Construction is well underway on the new wings for the Martin Chemical Laboratory.

Construction crane at back of Martin Chemical Laboratory, December 2014

Chemistry has a long history at Davidson with the first Martin building opening in 1901. Known as the Martin Chemical Laboratory, it was named in honor of William Joseph Martin, Sr. chemistry professor (1869-1896) and acting Davidson College President (1887-1888).

That the building lasted 40 years, is a testament to the ingenuity of faculty. In the first decades of the 20th century, three labs, one stockroom and a 120 seat lecture hall were deemed ample resources.

Entry way for Martin Science Building

By 1941, the building was outdated and the college began construction of a more modern replacement. The new Martin Science Building was 3 stories to the original’s two stories and greatly expanded the number of classrooms and laboratories but stayed with one lecture hall. There was one additional change – this time the building’s name referred to both William Joseph Martin, Sr. and William Joseph Martin, Jr.

Davidsonian article on dedication of Martin Science in honor of father and son Martins.

For almost 2 decades, the building housed chemistry and biology. In 1960, the Biology Department moved into the new Dana Science building.

The second Martin Science building under construction

By the 1970s, the state of the art conditions of the 1940s were far from sufficient. Department chair, Nick Burnett described the conditions in an August 1978 Davidson Update article, “It has been difficult teaching in rooms with inadequate lighting, noisy radiators, poor acoustics, and no air conditioning.”

Martin Chemical’s storage area in 1970s

Renovations in 1979 upgraded the facilities including a new lecture room featuring hexagonal lights and mahogany walls. New fluorescent lights along with orange and chrome fume hoods brightened the lab spaces. The renovations also brought the return of the name Martin Chemical Laboratory when the building was rededicated in 1980.

Newly renovated lecture hall with custom designed hexagon lights.

Newly renovated lecture hall with custom designed lights.

Invitation to 1980 rededication. The response was so large, the program moved from the Chemistry building to the Chambers building

Fast forward another 15 years or so and the $1,000,000 renovation in 1980 was being updated with a $400,000 National Science Foundation Infrastructure grant. The grant provided for updating the current labs and building new faculty research labs.

Fast forward again, to 2014 and more renovations and the reintegration of other sciences into the two wings being added to the original building.

Even though it will be another year or two before the next dedication invitations are sent and the archives will add to yet another program to the ones from the 1944 and 1980 ceremonies, the Martin legacy will carry on in good Davidson tradition.

Filed Under: College buildings

A Feast of Menus

November 25, 2014 By Jan Blodgett Leave a Comment

Around the D wishes all a Happy Thanksgiving. This week we are sharing menus from Davidson’s dining past. They include Sophomore and Junior class banquets from the 1890s to the 1920s, Phi Beta Kappa and Davidsonian fetes, a themed meals at Vail Commons, a sesquicentennial celebration, and a White House dinner menu from 1967 signed by Dean Rusk and presented to DC president D. Grier Martin.

Whether your tastes run to the sophomores’ Pommes de terra parsley and Philadelphia cream cheese with crackers or the juniors’ Heavenly Hash a la Hotel Sloan or the Davidsonian’s Beef Tenderloin, larded, these menus have something for almost every taste.

Filed Under: Campus traditions, Student organizations

Our Mercantile Campus

November 4, 2014 By Jan Blodgett Leave a Comment

An editorial writer in the 22 October 2014 Davidsonian asked “why not offer our students built-in entrepreneurship opportunities (to make REAL money)?” The context was the re-use of the laundry building but for Around the D it brought up the history of student enterprises.

From the earliest days of the school, students found ways to bring in some income. Cornelia Shaw, in her history of the college, recounted the story of William Allison, class of 1840, who:

had a private harness shop between the Eumenean Hall and the southwest corner of campus. His father was a tanner and he did a considerable business. He sold not only enough of his product to pay his expenses, but enough to create a comfortable margin. (Davidson College, p. 39)

She also noted that other students operated blacksmith shops, cabinet and carpenter shops during the 1840s. By the 1890s, students were moving into sales. The April 1890 Davidson Monthly included an article “Our Mercantile Campus.” Reporting that “not less that five clothing houses are now represented on our campus”and that being a store agent was “far from not being remunerative,” the piece went on to say, “the firms as represented have their respective headquarters at Oak Row, Elm Row, and Upper Tammany Hall, which three are centrally located and within easy reach of the passenger’s and freight depots, the Telegraph and Express-offices.” Students visiting the dormitory rooms these agents could see examples of suits, shirts, shoes, neck bands and socks. Remember – in this era students wore suits to class- every day.

The early issues of the Davidsonian reflect more of the entrepreneurial spirit in advertisements.

A block of student business ads from the 16 September 1914 featuring two images of Walter A. Johnson and W.Y. Sayad

A block of student business ads from the 16 September 1914 Davidsonian

William A. Johnson, class of 1916 was managing shoe repairs while J. R. Dunn, ’15 handled suits. Prior to the college laundry, students, including William Sayad, ’17 an international student, worked with companies in Charlotte to insure classmates had clean clothes. For those who couldn’t afford to send a suit down the road, the pressing clubs offered spot cleaning and fine creases.

Laundry advertisements featuring three images of, Walter Gray SommerVille, J.A. Carriker, and William Carleton Rourk

More laundry opportunities and a way to get the 1914 version of flyers printed.

An image of Belk McClure with an advertisement for Belk Brothers

There have been Belks attending Davidson since 1848 and students representing the stores on campus since at least 1916

The advent of World War I and required military training for Davidson students opened up possibilities for classmates J. A. Thames ’18 and J. T.Maddrey ’19.

John A Thames, class of 1918

In 1920, the Davidsonian reported on an essay contest sponsored by Arthur Murray who apparently earned extra money teaching dance while at student at Georgia Tech.

Article on essay contest with the heading, "Could You Use $25.00? Davidson Students Eligible for Essay Contest on Money Making in College"

Article on essay contest “Five ways of Earning Money at College.” 26 November 1920

With Davidson College’s history of boarding houses as the solution for feeding students, one on-going source of income was being a boarding house manager. Not an easy job as this list of rules below relating to the payment of fees (and penalties for non-payment of fees) makes clear.

Boarding house rules fall of 1922

In 1927, faculty still expected students to show up well-dressed but didn’t allow much free time to shop in Charlotte, giving Robert McQueen a captive audience for his wares.

1927 advertisement for R. B. McQueen, sales agent for The Vogue

The college found it necessary to put some regulations on student agents in an attempt to keep study hours distraction free. Being able to find students in their rooms was a bonus for the agents and their clients now knew when to have cash on hand.

1928 article announcing new campus rules for student acting as agents for dry cleaners and shoe repairs.

At least one student became an agent for a local restaurant, helping his fellow students stave of hunger while studying in a era with no snack machines or dorm kitchens.

An images of K. L. Hanrahan, '35. Text from an article, "ODD SIGHTS: Kirk Hanrahan rushing into your room with L.P. sandwiches and other goodies to eat; little Kirk surely has some sales line even though he is studying for the ministry...."

K. L. Hanrahan, ’35 found a way to supplement his income and boarding house meals.

For at least the first 100 years, some students at Davidson found ways of earning funds via their fellow students. Did you have a business enterprise as a student? Or know of other student businesses? Maybe today’s students can take inspiration from the creativity of earlier students.

Filed Under: Student Life

Campus Changes Seen Through Maps

September 30, 2014 By Jan Blodgett Leave a Comment

A class visit for Digital Studies 360 (Digital Maps, Space and Place) brought a reminder that while some aspects of the campus have lasted generations, others have been more, well, let’s say mobile. In DS360 students are learning about mapping. They spent time looking at a variety of campus maps and asking questions about campus changes.

Even though there have been 2 Chambers buildings and 2 Martin Science buildings, the physical location of English classes or chemistry labs has remained within the same general area. Not so for athletics, particularly gymnasiums. Those have wandered all over campus.

Campus map from 1928-29

This map from 1928-29 shows some of the transitions. The dark building (#7) is noted as the Physical Training building. Built in 1890, it provided the first indoor gymnasium for the campus. Known as Morrison Hall, it also served as the YMCA building.

Students putting on an exhibition in front of Morrison Hall.

Students working out on outdoor gym equipment.

Along with the building, the college constructed an outdoor gymnasium that grew more elaborate over time. Starting with parallel bars and adding layers of ladders and platforms. By 1917, the college was in need of a new gym facility. The Alumni Gymnasium, the grey building on the map (#32), moved athletic gathering from the front of campus to behind the Chambers building. The name Alumni Gymnasium was appropriate since alumni funded the building, raising the money by classes. The class of 1886 won the honor of raising the most money, $1725.00, followed by the class of 1875 at $1260.00.

Alumni Gymnasium

The three story building was 95 feet by 90 feet, with the locker room the basement, gym space on the main floor and offices on the 3rd. The 1929 basketball team with Dean Rusk ’31 and future history professor Frontis Johnston ’30 played in this building, although to small crowds as the space was not designed to hold many spectators

1929 team on steps of Alumni Gym

The next gym, Johnston, was built in 1949. It was built just a little to the east of the Alumni Gymnasium, facing the already existing Richardson field — and with more seating for basketball fans. The current gym is Baker Sports Complex built in 1989. Once again, it is a little further to the east and offers even more seating for Wildcat fans.

Basketball game in Alumni Gymnasium, stands are packed

Basketball area in Alumni Gymnasium

Johnston Gym filled with screaming wildcat fans

Johnston Gym allowed for more students and townspeople to support the Wildcats.

The map also shows tennis courts in 2 locations. The oldest location were the courts next to Concord Road, while the newly build courts moved east as well bumping up to the golf course (which later moved further to the east as well). The tennis courts are moving again — a bit more to the east behind the Baker Sports complex. Looks like the archives will need to add some new maps for future students.

Filed Under: Athletics, College buildings

Summer Discovery

August 5, 2014 By Jan Blodgett Leave a Comment

Decades ago, Fred Hengeveld, registrar from 1921 to 1967, created a wonderful compilation of college statistics from 1837 to 1960. Well before computer databases, his work involved pulling information from dozens of sources and creating tables on a typewriter. The result was a 115 page book that covered everything from the number of applicants, classroom use and size of classes, annual fees, and faculty statistics to details about students -including intended vocations, number attending medical and graduate schools, geographic origins and church affiliations.

Portion of the pages on student religious affiliation.

The chart on page 40, part of the church affiliation data, has long been of interest as it marks the first known Jewish student at Davidson. Or at least the years the first student attended Davidson. The trick was finding the name. The question has come up a few times but until this summer, the archives staff had not searched the last best place to look — transcript files.

While it no doubt made Hengeveld’s work easier, the fact that all the classes between the 1920s and 1960s were all in one big alphabetical order made our work harder – going by hand through all the files. In the end, seven names turned up.

Transcript form showing church affiliation for Isadore Doduck – Davidson’s first Jewish student

The first alphabetically was Isadore Frederick Doduck. He attended Davidson for one year, 1927-1928 and was selected for both the freshman wrestling and tennis teams.

The only yearbook photograph of Doduck is in this uncaptioned freshman wrestling team picture.

The only yearbook photograph of Doduck is in this uncaptioned team picture.

He transferred to Chapel Hill and later owned and managed his own printing company. Oddly enough, he isn’t included in Hengeveld’s list – there is no Jewish student listed for 1927. Although his 1927 transcript lists Jewish, in 1963 he listed his church as Episcopal (non-member) on an alumni form. It’s not clear if Hengeveld revised his statistics or missed Doduck in his initial counting, leaving the table showing “0” in 1927.

Doduck quote on an alumni form, saying "After 67 years of a rather wild and wooly, and sometimes erratic world, I still never have lost my idealism.

Doduck shared a quote in another alumni form, saying “After 67 years of a rather wild and wooly, and sometimes erratic world, I still never have lost my idealism.

David Solomon, Jr. is the student marked by the “1” in 1932 and 1933.

Transcript form for David Solomon, class of 1936

He was only 16 when he entered Davidson. He appears in the college yearbook as a sophomore who did not have a photograph included and does not appear to have joined any clubs or sports teams during his 2 years here.

List from 1933-34 Quips and Cranks of the Sophmores (Without pictures) - showing Solomon as a student

List from 1933-34 Quips and Cranks -showing Solomon as a student but without a photo.

Unlike Doduck who remained in contact with Davidson after transferring, Solomon faded from our records after 1934. The only further information come from requests to send his transcript to Harvard’s Law school in 1936 and the Air Corps in 1942.

The other names we found were:

Jules Kimmett, entered in the fall of 1940 as a special student, attended for 1 year

Harold Goldberg, entered in the fall of 1941 and attended only one semester

Harold Herman Frank, entered in the fall of 1943 and joined the navy in 1944

Herbert A. Kassner, entered in the fall of 1943, appears to have joined the military in 1944

Kurt Weill, entered in the fall of 1943 at age 14, enlisted and served in WWII, transferred to Chapel Hill

The first known Jewish student to attend and graduate from Davidson is Julien Weinberg, class of 1954. He served in the army after graduation, then attended law school. He practiced law in Manning, SC where he also served as mayor and on the city council.

Julien Weinberg’s freshman photograph.

Sixty years after Weinberg’s graduation, the statistics have changed considerably. It’s been good to be able to have time this summer to uncover a the beginnings of this piece of Davidson history

Filed Under: Alumni

Welcome themes

Black History Month at Davidson

Scrapbooking

Religious Satire – Davidson Style

Davidson Resolutions

Evolution of Martin Chemical Building

A Feast of Menus

Our Mercantile Campus

Campus Changes Seen Through Maps

Summer Discovery

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Advisory Statement

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