The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-10-25
Special to The Democrat)


 New Rochelle, N. Y, Oct. 26.- Dedication of the now $400,000 H. brary under construction at the Col- lege of New Rochelle to the memory of the founder, the late Rev. Mother Irene Gill, marked the central theme of the 2oth annual Founders day exercises here Saturday in which more than i,BO0 students, faculty and alumnae participated. The structure, for which ground was broken early in August, will bc known aS the, Mother Irene Gill Memorial Library. .J {"
 Beginning with c MiSsa Contata, sung by tho Rev. John ?. White, college chaplain, ct $50 c. in., the ail.day program was arranged as c tribute to the founder, but the ac- tilal dedication took the form Of ar ofhcial announcement by the dean, Rev. Mother N. IEnatiuS, who spoke briefly during the morning cere- monies in the sports building.
 Beginning with ancmfwypnpnpn
 The keynote Of the morning ex- ercises was sounded again by the 200 members of the alumnae associa- ton, representing the 24 chapters in oil parts of the country, At, their annual Founders day luncheon in Maura Hail, when Mrs. Glare Since. han Dowd Of Holyoke, Mass, Q fcr- iiaer president of the Western Massa- chusetts chapter, spoke on "What Founders Day Means to tJs."
 Tributes to Mother Irene reached c climax, however, during the aft. ernoon, aS Mrs. Stuart n. Plirnpton of White Plains, N. Y., prior to the launching of the library building fund campaign. reviewed briefly for the aluunnae aAsenbled in science lecture hall. the work of Mother Irene in developing the college from itB founding in 1904 into one of the largest Catholic institutions of high- CT learning for women in America.
 Pointing out the preparation of Mother Irene during her early re- ligious life for her later work. Mrs. Piimpton recalled that she was born in Galway, Ireland. March 2b, 1856, as Lucy 0ill, the daughter of Joshua and Catherine Fox Oil, and that. after coming to New York in 1868, she began her now life ten years later as Sister Irene of the Ursuline Community ct East Mor. risania, New York.
 Her teaching and organizing abil- ity soon recognised. the speaker pointed out, Mother Irene was ape pointed local superior of St. Torosa 2 convent in Henry street and shortly after opened an academy at' Park avenue and Ninty-thrd street, New York, which dourished for . decade aS Q fashionable school for young girls.
 The forerunner of the college, however, was the establishment ot the Ursullne Seminary in. New Rochelle, following the purchase by Mother Irene in 1897 of the half burned Leland Castle, which was of- fered for sale by the owner, Adriaf, Isolin. This school, eEnbodying the ideals of education for women which had mellOwed though the four hui- dred years of Ursulin teaching since the founding of the order in 1885 by St. Angela Merici. became popularly known in the county as the Castle school. a
 By 1904 the college of St. Angela, which in 1910 at the request of the trustees, was changed by the re- gents of the University of the State of New York, to the College of New Rochelle was established to train Christian women for leadership. Mrs. Plimpton pointed out.
 Equipped at the start with only two buildings, the Castle and Chid. wick hall, which contains classrooEas the college has expanded to Include twenty-five acre campus, twenty two buildings, among them 6 e40Oy00l sports building, the scient art build ings, and two large residence halls AEaura and Brescia, ane seven sraail. CT dormitories.
 Fully accredited as Q. class 4 col lege by the New York State depart ment of education, New Rochelle holds membership in the Association of Colleges and Secondary School ne the Middle Atlantic states. tn ! aa.~--i-~a. ~..-.-',.s ~e wAsrAklnn. thI