From Jane Kilgore ‘58
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My Dad, James Elmer Butts, graduated from JC in 1921, and lived in Founders, 1st. floor, and had his barber shop in his room.. I submitted a photo of him cutting hair for the Alumni Bulletin several years ago.
I also have his old Alfaratas, 1915, 1917, and 1921. Also The Juniata College Song Book, copyright 1912. If anyone would like to borrow these for an exhibit, contact me. I’ll be coming to my 50th. class reunion in June.
From Jon Muir ‘75
In 1975, Juniata still had a series of tests, comprehensive exams(”comps”), that each student was required to pass at the end of his/her senior year in order to graduate. The “Program of Emphasis” idea had just been instituted a few years before then, and so, in a blend of the old and new, my faculty advisers [political science prof. Harry V. Klug and philosophy prof. Terry Hartman] and I discussed what I should be tested on, and they devised a series of open-ended, but still somewhat specific questions for me to answer. The questions were supposed to deal with the entirety of my college experience, but still focus on the subject matter I emphasized in the course of my study. So, armed with several blue books, I tramped up the narrow staircase to a room on the third floor of Founders and spent one spring afternoon writing voluminously in those books. I still vaguely remember it, especially the old, dark wood that panelled at least part of the staircase and the walls.
By the way, several years ago, but several years after that experience, Sports Illustrated magazine ran a long story on Chuck Knox, and mentioned that he attended Juniata, which the article described as a “jewel” that still required comprehensive exams to graduate. I was sorry to see that tradition pass, and I must admit I think it makes the college a bit less special than it otherwise would be.
I am very glad to know of this effort to save and restore Founders Hall.
From Boyd Jensen ‘45
In the early 1940s the Men’s Day Students Rooms were on the ground floor of Founders. The only source of entertainment was a ping pong table in the room under the Teasurer’s Office. O. R. Myers, Treasurer at the time, complained to Clyde Stayer, Dean of Men, that the noise from the games was objectionable and asked that it be toned down. Dean Stayer passed the complaint on to us and suggested we might move the table to a room across the hall. This was promptly done and the table was placed in the room under the President’s Office. Apparently we played more quietly as we never heard of any complaints from Dr. C. C. Ellis or Dr. Calvert Ellis.
For the first semester Freshmen were not allowed to use the front steps to the porch on Founders (only the side steps) nor the diagonal walk from Students Hall to the bus stop on Moore Street. Yes, in those days Huntingdon had municipal bus service that ran every 20 minutes from the PRR station to campus. The bus ran from early morning till about 11:00 p.m. and the fare was 5 cents.
Freshmen also had a dress code to be observed. In addition to wearing a dink, namecard, and carrying a copy of The Scout with them at all times on campus, women were required to wear stockings or knee socks, anklets not permitted, and men were required to wear a dress shirt with a plain black four in hand tie.
Upon arriving on campus each student was given a small card listing behavior and activities that were not permitted on campus. These included: swearing, gambling, card playing, drinking, smoking, and dancing. Frequently on Saturday nights in the old gymnasium there would be an activity that looked exactly like square dancing but was called “Folk Games” so the rules were not violated. These “Games” were frequently called by Dr. Donald Rockwell.
From Janine Katonah ‘69
I have one hilarious memory of Founders from my freshman year.
In 1965 I lived on 4th Brumbaugh with many girlfriends who still figure significantly in my life today. My room faced Founders Tower stairwell, which led up to the professors’ offices. The time was about 5:15 P.M. because I had just returned from practice for the women’s basketball team and needed to change quickly for dinner. We had to dress in skirts or dresses and eat family style in those days. The curtains at our window facing Founders were open because office hours for professors had ended a while ago. I had just run in from the bathroom in my underwear (modest by today’s standards) and was scrambling to get dressed, all the while chatting with my roomie who was waiting for me to go downstairs to line up for dinner. Movement outside the window caused me to look out and see three guys standing in the tower stairwell looking at me. I hit the deck while my roomie closed the curtains. I knew who they were.
When we got downstairs for dinner, one of the guys (who was a good friend) came up to me and said, “Hey, Janine. I need a favor!” “Okay,” I said. “I need you to find out who some girl was I saw from the windows in Founders Tower. I didn’t have my glasses on so I couldn’t see her face.” “Why do you want to know who she is?” I asked. He leaned in closer so as not to be overheard. “She was wearing her underwear and she looked good.” I burst out laughing in his face. “I was that girl, you idiot!” Now, looking very embarrassed, he finished, “It couldn’t be you! She looked really good!”
We remained friends for two more years–he was a class ahead of me. Periodically he would ask me, “Are you sure that was you?”
Janine Katonah, Class of 1969
From Reba Clymer Alwine ‘70
Founders memories! I will never forget my first night in Founders in the fall of 1966. I was housed in the first room to the left when you exited the lounge to the dorm area. It was across from the housemother’s (Mrs. Brownlee) apartment as well (to deserve that place of honor, I was sure one of my reference people had written me up). Well, after meeting a new roommate and feeling awkward already, I lay awake that night (all night) to the sound and smell of a hissing steam radiator that was right next to my face. I believe one of the maintenance men got it sorted out by the second night. I was pretty depressed, woebegone and homesick that second day, until I caught up my sleep and regained my natural ebullience.
Those sure were small rooms!
Reba Clymer Alwine 70
From Ken Rockwell ‘57, Professor Emeritus of Biology
I suspect that there is a fair amount of interest among former “Juniatians” concerning progress on the Founder’s Hall renovation/rehabilitation. A day or two ago, several of us spent a most interesting, and dusty, hour touring the inside. The attached pictures will give some idea of the “old bones” of this familiar campus landmark.
As someone for whom Founders has been one of the “compass points” of my life, it was important to pay this last visit before the demolition of the Chapel Wing begins. I also have had long-time fascination with the construction techniques used in older times when hand labor and rather primitive machines were all that the
builders could command as they erected what we, today, still consider as rather grand buildings. Finally, I suspect that I am among the very few local folk who remembers Founders Chapel in its original configuration, revealed here, uncovered for the first time in more than 60 years. In addition Millie ‘58 was among nearly the last students to occupy a dorm room in Founders–on the top floor (she visited her old room for the last time).
Founders Makes the News!
Founders makes the news! Channel 10, the local CBS affiliate, toured the building and produced a news story. President Kepple talks about the building, and the story follows the reporter through the upper floors. View the story as it was broadcast.
Eva Wampler
Eva Wampler ‘58 lived on the 4th floor of Founders Hall when she was a student. She took great care in decorating her room. A picture from the time shows a stuffed poodle sitting on an improvised canopy bed, trimmed in gingham. She even had sheer curtains and a lamp mounted on the wall like a sconce. Her efforts led to her winning a contest to see which students room was the “best decorated.” To see the photo - black and white - go into the pictures section of the Founders site.
Have a Founders story of your own? Post it in the comments!