Williston Northampton School - Log Yearbook (Easthampton, MA)

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ADMINISTRATION SENIORS UNDERCLASSMEN ORGANIZATIONS ATHLETICS SCHOOL LIFE ADVERTISEMENTS Table of Contenfy 16 36 66 76 100 36 154 .-L A Y' . aj .I X . h 'fra1:i'rf,1 I4 ' Q l QM, 3.22 Lta K I 2 , ,g v V ' igm' M Y ':fA 1fw Q , : E, I I 4 I Alf!- ! LI L '

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. fl- ,. ,I , MAY., - -i , 4 , Nm 1 ' . K f ' , ' . '4 ld N. Vs. 3 A . nwgiluuf E A , ' y X wif -Q ' 1 .r -Q ,H - ' A ga A -1 ft 1 , 'S ' , J I il l ffgie 8, I THE HOMESTEAD The Homestead, the home of Samuel Williston, the founder of Williston Academy in 1841, ancl his wife, Emily Graves Williston from 1822 to 1843, now serves as the residence of the headmaster. Samuel Williston Emily Graves Williston 1795-1874 1795- 1885 I0

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YI Great faith in his friends and trust in his students are the qualities which have distinguished Mr. Phillips Stevens. For ten years these qualities, along with his affability, have established him as a highly respected leader as Headmaster of Williston Academy. In his untiring efforts to keep Williston abreast of its educa- tional standards, and in his determination to help others succeed, he has gained the admiration of his fellows. Mi'. Stevens' greatest achievement has been in ful- filling a far-sighted vision, originating in the will of Mrs. Williston, for a ,united campus. In 1946 the Board of Trustees outlined the plans for a future campus to be established on the grounds surrounding the Homestead, which were bequeathed to the school in the will. Already located in this property were Ford Hall, built by Dr. Joseph Sawyer in 1917, and the Williston Gymnasium, completed by Dr. Galbraith in 1930. The Board of Trustees inaugurated a Second Century campaign to raise funds for a new war memorial school building and to create the new machinery that would build the leaders of the coming generations. Assuming the position of Headmaster in 1949, Mr. Stevens undertook the tremendous task of developing a unified campus. The first step in this plan was the purchase of three buildings from the United Elastic Corporation. Altera- tions upon these buildings began immediately with the removal and replacement of old wiring, plumbing, and partitions. The first iioor of the Schoolhouse was re- modeled to house an alumni reception room, a post office, and other office space to accommodate the school's business staE. The upper floors provided classrooms, and the ground floor supplied a snack bar and store- rooms. The Assembly Building afforded a spacious study hall and an adequate chapel with a memorial set of chimes adjoining the organ. The lower lioor contained facilities for science laboratories. The most attractive building of the new group was the Herbert M. Plimpton Library, a beautifully furnished building with ample room for numerous reference books. The second step for a unified campus required the prudence and meticulous decisions of the Headmaster and Board of Trustees. This move called for the appro- priation of funds to construct the New Dormitory and renovate the Gold Coast, Ford Hall. The use of bequests lying idle, the disposal of the old campus, and the interest upon school securities, along with the dona- tions of alumni and friends of the school, made this achievement possible. As Williston opened her one hundred and tenth year, the dream of a unified campus was a reality. The last day of the fall term of 1950 marked the occupancy of the new War Memorial Dormitory, offering facilities for 138 boys, apartments for three married faculty members and three single masters, in addition to a recreation room. The remodel- ing of Ford Hall was designed to accommodate five masters, two married, and the members of the senior class. Then followed the construction of a new dining room facing the Williston Pond and Mt. Tom and equipped with a kitchen to feed both the Upper and Junior Schools. As a memorial to the century of the past, murals honoring the prominent Williston faculty and students and the old campus were placed on the dining room walls. The establishment of a quadrangle completed the dream of a unified campus, but it did not stop the plan ebication to meet the changing conditions of modern educational institutions. A new project included the acquistion of the Pitcher property, with the construction of new tennis courts. The renovation of Sawyer Field with a new track and straightaway, and the purchase of a twenty- acre field adjoining the Galbraith Field were accom- plished in 1955-58. At the same time the Williston parents raised funds to replace the thirty-year old wooden bridge with a 110-foot steel-cement bridge across Williston Pond. Mr. Stevens' enthusiasm and determination in his latest project almost single-handedly made possible the construction of the new Science Building. This building required a loan which would take many years to repay. but Mr. Stevens assumed responsibility for the debt. stressing the advancement which our nation has made towards the improvement of scientific facilities. Mr. Stevens considered that the alumni support for the pro- ject was a mandate for the building's construction. Not only does the building contain fully-equipped laboratories, but also it offers a manual arts room for woodworking and metalworking and a graphic arts room for freehand and mechanical drawing, ceramics, sculp- ture, and sketching. A photography darkroom and three music practice rooms accompany an elaborate music classroom, a theatre workshop, a Green Room, and a well-furnished Classics Room. Originally proposed in a plan for renovating the Old Gymnasium to preserve the famous Gym Tower, the four-hundred-seat Howard G. Boardman Auditorium, also a part of the new building, is equipped with a large stage and a Cinemascope screen. The addition and renovation of these buildings sug- gested an increase in enrollment. The enrollment when Mr. Stevens became Headmaster was 216. As a step towards the increase, the upper floor of the Infirmary was remodeled, and additions were built upon the Campbell House. The Junior School House was re- named the Swan Cottage as the Junior School united with the Upper School in 1956 to give Williston five classes. These additions allowed the enrollment to reach 349. , In ten years Mr. Stevens has accomplished much in moving Williston to a unified campus through his never- ceasing determination and drive, but an even greater deed is his unification of a well-organized student body. Affectionately known as the Kingpin, Mr. Stevens has a congenial relationship with the students. Especially concerned with the appearance of the campus, he has gone out of his way to keep it tidy. The boys feel free to talk over problems with him, for the door of his office is always open. He places the interest of the school above his personal interests. In 1958 his Alma Mater, Williams College, awarded Mr. Stevens the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters with this citation: - A wise and sympathetic counselor of youth, Phillips Stevens of the class of 1935, Head- master of Williston Academy, has rebuilt a famous old New England School with imagination and outstanding success. It is to Mr. Stevens, our Headmaster, for his affability and faith in others, that we dedicate the 1959 Log in appreciation of his achievement in making Williston what it is today.