Villanova University - Belle Air Yearbook (Villanova, PA)

Page 18 text:

ONLY FOUR YEARS OLD, the Library has become the center of intellectual activity on the campus. The modern facilities provide the student with every opportunity for research, study, or intellectual relaxation. Equipped to handle up to 400,000 volumes, the Library contains spacious reference rooms, com- fortable browsing rooms, and several seminar rooms. BEAUTIFUL AND PRACTICAL, the water spray outside the Chemical En- gineering Building, right, is part of their large cooling system. The building itself features three laboratories, several classrooms, and a drafting room, to enable the student to keep abreast of the constantly advancing methods of Engineering. Dedicated to the Education of Catholic In January, 1928. the first really great physical disaster hit the campus. Beginning suddenly on the upper floors, flames deccndcd throughout Mendel Hall in an uncontrollable fire, and despite heroic efforts the building was completely gutted. The loss was great, but funds were solicited throughout the East so that, by 1929, the buildings were restored. Following that, first Fedigan Hall, and then the Commerce and Finance Building, sec- ond largest building on campus, were completed. No sooner had Villanova recovered from the stag- gering losses of the Mendel Hall fire, when in 1932 a second great fire completely destroyed the mon- astery. Yet even this heartbreaking loss could not dash the hopes of Villancva’s leaders. Though it took two years, the monastery was completely re- built by 1934. With Father Stanford as President, Villanova ac- quired successively four private dwellings as dormi- tories on the southwest end cf the campus. These buildings were named Simpson, O’Dwyer, Dclurey, and Middleton. OMMODORE JOHN BARRY HALL, commonly called the Naval Science Building, is the permanent ocat.on of the Naval ROTC unit. Providing a ship- b LT atmosP erc f°r the student-midshipman, the u »ng contains rifle ranges, drill halls, classrooms, a d a,mo“ every detail of naval life.

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ST. MARY’S HALL is the cam- pus bastion of religion in ap- pearance and purpose. Home of all Augustinian priests during seminarian days at Villanova, the building is self-sufficient, with its own classes, living quarters, kitchen facilities and chapel. GALBERRY HALL, located at the campus extremity beyond the Field House, is a building seldom visited by students, but houses an important branch of College academic activity as the center for scientific research and development. The year 1943 was marked not only by the Cen- tennial celebration, but also by the arrival of the Xavy on campus with their V-12 program. Through- out the war years which followed, Villanova and the Xavy united their efforts to produce military leaders, well qualified to supplement the supply of officers from the Naval Academy. It is obvious that this union was mutually bene- ficial. for as a result the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps has become a permanent unit at Villanova. COMMERCE AND FINANCE BUILDING con- tains, along with classrooms and editorial offices of two campus publications, business school de- partmental offices, a theater auditorium seating about 600. The latter is used for lectures, examinations and special programs.