Whitman Campus 2011

Read below for some of the changes that have happened over the past 50 years.

Whitman Buildings named after Whitman debaters or debate coaches: LYMAN: William D. Lyman, assisted in coaching the team 1904-1906 CORDINER: Ralph Cordiner, competed on the team 1918-1922 HARPER JOY THEATER: Harper Joy competed on the team 1918-1922 DOUGLAS: William O. Douglas, competed on the team 1917-1920 MAXEY: Chester Maxey, competed on the team 1909-1912 PENROSE LIBRARY: A number of Penroses competed on the team including Frances Penrose Owen 1917-1920 and Stephen Penrose Jr 1924-1928; President Penrose 1894-1934 served on the debate selection committees prior to 1911 (and taught public speaking) BRATTON TENNIS CENTER: Walter Bratton served on the debate selection committees from 1912-1916.

The Penrose Library has been remodeled twice since it was originally built around 1957. Moving Books to the new Library in 1957 Library in 1957 (by the way, that’s Ruth Reynolds, librarian and former Whitman debater) The Science building has been remodeled twice since it was originally built in 1962-1963. Hunter Conservatory is now home to the Speech and Debate Program (Music moved out in about 1980 into their new building; the building fell into disrepair until 1997 when it was totally refurbished and remains a beautiful place for learning about the fine art of rhetoric). Hunter and the Program Reid is the new campus center. It replaced the former “furniture store warehouse” which in the 1970s replaced the Student Center where, today, the Maxey auditorium and museum are. Student Center 1950s to 1974 Sherwood recently got a major facelift; Harper Joy Theater (to the left of Sherwood) is under construction now for its own renovation. Maxey is located where Billings Hall and the Student Center by the pond used to be. Maxey was just recently renovated and expanded. Olin (the new wing) is located where Reynolds Hall used to be. In 2009, the art wing was renovated for classroom and office space after the new Art building was constructed (to the right of the Reid building). Olin was the home of the debate program in the 1970s until 1998.