Muhlenberg College - Ciarla Yearbook (Allentown, PA)

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PAUL J. GEBERT, A.B., Registrarg Howmzn M. MACCKEGOR, B.S., Treasurerg EDMUND S. KEITER, M.A., Business Managerg GORDON B. FISTER, Director of Public Relationsg Joi-IN H. WAGNER, A.B., Alumni Secretaryg GURNEY F. AFFLERBACH, Ph.B., M.S., Director of Intercollegiate Athleticsg GEORGE LAWSON, Ph.B., Assistant Director of Intercollegiate Athleticsg ALVIN W. HARTZELL, Superintendent of Buildings and Groundsg GEORGE A. F ROUNFELKER, JR., Ph.B., Veterans Administrator. ,ldnzinisfrafivn The tale of this complicated but nonetheless progressive year for the Administration begins with the destructive fire which virtually gutted the Administration Building on the night of May 30, 1947. The catastrophe necessitated so many re-arrangements in facilities and personnel that all major events of the year were measured in relation to tl1e HAd Building fire. Wlithin ten days of the fire, substitute loca- tions had been established for most of the burned- out offices. 'GA,' Hall dormitory was promptly con- verted to house the top administrative offices. The Dean of Freshman was moved to lush ac- commodations in the West Hall reception room. Offices of the Treasurer and of the Athletic Di- rector were established in the Library basement. Academic offices found makeshift accommoda- tions in various buildings on the campus. The College was struck by another serious misfortune when President Tyson became ill and was forced to leave his duties from February until September of 1948. During the Preside11t's ab- sence executive authority was largely vested in a committee consisting of Vice-President Horn., chairmang Dr. Swain, Dean Mercer, Mr. Keiter and Mr. MacGregor. Department heads were re- sponsible for rounding out many additional ex- ecutive functions. Although under physician's orders to rest and ignore l1is work completely, President Tyson came back to the campus from

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'W SHERWOOD R. MERCER, A.M. Dean of the Faculty Ill llllilllli PERRY F. KENDIG, A.M., Ph.D Dean of Students

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Florida to take part in graduatio,n weekend activ- ities. He spent the summer at Bay Head, New Jersey, gradually preparing to shoulder the load again in September. By the time President and Mrs. Tyson returned to stay, renovation of the President's home and construction of a spacious porch had been nearly completed. Several academic departments were ex- panded and some were reorganized during the year. Dr. Barba was appointed to the newly- created Professorship of Pennsylvania German Language and Culture. Rearrangement of courses in the Social Science department opened a new opportunity to students desiring to major in Sociology. The department of Psychology, for- merly associated with the department of Educa- tion, was made independent. The Art department took on added significance with an unprecedented three-man staff. Overall expansion of the faculty kept pace with student enrollment, maintaining the faculty-student ratio at 1 to 13. Enrollment for the year averaged nearly 1300. The faculty totaled 103, including five men on the retired list. Twenty-five of tl1e faculty were new in Sep- tember. Research was conducted on the campus in areas of physics, chemistry and psychology, while published studies in the classics and languages besides several original contributions by members of the faculty added to Muhlenberg's claim to recognition. The fact that a number of 19418 graduates received scholarships to pursue ad- vanced work in such universities as Yale, Colu111- bia, and Rutgers further attests to the spread of the College's name. The Geology department was made an official depository for some twenty-five thousand maps of the United States Army Map Service. Growing needs were met when three new administrative offices were filled. Mr. George Lawson of the Class of '28 came in the fall to assume the duties of Assistant Director of Ath- letics and Mr. George Frounfelker of the Class of '41 became full-time Veterans Co-o1'dinator on the College staff. Mr. Charles Stecker assumed the duties of regular Cashier in the Treasurer's office. ln other changes, Dr. E. T. Horn was named Acting Chaplain and head of the Department of 1 15 Religion a11d Philosophy. Mr. Paul Gebert was advanced from Acting Registrar to Registrar. Special committees under the Board of Trustees handled much of tl1e burden of the yearis extended activity. One of these groups, in- cluding delegates from the faculty and student body, formed the Centennial Committee i11 charge of planning the celebration of the College's one hundredth anniversary. Mr. Keiter and Mr. Hartzell served under the Executive Committee and a sub-committee of the Board to supervise reconstruction of the Administration Building. Since insurance coverage on the ttAdw Building was insufficient to pay the costs of up- to-date restoration, it was deemed imperative to raise additional funds. Called to special session in the Chapel on February 2, 1948, the Minis- terium of Pennsylvania agreed to underwrite sub- scription of SB250,000 to supplement insurance payments. Two alumni, the Reverend Rollin Schaeffer and the Reverend Robert Neumeyer, set up offices in the Chapel lounge from which to direct the Ministerium's Fire Damage Campaign on a part-time basis. Members of the faculty and administration were called on for many engage- ments throughout the Ministerium to speak in behalf of the campaign, and students lent their services in a campus-wide three-fold drive for contributions. Parts of the College program underwent a number of special studies. Before the fall semes- ter opened in September, a conference 011 Chris- tianity and Higher Education was held on the campus with several hundred noted Christian educators and college executives in attendance. A faculty committee was charged with studying the examination situation. An American Council of Education survey of the possibilities of co- education at Muhlenberg was made in January at tl1e request of a joint committee of the Board of Trustees and the Lutheran Ministerium of Penn- sylvania. The 111a11y irregularities in this year de- manded all kinds of student, faculty and adminis- trative adjustments. But in spite of difficulties, teamwork and emergency delegation of authority nobly carried Muhlenberg over the troubled period to the dawn of a brighter day at the threshhold of l1er second century.