Central Methodist University - Ragout Yearbook (Fayette, MO)

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Xu l1.ff - 'A-37 , Auf , , , , Swinney Conservatory The Swinney Conservatory of Music is the gift of Mr. and Mrs. E. F. Swinney of Kansas City. It was built in 1927. It contains a recital hall, studios , practice rooms , and classrooms. Under the leader- ship of Dean Emeritus N. Louise Wright and Dean Luther T. Spayde it has become one of the outstanding schools of music and music educa- tion in the United States . Professor Spayde has also developed the A Cappella Choir into one of the finest of its kind. '

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f t located at either end of the, hall served then as offices for the President and Dean of the College. On the second floor, where the museum is presently located, there was the library, and across from that was the museum. This museum , which served the paleonto- logical ,- mineralogical, and zoological depa-rtme nts , was partially financed by a gift from Lon V. Stephens. Later, the Chapel was moved to a different location as the library was expanded, the library occupying both its old loca- tion and the former chapel. Also located in the building were classrooms, laboratories, and three literary society halls. There was on the fourth floor a storage tank which served as a reservoir for water pumped from' a spring located around Puckett' Field House . 22 ' -- Sc enes Hall The present Science Hall was con- structed to replace Stephens Hall, the old science plant built in 1886 and situated where the Parish House is pre sently located. Science Hall resulted from a campaign for funds instigated by Dr. D. Hammond, D.D. , President of the College. In 1895, when Science Hall was completed, the equipment was moved from Stephens , which was then torn down. The new Science Hall consisted of a basement and four upper floors. The basement floor plan was then about the same as now, butvthe upper floors Were quite different. The large lecture room on first floor served in 1895 as a chapel, and directly across hom this was a lecture room. The small offices

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'life here on campus. Now it is open from 8 A.M. , ,,,,:.. , .- . 4, The first 'floor of the library housed a part of the Stephen Museum'Col- lectign which included spinning wheels , ploughshares and other antique pieces. There was also a display representing the different periods of man's development in the use of the tools of civilization. v A The dedication of the George M. Smiley Memorial Library on Iune'5 was a part of the 1928 commencement activities. Bishop W. F. McMurry gave the dedicatory formula. , ' .Q The remodeling made one-third of the building into a .fireproof stack room extending through five tiers 'from the basement to the roof. On fthe second floor were the reading room , cataloging room and the entrance to the stacks Above this main reading room was a gallery equipped for special or seminar work. Phoenix marble floors were laid throughout the entire building. The library has a capacity of 140,000 volumes and will 'accommodate over 198 students -at one time. A Eyrie b I ' An Eyrie, according to Webster, is figurative- ly an eagle's nest, and that is just what Eyrie is to many Centralites. Built in 1947, it was once an officers'club and was later rehabilitated and turned over to school by the government for a recreation center. Before the building of the field house most of the indoor intramural activities were heldiin the Eyrie with the exception of men's basketball. The Eyrie has seen many changes in the short to .10 P.M . everyday except Sunday when it is open from 6 to 10 P.M. Intramural sports are no longer held here, and the whole building is open to the Student Body at anytime, a privilege not enjoyed in the earlier days. Also the auditorium may be reserved by organizations for specific occasions. The Eyrie now furnishes the meeting places for social and some professional organiza- tions. Through all the changes that have occurred the Eyrie has remained a dwelling place for Centralites during their free time . ' .27 Cupples Hall Cupples Hall, a dormitory for boys, was built in 1899 at thelcost of S26,000 with a portion of a large sum of money donated by Samuel Cupples from St. Louis. It was de- scribed in the minutes of the Missouri Con- ference meeting of 1900 as the most magnificent boarding house for boys in the state. When the preliminary plans for the dormitorywere being made , the building Was referred to GS Epworth Hall, but the name was' changed td Cupples Hall in honor of the donor. ' From 1917-'19 Cupples Hall was used as a barracks for the Student Army Training Corps. But in the fall of 1919, the boys moved out and girls moved into Cupples Hall, living there until 1922. After 1922 and until the fall of 1927, boys again occupied Cupples Hall, then they were moved to the new boys' dormitory just con- structed. Remodeling was begun on Gupples Hall to convert it into a library. This remodel- ing was made pos sibleby a memorial gift of S25,000 from,Mrs. Marv L. Pollard of Carthage, Missouri in honor of her nephew, George M. Smiley, a student and professor at Central College From 1877-11885. N