Lycoming College - Arrow Yearbook (Williamsport, PA)

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program was outlined. A survey team from the University Senate, in a visit to the cam- pus, recommended the program of the devel- opment committee and their report served as a guide for future development. Several buildings were purchased or built during the first four years of Dr. Wertz ' s ad- ministration. A house was purchased with a gift from Robert F. Rich to relieve the crowd- ed condition of Rich Hall. The building was renovated to house twenty girls and was named Rich House. After arrangements with Federal Housing and Home Finance, a new men ' s dormitory was built at a cost of Si04,- 000. Ready for occupancy on September 1, 1956, the dormitory was named Wesley Hall. The bottling works building had not been torn down and plans for renovation began in 1953. At first the cost was estimated at $40,000 but the final renovation cost was ap- proximately S200,000. The modern labora- tories, classrooms, and science auditorium of the science building was a great advance for the school. The Student Activities Building with its many recreational facilities and dining facili- ties for 900 was finished in the spring of 1959 at a cost of S650,000. This building was a necessity because it was impossible to feed the student body, even in two shifts, in the Clarke Hall, and there was no place for extra-curricular activities. In 1949, Walter Mclver had joined the faculty and had built an a capella choir which became famous throughout the area. In 1957, the choir toured England and Scotland and received a very warm reception. The ambitious development program ne- cessitated a financial campaign which was be- gun in Williamsport early in 1958. Pledges came in totaling $950,000 to be used for the balance owed on the science hall, for the Stu- dent Activities Building, and the major part for a gymnasium-auditorium. Also at this time the college was able to purchase eight acres from the Williamsport Consistory for an athletic field. Growth was apparent in other areas. The college athletic program grew to college sta- tus under Coach Dave Busey. Besides foot- XVI ball, basketball, and baseball, wrestling, s winuning, soccer, tennis, and golf were add- ed as inter-collegiate sports. The student bodv grew from 785 in 1956 to 911 in 1958. The College Entrance Examination Board ' s Schol- astic Aptitude Test began to be used as a basis for admission. It was planned in 1959 to hold the enrollment at 850 until 1962, then to increase gradually to 1200. Religion continued to receive major em- phasis at Lycoming. Many ministers in the surrounding conferences had graduated from the school in one of its phases. The annual conference also supported the school. Between 1951 and 1955, five national fraternities were recognized on campus. All of these had been local fraternities. Theta Pi Pi which became Psi Chapter of Kappa Delta Rho was the oldest, having been formed in 1896 during seminary days. Although the seminary graduates remained loyal to Williamsport Dickinson, many went on to four-year schools that claimed most of their loyalty. When the college was estab- lished, more interest was taken in the alumni association and more activity was devoted to fund raising and other school activities. This interest led to the election of three board mem- bers by the association. At the present time three housing units are under coristruction: two for men and one for women. By 1965 the college plans to have under construction an administration building, to replace Old Main, a classroom and faculty office building; and a gymnasium- auditorium. The school gains distinction by having the only Student Union Building in the country completely run by the students. Plans are be- ing made to gradually put more responsibil- ity in the hatids of the students by adopting an all-campus honor system. Everv year, the college becomes more se- lective. Each freshman class shows more promise than the last. Standards are being raised. Lycoming is a school to be proud of from her distinguished past to her bright promise for the future. Surely she is doing her part in serving the vocation of human- ity. . 2 I 31

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The new charter also allowed the granting of baccalaureate degrees in the Arts and Sci- ences. Accreditation was a necessary and major step. Committees from both the University Senate of the Methodist Church and the Mid- dle States Association of Colleges visited the campus twice. On the first visit in March of 1948, the Middle States Association Com- mittee refused accreditation but made several suggestions. Members of the University Sen- ate committee stated that a library and science building were necessary and that the faculty should be reorganized with a decentralization of authority. On June 3, 1950, it was re- ported to the board that accreditation had been granted by both groups. The library, being a necessity for accredi- tation, came under serious consideration. In May 1949, $1,800 was allocated to the James V. Brown Library for the use of its facilities by college students. A committee was ap- pointed to study the matter. The site was chosen at the suggestion of the University Senate Committee and on February 11, 1950, plans were approved. Plans were also made for a science building. Adjoining the college property was the Flock Brewery Company which had lost its prosperity due to prohibition. After much bargaining the property was purchased for $83,000 by the school. The brewery and smokestack were later razed leaving the bot- tling works to be renovated for the science hall. Of concern in the early 1950 ' s was the desire to have a teacher training program at the school. After much agitation from Octo- ber, 1950, the application was finally ap- proved in November, 1952. Rich Hall, the girls ' dormitory, construct- ed in 1948, at a cost of $286,000 was the first modern building on campus. It was named in honor of the Rich family of Wool- rich, the chief benefactors of the college. Also at this time, an acute lack of classroom space prompted Dr. Long to negotiate the purchase of a building from the government. This was named Soldiers and Sailors Memo- rial Hall and served as classrooms and lab- oratories. In March of 1954, Dr. Long announced his decision to resign at the end of the school year in 1955. A committee was immediately selected to choose a new president. Dr. Long had spent the greatest part of his ministry serving the school, and Lycoming stands as a result of his hard and dedicated work. In his last report to the Conference, he brought to the members ' attention that 137 of the 277 ministers in the Conference had attended the institution. He reported an enrollment of 621 students with 100 more in night school and 50 special students, and an endowment of $800,000 and a debt free property evalua- tion of $2,610,000. He also mentioned the many services the school provided for the conference and church groups. On July 1, 1955, David Frederick Wertz took full charge of the presidency. After his election on October 28, 1954, he had been in close contact with all the committees and was ready to move ahead. A special session of the Central Pennsylvania Conference was held in November, 1955, in honor of the new pres- ident. Part of the activities of the day in- cluded a ground-breaking ceremony for a new men ' s dormitory later to be named Wesley HalL The first major concern of the new ad- ministration was the neglected faculty. So much attention had been placed on the strug- gle to attain four-year status that there had been little time to consider the faculty other than struggling to retain college level teach- ers. After his first year. Dr. Wertz added 17 new teachers. After four years, the fac- ulty and administrative staff numbered nearly one hundred with nearly twenty earned doc- torates in comparison to seven in 1950. Further, the new administration urged the faculty on to advanced study by granting leaves of absence. Financial aid was offered. Many faculty members took advantage of this offer. In 1959, as further encouragement, the executive committee decided to offer finan- cial inducements and leave of absences to those wishing to study for a doctorate, this in addition to sabbatical leaves. Also at the beginning of Dr. Wertz ' s ad- ministration, a development committee was set up under Judge Williams. A seven year program including a $3,750,000 building XV

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CONTENTS Page Classes 3 Faculty and Achninistration . . 33 Clubs and Organizations ... 51 Sports 83 Activities 99 53578