Whittier College - Acropolis Yearbook (Whittier, CA)

Page 30 text:

4-l. U LQLMM EN TI-IE HOTEL WILLIAM PENN FIRE

Page 29 text:

Whittier College's first Festival of Lights celebration was shockingly suc- cessful. Bob Giomi and Chaplain Jon Moody arranged the event, which, after a cozy C.l. Christmas dinner, took hundreds of caroling, candle- holding Whittier College students on a journey around and through the dorms and public places of Whittier College. The procession made a brief stop at the chapel, where Chaplain Moody offered some words on Christmas spirit and each group of caroling friends made a musical offer- ing of their own. At times, this proved highly amusing. The evening ended with a warm Christmas party in the Student Union Lounge, where Deck the Dorms contest prizes were awarded. Ball Hall received a Table Tennis table for their first-place effort.

Page 31 text:

On February 5, 1979, the William Penn Hotel, home of 65 elderly Whittier residents and countless Society brunches, was destroyed by tire. The cause of the destruction of this Whit- tier landmark, entwined in the city's and the colleges roots, was a defective heating pad which caught tire at about 5:30 a.m. Two hours later, the root collapsed, leaving only a brick shell to stand as the remanant of the half-mil- lion dollars which were lost to the blaze. The tire sadly ended part of a long tradition of community involvement in Whittier College activities. UVV1 Box: Nivy Pal