St Francis University - Bell Tower Yearbook (Loretto, PA)

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Our History September, 1955 -- we were young then - freshmen in college - but we were here to mature into educated Christian men and women. How little did we realize that our College was also at an important stage in its growth! Our first year was one of newness, not only to us but also to the rest of the school. We were among the first to use the new Torvian Dining Hall -- and the coeds of our class moved into the new girls' dorm, now named Giles Hall. Few of us had seen the old Campus Club to be able to fully appreciate the new one. We stood agasp as the barracks, place of male student residence, blazed into what was to be the first fire of our life at Saint Francis. In our sophomore year we witnessed many changes. Significant and most dis- heartening among them was the fiery destruction of the old Giles Hall, which had been the living quarters for the basketball players. The temporary chapel in the base- ment of Raymond Hall replaced the old wooden chapel that had stood for so long in the center of the oval. Junior year for us marked great accomplishments, and for our College marked even greater accomplishments - two new dormitories for the increasing number of women students, and, most important the completion of th e Immaculate Conception Chapel with its statue's light to brighten the dark Loretto night sky. But it was also a tragic year, for into that same night sky spread the flames of the total destruc- tion of Padua Hall. The loss cannot be stated in cold statistics, but rather in the realization of the persons involved - their treasured books, their almost completed theses, and, above all, their hopes and dreams. The year of triumph - we've completed our requirements - was recorded as a year of definite progress in the history of our growing College. The long- awaited Pope Pius XII Memorial Library was solemnly dedicated - a real step for- ward for our expanding Alma Mater.

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44- ,fe . 2 if I I MN A , if gf if-'rj ' M , A .,,V 3 ' If rr: 'aqiiflxiifjflrt' 'H A, ' 'M' - , I, greg? L.,, f ffm, - k.LL V f y M , , , I 1' ,qrvff - e , ff ' .gp . , 4 d' ,?,,e 3W,H,g, . - gf' V if ,Z if el The Old Chap l 1 . . if, , Q- y Q. Padua fire Doyle Hall Barracks Bell Tower Though the physical appearance of Saint Francis has changed, the principles on which our College was founded remain the same. These are symbolized by the Bell Tower . . . the meaning of S.F.C.