La Salle Magazine Fall 1998 La Salle University
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La Salle University La Salle University Digital Commons La Salle Magazine University Publications Fall 1998 La Salle Magazine Fall 1998 La Salle University Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.lasalle.edu/lasalle_magazine Recommended Citation La Salle University, "La Salle Magazine Fall 1998" (1998). La Salle Magazine. 43. http://digitalcommons.lasalle.edu/lasalle_magazine/43 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the University Publications at La Salle University Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in La Salle Magazine by an authorized administrator of La Salle University Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ^/^ FALL 1998 La SALLE P^^ A QUARTERLY LA SALLE UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE BiW/ft ofi/t/iey fSout/i/ (dcwt^us/ Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from LYRASIS members and Sloan Foundation http://www.archive.org/details/lasalle171973unse ^^^m &m THREE CENTURIES ON THE SOUTH CAMPUS Revolutionary 'War soldiers camped on property eventually owned by La Salle. It was also the site of the nation's first The \ew Ambassador knitting factory' and ho.sted visits by people like Washing- III Jordan. Page 23 ton, Franklin, and Jefferson, Robert S. Lyons. Jr., '61, Editor George (Bud) Dotsey, '69. Alumni Director J. REFLECTIONS AFTER ONE YEAR ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OFFICERS Despite formidable economic and competitive challenges, Nicholas Li.si, E.sq.. '62. President J. La Salle's new provost remains very optimistic about the '72. Charles J. Quattrone, Executive Vice President tini\'ersiry's future. James I. McDonald. '58, Vice President '72, Gerard J. Binder. Treasurer Leslie Branda. '80, Secretary THE CLASS OF '48 LA SALLE (USPS 299-940) is published quarterly by La Salle Uni\ersit>-, 1900 W. OIney Avenue, Philadelphia. Times were indeed different at La Salle 50 years ago when PA 1914U1199. tor the alumni, .students, faculty-, and the rniserable friends of the Universitv. Editorial and business offices are many of the students came to campus from located at La Salle University-, Philadelphia, PA 1914U1199. jungles of the South Pacific, the frigid North Atlantic, and Changes of address should be sent at least }0 days prior to publication of issue with which it is to take effect to the places like Anzio. De\elopment Office, La Salle Uni%ersit\'. 1900 W. Olney Avenue. Philadelphia. PA 19141-1199, POSTMASTER: send change of address to office AROUND CAMPUS listed above. Member of the Council for the Ad\ancement and Two new deans have been appointed in admissions/ Support of Education (CASE). financial aid and student affairs. Also, the Explorers will be DESIGN AND lLLUSTR.\TION: Amy Blake joining the Metro Atlantic Conference for football and Rhona Candeloro plans were announced for a memorial commemorating FRONT COVER:"\X'akefield Manufacturing Olympic gold-medal winner Joe Verdeur, '50. Company." chromolithograph (ca, 1850) by Benjamin F. Smith, Jr.. shows what is now the university's South Campus area (Reproduced by permission of the Historical Society of ALUMNI NOTES Penn.sylvania). A quarterly chronicle of some significant e\'ents in the lives BACK COVER: La Salle's president Nicholas A, of La Salle's alumni. Giordano, (iS, and Mrs. .Man,' Ellen Verdeur di.splay the gold medal won by her late husband. Joe Verdeur. '50. at the 1948 Olympics, They attended a recent reception at which plans were unveiled for a bronze bust of Verdeur emerging from the water that will be constructed at the Hayman Center on campus (Photo by Kelly & Massa), INSIDE FRONT COVER: Autumn on the campus (Photo b\' G. Ste\e Jordan), Volume 42/ Number 4 LA SALLE Fall 1998 FALL 1998 page — — " Tlje east branch of the W'ingobockiiip, Creek (now Ogoiitz AivnueJ, sboini in cihoiit 1890. The bridge connected the propeHies of Wakefield" and "Little Wakefield. (Cunnesv Stenton .Mansion) ByJames A. Butler, Ph.D., '67 Revolutionary War our south campus! General Howe's red-coats; here .\meri- soldiers camped on PityThat tract of 16 acres can proprietar)- capitalism fcnmd its acquired by La Salle in beginnings. property eventually 1989 and extending downhill from The stor\- of the south campus begins, owned by La Salle. McCarthy Stadium as any settlement of a new country' must surely be the historical poor must, with the land itself. Early in the It \^as also the site relation of the main campus eighteenth centur\\ the horseback rider "Belfield" property, .\fter all, exploring his 500-acre "plantation" of the nation's first "Belfield" is a National Historic acutely felt what we in our cars Landmark as the farm of colonial scarcely notice: La Salle's property', knitting factory and painter Charles W'illson Peale. His approached from the south, rises as a mansion itself panly dating from formidable hill. And the rider observed, visits ( hosted by 1~08) may be the second oldest as we no longer can, two pri.stine and college building in use in the swift-moving creeks—one following the people like countn'. line of present-day Belfield Avenue and the other that of Ogontz Avenue. Washington, But \\eep not for the south cam- pus, because its history- ma\" be That man on horseback is James Logan, Franklin, Lafayette, e\en more significant and is described by one historian as "the most certainly more \aried. For example, remarkable man residing in the Ameri- Jefferson, Monroe, an earh ov^ ner possessed the finest can colonies in the first half of the and Madison libran" in the colonies; beside our eighteenth century." In 1699, the land's streams camped British tv,enty-five-year-old Logan came to page LA SALLE — Thomas Rodman Fisher ( 1802- 1861 ). the proprietor of the Wakfieki Mills, built -Little " Wakefield. America with William Penn on so important for the rest of the the ship CanterbuiA' to sene as stoiy of La Salle's south campus, Penn's private secretan* and now flows beneath Belfield confidential agent. After Penn A\enue, buried since the early returned to England in HOI. tvi'entieth century in a city sewer. Logan represented the Penn family for the next half centuiy. becoming Chief Shenandoah of the Oneida the most influential political figure Tribe, in Philadelphia to com- in the colony. William Penn's land memorate William Penn's celebrated grant to his trusted aide included our Treaty, spent the night at "Belfield" in south campus, and eight generations 1922. "Peace be on this house," Chief of Logans and their descendants lived Shenandoah proclaimed as he here. blessed where La Salle's president now administers the university. "The James Logan designed and built from the new world. At Logan's death, hospitality of 'Stenton' and the 1723-1730 his magnificent house these books were transferred to Logans is still green in the memor)- of "Stenton," still standing just south of Benjamin Franklin's Philadelphia my people. Indians do not forget." our borders and open to the public. Library Company, where they form There, he installed his 2,500 book one of the cit>-'s principal cultural The creek named after Chief library, then the finest collection in treasures. Wingohocking formed an important geographical feature during the Battle 0\er the next centur\- Washing- of Germantown, one of the American ton. Franklin. Lafayette, Jefferson, Revolution's most important actions. Monroe, Madison came to After the British captured Philadel- Stenton " —linking Logans land phia late in September 1777, General (now, in part, our land) to the Howe set up his headquarters at foremost names in America's "Stenton, " arraying his main force in early history. Germantown along present School House Lane and Church Lane. And To "Stenton," too, came the no fool he!—Howe took care to Native Americans with vihom protect himself well. His First Battal- Penn had signed his famous ion of Guards camped between the treaty, and the tribal leaders of east and west branches of the the Five Nations camped on this Wingohocking; that is, about where land. Chief Wingohocking asked our St. John Neumann Residence Hall his friend James Logan to ex- stands today. change names as a mark of mutual respect, and there are still Those 440 Guards were as surprised Native Americans named Logan. as General Howe when George But James Logan explained he Washington's troops charged through coLild not take the Wingohocking the fog at dawn, slashing through the name for business reasons, British center on Germantown told Chief that the Etching uf Little WciLx'Jichl. by histead, he the Avenue. But American Generals Joseph Pennell (American. 1860- beautiful stream winding through Nathanael Greene. William 1926). It was built in 1829 by his property' would fore\er bear Smallwood, and David Forman nomas Roi/niai! Fisher. his name. Wingohocking Creek, arri\'ed too late to attack simulta- FALL 1998 page " " finished product. Almost by chance, he thus created the first knitting factory in America, the "Wakefield Mills," which o\-er the next thirty years produced fully nine-tenths of America's hosiery and fancy knit goods. Located just off campus in what is now Wister Woods Park at the northeast corner of Belfield and Lindley. the mill was for decades awarded nearly all government hosiers- contracts. From his home at "Little Wakefield/St. Mutien," Fisher ran this immense Stentoii near Pbiladelphia. wood eiigraring by Walter enterprise, becoming the consummate M. Aikmau. 1909. Built between 1723 and 1730. it was capitalist in his ownership of raw the home ofJames Logan and hosted visitors like George materials, mill, tenant houses, and Washington and Benjami)i Franklin company .store. Of him. industrial historian Martha C. Halpem writes, "Thomas R. Fisher has been credited neously the British right flank (nearer constructmg a series of dams and mill with being first in the United States to La Salle).