LUMNI ISSUE, OCTOBER, 1966 SW\RTI MORE COLLEGE BULLETIN The Boston Marathon: The Runner’s World Series (C onstruction of the Thomas B. and Jeannette E. L. second level of the 90,000 square-foot building, and two McCabe Library was three months under way when this floors will rise above this level. Another floor is below photograph was taken at the end of August from the grade on the north and at ground level on the south side fourth floor of Parrish by Philip Swayne ’53. The building of the building where the hillside slopes down to the is located on the site of Somerville, which was demolished present library. The present time schedule calls for in May. Workmen in the photograph are on the main or occupancy at the beginning of the 1967 academic year. ALUMNI ISSUE SWARTHMORE COLLEGE BULLETIN OCTOBER, 1966 2 When Should a College Say Yes? By President Courtney Smith 7 The College 8 Three Major Commissions Will Ask Where We Are Going and How We Are Going to Get There By President Courtney Smith 10 The Great Race 16 What Are You Running in Your Underwear For? By Edward Ayres ’63 22 Class Notes 49 Swarthmore Clubs 49 Swarthmore-Haverford Day Editor Maralyn Orbison Gillespie ’49 Director of the News Office Assistant Editor Kathryn Bassett ’35 Director of Alumni and Fund Offices T he B ulletin, of which this publication is Volume L X IV , No. 2, is published twice in March, and then monthly except February, June, August, and November by Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. THE COVER After a 26-mile run, Ed Ayres ’63 crosses the finish line of the 70th running of the Boston Marathon last April in 26th place in a field of hundreds. More pictures of Ed running his third Boston Marathon begin on page 10. Following them, he tells why he’s looking forward to running his twenty-fifth Boston Marathon in a few years. The Alumni Issue of the S w ar th m o r e C ollege Bu lletin , for the third straight year, was chosen one of the top ten alumni magazines in the United States in competition sponsored by the American Alumni Council. It also received a first place prize for its coverage of alumni. Should a College Yes? What is the real responsibility of a college in answering yes or no to the many persuasive requests it receives from outside groups for various kinds of service? The needs of our contemporary society are bringing a sharp increase in the number and urgency of such requests. By President Courtney Smith J_ n th e past f e w m onth s Swarthmore College Council of Delaware County, or the Health and Welfare has received many requests for service to outside groups Council. I am not thinking of many kinds of service in or agencies—proposals which involve a clear social or connection with Quaker Meetings, churches, or local public service, but which are not necessarily related to schools. To take inventory of this sort of service would our academic program, or to the concept of a college as require an evening in itself, but these are our activities a place where faculty and students are brought together as concerned individuals. Nor am I thinking of the serv­ for the purpose of learning. Each of these proposals has ice activities of our students, of the had much about it that is persuasive, but the clustering 50 students who this year gave many hours to of requests to us makes it important to ask what is the tutoring disadvantaged youngsters; real responsibility of an undergraduate liberal arts col­ 50 who ran a study center in Chester as a lege in these matters, which is a question of especial im­ follow-up for first and second year campers portance at a time when certain forces in our society are from the Summer Study Program; producing a geometrical increase in the expectations of 30 who worked with the Wade Settlement our colleges and universities in these ways of “ service.” House in Chester in a program of sports I thought it might be helpful, therefore, if I could think and crafts to keep the young people off the aloud tonight about some of these service activities, and streets; then try to see if there are any guidelines for knowing well over 100 who did odd jobs in the Borough when the College should say yes to them, and when it to earn money to send Chester youngsters should say no. to summer camp; I am not thinking for the moment of the activities in 30 who ran a recreational program at Sleigh­ which faculty members and administrative officers en­ ton Farms School; gage as individual citizens. I am not thinking, that is, of 50 who worked for the Chester Home Im­ service on Borough Council, the Board of Sleighton provement Project; Farms, the George School Committee, the Citizens 7 or more who worked in “patterning” or 2 Swarthmore Alumni Issue other forms of physical rehabilitation; was conducted by members of our faculty around a 30 who helped organize and direct a Girl Scout theme, “ The Individual in His Society,” with materials and Brownie troop in Chester; drawn from the humanities and social sciences. The 5 who worked with a Broomall Girl Scout Company’s ami was explicit: to make better executives, troop; in today’s complex business world, and to help these a number who did the same with a Boy Scout executives play more useful and responsible roles in troop in Chester; their own communities. or of the countless others who supported the There have been special courses of another sort. On activities of the Heart Fund, or the Na­ request of the Sun Oil Company, Professor David tional Kidney Disease Foundation, or of Bowler of our Department of Engineering has twice the Red Cross Blood Bank. given a twenty weeks’ evening course in electronics to These things our students may be led to do because of enable scientists and engineers of the Company to bring certain values that pervade the Swarthmore College up to date their training in electronic circuits and tran­ community, but they are still, in my mind, individual sistorized equipment. The course was apparently a suc­ expressions of concern, whereas I am thinking of the cess, and soon other companies were asking for similar “ corporate,” institutional service activities of the programs. College. I am thinking, to start with the simplest level, of mak­ ing available our physical facilities to the public as freely and generously as we can, both as an act of friend­ TJB_wo y e a r s ago theh College undertook, with the liness and as a way to give support to the good endeavors Robert Wade Neighborhood House in Chester as co­ of others. Our campus is used, for example, as a summer sponsor, an interracial, educational summer day camp camp for crippled children. Play space is made available designed to introduce teenagers from economically for a nursery school during the year. When there is no limited backgrounds to the world of ideas and of intel­ conflict with our own scheduled activities, our buildings lectual attainment, in the hope that they will learn how are used by the local high school, neighboring church by their own efforts they can fulfill their potential and groups, health and welfare societies, adult discussion achieve responsible careers. As is the case with many groups, teachers association workshops, and various good things at Swarthmore, the Study Program was ini­ garden clubs. Our fields and other athletic facilities are tiated by students and largely carried out by them, used by the Swarthmore Recreation Association, the though many members of the administration and faculty Swarthmore Tennis Club and Westinghouse, Boy helped. The Swarthmore students’ report at the end of Scouts and Girl Scouts, the Red Cross (which uses the the 1964 session commented: swimming pool for beginners’ classes and for instructors’ “ By matching twelve college student counsel­ courses), the local high school, the Lions Club Easter lors and a professional educator with thirty- Egg hunt, the annual Hallowe’en Parade, and so on. three ninth and tenth graders selected for in­ Our classrooms and laboratories have been used for terest and academic promise we hoped to courses by the Delaware County Firemen, Atlantic transmit an appreciation for the joy of learning Richfield Company, and the Scott Paper Company. And, through discussion and exchange of ideas, and as you know, we welcome the public to the campus participation in creative and educational ac­ arboretum and to the many recreational possibilities of tivities. We hoped to foster an increase in self- the Crum Creek valley. It is more, of course, than the confidence and self-respect which might be facilities themselves that are made available, for almost translated initially into academic improvement all of these enterprises involve at some point the time of and subsequently into success in higher educa­ administrative officers and members of the College tion and in careers.” staff. And we charge no fees for these uses of our facili­ The first summer of the Program, 1964, brought to ties, accepting at most only reimbursement for our out- the campus thirty-three boys and girls from Chester and of-pocket expenses. surrounding communities for a six weeks’ program, with From time to time we have prepared and given special morning lectures by Swarthmore faculty members in courses for outside groups. Our best known was the pro­ physical science, literature, political science, creative gram in liberal arts for business executives, which was arts, and other fields, followed by afternoon discussions established on request of the Bell Telephone Company led by the undergraduate counsellors.