Timeline of Notable Events

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Time
Description
Source
1881

Morris Ketchum Jesup receives and honorary degree from Williams College.

 

Circa 1895

Origin of the idea to construct a building for the "social and religious welfare" of the College. Students felt the need for a centralized and coordinated student space while the Mills Young Men's Christian Association felt the need for a building devoted to religious uses.

C, N

 

 

May 13, 1897

Committee appointed by the Board of Trustees to raise $10,000 in funds to construct such a building.

"It was voted that the President with Prof. Hewitt and Fernald in regard to the assignment of College land as a site for the Building the Association is seeking to erect. The committee is to report to this Board at the annual meeting."

UU

 

 

June 1897

Plans drawn up at Commencement for a new building "devoted to the social and religious uses of Williams men."

FF

 

 

June 21, 1897

Site for the building proposed to the Board of Trustees.

"An informal report was presented as to a site for a proposed building for the Y.M.C.A. on east of Laboratory Campus."

TT

 

 

 

Fall 1897

Morris Jesup offers $35,000 to the College for the erection of a new student building. Donation is contingent on the College's raising of a $10,000 endowment fund so that the building does not become a long term burden upon the College.

A

 

 

 

October 21, 1897

Site for the building will be provided by the Board of Trustees on the condition that a $10,000 maintenance fund be raised.

"It was resolved that a suitable site be provided for the proposed Y.M.C.A. building on condition that an amount not less than $10,000 be raised for a maintenance fund."

VV

 

 

 

June 15, 1898

$7,317 raised for the towards the $10,000 endowment goal.

FF

 

Within a year $10,000 was collected through subscriptions from alumni, students, and friends of the College for the building’s sustentation fund.

A building committee chaired by Professor Hewitt and composed of alumni and the student executives of the Mills Young Men’s Christian Association was formed.

C

 

 

 

October 21, 1898

Board of Trustees approve the erection of the new building and appoint the existing committee to oversee its construction.

"The committee on the proposed new building, having reported that the required sustenation fund of $10,000 had been secured, it was voted that the committee already appointed consisting of the President, Prof. Hewitt, and Prof. Fernald be empowered to examine and to approve the plans for the proposed building, and to determine its exact location &emdash; with the understanding that the building, when erected, is to be the absolute property of the College and subject to its control.

WW

 

 

 

1899

Construction begins.

Architect: George Tilden

 

 

 

 

June 19, 1899

The Board of Trustees entrusts the administration of Jesup Hall to a graduate committee of six. Dr. Charles Cuthbert Hall is appointed to be its first chairman.

XX

 

 

 

Winter 1900

Jesup Hall construction completed at an estimated cost of $40,000.

Building houses:

  • Auditorium that can seat five hundred persons
  • Billiard and pool room
  • Classrooms (3) for the use of the YMCA
  • Dormitory rooms for 12 students
  • Gargoyle Society office
  • Reading room for the YMCA
  • Senior Class room
  • Trophy room for athletic winnings
  • Upper deck (2’ x 40’) on the east side of the building, accessible from the fourth floor

Vision for the building is a "college club house where all the worthwhile elements of college activity may meet on terms of good fellowship."

A, B, OO

 

 

 

January 1900

Jesup Hall opens to the student body. The daily maintenance of the building is entrusted to two recent graduates: Franklin Boyd Edwards ’00 and Boudinst Seeley ’00.

HH

 

 

 

February 1900

Students enthusiastically receive the new building as evidenced by a public thank you letter sent to M.K. Jesup from the whole undergraduate body. The greatly improved auditorium alone, is viewed as a significant advance in campus life as the preexisting auditorium in Goodrich Hall was deemed inadequate.

NN, QQ

 

 

 

June 1900

More praise for the new building.

"I do not see how we did without Jesup Hall for so long." Member of the Class of 1900.

"Jesup Hall will unify the life of Williams, and so long as that life is wholesome, manly and Christian, it will bring honor upon its donor and upon the venerable college with whose labors he has so happily identified himself."

PP

 

 

 

Summer, 1901

Kellogg Hall dormitory razed to improve the appearance of the grounds of the quad.

B

 

 

 

November 1903

Students express dissatisfaction with the operation of the building. Many are frustrated with the lack of attention to detail of the management.

SS

 

 

 

October 6, 1904

Trustees authorize $875 to prevent further sinking of the auditorium’s floor.

AAA

 

 

 

November 1904 - August 1905

Building renovated to correct structural flaws. Morris Jesup covers the costs of the improvements.

  • Balcony over the stage in the auditorium is removed.
  • Electric lighting is installed in the auditorium and reading room.
  • Floor of auditorium reinforced with an iron frame.
  • Organ which occupied the auditorium removed.
A, S, U, V

 

 

 

1905

Extent of repairs needed were badly underestimated. Repair costs run to nearly $6,000. Morris Jesup provides nearly $5,000 of the cost of the repairs.

T, BBB

 

 

 

1908

Williams Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) changes its name to Williams Christian Association (WCA)

LL

 

 

 

June 22, 1908

Trustees authorize expenditure of $5000 for improvements to Jesup Hall.

DDD

 

 

 

Summer 1908

Exterior of building modified, converting the architecture to the colonial style.

  • Original orange brick painted yellow
  • External features changed: cupolas removed, colonial dormers added to the roof, entryway completely reconfigured as well as windows directly above it, front porch completely replaced.
  • Internal changes included the addition of a fire escape to provide an alternate exit for the auditorium.

Architect: John Oakman ’99

A, W

 

 

 

1910

Inside of building remodeled

  • Addition of bathroom to the 3rd floor reduced the dormitory capacity by two men.
  • Dormer added to the northwest corner of the 4th floor.
  • Electric lights replaced the remaining gas fixtures.
  • Interior walls reinforced.
  • Steps on the north side of the building reconstructed.

Gift of Mrs. Jesup who provided $10,000 for the renovation

F, X, EEE

 

 

 

1918

Blaze breaks out on the 4th floor. Though fire is confined to this level, water damage requires the redecoration of the whole building.

Z

 

 

 

1918 - March 1919

Repairs to the building to mend fire damage.

  • 4th Floor partitioned into rooms for Gargoyle Society and musical clubs.
  • Record and student athletic manager’s offices on the first floor and WCA offices moved into the Thompson Laboratory buildings for the duration of the repairs.
Z, DD

 

 

 

1928

Questions posed among the administration as to whether Jesup must remain dedicated solely to it’s original purpose as a student center. It was resolved that the donor’s intent was to improve student life on campus and that Jesup Hall need not strictly adhere to its donor’s purpose so long as equivalent space was provided for students elsewhere on campus.

KK

 

 

 

1930

Steam tunnel constructed to connect Morgan Hall and Jesup Hall.

GGG

 

 

 

1933

Fireproof vaults installed on the ground and basement levels to store the records of the Society of Alumni. This is the first indication of the presence of a (non-student) administrative office in Jesup Hall.

AA

 

 

 

May 1937

Student Activities Council Ratifies a plan to move student group offices in the building. Under the plan the WCA lost several rooms, though its "Vatican" (the dormitory space for its president) remained untouched. The Record took over office space on the first floor, moving out of the basement. Several other student groups moved or were given space in the building, including: Undergraduate Council, Student Activities Council, Purple Cow, Gulielmensian, Sketch, Purple Knights, and Cap and Bells.

R

 

 

 

June 26, 1937

Fire sweeps the building. Though the fire was confined to the center of the building, it made its way up from the basement to consume portions of the first and second floors. While the exact cause was undetermined, it is believed that a carelessly discarded cigarette was responsible for the $10,000 in damage to the building caused by the fire.

Q, JJ

 

 

 

Circa 1940

By the early 1940s the Williams Christian Association still maintains an active presence in the building.

Students still spoke of living in the dormitory rooms in Jesup Hall.

O, MM

 

 

 

Circa 1948 - 1959

Science secretary and chemistry department offices housed on the second floor.

HHH

 

 

 

1949

Student groups propose a plan to renovate the basement of Jesup to create a food counter, a dance floor, ping pong tables, and seating for 90 people. This was a response to a long standing student concern that the campus lacked a central meeting place. Professor of Art, Whitney Stoddard was designing the architectural plans for these changes. Unfortunately, all indications are that the plan never came to fruition.

 

Y, HHH, III, JJJ

 

 

 

Circa 1952

Building used primarily for public lectures, the Freshman Revue, classes, some student groups (Gargoyle Society, the Williams Christian Association, the Gulielmensian, Cap and Bells, student radio station, the Record, etc.), athletics coaches’ offices, and a large presence by the alumni and development offices and Alumni Review.

O, HHH, III

 

 

 

February 1954

Baxter Hall opens. Jesup Hall no longer is the center of student life.

A

 

 

 

Circa 1950s - 1960s

The College sees tremendous growth in the size of the College administration, leading to many reconfigurations in office spaces all over campus.

JJJ

 

 

 

Circa 1950 - 1983

Alumni, development and Alumni Review offices occupy Jesup Hall. Over the years their space needs grow to the point that a move becomes necessary.

O

 

 

 

1959

Building restored at a cost of $20,000.

Designer: Peter Welanetz

A, BB, CC

 

 

 

1968

Bronfman Science Center opens. Houses the College’s first computer center. The center will remain in this building until the Jesup Hall Computer Center opens in 1984.

QQQ

 

 

 

Circa 1975

1914 Library moves to the basement area of Jesup Hall.

O

 

 

 

1979

Vestibules installed on the West Entrance at a cost of $3,500.

BB

 

 

 

Circa 1980

Auditorium used primarily for public lectures and Cap & Bells performances. At this point, the auditorium and the building as a whole was beginning to show significant signs of wear and age. At his point the college needed to "completely renovate the existing structure or gut the building and retarget it for a new use…"

I

1982

1914 Library space in the basement renovated at a cost of $5,690.

BB

 

 

 

1983 - 1984

Plans for the Adams Memorial Theater Downstage progressing towards their fruition, eliminating the need for the Jesup auditorium.

P

 

 

 

Circa 1983

Several campus departments were convinced to vacate their existing locations and to move to new ones. This combined with several spaces being constructed or renovated (the alumni center, Mears house), allowed the alumni and development offices to leave Jesup permanently prior to the 1983- 1984 renovation.

P, HHH

 

 

 

1984

Extensive interior renovation of the building to convert it into a computer center.

  • Auditorium balcony and projection booth were removed. The proscenium arch over the stage was concealed. The existing third floor was extended through to the newly-opened space.
  • Grand central staircase was removed in favor of the fire stairwells.
  • Many of the original windows on the east side of the building were either removed or reconfigured, significantly changing the architectural elements of this side of the building.
  • North-south hallways were carved out of the building, each terminating at the fire stair on either end of the building.

Significant exterior changes consisted of the addition of fire stairwells to the north and south ends of the building and the addition of an elevator next to the stairwell on the north end.

Renovation and additions cost $1,960,500.

Architect: John Jordan

H, BB

 

 

 

1987 - 1999

Continual minor renovations are made as well as the installation and upgrading of computer and network equipment. Over these years, this work totals over $4 million dollars.

BB