Feature

An Experiment in Dormitory Living

April 1955 JOSEPH FRANKLIN MARSH '47,

An Experiment in Dormitory Living JOSEPH FRANKLIN MARSH '47, April 1955

Feature

April 1955 JOSEPH FRANKLIN MARSH '47,

CUTTER HALL ... "Where shall I begin, please your Majesty?" he asked. "Begin at the beginning," the King said, gravely, "and go on till you come to the end: then stop." —LEWIS CARROLL, Alice in Wonderland.

THE FACULTY RESIDENT

On May 31, 1954, I returned to Hanover after a long weekend at Lake Placid attending an international assembly of a men's service club. It was a rush trip back, for I wanted to be on hand for a meeting of the Great Issues Course Steering Committee in the Inn Ski Hut with seniors who had just completed the course. Upon my arrival in the Ski Hut a faculty colleague told me that Art Kiendl, Assistant Dean of the College, .had been trying to reach me and that I should telephone him. A little downcast at the thought that probably some student I knew was in trouble, I got in touch with Art. "How would you like to occupy that nice new apartment in Cutter Hall next year, Joe?" "What apartment? And where is Cutter Hall?" was my rather amazed reply. That was my beginning. The next day I looked over the set-up, and accepted the position, but not without many reservations lurking around in my mind.

Of course, planning for the Cutter experiment had got under way long before I actively stepped into the picture. For many years College officials, and many undergraduates as well, have thought that there was a somewhat hollow ring to the statement, "The dormitories at Dartmouth College are operated not entirely as a convenient housing arrangement for students, but also as a means of furthering the educational objectives of the College," which appears in the familiar pamphlet, Information for Undergraduates.

In a talk to the student body over WDBS on December 15, 1953, President Dickey announced the formation of the Commission on Campus Life and Its Regulation, and Professor Frank G. Ryder was selected as chairman. The President asked the Commission specifically to consider the question of "some form of resident advisers" for dormitories. The Commission gathered all pertinent material from Dartmouth's recent history and sought similar information from about twenty-five other colleges. Also, Commission representatives visited almost every dormitory on campus to talk with dormitory committee members and other residents. Professor Ryder reports that these campus visits were "central to our underaking and proved extremely productive." After careful deliberation, the Commission made its recommendations pertaining to Cutter Hall.

During last summer much work had to be done to get the new dormitory ready for the beginning of the college year. (Originally built in 1938 for the Clark School, the College acquired the building in 1953.) Interior decorating plans were submitted by Mrs. Barbara LeSourd, and the Plant and Operations staff under Messrs. Olmsted, Wilson, Rhilinger and Crooker went to work to translate them into reality.

Cutter has a large attractive lounge with a fine library, magazines, an excellent high fidelity phonograph, and a piano. Over the fireplace hangs a Paul Sample painting. Here men gather to play cards, read, and listen to good music. It is also a center for that unique college institution, "the bull session." Dormitory meetings are held in the lounge, and the room is a pleasant gathering place for talks by members of the faculty and other guests. During Fall Houseparties and Winter Carnival the lounge was used for dancing and other social activities.

The library contains 466 volumes. The tore of the collection, 317 volumes, came from the personal library of Herbert Frank Schuchmann '14, and a brass plate honors his memory. Other volumes were given by Professor A. Lincoln Washburn '35, President-Emeritus Ernest Martin Hopkins '01, Professor Roy B. Chamberlin '27h, and Judge Learned Hand '38h. The entire collection is well balanced, and includes some standard reference works. Twelve magazines are regularly received, ranging from Esquire, Life and Punch to TheAtlantic, The Reporter and ScientificAmerican.

Located next to the lounge is an attractive apartment for the Faculty Resident, consisting of a living room, kitchenette, bedroom-study and bath. Here the Faculty Resident can chat privately with students and entertain informally small groups up to twenty persons. An open-door policy is maintained.

Just off the entrance hall is a convenient ladies' powder room, and along the main staircase is a striking modern decorative mural by Richard E. Wagner, Instructor in Art. The basement contains a ping-pong table and an unfinished room suitable for study or social purposes.

Cutter can house forty-four students twenty-two in single rooms, eighteen in one-room doubles, and four men in a two-room suite. Despite the preponderance of single rooms, common room facilities permit all men to get acquainted rapidly, and a dormitory esprit de corps has developed.

It has been possible for Cutter to sponsor social and educational events beyond the resources of the conventional dormitory. The dances during Fall Houseparties and Winter Carnival have already been mentioned. President Dickey has met with the residents, and Professor Russell R. Larmon '19 has been to the dormitory to relate some of his Washington experiences as Assistant Secretary of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare in the Eisenhower administration. Smaller gatherings with faculty members have taken place in the Faculty Resident's apartment. There was also a Thanksgiving party and, following the playing of a complete recording of Handel's The Messiah, a Christmas party. During Freshman Fathers Weekend there was a large gathering of fathers and sons at a party in the Faculty Resident's apartment and in the lounge.

The students have taken unusually good care of the furnishings. Hardly a scratch appears on the lounge furniture. And the high fidelity phonograph, despite its frequent use, has suffered nothing worse than a blown-out tube, and continues to provide enjoyment - at times even too efficiently! When President Dickey visited the dormitory on December 14 he was presented a copy of a Resolution to the Trustees unanimously passed by the residents at a dormitory meeting. The Resolution reads:

We, the residents of Cutter Hall, wish to convey to you our gratitude for the facilities you have provided for us. Also, we desire to make known to you our determination to employ these advantages maturely and with the adult conduct expected of Dartmouth men.

Therefore, please accept our sincere RESOLUTION of appreciation and our determined PLEDGE of faithful and responsible cooperation in the use of the accommodations entrusted to us.

THE Commission on Campus Life suggested that the duty of the Faculty Resident is "to serve as a generating force for educational and social ideas, as a source of counsel and guidance, and as an avenue of referral." No specific disciplinary duties were mentioned, and the Commission felt that by the presence of a Faculty Resident the dormitory committee "should not be supplanted, but aided and encouraged and their cooperation sought in wider areas.

The presence of a Faculty Resident in a dormitory can certainly promote closer student-faculty relations and provide a degree of intellectual stimulation. Not only is there the opportunity for undergraduates to share ideas with one member of the faculty, but a Faculty Resident, through contact with his colleagues, can easily invite other faculty members to his apartment to meet students in a casual relaxed atmosphere. These occasions have been most rewarding. The time is ripe for much to be done in this area. Roger S. Young '55, president of the Undergraduate Council, emphasized the need for improved student-faculty relations in his Convocation message at the beginning of the college year. The Dartmouth has editorialized on the subject several times re- cently, and frequently student-faculty relations is a topic of conversation among members of the faculty.

All members of the faculty serve as advisers and counselors to students from time to time. But a Faculty Resident is easily available, and, consequently, much of his time is spent helping students with their personal academic and social problems. Close contact is maintained with the Dean's Office, the Office of Student Counseling, and with individual members of the faculty and administration whenever such contact might be helpful to a student.

At the beginning of the year many men thought that the Faculty Resident's primary duties would be proctorial, and some considered him to be a Dean's Office spy. This belief generated considerable undergraduate criticism, yet it was the least deserved of all. When the Faculty Resident appointment was made it was clearly stated that the Faculty Resident would not be asked to undertake the responsibility for dormitory discipline. This would continue primarily to be the responsibility of the undergraduate Dormitory Committee, the Campus Police and the Dean's Office. On the other hand, as a member of the faculty and an officer of the College, it is understood that the Faculty Resident has the authority to take summary, on-thespot action whenever a disciplinary situation arises in Cutter Hall warranting such action. (It was anticipated that such situations would be rare, and this has certainly been the case.)

The day-to-day presence of a faculty member in a College dormitory, and his frequent contact with a particular group of students, should not prejudice, either favorably or unfavorably, the case of any student under disciplinary consideration. The possibility of it being charged that a particular student under disciplinary consideration either got off too leniently, or received too severe punishment, because of the interposition of a Faculty Resident, must be avoided. Otherwise the Cutter Hall experiment is apt to be unjustifiably jeopardized.

The undergraduate Dormitory Committee in Cutter Hall has the same disciplinary responsibilities as do the committees in other dormitories. But the Cutter Hall committee has the opportunity to perform additional functions because of the facilities available for group activities. Simple rules for the use of the lounge and recreational facilities have been established; social functions have been planned; and intellectual activities have been organized.

Here is an example of how the dormitory organization functions. A piano was not provided by the College, and a few weeks ago a group within the dormitory became interested in renting one for the lounge. This group canvassed the residents for support and to determine if there were objections. The group then met with the Dormitory Committee and received the Committee's approval to go ahead. In the meantime College approval was received. Voluntary contributions were collected, and the piano arrived. The Dormitory Committee met and formulated a few rules regarding the use of the piano, one being that the piano should not be played after 10 p.m. on weekdays. There was some interference with study, and this hour proved to be too late. The Dormitory Committee met a second time and changed the hour to 8 p.m. As a result of this group undertaking and responsible Dormitory Committee action, Cutter Hall has a piano which is a pleasant and worth-while addition to the dormitory.

A systematic survey has not been made to determine campus reaction to the Cutter Hall experiment, but there are indications that it now has widespread approval. On the front page of its Convocation issue, The Dartmouth announced that "Cutter Hall became the first College dormitory in the 20th century to have a faculty resident." Rumors spread, and quick judgments were made. In October a sophomore who had never visited the dormitory referred to the "baby sitter in Cutter Hall" in a Letter to the Editor of The Dartmouth. Two days later a reply very favorable to the experiment, signed by forty Cutter residents, appeared in The Dartmouth. On October 28 WDBS ran an hour program during which time students asked the Faculty Resident questions about the experiment. As the months went by many students realized that their earlier fears and suspicions had not materialized. In a strong editorial on February 14 The Dartmouth stated: "Thus the total result of the Cutter experiment is unqualified success.

... Copies of the experiment should be made." And again on February 25, in an editorial relating the objectives of educational policy to undergraduate living, the paper stated: "Cutter's experiment... is a near-perfect example of what the College must strive for. ... Future construction should be modeled after Cutter. ... Cutter has produced what can be a virtual revolution in Dartmouth social life."

Concluding as I began - in a personal vein - I must say that I am pleased with the way the Cutter experiment is working out. At the moment its one disadvantage is its uniqueness. If there were one or two other dormitories like Cutter, this stigma of uniqueness would be removed from the residents. It is important for Cutter soon to become an accepted part of the regular Dartmouth scene.

As Faculty Resident, the demands on my time have been considerable - much greater than anticipated: 240 contact hours alone up to March 1 —, but I can honestly say that I have enjoyed my Cutter Hall experience. The undergraduates in the dormitory make a fine group, and I value their friendship. Behind the Cutter experiment are motives of the highest order. The College is genuinely interested in making dormitory living more pleasant and the educational experience of Dartmouth men richer and more worth while.

Joseph F. Marsh '47, the Faculty Resident, keeps on with his bachelor routine whilediscussing economics with Bill Hartley '58, a student in one of his courses.

A bull session around the fire in Cutter Hall's attractive lounge.

A group of residents enjoy a game of bridge while Dave Hurwitz '57 uses the hi-fi phonograph in the lounge.

John McMillin '58 entertains classmates Dick Shanaman and JohnLenssen on the piano rented by the dorm residents.

Cutter Hall boasts its own library of 466 volumes, most of them from the personal collection of the late Herbert F. Schuchmann '14.The browser is Scott Corey '57.

The Faculty Resident's apartment is put to agreat many uses. (Top) Mr. Marsh meets withthe Dormitory Committee. (Center) Economics Professor Harry F. R. Shaw, seated, andFrench Professor Charles R. Bagley are guestsat a social gathering with Cutter students.(Bottom) A group of fathers and sons enjoyan informal party in the Faculty Resident'sapartment during the Freshman Fathers'Weekend early in March.

A typical single room in Cutter Hall

Two football notables, end Monte Pascoe '57 and Captain Lou Turner 55, leave forclasses. Along the staircase is a modern decorative mural in plastic relief by Art Instructor Richard E. Wagner.

The ping-pong room in the dorm's basement

A bout the Author A native West Virginian, Mr. Marsh first came to Dartmouth in 1943 as a member of the Navy V-12 Unit. After serving in the Pacific as a Gunnery Officer aboard the destroyer U.S.S. Hale, he returned to Dartmouth in 1946 and received his bachelor's degree in June 1947. At Dartmouth Mr. Marsh was a Rufus Choate Scholar, a member of Phi Beta Kappa honorary society, and a member of Phi Sigma Kappa. He was active in the Forensic Union, and delivered the Address to the College at his Class Day exercises. Following graduation, he spent a year in Washington as a Class of 1926 Fellow, and then did graduate study in political economy and government at Harvard. He spent two years studying in England at Oxford as a Rotary Foundation Fellow. Mr. Marsh returned to Dartmouth in 1952 as an Instructor in Great Issues. Currently he is an Instructor in Economics, a member of the Great Issues Course Steering Committee, and the Faculty Resident of Cutter Hall.