Villanova University - Belle Air Yearbook (Villanova, PA)

Page 17 text:

establish a business school curriculum, the importance of which finally brought about the erection of the Com. merce ond Finance Building in 1931. Villonova now be- gan to ossume its position among the foremost Catholic Colleges of America. In 1928 College Hall burned to the ground in one of the mojor disasters of Villanova's history .However, with that indefogible spirit which is their heritage the August- inians soon erected Mendel Hall to replace the destroyed building and. despite the depression which then pre- vailed. also began the construction of the Field House which was completed in 1932. In that very same year o second major disaster destroyed one of the oldest buildings on the campus, the Monastery. Quickly and without disrupting classes another Monastery was begun ond stood ready for occupancy in 1934. During the ensuing years Villonova enjoyed a brief respite from the spectacular. Preparations were under- way for the centennial celebration of 1943. Then come the second World War. All that was civilian rapidly gave way before the military programs of the Army. Navy, ond Marines. Villonova become a Navy school under the V-12 program and pursued that course until the end of hostilities. August, 1945 ond peace brought the numerrtiK problems which we are experiencing today. Yet. in the midst of reconversion Villonova is once more demonstrating that faith which has been its greatest asset. Once again Villonova is building. TOP: The monastery of Villonova with the orch overshadowing the main campus road is shown here, with the old baseboll diamond in the background, in the days before the fire. To the extreme right is the college chapel. As in the days when the high-button shoes ond straw hats were the familiar campus togs, the Villonova men of today delight in campus leisure in off hours. Even though the costumes differ it seems that the spirit remains the same. today we hove borrocks. a field house, two partly conpletsd science buildings, ond a library under construction. BELOW: Controst the aerial view of Villonova as seen in the pic- ture ond as you know it todoy. True, nature remoins the some, but

Page 16 text:

A bird's-eye view of the Villonovo compui in 1875 at conceiveo by on engravor. To the RIGHT it Spring Mill Road. In the CENTER of the engraving it the New College 8wilding between the gymnatium and the chapel. Several years later, in 1893, with a faculty of 31 and a student body of 94, Villonovo celebrated its Golden Jubilee. Fifty years of educational endeavor lay behind. Villonovo was still a small college, but out of its labor it hod hewn a firm foundation upon which to build for the future. Villonovo now entered upon a period of rapid development. Reverend John J. Fedigan, O.S.A., in 1899. started worlt on the Monastery and College Hall. Shortly afterward, on Engineering school was established which was followed in 1915 by the creation of a Pre- Medical course. In 1918, another addition was made in the form of a Summer School out of which developed just one year later the Extension School familiar to all today. Along with the rest of the notion Villonovo hod felt during these lotter years the impact of the first World War. It had readily accepted military students and initiated an Army Student Training Corps which re- mained operative until December, 1918. Immediately following the war the college started a new period of growth. In the early twenties it become necessary to Probobly no Alumni resident today would recog- nise these early interior photos of Villonova's old- est structure. What were once the reading room (LEFT) and one of the classrooms (BELOW) have now been partitioned to moke living quarters for the resident students.

Page 18 text:

14