1897

"Hoppy" guides a bulldozer to eliminate a small old house to clear the site for the new big building soon to be built south of the campus. This headline marks the start of a new venture in three elements of activities to be centered in the new big building where future students will be guided in the fine arts of painting and stage and manual arts of the crafts. Painting and stage craft are related to the fine arts. Crafts are related to the needs of life. All three branches may profit by aiming at the beautiful in color and form. They are above the three R's, "Reading, "Riting and Rithmetic," the well-known steps to education. All three have a relation to the polish of living. John Ruskin said, "Fine art is that in which the hand, the head and the heart go together."

I hope these new activities will lead to helping students who need income to find a way to earn by his efforts. A good painting may sell; a worthy play may draw a good house; well wrought hand crafts have value.

I want to refer to three books on crafts which may be helpful in the new program: 1. "Early American Wrought Iron" by Albert H. Sonn. The two-volume edition is in Baker Library. The three-volume edition not in Baker contains much more information. I hope it can be made available for the new craft program. 2. "Home Spun Cloth Making" by William H. Ham. This gives information about home spinning, weaving and use of dyes, with pictures and color charts with samples of yarns and fabrics. 3. Wood Crafts. There are many books and fine drawings of early English and American woodcraft articles. Reproductions of good originals should be helpful to students. Good woodcraft reproductions will find a ready market. See drawings and pictures in "Early Domestic Architecture of Connecticut" by F. Frederick Kelley, Yale University Press.

Editor's note: Last month the name which appeared in the class column and in the caption of the fifth picture should have been "Hoddy Pender" and not "Poddy Parker" as printed.

Word has only recently been received of the death of Franklin B. Goodenow on January 5, 1956, in Portsmouth, Va. "The Admiral" had been out of touch with the class for some years.

Secretary, Treasurer and Bequest 114 State St., Bridgeport 3, Conn.