Indiana University - Arbutus Yearbook (Bloomington, IN)

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Photos Scolty Comegys 24 ' ' Everything is so comfortable and friendly here. It ' s a small town with many of the advantages of a larger community -Janet Dunn

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(LEFT) A Hobbit House member plays in a tire swing at the day care co-op run by lU faculty and students. (OPPOSITE TOP) A long-time Bloomington resident. Melinda Sinn, an lU senior, relaxes in the Commons — just as she did in high school. (OPPOSITE BOTTOM) Born and raised in the Blooming-metropolis, Jennifer Cobb student teaches at Fairview Elementary School, where she herself went. ' ID. Schwali Children nappnig, a little girl coloring, a group playing cards . . . these are some of the activities found on an ordinary afternoon in the Hobbit House. The house, one of four cooperative day care centers in the city, is run by 15 families who share the housework, care and expenses of the center. The Hobbit House philosophy is to give youngsters more than just a babysitting center. The center enables parents who are lU students or faculty mem- bers to become more involved with their children, and at the same time, spend leisure moments with them. There are monthly meetings to discuss the stages of development and problems any child might be having. One difference between the Hobbit House and other cen- ters is that single parents are expected to work only one shift, while most of the other centers require members to work two shifts, single or not. Each family pays $17 per month for the upkeep of the center. This money takes care of maintenance, rent, new toys, milk and juice for the 18 chil- dren. Afternoon snacks are provided by individual families who take turns bringing nutritious and preferably homemade treats. Meals are not served in the Hobbit House, so the re- frigerator bulges with lunch boxes. Mary Wagner 23

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Her heritage is Dunn, but it ' s far from over Mrs. Janet Dunn, 401 S. High Street, has strong family roots in Bloomington. Ahhough this suggests an al- Hance with Moses Dunn, famous in Bloomington for his land donations to lU, actually the two Dunns are only umpteenth cousins. Janet Dunn ' s family, however, has contributions of its own. Dunn ' s grandfather, William Henry Seward, was born and lived his entire life in Bloomington. He was the third gener- ation president of one of the oldest businesses in the state, Seward and Company. Established as a blacksmithing com- pany in 1821, it is now an industrial supply outfit. Wil- liam ' s son and Janet ' s father, Fred, followed similar life pat- terns. Fred was a track star at Bloomington High School South; in 1904, he set a record for low hurdles which is still un- beaten. He went on to set hurdling records at lU, which stood until the mid-thirties. After leaving lU, Fred became unofficial trainer for the track team and in 1964, he received the Zora Clevenger ath- letic award for outstanding service to the university. He also received a 50-year I-Man award. A man who never missed a single lU football game for 50 years, Fred raised his children, Janet and Doris, to also love the university town. Dunn said her father never thought any school existed but lU. She and her sister attended lU during the Depression when there were only about 3,200 students. Dunn knew many of her professors because she was in school with their children. Dunn ' s sister, Doris Seward, who recently received an lU Distinguished Alumni Award, is now the executive assistant to the president at Fenn State. Dunn stayed in Bloomington, where she raised four boys, three of whom remained here. The fourth, Allen, is presently attending ID Medical School in Indianapolis. Dunn is hoping he will return to Bloomington. Dunn thinks Bloomington is a great place to grow up in; she has never desired to live elsewhere. Everything is so comfortable and friendly here. It ' s a small town with many of the advantages of a larger community, Dunn said. There are many cultural events without a fear of crime, like in bigger cities. Not only has Dunn lived in Bloomington all her life, but she also lives in one of the city ' s oldest houses. Erected in 1866, the Dunn House consists of nine rooms, many which are unusually sized. Dunn purchased the house in 1961 from Mrs. Olin Rogers, the widow of the grandson of the original owner, Acquilla Rogers. Mrs. Dunn ' s home has been studied by the lU Folklore Department. Because she had little money when first married, Dunn began to pick up things in second-hand shops. Her hun- dreds of antique collector ' s items lend testament to modes of 19th and early 20th century life. Because she was purchas- ing them, Dunn said she could buy them cheaply and be- came an auction-holic. My only way to resist things is to just not go. Dunn is not confined to a century-old sedentary way of living. She does volunteer work at Bloomington Hospital, takes a class of sorts now and then, and is active in vari- ous women ' s clubs. Becky Stiles (LEFT) Mrs. Janet Dunn, a life-long Bloomington resident, stands on the main stairway of Dunn House, surrounded by pictures and other memorabilia commemorating her ancestors. (TOP LEFT) Dunn House. 401 S. High Street, was built in 1866 by Mrs. Dunn ' s grandfather, William Henry Seward, who himself was the third- generation president of Seward Co., one of Indiana ' s oldest businesses. (LOWER LEFT) Mrs. Dunn is the fourth generation to occupy the home.