Lebanon Valley College - Quittapahilla Yearbook (Annville, PA)

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.MUSIC HALL History of the College REVIOUS to the year 1865 there was, in intelligent circles of the United Brethren Church considerable discussion on the need of a higher educational institution in eastern territory. Hence in res- ponse to the very general and growing desire, frequently expressed by both the laity and the ministry, the East Pennsylvania Annual Confer- ence at its session in March, 1865, held at Lebanon, passed resolutions deciding to establish such an institution of learning in some conveniently located town within the limits of the Pennsylvania Conference. One year later, namely March 1866, the Conference accepted for this purpose the grounds and building of what was then known as the Annville Academy.

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LADIKS IioKMIToKY At the Annual Conference session held at Annville March 1867, the Board of Trustees was given full power to purchase additional ground and to erect thereon an addition building. This building as planned, included a large refectory with kitchen and other culinary attachments on the ground floor, a large chapel, a president ' s office, reception room and four recitation rooms on the first floor; recitation and dormitory rooms on the second floor, and dormitory rooms on the third floor. This building was completed in 1868, and the first regular commencement exercises occurred in the chapel of this building on the sixteenth day of June, 1870, on which occasion two gentlemen and one lady were graduated. Very early the practice in public oratory and debate was recognized on all sides. With a full recognition of these facts the young men of the College were not slow to secure an organi- zation to accomplish these ends. Early in April, soon after the opening of the spring term of 1S67, a constitution and by-laws for a society were drafted. The name Philokosmian was suggested by President Vickroy, then the President of the College. The Philokosmian thus ranks as the first regularly organized literary society of the College.