FRIENDS OF Spring 2003

Board of Trustees Friends of Florham College — A Piece of the Past, Carol Bere Linda Carrington A Part of the Future Phyllis Conway At Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Wroxton Emma Joy Dana Thelma Dear College, vibrant educational lessons are infused Shannie Doremus with the spirit of a rich historical legacy. It’s all Dawn Dupak part of the unique Wroxton experience. Gary Jaworski The University has long placed a premium Barbara Keefauver value on fostering global education, and Wrox - Linda Meister ton has played a strong part in that mission for Audrey Parker Walter Savage nearly four decades. In 1963, the University Richard Simon purchased Wroxton Abbey from Trinity Col - lege of the University of Oxford. Following Students stroll from the entryway of Wroxton Abbey on the Honorary Trustees significant restoration and modernization, campus of Wroxton College. Susan Adams Wroxton College opened in 1965, making Fair - Kim Dougherty leigh Dickinson the first American university to — to the ease of transportation into the heart of operate its own campus in England. London and beyond: Wroxton is the gateway to Advisory Trustees a unique adventure. John H. Fritz Located in the village of Wroxton, the College Frances Mantone lies in the heart of England between Oxford Courses are taught by a highly qualified British Stacy Rooke and Stratford-upon-Avon, 81 miles northwest faculty who employ the British tutorial method. of the very center of London. Its prime location As part of the challenging academic program, University Liaisons makes the College ideally situated to provide students regularly tour nearby cultural and J. Michael Adams an academic program second to none. From its political centers while being exposed to emi - Ted Ambrosiano closeness to Stratford — the birthplace of nent visiting speakers ranging from actors from Colleen Coppla Shakespeare, home to the Royal Shakespeare the Royal Shakespeare Company to members Kenneth Greene Company and host to the Shakespeare Center of Parliament. continued on page 4 Gretchen Johnson ‘Florham Lily’ May Blossom Once Again

The years-long effort of the Friends of “Florham” in 1899 by Arthur Herring - Florham to resurrect the “Florham ton, an internationally recognized Lily” may one day in the future expert. Herrington intro - restore one of America’s most sto - duced it as a then-brand-new cross ried cultivars as a widely recognized between “hemerocallis aurantiaca major” floral image. The board’s prolonged and “hemerocallis Thunbergii.” It soon and wide-ranging research effort, led by became ancestor of numbers of the nation’s lily board member Richard Simon, has thus varieties, and, according to the description far failed to find surviving specimens of accompanying its registration, a spectacular the developed for Mrs. Twombly addition to any . and registered under the name of continued on page 2 President’s Letter

These past months, with all of the snow that ick Law Olmsted Cutleaf Maple Grove” which has blanketed the area and specifically the Col - is just inside the Danforth Road entrance to the lege at Florham, the Friends have continued to campus. To quote James Griffo, former College move ahead. First of all, the grounds of at Florham provost, “This species is not indige - Florham have been spectacularly beautiful! nous to America but rather was imported (by Our projects this spring have Olmsted) from Japan. It is probably the most been, as reported elsewhere in outstanding ‘forest’ of Japanese cutleaf maples this newsletter, the resurfacing in the world — thanks to Frederick Law Olm - of the peripheral walk in the sted.” This grove is one of the most beautiful Italian Garden and the placing sights I have ever seen — especially in autumn of a new and better plaque hon - when all the trees are bursting with color. I oring the donors. believe it is something so unique, to say nothing of its beauty, that it is a part of our heritage that Another plaque was recently we must protect. installed to the right of the front of the Mansion recogniz - With a new residence hall being built across ing the friends and family of the street from this magnificent area, we were Kenneth W. Dougherty (hus - most worried that it would be destroyed by a band of our board member, parking lot, but, thanks to President Adams and Frederick Law Olmsted Kim), in whose memory the two holly trees the efforts of those in the University adminis - Cutleaf Maple Grove. flanking the entrance were given. Plans for a tration, the new parking lot comes right to the new ramp for the disabled are in the works, as grove’s edge. are thoughts about replacing the statues’ heads. Our board member, Richard Simon, has A very fine lecture, titled “When Florham Was designed and is working on a wall in three sec - New, The Florham Estate and Architecture and tions to protect it and set it apart from the park - the Gilded Age in Which It Stood,” was given ing lot. on March 16 by Madison’s own Janet Foster, But most importantly, come in the fall and noted author and architectural historian. actually see how fabulous the trees are them - Our big project, at least as far as I’m con - selves. cerned, is saving and designating the “Freder - Emma Joy Dana

‘Florham Lily’ continued from page 1 friends of the Friends apprised of the progress But the Friends’ determination to make certain of this special restoration effort. that the “Florham Lily” regains the attention it once commanded has led to negotiations to As attractive as the pin or tie tack may turn out recreate the flower as a decorative and com - to be if it is produced — and at the moment the memorative lapel pin and, possibly, a tie tack. if remains iffy — it will certainly not truly rival the splendid blossoms that brightened the If those negotiations proceed as the Friends Twomblys’ herbaceous borders and . A hope they will, the Florham Lily’s original fully faithful and accurate reproduction of the “good yellow,” as its canary yellow hue was live “Florham Lily” would undoubtedly severe - identified in the registration data, may once ly stress any lapel or cravat to which it was more be delighting viewers’ eyes just as the pinned. model from which it would be copied did in its day in the appropriately named “gilded age.” The striking blossoms that Herrington devel - Future issues of this newsletter will keep oped were as large as six inches in diameter on erect spikes that rose three to four feet in height For Your Information with sepals and petals four inches long. Its The article “Shirley Carter Burden: An Apprecia - botanical grandeur was, in short, well suited to tion” in the winter 2003 issue of the Friends of the majestic scale of the estate it graced so Florham Newsletter was written by James H. Fras - becomingly in its heyday. 2 er. The Italian Garden

On a beautiful Sunday in May 1998, the Friends of Florham, along with sev eral hun - dred honored guests, celebrated the completion of the first phase of the restoration of the Ital - ian Garden — the restoration of the Pergola at the far end of the garden and the in the center. The formal dedication began with the Rev. Monsignor Vincent Puma opening the ceremony in both English and Italian and the Rev. Lauren Ackland of the Grace Episcopal Church, giving the benediction. Both are from Madison, N.J. The day was a tribute to the hundreds of work - men, mostly Italian, who were brought to this country by Hamilton Twombly to construct the estate’s buildings and the grounds and to plant The restored Italian Before the heavy snows of this winter, the at the College the gardens. The Italian Garden was designed peripheral walk surrounding the garden was at Florham. by Alfred Parsons and was subsequently completed. The snow, incidentally, helped to brought to near perfection by the family’s long - pack down and settle the very fine gravel time garden and internationally recognized gar - which was used. dening expert, Arthur Herrington. A new and better plaque with the names of the Our board member, Frances Mantone, was a donors, to whom we are forever grateful, also granddaughter of one of these workmen, has been placed at the end of the garden in the Anthony Pico. She was primarily responsible pergola. A few things are still needed to com - The Italian Gardens for bringing together, not only her own family (below) prior to their plete the restoration — replacing the heads and recent renovation. and friends, but the many other workers’ descendants whose families settled in the sur - rounding area, and who helped make this restoration possible. Mantone spoke feelingly about the “hard-working people, diligent and conscientious, who came to America for a bet - ter life — with very little except their deep commitment to their families and their love of the earth.” We were thrilled to have with us as our special guests the sister and other relatives of Dr. and Mrs. Peter Sammartino, the founders of Fair - leigh Dickinson University; a number of alum - Post-restoration Italian ni, former faculty members and friends, as well the cleaning of the two statues of classical fig - Gardens (above). as many third-generation descendants of the ures; fixing the surrounding walls, where there original workers who helped create Florham. are several missing pieces; and replacing a Of particular joy to us was the fact that we ramp for the disabled with a more architec - were able to use some of the original plantings turally appropriate structure. of peonies, columbine and irises in our recreat - In conclusion, it has been five years since that ed parterre. Board members Ann Granbery, celebration, but we want all who were involved a prominent local landscape architect, and to know that we continue to be tremendously Richard Simon were determined to recreate grateful to those who so generously contributed this beautiful garden that had been considered to our efforts to restore this beautiful Italian “one of the finest gardens in the country.” Garden. Do come and see it in the spring! 3 3 Dupak Appointed Board Member

Friends of Florham announces the nomina - A native of Canada, Dupak holds a BA in fine tion of Dawn Dupak as a new board mem - arts from the University of British Columbia in ber. She has served the local community in Vancouver and is a graduate of the Robert many capacities since moving to Chatham, Simpson Company Interior Design Training N.J., in 1982. A sustaining member of the Program in Toronto. She also has been respon - Junior League of Morristown, N.J., Dupak sible for various leadership-training seminars has held positions in several organizations, for The Association of Junior Leagues Interna - including Stanley Congregational Church, tional. Dupak is presently a wardrobe consul - The Arts Council of the Morris Area, the tant for Doncaster, a division of the Tanner Municipal Alliance of the Chathams and Companies. the Marionette Players. She has served as Newly appointed She is married to Peter Dupak and has two Friends of Florham co-chair of the Friends of Florham Gala Ball daughters, Erin and Kim. Her other interests Board Member since 1999 and will continue to aid the Gala include downhill skiing, golf, bridge and Dawn Dupak Committee in this annual venture. gourmet cooking.

Wroxton College continued from page 1 ence immersion into another way of life. The Abbey, a 17th-century Jacobean mansion, is Officially declared a historical landmark by the the centerpiece of the College. It has been home British government, Wroxton Abbey provides to earls, lords and barons and a guest house to students a mix of contemporary focus and tradi - princes, presidents, poets — and now students. tional style and an unparalleled learning envi - ronment. Continuity and change have always Surrounded by 56 acres of lakes, lawns and gone hand in hand at Wroxton. Indeed, one of woodlands, the Abbey actually dates back to the most significant measurements of an institu - 1215, when it was an Augustinian priory. De- tion’s success is its ability to adapt to current stroyed by the soldiers of Henry VIII, it was times while simultaneously preserving its her - rebuilt between 1600 and 1618 by Sir William itage. Hence, toward the end of the 1990s, a Pope. This honey-colored mansion has been major plan of renovation and refurbishment was home to historical figures — Francis North, drawn up and implemented. the first Baron Guilford and Lord Chancellor to After almost two years of intense labor, exten - Charles II, and Frederick, Lord North, prime sive renovations to the Wroxton Abbey’s study- minister to George III between 1770 and bedrooms were completed. While remaining 1782. The Abbey’s impressive guest log in- true to the building’s history, a fully modern cludes royalty from Charles I, George IV and facility was created. Adjacent to the Abbey on William IV to statesmen like Theodore Roo - the grounds, the Carriage House, which houses sevelt and Harold Wilson. Other distinguished the College’s dining facilities, a pub (Buttery) visitors have included Horace Walpole, Celia and a vast lecture hall, has very recently under - Fiennes and Henry James, to whom Wroxton gone the same intensive work, and there are was a part of the essence of England: plans to further develop additional residential “Everything that in the material line can ren - accommodations and classroom facilities. der life noble and charming has been gath - There also are developments on the College ered into it with a profusion which makes the grounds resulting from the rediscovery of a nat - whole place a monument of past opportuni - ural spring, giving rise to the suggestion of per - ty.” haps bottling and selling Wroxton water! At Wroxton, historical tradition remains both a As FDU marks the 40th anniversary of its top priority and an integral part of the overall owning Wroxton College, it continues to view educational experience. As the University looks Wroxton as a cornerstone of its global educa - ahead with optimism to a new era of schooling tion offerings. Not only do students gain vital world citizens, it pledges to continue to cherish international perspectives, but they receive the greatness of the past while preparing stu - high-quality, personalized teaching and experi - 4 dents to compete and excel in the uncertainties of the future. ‘When Florham Was New’

At one point in “When Florham Was New,” her turn-of-the-century Amer- illustrated talk to a Friends of Florham audi - icans who were “enthusi- ence on March 16 in Fairleigh Dickinson’s astically embracing” a Lenfell Hall, the Mansion, Janet Foster called burgeoning consumer cul - Florham a typical Gilded Age combination of ture was only one of her reverence for 18th-century architectural prece - many perceptions that char - dents and a new and, in its late 19th-century acterized her deftly mobile day, modern attitude toward the past. movements between archi - tectural and social history. “The American estate, whether in Newport, Morris - “When Florham Was New” town or New York, strived to was the 14th presentation use historic furnishings and in the Friends’ series of lec - Janet Foster, left, discusses architectural elements to give tures. The list of speakers who preceded her her lecture with attendees a sense of old money and has been a thoroughly distinguished one. It Violetta DuPont, center, timeless good taste,” Foster includes, among others, John T. Cunningham, and Maureen McGuire. noted. “But these historical Richard Guy Wilson, Maureen Ogden, Samuel Janet Foster elements — Renaissance fire - White, Frank Sanchis, Mac Griswold, Mark places, Rococo paneling and Hewitt and John Foreman. garden ,” she pointed out, Like Foster, a highly regarded architectural “were used in the context of a very modern historian, historic preservation consultant, sensibility” epitomizing a fashionable modern author and academic, these earlier participants taste. That taste, then current, glorified the were chosen by the Friends Lecture Commit - newly made and reflected the late Victorian tee. The speakers were selected not only be- ambivalence toward the avant garde’s new and cause of their prominence as authorities on growing — but not by any means widely rec - the subjects on which they spoke, but also ognized — interest in old things having value because, the life’s work of each of them attests in the marketplace. to their staunch defense of the preservationist Foster’s linkage of some of the impulses of the values to which the Friends of Florham have very rich, like the Twomblys, with the ordinary always been dedicated.

Plan to Celebrate at Friends’ 6th Annual Gala

This year’s “Evening at Florham” is planned for Saturday, May 10, at the Mansion, College at Florham. The Gala Committee is headed by Hon - orary Chair Thelma Dear. She is assisted by Bar - bara Keefauver, Dawn Dupak and Phyllis Conway. This promises to be an evening for all the senses — cocktails on the terrace; an excellent menu from the Twombly’s chef, Joseph Donan; dancing to the music of the John Johnson Trio; and historical tours by board members Walter Savage and Richard Simon. Plan to join the Friends at 7 p.m. on May 10 for a Friends of Florham volunteers coordinate seating for this wonderful evening. Tickets are $150 per person or year’s spring Gala during a morning meeting. They are, $250 for patrons. The proceeds will support the standing, from left, Kay Lyall, Suzy Moran, Carol Kurtz ongoing renovations for the Mansion. Please and Cathy Atenzio and, sitting, Barbara Keefauver. reserve early, seating is limited. 5 5 FRIENDS OF FLORHAM The Library 285 Madison Avenue Madison, New Jersey 07940

Become a Friend Join the Friends of Florham. Participate directly in our efforts to preserve the architectural history of Florham, and support our informative program series. Your support will make a difference.

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Please check desired category: Please make checks payable to Friends of Florham and mail to: K $25 — Friend K $50 — Special Friend K $100 — Contributor Friends of Florham K $200 — Supporter K $500 — Patron K $1,000 — Sponsor The Library Fairleigh Dickinson University College at Florham 285 Madison Avenue Your gift is tax-deductible. Madison, NJ 07940