Recollections on the founding of Bennington College
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Item Edith McCullough Shares Recollections about the Founding of Bennington College(Bennington College, 1952) McCullough, Edith van Benthuysen:18 Raising moneyfor the Bennington Scholarship Fund with concerts by Artur Schnabel (1932 & 1933); 8:45-9:04 Blank Space in recording; 9:56 Letter received from angry feminists regarding the hiring of a male president for Bennington College; 11:12-11:21 Blank Space in recording; 11:21 Entrance requirements: "no exam or marks were to be used"; 11:59 "A student could apply if they were poor in some subjects but gifted in others"; 12:34 "Try to choose the student body like an orchestra - having in mind enough different interests and localities to make an aspiring and harmonious student body"; 13:08 "..teaching body not need be PhD's or research professors but chosen....inspiring and able teachers, young and dynamic and with a democracy of age rather than the old stodgy teacher with the student teacher attitude with an idea of pedagogy.."; 13:30 How students will choose classes; 14:20 Group tutorial; 14:43 Difference between old regime and new regime styles in education (parable of a healthy flower); 15:05 Tuition/scholarshipItem Edith McCullough Shares Personal Stories(Bennington College, 1957) McCullough, Edith van Benthuysen..40 called the "project lady"; .99 "living in a sad, mysterious minded family"; 1.02 loss of family members; 2.30 "I went with him on his favorite walk through the slums of Albany, NY"; 4.00 project #1 - a Christmas tree; 4.43 Dr. Booth dug the first shovel of soil; 4.54 Dr. Kilpatrick's analogy of Bennington College; 5.36 Albany Hospital benefit-selling spaces on a program; 5.50"I sold out the program after refusals, reversals and mistakes , the worst being when I sold the back of the program to an undertaker for $30..."; 7.10 her uncle disapproved of her work, calling it unwomanly; 7.27 treasurer for a home of crippled children; 7.35 during WWI worked at a junior officer's club; 7.44 1923 - Switzerland; 7.56 English League of Nations; 8.00 Professor Gilbert Murray; 9.05 Secretary of War Newton Baker, Ambassadors John W. Davis & Norman DavisItem Some Recollections of the Beginnings of Bennington College(Bennington College, 1957-06) McCullough, Edith van Benthuysen.59 "Dr. Booth wanted to start an educational center for girls.. the old inhabitants of the town were dying out and an educational center would bring in young life to the community.."; 1.30 Mr. James Colby Colgate to donate 45 acres and eventually all of Mount Anthony; 2.40 Study the history of textiles and branch out from there. Mrs. McCullough discussed why this appealed to her personally; 3.14 Dr. Booth appointed twenty-one women on the "continuation committee", later called the "Committee of Twenty-One"; 4.50 She learned of Antioch's Plan, alternating 6 weeks study and six weeks full time job; 5.00 Swarthmore's group tutorial system; 5.20 December 18, 1923 meeting of the Committee of Twenty-One at Mrs. Holden's home in Old Bennington; 5.46 Mrs. Colgates camp chair breaks when she sits down "with emphasis"; 6.10 Miss Stoke and Miss Sanford considered socialists. "Socialists in those days were considered dangerous radicals, however refined and cultured they might be.."; 9.30 Mentions Dr. Kilpatrick; 13.00 Colony Club meeting date set 4/28/1924; 14.47 Mr. William Van Duzer Lawrence of Bronxville, New York approached Dr. Booth with the offer of his home and a million dollars in memory of his wife, Sarah Lawrence; 16.06 News of the College spreading all over the country; 1700 Colony Club meeting - curriculum discussion; 17.56 Miss Marian Coates, first president of Sarah Lawrence, reported to Dr. Kilpatrick that she had changed her curriculum to fit the educational discussion at the Colony Club on April 28, 1924; 19.19 Conference of Educators, August 1924 at the home of Mrs. John G. McCullough; 20.55 Autumn of 1924, Continuation Committee met and decided that the "College was a potent meed for the future of education in the United States. The charter was granted on April 21, 1925. The Continuation Committee became the Board of Trustees on August 19th; 23.02 Dr. John j. Coss Joins the Board; 23.24 Committee to choose a president begins; 31.13 Amy Kelly goes out into the country to survey women's education; 32.06 Robert Devore Leigh; 36.30 Dr. Leigh makes his first speech as President of Bennington College at the Hotel Commodore; 37.44 The Board sends Dr. & Mrs. Leigh to Europe during the summer of 1928 to study school and university systems of England, France, Germany, Switzerland and Denmark; 38.00 College office opens in Old Bennington at the Old Library; 40.49 The Depression hits Bennington; 42.30 Mr. Colgate lost hope for the College and withdrew his offer of land. Mrs. Frederick Jennings gave Bennington 140 acres in North Bennington; 46.57 Mrs. McCullough donated $100,00 of an inheritance she received from her uncle; 48.34 A jubilee meeting was called, but it was more like a funeral; 50.27 Mr. Hull said, "The depression is so terrible I think it very unwise to proceed, and to save you people I shall probably have to say no and put the old cat out of its misery.."; 52.26 Mr. Hull questioned board members about how they know Bennington will succeed; 53.10 "you people seem to want it so, I'll go with the ship" - Mr. Hull; 53.10 "Stella the Steamshovel" arrived;Item Bennington College: In the Beginning(Bennington College, 1981) Brockway, ThomasBennington College: In the Beginning is a historical account of Bennington College written by faculty member Thomas Parmelee Brockway (1933 - 1971).Item Letter from President Frederick Burkhardt to Margaret Sawtell(1955-04-04) Burkhardt, Frederick H.President Frederick Burkhardt writes to Margaret Sawtell and encloses Edith McCullough's recollections on the early history and founding of Bennington College.Item Letter from President Frederick Burkhardt to Edith Park McCullough(1955-05-13) Burkhardt, Frederick H.President Frederick Burkhardt writes, "I know you will be very glad to read this letter from Dr. Kilpatrick." Kilpatrick's letter is responding to Edith McCullough's recollections of the early history and founding of Bennington College.Item Letter from William H. Kilpatrick to President Frederick Burkhardt(1955-05-10) Kilpatrick, William H.William Kilpatrick responds to Edith McCullough's recollections on the early history and founding of Bennington College. He makes some corrections and states "I have read Mrs . McCullough' s ms . with great interest and admiration. She has achieved a remarkable psychologic success: she makes her readers feel both the hard work and the devotion that stood out in the bringing of Bennington College into existence, devotion by the McCulloughs, by Mrs. Swan, by Dr. Booth, and others. In this psychological effect McCullough' s success has been remarkable."Item Letter from Edith McCullough to President Frederick Burkhardt(1955-04-08) McCullough, EdithEdith McCullough writes to President Frederick Burkhardt in response to William Kilpatrick's notes and comments about Edith's recollections of the early founding and history of Bennington College.Item Letter from President Frederick Burkhardt to Edith McCullough(1955-04-02) Burkhardt, Frederick H.Burkhardt writes, "I am sending you two copies of your excellent history. I should like to suggest that you send a copy to Mrs.Joseph Swan and encourage her to comment on it and perhaps supplement it from her own experience."Item Letter from President Frederick Burkhardt to William H. Kilpatrick(1955-05-05) Burkhardt, Frederick H.Burkhardt encloses Edith McCullough's recollections transcription to Kilpatrick and states, "I would appreciate your reading it and sending any comments you may have to me. If there are any inaccuracies of date or emphasis, we are anxious to correct them. "Item The Beginning of Bennington College as Seen by William H. Kilpatrick(1955-10) Kilpatrick, William H.In response to a request from Bennington College President Frederick Burkhardt, William Kilpatrick describes the founding of the College, largely based on his diary entries from the time. There is a cover letter from Kilpatrick to Burkhardt enclosed with the manuscript.Item Recollections of the early founding and history of Bennington College(1952-09) McCullough, EdithTranscription of spoken recollections about the college's early history by Edith McCullough, chairman of the board of trustees and one of the founders of Bennington College. Edith McCullough enlisted the expertise of William Kilpatrick of Columbia Teacher's College to bring a progressive women's college to Bennington. This document also contains as an addendum a copy of Kilpatrick's 1926 letter sent to people inquiring about the college in which he outlines the aims and educational vision.Item How Bennington College was Launched(Vincent Ravi Booth, 1923) Booth, Vincent RaviBooth describes the early steps of Bennington College