An Archives Kind of Christmas

The Lycoming College Archives has decked the halls. The Christmas tree is trimmed, yuletide greetings are displayed, and as always...a roaring fire.

Not only is the Archives exhibiting the holiday spirit, but is offering up a healthy dose of school spirit as well. A multitude of Lycoming ornaments collected over the years hang from the tree branches.

Also on display are some of the Christmas cards received from the President's Office over the years. Currently cards from President and Mrs. Douthat are represented in the display, as well as from former President Fredercik Wertz. These and many other holiday items can be viewed in the Lycoming College Archives.

A Taste of the Avant-garde

It lounges outside the entrance leading into the Academic Center and Snowden Library; Lycoming College’s only open-air piece of art. According to the Lycoming College Magazine (Summer 2009) this mammoth sculpture has existed without an identification plate for nearly thirty years now.

The “Triad” was conceived by Tony Rogers at the end of the spring semester of 1980 as his senior honors project. Rogers told the Lycoming College Magazine: “The name comes from the three ribbon-shaped forms that make up the piece. The transition of the three forms wasn’t a deliberate intent at the onset; it was something I discovered as the piece was being created and the name happened upon that discovery.”

The location of the “Triad” placed restrictions on its size, shape, and interaction with viewers, although according to Rogers, “The sculpture itself is restricted by the imagination of the viewer.”

And today, whether you pass by this piece and think it looks like a “snail,” or reminds you of an “ear,” or it is the first time you even took notice, “Wow, what in the world? I do not remember seeing that before!” Keep in mind that those are exactly the responses Rogers wished to garner from his unorthodox creation; thirty years later and still open to interpretation.

What's in a Name? Part Two

The archival display on the first floor of the Snowden Library titled, "WHAT'S IN A NAME?" features six of Lycoming College's campus buildings named in honor of men and women who were important to the school and its development over the years. This is the first of an ongoing display to highlight all of our dedicated buildings.

Asbury Hall is named for the Reverend Bishop Francis Asbury, known as the father of the Methodist Church in the United States, on the site where the former Flock Mansion stood, whose owners operated the Flock Brewery once located on Lycoming’s campus. Originally a men’s residence Hall; Asbury is now one of the two all-freshmen halls and co-ed since 1971.

The Heim Building was dedicated in 1990 as a memorial tribure to Joseph and Clara Heim who were known for their commitment and service to the Greater Williamsport area. The building includes laboratories, reading rooms, a greenhouse, and many other facilities.

Dedicated in 1991 to the memory of a respected civic leader, John G. Snowden, who served as a state senator for 16 years and was chairman of the Republican Committee of Lycoming County, Snowden Library is a center for academic research and liberal arts education. It includes an art gallery on the first floor, the College Archives in the basement, the Methodist Archives on the third floor, as well as a collection of approximately 200,000 volumes.

The Mary L. Welch Theatre, formerly known as the Arena Theatre (1967), was rededicated in 2000 in honor of Mary L. Welch, long-term supportre of Lycoming College and patron of the Arts in Williamsport. Dr. Marshall D. Welch, Mary's husband, made one of the largest donations the college ever received.

Wesley Hall was constructed in 1956 as a men's residence hall. The building is named after John Wesley, founder of Methodism, in recognition of the long relationship Lycoming College has maintained with the Methodist Church.

Williams Hall was previously named North Hall, until 1980 when Joseph A. Williams, owner of St. Mary's Sewer Pipe Company and a benefactor of Lycoming College, donated funds to renovate the residence hall. He asked that it be rededicated in honor of his mother, Mary Ellen Whitehead Williams, who had single-handedly raised him and his three siblings after his father's death.