The Contemporary Campus
Cornell College is located in Mount Vernon, in eastern central Iowa, 15 miles east of Cedar Rapids, 20 miles northeast of Iowa City, and exactly 209 miles due west of the Chicago Loop. In 1980 the entire campus covering a long wooded hilltop was included on the National Register of Historic Places, the first college or university campus to be so honored. A brief description of the principal facilities follows. The year in parentheses after the name is the date when the facility opened.
Albright House (1888) was acquired by Cornell about 1963. It served as faculty-staff housing for many years and now is used exclusively by the Admission Office. The original small brick house on this site was owned briefly by George B. Bowman, founder of Cornell, on land which became Bowman's Second Addition to Mount Vernon. In 1876 the land and the original house were purchased by Joshua C. Keedick and the property remained in the Keedick family until 1951. Sometime in the late 1880s the current Queen Ann-style home was constructed, probably retaining portions of the brick first floor of the original house. The east bay and elegant chimney, a large second floor with shingle siding, and broad front porch were part of the enlargement. The house and property passed to George L. Albright in 1951.
Allee Chapel (1957) is open daily during the school year for individual meditation and group worship. It is also a popular place for weddings. The chapel was given by George Matthew Allee, Class of 1901, and his sister, in memory of their mother.
Armstrong Hall of Fine Arts (1938), the gift of Blanche Swingley Armstrong, Class of 1891, houses the departments of Music and Theatre and Communications Studies. The building underwent major remodeling in 2002-2003, and a companion building, Youngker Hall (housing Kimmel Theatre), was built contiguous to it in 2002. The refurbished Armstrong Hall provides a flexible experimental theatre; scene and costume shops; an intimate recital, rehearsal, and acting studio; 10 music practice rooms; and faculty offices and classrooms for the two departments. See also: Youngker Hall.
Ash Park (purchased in 1891) is an athletic field of 23 acres with facilities for tennis and baseball. The football field, situated in a natural amphitheater, is surrounded by an eight-lane all-weather track. The land was originally part of the homestead of Reuben Ash, one of Mount Vernon’s earliest settlers.
Baldwin House (1905), a typical example of turn-of-the-century residential architecture, was built for John F. Baldwin and purchased by Cornell in 1966. It is now used for faculty-staff apartments.
Bowman-Carter Hall (1885) is and has traditionally been a residence for women. It was named originally in honor of Cornell’s founder, George Bowman, who had raised part of the cost of the new building. In 1989, as a result of a generous gift from Archie Carter and his wife, Marie, extensive renovations were begun, including the erection of the south and west towers, completed in 1990. Mr. Carter, who was also responsible for the planting of numerous trees on campus that have enhanced the beauty of the Hilltop, was a graduate of the Class of 1933 and was a trustee of the college for 20 years. A description and some of the history of Bowman-Carter is given in the section on the History of the College.
In 1934, the fan-shaped sun parlor on the east side was replaced by a rectangular sun parlor, which in 1936 was extended southward to enlarge the dining hall to accommodate the men from the newly-opened Merner dormitory. The Second World War brought the Naval Flight Preparatory School to Cornell’s campus and men into Bowman’s hitherto sacrosanct rooms (January 1943-October 1944).
Brackett House (1877) was built by William Brackett, a local carpenter and the contractor who supervised the completion of King Chapel. Acquired by the college in 1952 and renovated in 1978, it now provides elegant accommodations for campus visitors. Many of the furnishings are antiques.
Clock Tower Hall (2007) is a suite-style co-ed residence hall housing 96 upperclass students. The three-story building features 24 suites, each housing four students. There are two single rooms and one double room in most suites. The building has a large community room, as well as a full kitchen on each floor. The building is air conditioned, has a conjoined study room and laundry room, and an elevator.
Cole Library (1957) is named in honor of Russell David Cole, Cornell’s ninth president. Extensive remodeling in 1995 created a well-appointed library with spaces for group or individual study, computer access, and meetings. Cole Online provides access to the library’s catalog, more than two dozen online indexes and databases, and other specialized electronic resources. The library offers free inter-library loan service borrowing materials from libraries throughout the nation.
The organization of the library staff aligns with the college curriculum to facilitate collaboration between librarians and faculty in instruction, reference, and collection development. The professional library staff includes consulting librarians for visual art, performing arts and humanities, social science, natural science, and education as well as a systems librarian. Staff members offer instruction in information literacy to classes or individuals in coordination with students’ assignments to directly facilitate student success in library-based research. The library houses the Center for Teaching and Learning, which includes the Academic Media Studio, Writing Studio, and Quantitative Reasoning Center. Cole Library serves the community of Mount Vernon as its legally authorized public library; this role brings a collection of popular materials not often found in a college library.
College Hall (1857), which was completely renovated in 1978, is the second oldest academic building on campus. Besides classrooms, this building has contained laboratories, halls for the Literary Societies (the ambience of one such hall is preserved in Room 301) and other student organizations, a library, gymnasium, armory for the Cornell Cadets, and, until 1959, administrative offices. William Fletcher King slept here during his first months at Cornell in 1862. Its original name was “the Main College Building,” but in May 1889 the Board of Trustees decreed that it should be called “College Hall.” It now contains classrooms, the Humanities Multimedia Classroom, the Berry Center, and offices for the departments of Economics and Business, Education, French, German, Greek, History, Latin, Russian, Sociology and Anthropology, and Spanish.
Collin House (1889), just west of the President’s House, was built by Professor Alonzo Collin, whose services to the college spanned the years 1860 to 1906 and included teaching mathematics, natural science, physics, and chemistry. He was also college librarian (1860-70) and acting president (1880-81). The house was acquired by the college in 1924 and now contains four apartments for visiting faculty.
The Commons (1966) provides centralized dining and recreational facilities for the college community and contains seven dining rooms; Rathskeller snack bar and coffeehouse; six classrooms; Roe Howard Fitness Center; conference and activities rooms; the College Bookstore; offices for Student Government; the Office of Civic Engagement; Mail Center; KRNL-FM, the student-operated radio station; The Cornellian, the student newspaper; and The Royal Purple, the student yearbook.
Dows Hall (1963), a residence hall for first-year women, was named in honor of Sutherland Dows Sr., a member of the Board of Trustees from 1932 to 1969 and its president for almost 20 years, and his wife.
Ebersole Center (1955), with its addition built in 1964, was renovated in 1988. It houses the offices of various Student Affairs departments, including Career Services, Counseling Services, Health Center, and Campus Safety. The funds for the Center were bequeathed in the wills of Francis and William Ebersole. Dr. Francis Ebersole was a local physician. His brother, William Stahl Ebersole, was associated with the college for 42 years as professor of Greek, registrar, and acting president.
Facilities Management Building (1964) provides facilities for those with responsibility for buildings and grounds. The warehouse next door was built in 1993. Intramural and soccer fields are located next to the building.
Frank J. Armstrong House (1890) was purchased by the college in 2010 to house a small number of upperclass students. Named after the college’s first African-American graduate (class of 1900), it serves as a Living/Learning community and provides programming space for BACO (Black Awareness Cultural Organization) and other Intercultural Life student leaders.
Harlan House (1875) was the home of Professor James Harlan, Class of 1869, who returned to teach at Cornell from 1873-1914, serving from 1908-1914 as Cornell’s fourth president. He died in 1933, and the college acquired the house in 1934. Sometimes the residence of the Dean of the College and other faculty, it became a women’s affinity group residence in 1986. Harlan now serves as a Living/Learning community for upperclass students and provides programming space for TWRG (Third Wave Resource Group).
Heating Plant (1916) supplies the campus with steam heat.
Ink Pond (1966) is an artificial pond dedicated to the memory of Raymond P. Ink, Class of 1897 and founder of Delta Phi Rho, on whose nearby farm many generations of Cornellians spent fun-filled hours. The pond is 133 x 200 feet.
Kimmel Theatre (see Youngker Hall)
King Chapel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The Board of Trustees resolved in June 1874 to erect a chapel. Construction began in October 1875, and the cornerstone was laid on June 22, 1876. One month later, when the walls were half up, the contractor went bankrupt and left the job. The employees of the contractor filed mechanics liens, which the college had to assume. This additional financial burden was almost fatal for Cornell, already suffering from the delayed effects of the national financial panic of 1873, and the whole campus had to be mortgaged to secure a loan to pay off the college’s obligations. The faculty contributed one-quarter of their salaries to help reduce the indebtedness. Conditions improved both nationally and locally so that by 1882 the college was free of debt and could complete the building. The lower floor contained a Day Chapel. Chapel exercises were inaugurated here on April 1, 1878 (they were not regularly conducted in the main auditorium until September 1915). It was in this room that Carl Sandburg read his poetry and sang his songs during his annual visits from 1920 to 1939. The library and the museum of biological and geological specimens, both opened in September 1880, occupied respectively the north and south ends of the lower floor. The main auditorium, which could seat 1,600 people, was first used on June 22, 1882, when the celebrated orator who had spoken at Lincoln’s funeral and opened the U.S. Centennial Exposition, Bishop Matthew Simpson, held his audience spellbound for two hours as he talked about “leadership.” The dedication of the Chapel followed on Sunday morning, June 25. The Chapel was officially named the “William Fletcher King Memorial Chapel” by an act of the Board of Trustees on June 7, 1940.
The building is constructed with dolomitic limestone quarried locally. The main tower is almost 130 feet high and contains a Seth Thomas clock. Steam heating was installed in 1885 and electric lighting in May 1898. Although the library, museum, and Day Chapel are no longer on the lower floor and the upper floor was slightly changed in the 1931 and 1967 renovations, the outside of the Chapel remains virtually the same as it was in 1882. The auditorium now displays the 65 ranks (containing 3,800 pipes) of the Möller organ, dedicated on October 21, 1967. In 1999-2000 the organ was converted to a solid-state system operated digitally and its stop-changing was expanded from 48 preset stop combinations to 9,801 possibilities.
The A. L. Killian Carillon, consisting of metal rods whose vibrations are amplified electrically to produce bell-like tones, was dedicated in 1950 and rebuilt and restored in 1981. The 25 notes of the English “bells” can be played from the organ console or by a roll player. The 61 notes of the Flemish “bells” must be played from a special console.
McCague Hall, a gift in 1967 of Ralph C. McCague, a trustee of the college from 1950 to 1985, is located on the first floor and serves for meetings, small recitals, and rehearsals.
Law Hall Technology Center (1925) houses the college’s servers and computing services offices, as well as the Math, Psychology, and Computer Science departments. There are three computer labs and eight technology classrooms. The Beaux Arts building was a gift from the Reverend Marion Law, Class of 1890, in memory of his parents and in appreciation of Dr. W. H. Norton, Cornell’s first professor of geology. It originally housed geology, biology, and physics. Law Hall was renovated in 1980 and 1982 and again in 1999-2000, always maintaining the building’s historic character.
Lytle House (1884) was built as a private residence by George Lytle so that his son, who was in the Class of 1892, might attend Cornell. The college purchased the building in 1906 for the Cornell Conservatory of Music. From 1958-61 the Department of Home Economics was located here and from 1961-80 it was the Psychology House. Between 1980 and 1995 it served as the International Center, with offices for International Education, classrooms, and meeting areas for international students and language groups. From 1995 to 2004 it was the home of the Philosophy Department. In 2004 it began housing the Kinesiology faculty.
McWethy Hall (1909), the college’s first dedicated gymnasium, was known for many years as Alumni Hall and has provided faculty office space, classrooms, and a dance and acting studio. After a complete renovation, funded by trustee Jim McWethy ’65, it reopened in 2002 as the home for the Art Department. In addition to offices, classrooms, teaching studios, and studio space for student projects, the building provides a home for the college’s art collection and the Peter Paul Luce Gallery. An annex just north of the building houses a kiln room and foundry and helps enclose an outdoor courtyard for sculpture and ceramics projects.
Merner Hall (1936) was made possible by a gift from Henry Pfeiffer and his wife, Anna Merner Pfeiffer (see “Pfeiffer Hall”). Originally a men’s dormitory, it became coeducational in September 1978. After a major renovation, Merner reopened August 2001.
Music Practice House (1892) is one of Mount Vernon’s former mansions. The house was built by William E. Platner, a prominent local merchant. In 1963 the college purchased the building and furnished it with pianos to serve as a practice and rehearsal facility for students taking courses in applied music. This historic home was beautifully refurbished in 1989 through the generosity of alumna Josephine Yarcho Iserman, Class of 1948, and her husband, Vern.
New Hall (2005) is a suite-style residence hall housing 46 upperclass students. The three-story building is located near the college’s 10th Avenue apartments and features six suites accommodating seven or eight students apiece. Each suite has three full bathrooms and a kitchenette. The building has a study room, a small office, a shared full kitchen, a lounge, laundry facilities, an elevator, and was Cornell’s first residence hall with central air conditioning. It is coed but not within rooms.
Norton Geology Center and Anderson Museum (1905) honors the man who was Cornell’s first professor of geology and curator of its original museum (opened in 1880). Dr. William Harmon Norton’s almost 75 years of distinguished service to Cornell as student, teacher, and member of the Board of Trustees are unique in the annals of American colleges and universities. The building opened in 1905 as a library, built with funds provided by Andrew Carnegie, who stipulated that the library must also serve the public (and it does to this day). Between 1958 and 1976, it served as quarters for the Department of Chemistry. In the fall of 1980, after being completely renovated (the original marble staircase and other architectural details having been preserved), the building became the home of the Department of Geology. The Russell and Elizabeth Anderson Museum, on all three floors of the building, is open without charge to the public. Mr. Anderson (1918-1987), Class of 1941, majored in geology under Professor Norton. An extensive collection of geological books, maps, and periodicals, and more than 20,000 specimens of rocks, minerals, and fossils are stored within the Center.
Old Sem (1853), Cornell’s oldest academic building, houses administrative offices and a student services center. The early accounts of the building were told in the chapter on the “History of the College.” After serving for more than 30 years as a boarding hall and classroom building, the Seminary Building was in dire need of renovation; hence the nickname “Old Sem,” which the students began to use in 1885, was an appropriate description and not a mark of affection as it is today. It was refitted in 1886 for Chemistry and Physics, hence the name by which it was generally called until 1959, “Science Hall.” In 1892, a mansard roof was added to create a fourth floor, thereby providing three excellent art studios. After the fire on February 16, 1924, which left only the masonry walls, Old Sem was rebuilt in its original style.
Olin Hall (1955), a gift of the F.W. Olin Foundation, was the largest campus residence for men from its beginning until 1996, when it was metamorphosed into a coed residence hall.
Paul K. Scott Alumni Center at Rood House (1883) began as three separate buildings which were joined together into what was traditionally but not exclusively a women’s residence hall. The last students moved out in January 2009 and the building was transformed into professional offices for the offices of Alumni and College Advancement. Richard and Norma Small (See Richard and Norma Small Multi-Sport Center) provided lead funding for the project in honor of Paul K. Scott ’29, who was alumni director (1954-76) and coached Cornell’s 1947 NCAA championship wrestling team.The original house was the private residence of Colonel Henry H. Rood, a local merchant, member of Cornell’s Board of Trustees (1867-1915) and treasurer of the college. His house was presented by the Class of 1894 to the college in 1919, four years after his death, and opened as a women’s dormitory. In 1936, the former home of Dr. A.A. Crawford was moved from the site where Merner Hall now stands and attached to the east side.
Pauley Hall (1963), named for Clarence O. Pauley, Class of 1901 and a member of the Board of Trustees from 1944 to 1964, and his wife, Maude Strobel Pauley, Class of 1903, was until September 1971 a men’s residence. Then an exchange was effected between Tarr Hall and Pauley in order to bring women to the western end of the campus and men to the center of the Hilltop. In the fall of 1976 Pauley became the Women’s Academic Residence. From 1984 to 1989, it was home to the coeducational Pauley Academic Program, and from then to 1996 a coeducational residence hall. It now houses only first-year women students, except for resident assistants.
Peter Paul Luce Admission Center at Wade House (1884) has since 1975 been the headquarters of the offices of Admission and Financial Assistance. The College acquired the house in 1947 upon the death of Ruby Clare Wade, Class of 1905 and professor of French at Cornell from 1917 to 1947, and used it first for faculty apartments. It was enlarged and renovated in 2008, made possible by a gift from Peter Paul Luce, a Cornell parent and life trustee, and his wife Betsy.
Pfeiffer Hall (1930) was made possible by the generosity of Henry and Anna Merner Pfeiffer (see “Merner Hall”). In February 1941, a new wing was opened to provide additional rooms. Pfeiffer Hall was a women’s residence hall until September 1978, when it became coeducational. Interior and exterior renovations were completed in January 2009, resulting in all new interior finishes, restroom and shower facilities, an added a classroom space on the main floor, added fire sprinkler protection to the entire building, and significantly improved heating and ventilation.
Prall House (1913) named for Dr. Elmer Prall, town dentist and long-time Mount Vernon City Councilman, was acquired by the college in 1992. It once housed Computing Services, Institutional Research, the admission calling team, and was the first home of what is now the Multimedia Studio. It now houses the Philosophy and Religion faculty.
President’s House (1850), the home of all but three of Cornell’s 14 presidents, was built by William Hamilton, a banker and later a member of Cornell’s Board of Trustees (1857-65). President William Fletcher King purchased the house and the surrounding 11 acres of land in 1864 and gave the house to the college when he retired in 1908. Dr. King continued to dwell here even after his retirement and died in his study on October 23, 1921, while President and Mrs. Flint were living in the house. It is the scene of many receptions for students, faculty, alumni, and visitors. East of the house is the famous ginkgo tree, certified by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources as “the largest reported of its species growing in the State of Iowa.” It is 85 feet in height, 12 feet 1 inch in circumference, has a crown spread of more than 75 feet, and is approximately 150 years old.
Richard and Norma Small Multi-Sport Center (1986) was named for Cornell’s most generous philanthropists, Richard Small, a life trustee of the college and a graduate of the Class of 1950, and his wife, Norma, an honorary alumna and trustee. The Center is built next to, and incorporates, the former Field House (opened in 1953) and is intended to serve not only the college but also the entire community by providing recreational activities and fitness programs. The Small Multi-Sport Center has five basketball courts with seating capacity of 2,100. Other indoor facilities include a six-lane, 200-meter track; four tennis courts; five volleyball courts; four racquetball courts; golf and batting cages; wrestling, and training rooms; the Meyer Strength Training Facility; and locker rooms. Outdoor facilities include a lighted baseball diamond, six tennis courts, football stadium, an eight-lane, 400-meter all-weather track, soccer game and practice fields, and open fields for intramural use. Intercollegiate and intramural softball is played in the nearby lighted fields of Davis Park. Commencement is held at the conclusion of each academic year in the arena.
Rorem Hall (1966), named in honor of Gaylord C. Rorem, Class of 1911, and his wife, Alma Bergfeld Rorem, Class of 1910, was originally a men’s dormitory. From 1977 to 1984, it was the Men’s Academic Residence. In 1984, Rorem became a coeducational residence hall and in 1996 returned to its original status as a men’s hall. It now houses only first-year students, except for resident assistants.
South Hall (1873), renovated in 1981, contains classrooms, seminar rooms, and offices for the departments of English and Politics. The Hillside Press, on which the hand-set Cornell College Chapbook series was printed, was located in the basement. For its early history as a men’s boarding hall, see “History of the College.”
Spear Memorial Sundial (1906), set on a hexagonal granite base ornamented with cherubic figures in relief, was until 1980 a drinking fountain. The painting or clothing of these figures in garish colors has continued to tempt Cornellians since the fountain was dedicated by Armstrong Spear, Class of 1881, in memory of his first wife, Annie F. Spear.
Stoner House (1902), built by a local physician, Dr. A.C. Tenney, who had his office in the basement, changed owners many times before being purchased by Inez Stoner in 1963. Between 1939 and 1942, a Mrs. Lott operated a coffee shop here that featured triangular-shaped doughnuts in four flavors and four choices of frostings. The college bought the house in 1974 and converted it into apartments for faculty. It now houses the Office of Intercultural Life with space allocated for offices, programming, and study.
Tarr Hall (1965), named for Edith Vosburgh Tarr, a graduate of the Academy in 1903 and the mother of three Cornell graduates, was originally a women’s residence, but in September 1971 became a men’s hall (see “Pauley Hall”). In fall 2009 it became a coed hall.
Tenth Avenue Apartments (1984) provide off-campus college housing for upper-class students.
West Science Center (1976), named for Merle Scott West, Class of 1909, contains laboratories, lecture halls, seminar rooms, and libraries for the departments of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. Special facilities include a cadaver lab and a greenhouse with three temperature zones. The school's anthropoid collection and mounted bird collection are also displayed here.
Youngker Hall (2002) was built contiguous to Armstrong Hall of Fine Arts with a complimentary yet modern architectural style. In addition to the Berry Lobby and Grand Lobby, it contains the 265-seat Kimmel Theatre with professional quality sound and lighting systems and state-of-the-art acoustics, technology, and flexibility. Charles Youngker (Class of 1942), Virginia Bolton Youngker (Class of 1943), and Madelyn Rydeen Youngker (Class of 1941) provided funding in honor of Charles’ father, Ben F. Youngker Sr. The theater was the gift of the Richard P. Kimmel (Class of 1919) and Laurine Kimmel Charitable Foundation.