College of the Holy Cross - Purple Patcher Yearbook (Worcester, MA)

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sion. It became evident about that time that an addition, extending south from the west wing of Fenwick, would be necessary. Plans were drawn for this edifice which was to give Holy Cross a series of improvements that would rank it second to no college in the East. The lower lloor of the new structure was to have a gymnasium, a natatorium and a board track. Science lecture halls and laboratories were included in the plans, as was the construction of a hall suited for dramatic and debating purposes. The upper floors would provide additional living quarters for resident students. This new building, the present O'Kane Hall, was formally dedicated in April, 1895. The gymnasium, fully equipped, was ready in the fall of that year. At the turn of the century, then, Holy Cross was composed of two buildings, Fenwick and O'Kane. lt does not require much rellection to realize the progress that the college has made in the last three decades. In 1905 work was completed on the athletic field, and the present Fitton Field was dedicated on Patriots' Day of that year with a victory over Brown University. The growing student enrollment and the consequent demand for larger residential accommodations were answered by the erection of three new buildings within the space of seventeen years. The corner stone of Alumni Hall, the testimonial of the love of the Alumni of Holy Cross for Alma Mater, was laid by Bishop Beaven on May 21, 1905. XVhen the scholastic year of 1913- 1914 opened another new resident hall was located on Nlount Saint James. Beaven Hall is the gift of the late Rt. R-ev. Thomas D. Beaven, D.D., and the clergy of the Springheld diocese. The newest resi- dential building, Loyola, named in honor of the founder of the Jesuit Order, was solemnly dedicated in 1921.

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facts were readily conceded by the General Assembly in 1865. Degrees in the interim between the application and the grant of the charter were con- ferred by Georgetown College. The most tragic event in the early history of the institution was the fire of 1852. Breaking out in the central building, the flames soon spread. The conllagration destroyed the entire central building and west Wing. Assistance of the near-by townsfolk and the student body prevented the loss of the valuable library and the east wing of the building. lt seemed dubious for a while whether or not the institution would survive, but led by the Rt. Rev. John B. Fitzpatrick, third Bishop of Boston, patrons and friends of the school saw to it that the ideal of Christian education in New England should not perish, and on October 3, 1853, the remodeled and enlarged college was again opened. Consequences of the fire were felt for several years, but again the distinction and individual attainments of the students together with a sympathetic attitude by persons outside the faith firmly reestablished the reputation of Holy Cross. Following the grant of the charter, the west wing of the central building was reconstructed. The proportions of the new wing required an additional story to the cen- tral structure, and the whole building was capped by two stately towers. Improvements in living con- ditions were frequently made, but the principal feature of this stage of development was the en- largement of the east wing, the only part which had survived the fire of 1852. The structure contained what is now the Community Chapel, which was dedicated in 1875. With this central building now Hanked by two wings the most traditional and oldest of the campus structures saw its completion. Not until 1894 did the college require expan-

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Two edifices on the campus of Holy Cross rank foremost in their re- spective classes. The Saint Joseph Memo1'ial Chapel, dedicated to the memory of Holy Cross men who lost their lives in the war, was blessed in 1923. The Dinand Memorial Library, completed in 1927, is one of the finest libraries in the country, and offers to the student every available book and reference that is necessary for his scholastic requirements. Holy Cross has progressed greatly since the completion of the first building in 1844. Up to the beginning of the twentieth century there was a continual progress that was in accord with the expanding needs of the students and the improvements of the age. Since 1906, the advance has been far more noticeable, five structures have been added to the two of 1895. The college site now extends about one hundred and forty acres on Mount Saint James. lf credence can be given to the axiom, History repeats itself, then the Holy Cross of the future is destined to be greater. The possibilities for physical expansion are vast, the solid ideals of the college are ever earning an immortal reputation, and the system of education is founded on principles that will endure after modern experimental trends have failed. Holy Cross has the distinction of being the largest classical boarding college in the country. Her record of achievement in the past ninety-one X' years is noteworthy. To the historian in the future remains the task of recording those things upon which we can merely speculate. It is certain, how- ever, that the future of the institution, founded by the zeal of a saintly Bishop entrusted to the care of a capable teaching body and inspired ever by its motto, In Hoc Signo Vinres, will be as glorious as has been its past. in