New-York tribune., 1903-06-29
WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY.
Ne5o Buildings for This Grozcing
Connecticut College.

|
| town, and in a region the varied charms of whose
| scenery perpetual inspiration is Wesleyan
University Here through the efforts of its presi-
dent and faculty, and the money subscribed for
| the most part by friends in NewYork and Phila-
delphia, is rising around a broad and gently
| slopng campus, shaded by many elms and naples,
a Wesleyan University. A recitation hall.
building for the physical sciences, a fraternity
| W e and athletic field grandstand are being
| tIlt or have recently been completed. And
| st sed, perchance. by the lively interest that
| f-enLs and alumni taking in the institution,
a spirit of activity is pervadng every de-
| pa tment of college life.
| When DR.. Bradford P. Raymond left the presi-
dency Of Lawrence University, Wisconsin, and be-
came president of Wesleyan, in 1890. he found the
! university in prosperous financial condition but
! sadly in need of extension With the hearty CO.
operation of faculty, alumni and students, he set
| to work In the thirteen years of his administra
| ton the total number of students has increased
| from two hundred to about three hundred and
| fifty. the number of graduate students has grown,
| and the faculty numbers thrty-sx instead of
1 tvrenty-three. In the time the number OF
courses has increased from sixty-nne to over one
| hundred and fifty. A gymnasium has also been
| erected. and through the generosity Of John E.
| Andrus. 81, of New-York. new athletic held mas
| recently been completed
| Put for the last two or three years Dr. Ray
monds success in attracting students and broaden
| ing the educational side of Wesleyan has been
! hampered somewhat by lack of funds Professors
/
| accommodations. The need of new recitation
! building was apparent South College, now used
! for that purpose, is improperly lighted and ven
tiIated and the physical and electrical laboratories
are both housed in Cramped and inadequate
! quarters.
| Prompt relief in money for buildings was
demanded. Accordingly, about ago in THE
Wesleyan Bulletin, issued to the alumni, a-ten-
ton was called to five pressing needs of the uni
versity. Among these needs the appeal was made
| for a new recitation building, to cost about one
J hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars, and for
a new physical laboratory. to cost about one hun
dred thousand dollars.
! HOW FUNDS WERE RAISED.
| President Raymond then set about obtaining this
| money. Graduates and friends were duly appealed
| to- Last commencement he able to make
| the announcement that the money all sub
scribed. In doing so he stated that he had met
! with better success in soliciting subscriptions by
| letter than he had by personal appeals. To one
| man in New-York. who had already contributed
| generously, wrote. saying that he going
TO call on him in a few days and ask him to in
| crease his subscription to $4,000. The next morn
! ing he received telegram from this man, saying:
! Don't waste any time on me. VIII increase my
subscription to SIS OG0." It also through
letter that he suggested to Charles Scott and
Charles Scott jr. of Philadelphia, the desirability
| of erecting a building at Wesleyan In memory of
| Jobn Bell Scott In few days he received a
| letter from them saying they had decided they
| could erect fitting memorial to the son
| of the former brother of the latter than by
| giving the money to Wesleyan University for the
Scott La aboratory of Physics. John Bell Scott
! in the class of 81. He died four years ago from
| disease contracted while serving as chaplain in
| the Spanish War.
| If wesleyan graduate of three four years
ago were to visit the college to-day he would find
at High and College SITS. a new building already
| half completed. This is Wilbur Fisk Hail.
| recitation building named in honor of the first
! president of the university. The building is of
| heir hy feet
1t is three stories height but the ground around
| will be so graded that the basement will be well
| lighted and of value for various purposes
| The exterior decorations are not elaborate. but
enough to break the monotony of perfectly plain
| building without detracting from its imposing
| simplicity. On either side of the main entrance
are double columns of brownstonei The windows
| of the first floor arched and those just above
the entrance decorated with wrought iron grill
"or On entering the broad hail. which extends from
the front almost to the rear is especially notice
aorTdors M are IS feet wide foored with mosaic
walled with motted brick Of ,- gold &c color; o1i
| wood and plaster of South College. On the north
side Of tn the % ha feet are rhe b@0 southwest
tains seminary room and small Lecture I room, @
room and study room None Of the the rooms g on
The second floor 4oweyeT Is devoted to Philoso,
| north to south. are a philosophy lecture room
and reading o9aa ro9m nG and PsyGR9
lion ia bies with smaller laboratory: with a CON
| the rear in the same order. are found an English
| recitation room, English language seminary ana
| study room English literature seminary and read,
| ing rooms The departments of Greek, Latin and
foor the pan of the rooms being similar to that
large hall opening In the rear three lafSe reGta a
vest corner lavatories the jantors room and
| room intended for the Ventllatlng ana heauhs
| apparatus.
NEW PHYSICAL LABORATORY.
IF the visitor now passes the broad
| car,nns and along in front of College Row, TO
| tho eouth corner of CrosS-st. and College Place,
| he will see the workmen laying the foundations
for the new building the department of physics
This is the gift Charles Scott and his son, the
former now and for many wears trustee OF
| Wesleyan the latter a graduate of Wesleyan OF
The foundations of this building are Of Maine
| granite. while the upper stores are 10 pg oI
| Harvard brick with trimmings of Indiana lime
It is o built all n n fas ths fr9nf %h IN an ihe teF % q
feet vide and 2S feet deep in the rear The lecture
| he in mis- extension. The main building mas
basement and three stories, the extension base
iT Tb bu basenept is mostly above ground and well
! lighted This with the first floor. will be devoted
| second floor are located the main lecture room
the apparatus room the n4rary d ana iyst
49, tTba third floor comprises three rooms. one
of Them large for the elementary laboratory work
sboraforv on the roof is provided commodlo9s
platform for meteoTologlea op2 for
ie i'm in the spring of 1904 The cornerstone
viii be laid this afternoon with appropriate eNer
Inst below Scott Hall and directly opposite tne
campus the local Vi lodge The building is
| . two story structure OF the Engish colonial
stTie We WIN % If the first floor consisting of dining
room library music room anu main naIi ,o
connected by folding doors, allowing the whoie 10