St Josephs College - Footprints Yearbook (Brooklyn, NY)

Page 10 text:

St. Joseph ' s Girls Trounce St. John ' s Tlie St. Joseph ' s College girls bas- ketball team scored a 29-to-lO vic- tory over the St. John ' s College six in a fast encounter held at the winner ' s gymnasium last night. Led by Grace Twj ord, who annexed high scoring honors with 15 points, the victors gained their fifth triumph in six starts. Edrthe O ' Neill starred for the losers with ten counters. Playing inspired basketball, the St. John ' s team slowly forged ahead until they held a 6 — 4 margin at the end of the first quarter. Miss Twyford ' s accurate shooting gave St. Joseph ' s a lead, which they held throughout the game. St. Joseph ' s College held an ll-to-7 margin at half time. The lineup: St. Josephs St. John ' s Rumacn,!! Twyford O ' RelUj-.rf Banr.on Grace Bernard.c M.Clark.sc CampbeUJg Harris A.Clark.rg G. P. pi 2!ONeillJf 4 3 13 Silverman 2 Freidmann.rt F. P. 3 10 10 Marttn Oj Pelt Greenback.c Pocius.sc 0, Dean, If; O ' Buckley 0, Brooke, rR OlFarrell Totals 13 3 29 ' Totals 4 2 10 Referee — Miss Dignan, Savage. Umpire — Miss Plsano, Savage. Time of halves — 16 miiuites. ' - ' ' t ' V.r-

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Quite obviously, the three immediate needs that had to be met by the founders of the college were: the recruitment of high-calibre students; the maintenance of top-grade academic achieve- ment at the college, and thirdly, the necessity of getting the indispensible financial backing which the Regents required. On May 24, 1916, at the Commencement exercises of St. Joseph ' s Aca- demy. Brentwood, Bishop McDonnell announced that arrangements had been completed for the opening in Brooklyn of an institution for the higher education of Catholic women. The need for such an institution, said the Bishop, has long existed, and I feel sure that this announce- ment will meet with the full appreciation of the clergy and laity alike. The tendency to material- ism in education at the present day must be met by sound religious teaching which the new col- lege will give. The twelve pioneer students who responded and came to the college on October 2, 1916. were a diversified group. In April 1917, during the very first year of the College ' s existence, the United States became involved in a global conflict to make the world safe for democracy. This not only affected each of the students in a personal way; it also gave a purposiveness to all their sophomore activities when they returned in the Fall of 1917, accompanied by fifteen new freshmen. Early in 1918 the College was able to purchase the beautiful Georgian home of George Pratt (one of the sons of Rockefeller ' s Standard Oil partner) located at 245 Clinton Avenue on the east side of the wide tree-lined street stretching from DeKalb to Willoughby Avenues on the apex of what was known as the Hill , a social rival to Brooklyn Heights. The new college site was only two blocks from the original building and the Sister members of the faculty continued to live on Washington Avenue for a few years. Everyone felt that the new acquisition gave concrete promise of permanence for the nascent college, and when the student body returned to classes in the Fall of 1918 there was sufficient room to accommodate the eleven new freshmen. More importantly the Twelve Apostles felt that they had met the challenge, and they re- corded in their annals: We knew then that St. Joseph ' s was, is, and always will be proud of her pioneers. By the time they had entered their Senior Year, the original twelve felt the joy of a task well done , as they put it. be- cause two new young women transferred from other colleges into their ranks. Towards the end of that year they had boasted: Our fame had become so great and our names so illustrious that May travels from the Bronx every day, and Amalia from East New York, so that they may be among the numbers of the first class to graduate from St. Joseph ' s. The pioneer class was not wrong in its judg- ment; the quality of education at St. Joseph ' s was • remarkably good for such an embryo institution.

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This was due, in large measure, to the distin- guished educational experience of the College Dean, Sister Mary Celestine. and to the percep- tive and far-sighted leadership of one of its faculty who shortly became its President, Dr. Thomas Molloy. They made it their first objec- tive to enlist the assistance of a number of out- standing faculty members either on a full or part time basis, and. in conjunction with the Superior of the Sisters of St. Joseph. Mother Mary Louis, to promote the further education of the Sister- members of the faculty. At the first meeting of the Board of Trustees, which was held in the 245 Building on December 19. 1918. Mother Mary Louis requested Bishop McDonnell, then President of the College, to make one of the faculty members. The Rev. Thomas E. Molloy. S.T.D., a member of the Board of Trustees. This being agreeable, he was immediately admitted and became, as President of the Faculty, the spokesman for the immediate monetary neces- sities of the College, stressing the need for liber- ality even with a proportionately meager in- come. First class professors. he said demand high salaries, and their apparatuses and general equipment must be equal to their important work. Bishop McDonnell thereupon suggested that a study should be made of the means by which other colleges, such as Barnard and Adel- phi. managed to attract both funds and students. Then, having asserted that the Brooklyn diocese would back up the College as its work advanced, he immediately made a personal donation of one thousand dollars for a laboratory. The period of the twenties was one of growth and development. The College entered the dec- ade with just one building, namely 245 Clinton .Avenue, described in the early catalogue as a handsome and thoroughly equipped modern edi- fice in red brick and white sandstone, with large, lightsome and well-ventilated classrooms, sur- rounded by extensive lawns, and boasting an athletic field as well as a gymnasium. By 1925 student enrollment had increased to over two hundred. In that same year, the home of Herman Metz, former Comptroller of the Old City of Brooklyn, was purchased and used as an adjunct to the College building which was lo- cated right next door. In 1928. however, the de- cision was made to demolish the Metz house and to erect a large new building on the 253 and 257 properties, extending back to Waverly A enue. The new building was attached to the 245 Build- ing and its annex, bringing minimal changes in both. The architecture and landscaping of the new buildings was designed to harmonize with the original. Although it was not dedicated by Bishop Molloy until January 5. 1930. it was ready for use in September. 1929. This latter year was significant in the history of the College for another very important event — the granting of the permanent charter. In order to prepare for this, academic expansion and excellence has been as seriously cultivated as the enlargement of the physical premises.