Three New Dorms

WITH the announcement from Washington last month that a loan of $1,700,000 to Dartmouth had been approved by the U. S. Housing and Home Finance Agency, the College disclosed plans for constructing three new dormitories to,house 327 students. A similar low-interest loan of $1,500,000 was used to build the College's four newest dormitories on Choate Road for goo men.

Richard W. Olmsted '32, business manager of the College, says that bids for the dormitories will be let this spring, in the hope that construction can start in the late spring or early summer. When completed the new residence halls should relieve all overcrowding in the present facilities.

The three dormitories will be built at Wigwam Circle, site of the temporary wooden structures that were erected to house married students after World War II and that have since been partly razed. These latest residence halls will be fourstory, V-shaped structures, with a common room, accessible to both wings, located at the point. On the upper floors the two wings will be separated by locked fire doors.

In a departure from the Choate Road experiment of eight-man suites, the new dorms will follow the traditional arrangement of two-room doubles with living room and bedroom. Some single rooms will also be scattered throughout the dorms. Bedrooms in the double suites will be small, but the living rooms will be relatively large.

Space will be available at Wigwam Circle for more dormitories in the future, if needed. A playing field in the center of a circle is planned, and this is expected to be ready when the three new dorms are opened.

Other dormitory news made the front page of The Dartmouth last month. Middle Massachusetts Hall was promptly labeled "luxurious" when it was learned that when it reopens next fall, each double and triple unit will have its own tiled bathroom with shower. Middle Mass, built in 1907 at a cost of $80,000, is closed for the current college year so it can be fireproofed and completely rebuilt inside. Built-in wardrobes, similar to those in remodeled North Fayerweather, are being added, and a first-floor social room is tentatively planned.