Earliest Years at Vassar: Personal RecollectionsWood, Frances Ann
History
Earliest Years at Vassar: Personal Recollections
Wood, Frances Ann
Vassar College
The first organ to be placed in the chapel had no case. Instead, there
was an arrangement of heavy red curtains across the back of the
platform, with the large portrait of the Founder in front, concealing
all unsightliness. The music rooms were back of the organ, on the
third and fourth floors used now by the steward's department.
Professor Wiebe had his large classroom and office on the upper floor
and there were held the departmental meetings. Access to these rooms
was through the doors each side of the chapel platform and through the
small doors at the farther end of the gallery. The office where the
music supplies were stored and given out was in the little room
opening from the south end of the platform. The conservatory method
obtained at first, the ensemble playing being conducted in the museum,
in a large room near the gymnasium, capable of holding the several
pianos necessary.
Professor Mitchell had her classroom at the observatory, but with that
exception all other recitations were in the one main building, in the
center each side of the main entrance. The President's classroom
adjoined his office, now the senior parlor. In 1865, Room J was Dr.
Avery's recitation room, and later was famous as the English
literature and logic classroom in the day of Professor Backus. This is
now the officers' parlor. There was no students' room for dancing.
This was done at the gymnasium sometimes in the evenings, permission
to go over first having to be obtained.
On the first corridor, where are now the stationery department,
offices of the superintendent and resident physician, were three
connecting rooms assigned to the chemistry department,--laboratory,
classroom and lecture room. Across the corridor to the east where the
express office and janitor's office are now were the two rooms of
physics, a large classroom with smaller one adjoining for the
apparatus. Dr. Avery had her office in her private suite on the fourth
south, with the infirmary in near proximity at the other end of the
hall. Mr. Wheeler, the first janitor, who was on the college ground
from the time the first spadeful of earth was dug up for the building,
had for his office the small room close by the center stairway on the
first corridor.
[Illustration: CHARLES S. FARRAR
1865]
Professor Farrar's chemistry and physics courses were extremely
popular, and days when special experiments were in order the lecture
room would be crowded. The teachers all had the privilege of attending
lectures, and many did regular work in some one department other than
her own, supplementing boarding school training and taking the college
degree after a time.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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