Brief Biographies of Buildings

III. Rollins Chapel

EDWARD ASHTON ROLLINS was born at Wakefield, N. H., Dec. 8, 1828. His family removed to Great Falls (now Somersworth) when he was seven years of age. He was graduated from Dartmouth in the class of 1851, from the Harvard Law School in 1854 and immediately entered upon the practice of his profession at Great Falls. At once he became interested in politics and was one of the younger leaders responsible for the establishment of the Republican party in New Hampshire. He served in the state House of Representatives for three terms from iB6O to 1863, being Speaker for the last two. In 1863 he was appointed by President Lincoln to the position of Cashier of the Bureau of Internal Revenue. The next year he was advanced to Deputy Commissioner and in 1865 he was made Commissioner. As a result of the Civil War, the responsibilities of the Bureau became very large, its collections unprecedented, and its employees, scattered throughout the whole country, extremely numerous, numbering at the end as many as 6000. While the work of the Bureau was efficiently conducted under Rollins' direction, the opportunity for political advantage afforded by this large group of office holders was not neglected, and the Bureau was not ordinarily run in such a way as to act to the disadvantage of the Republican party. During the Johnson administration Rollins was one of the advanced Republican radicals, a thorn in the side of the President, but, by virtue of the tenure of office act, was able to retain his position to the end of the term, despite the persistent efforts of the Chief Executive to displace him. With the advent of Grant in 1869 he resigned, although hoping for "recognition" for his services, perhaps by appointment as Collector of Customs at Boston. In this hope he was disappointed, for he never held public office again.

Upon his retirement, the greatest of the American bankers of the day, Jay Cooke, who was ever hospitable to young men who had served in the national treasury, secured his services in Philadelphia as Vice-President of the newly-organized National Life Insurance Company of the United States, upon which the banker was placing great hopes as a part of his extended business enterprises. In the following year Rollins was advanced to the presidency of the company. Upon the collapse of the Cooke fortunes in 1873, the insurance company was not financially involved, but the stock held by the Cooke house was sold, and Rollins' connection with the company ceased. In 1876, after a journey to Europe, he organized and became President of the Centennial National Bank of Philadelphia, a connection which he retained to the time of his death. He was also a director of other banks and of several railroad companies. He was very active in the work of the Presbyterian church, a member of a number of its official boards and President of the New England Society of Philadelphia. He is said to have been a felicitous public speaker.

In the spring of 1883 President Bartlett wrote to Mr. Rollins setting forth the pressing need of the College for a new chapel and a new library, and asking if he could do anything to help. In his reply Mr. Rollins said that already he had been thinking of the matter, and, after further investigation, in June made a definite proposal: he would give $30,000 for a chapel if the College could obtain $60,000 for a library; or $25,000 for a chapel if but $50,000 could be secured for a library. This condition seemed very difficult to meet, but the unexpected Wilson bequest of $50,000, coming in the nick of time, added to certain other funds newly received, satisfied Mr. Rollins that his first condition had been fulfilled, and he authorized the commencement of building operations. The corner stone was laid at Commencement, 1884.

The architect of the structure was James Lyman Faxon of Boston, who designed a romanesque building not much in harmony (as was the custom of the '80s) with other college edifices. A classmate of Mr. Rollins, Redfield Proctor, offered to supply, free of charge, marble from his quarries in Vermont for building purposes, but both Mr. Rollins and the architect preferred granite, which could be obtained close at hand, and so it was concluded to use the Lebanon pink stone, laid in irregular courses, with red sandstone trim. Mr. Rollins insisted that the construction should not cost him, the College or anyone else more than the $30,000 specified, but eventually he was convinced that certain additional expense for interior finish, to be in conformity with the memorial windows, would be justified and the final cost was $31,944.60. The building was dedicated at Commencement, 1885. Mr. Rollins could not then be present on account of ill health, but he did come to Hanover in September of that year, and attended the first regular chapel service held in the new building. Four days later he died. His funeral was the first of such services to be held in Rollins Chapel.

The new and attractive facilities produced an immediate effect on the tone of the chapel services: disorder and even rowdyism, sometimes manifest in former days, disappeared, and decorum and dignity became thenceforth matters of course. A series of memorial windows, commemorating former Presidents of the College, were installed by various donors. An organ costing $1000 was given by Harold C. Bullard '84, later to be replaced by a larger instrument costing $2500, the gift of the same donor. In 1903 a peal of three bells for the tower was presented by William E. Barrett '80 as a memorial to Chalmers W. Stevens '77. By 1908 the seating capacity of 600 had become inadequate and the apse was moved back, while in 1912 the transepts were extended. These modifications, made at an expense of $41,127, more than doubled the seating capacity, without, perhaps, improving the external grace of the building. By the gifts of Frank S. Streeter '74 and his son, Thomas W. Streeter '04, beginning in 1917, a large organ was installed at an expense of $23,000. Compulsory daily chapel continued until 1924. Since that time the building has been used for voluntary chapel, baccalaureate services, organ recitals and musical services. In the present emergency it is being temporarily employed as a study hall for the naval indoctrination school.

ROLLINS CHAPEL