Lycoming College - Arrow Yearbook (Williamsport, PA)

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tine Arts budding Wood Engraving — John DePol then in the House of Representatives and President of the Board, met with Dr. J. Henry Morgan of Dickinson College and enlisted his aid in gaining accreditation. The Univer- sity Senate of the Methodist Church finally approved the move, and in 1935 Dickinson Seminary became the first fully accredited Junior College in Pennsylvania. The move to junior college undouhtedly figured heavily in the survival of the school during the depression when people could not afford to send their children to a preparatory school or college away from home. In 19.31, there were 280 students enrolled with 90 in the junior college. The tuition at this time was $150 for the high school and S200 for the junior college. In 19.3.3, Dr. Long re- ported that students from the junior college were successfully continuing their education at eighteen of the leading colleges and uni- versities of the East. In 19.30, M. B. Rich, a long-time friend of the Seminary and President of the Board of Trustees, died. He had spent much time and money in the interest of the school in- cluding the endowment of a chair of relig- ious education which he had provided just before his death. Robert F. Rich, his son, succeeded him as President of the Board. Through the interest and financial support of Miss Martha Charles the college gained both property and the Clarke Memorial Chapel. The Chapel was dedicated on Oc- tober 14, 19.39. Also in the thirties came a great boost in athletics. New steel and concrete bleachers were built. In 1931, the football team claimed the Prep School Championship playing such teams as Mount Carmel High School, Al- bright Freshmen, Penn State Freshmen, Mans- field Teachers, and Dickinson Freshmen. The Junior College continued to prosper in the Thirties with distinguished guests such as Edward Markham, poet; Ralph Sockman, preacher; and the New York Symphony Or- chestra visiting the campus. Frank W. Ake as alumni chairman was busily arousing alum- ni interest. In 1941 there were 307 students in the Junior College, 418 in the institution. Also during this time, the school received money from both city and Conference cam- paigns. The Fine Arts Building and Presi- dent ' s Residence were also completed, the first having been donated by the William Fleming Rich Family. Immediately following the attack on Pearl Harbor and the declaration of war. Dr. Long and the board of directors began planning for XII

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Clarke Memorial Chapel Wood Engraving — John DePol with. Those who will not try to do right are not wanted at the Seminary. The ladies ' apartments are entirely separate from the others. Young ladies are chaperoned to all pul)lic entertainments. Association of the young men and young women except in the presence of instructors is not countenanced. The Dickinson Union of November, 1925, contained accounts of social life at the Sem- inary. The first social of the Fall Term in 1925 was on Saturday night, September 27th. The social ice was broken by the famous game of wink, which, though played the ' Seminary Way, ' was enjoyed by all. A reception for the students was given by the Mulberry Street Methodist Church. A hike for the girls was a pleasant sur- prise. Saturday. October 3, it was whispered through the girls ' halls that Miss Herrington would take the girls for a hike to the moun- tains. Now. we had often looked longingly toward that mountain but we did not know Miss Herrington had seen us look. About four o ' clock we started, without waste of time, to the stone quarry and Sulphur Springs. We busied ourselves scouting about and cutting sticks to cook our supper. Just then Mr. Bauman arrived with the eats. In a few- minutes we had a roaring fire and siz- zling doggies and tempting apples, all tend- ing to increase our enormous appetites. We did not try to see which one ate the most, but we know everyone had enough. Most of the girls came back on the truck but those who hiked it with Miss Herring- ton reported a better time than ever. They arrived about a half an hour behind time, but seemed to be glad for the opportunity of being out to see the moon rise and — they know the rest. But by far the most enjoyable was the annual Chestnut Party when the whole school took a day off from studies to travel to Sylvan Dell Park for food, games, and good fun. The definite move toward Junior College status was begun in 1929 when the Seminary started giving Junior College work. Dr. Long and M. B. Rich, president of the Board, both realized the increasing need of education be- yond high school and the lack of need for high schools due to the advance of public high schools. However, there was a long hard struggle for accreditation. There was even some opposition from four year institutions such as Dickinson College. Robert F. Rich, XI

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Bell and Flas: Court Wood Engraving — John DePol an Armv education unit. The influx of cadets forced the facuUy and students to vacate dor- mitory space. In 1944 Dr. Long reported that 910 air crew students and 59 students in the United States Cadet Nurse Corps had been in the College Training Detachment. The story of the transaction from a junior college to a fully accredited four-year insti- tution is as exciting as a novel. President Long announced that he had sent a letter to Dr. John L. Seaton, President of the Univer- sity Senate of the Methodist Church, giving reasons why a change in the junior college status was being considered. Several board members supported this change, but Congress- man Rich hesitated because of a promise he had made to Dr. Morgan of Dickinson College in securing his help for the change in the junior college status, which was that the Sem- inary would not consider becoming a four- year college. Judge Charles Williams was made chairman of a committee to meet with committees from Dickinson College and the University Senate to discuss the proposition. After this action. Dr. Long began indus- triously to gain permission from the neces- sary groups to accomplish his purpose and to have the board take positive action. How- ever, some members of the board were op- posed to the change. Many influential church men hesitated, and although the Williamsport community favored the move, the leaders were apprehensive about its success. There were many arguments in favor of a four-year college: the crowded condition of all colleges made it impossible to gain ad- mittance for Williamsport Dickinson gradu- ates to other schools; the great number of veterans who wanted college education could not get into other colleges; because there were XIII