Merrimack College - Merrimackan Yearbook (North Andover, MA)

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On September 29, 1952, Archbishop Cushing solemnly blessed the new campus, and dedicated the buildings in an impressive ceremony. This marked the end of the first phase of Merrimack’s expansion program, a time of saws and hammers, scaffoldings and bricklaying; it ushered in a quieter time of gradual expansion and beautification. Wide, smooth roadways now unite the various buildings and park- ing areas; sweeping expanses of grass, bordered with native shrubs and trees now enhance the hilltop site of the campus. Students arriving in the early morning find a place of quiet dignity and serenity, heightened by the natural beauty of its s etting. This was the start of a most ambitious undertaking. Even in the midst of postwar inflation and uncertainty, tremen- Pp. dous faith was shown by the people of the area, of all , faiths, who helped the new college over the rough pioneer | years. Witness the Merrimack Association, composed of - parents and friends of the college, who organized a huge i Penny Sale in 1948 at the Lawrence Memorial Stadium, which raised funds for the construction of a gymnasium. ? Over eight thousand friends and volunteer associates of the L college conducted a nine-month drive for funds, covering all -the Northeastern Massachusetts and succeeded in raising [k well over a million dollars. The work of these volunteers is Ef ‘being carried on today by a group of devoted friends and ' businessmen known as the Men of Merrimack. With the funds available from the drive, construction ; K; was begun immediately on the upper campus. On Sep- ■ K- tember 29, 1948, ground was broken for a modern, thor- Kf oughly equipped Science Building. Cushing Hall, as it was K ' ‘named in honor of our beloved patron, was ready for occu- K pancy in late 1949. By September, 1951, the Liberal Arts K Building, Sullivan Hall, was completed. Summer of 1952 saw the completion of porticoed Austin Hall, the faculty- administration building. r- f r f ct f i Hi

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The rugged green countryside of New England, so well known for its colleges and universities, dynamic industries and research centers, became the home of Merrimack Col- lege in 1947. A young institution under the guidance of the centuries-old Order of St. Augustine, Merrimack College is the product of the faith which the people of the Merri- mack alley have in the new generation. It stands now, alert to the needs of a present-day America that is crying out for leadership, educating young men and women to be leaders who will employ the teachings and ideals of Christ in their lives. But how did it come to be that on this site where Abiel Wilson, a Cod-fearing farmer of the hard soil of New Eng- land, struggled generations ago, plowing and reaping on his small farm, we now see handsome Colonial brick build- ings and wide roads, cowled figures and hundreds of active students busy in intellectual pursuits? How was it possible that Merrimack College came to be the manifestation of a monumental faith in the youth of the area? The idea for the founding of a college arose in 1946, out of the deliberations of a Haverhill labor-management group, headed by Mr. J. Leo Cronin. With thousands of returning veterans overtaxing college facilities in the nation, the group resolved to broaden its industrial relations program, and undertake the erection of a suitable college in the north of Boston. They laid their plans before the Right Reverend, and now Bishop, Jeremiah F. Minihan, who was at that time Secretary of His Excellency, Richard J. Cushing. They found a ready friend and ally in the Archbishop. His Excellency secured the Augustinians from Villanova to found and staff the proposed college. Under the inspiring leadership of the Reverend Vincent A. McQuade, O.S.A., Ph.D., who was designated President in December, 1946, the project was launched with the construction of a long, E-shaped classroom building on Peters Street, below Wil- son’s Corner, North Andover. On September 29, 1947, amidst hammers and saws and fresh cement, the first class of Merrimack College, consisting of 165 men, was under way.

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The noonday sun shows a scene of intense activity and interest. For the role of a college is to teach, to develop the latent possibilities in its students. Merrimack utilizes diver- sified curricular and extracurricular activities to develop the well-rounded individual. Admidst Engineering students employing transits and slide rules. Liberal Arts students plumbing the depths of the Humanities, Business Admin- istration majors analyzing graphs and figures. Secretarial Science students learning the intricacies of complex office equipment. Biology students dissecting specimens in the Labs, one will find tomorrow’s leaders. Intramural sports are in session on the extensive grounds or in the gymnasium; Student Council meetings are hearing the cases of student violators; political discussion groups are debating the pros and cons of governmental policies. Radio panels record broadcasts for public distribution; the Holy Name Frater- nity plans its projects to aid orphans and hospitals; the Sodality of Our Mother of Good Counsel recites the Rosar in the chapel of Austin Hall. The beehive of intellectual, spiritual, and physical activity is remarkable indeed, but what elevates it out of the commonplace is the fact that all of it is centered around the precepts of the Catholic religion laid down by Christ for all men. On April 19, 1954, the Feast of Christ the King, His Excellency Archbishop Cushing once more returned to his beloved Merrimack College to break ground for the new Collegiate Chapel of Christ the Teacher. A gift from the Archbishop himself, the large modem chapel will provide a permanent and fitting home for the religious exercises of the college and will stand as a symbol of the centrality of Christ in a Catholic college.