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1979 News from Hope College, Volume 11.3: December, 1979 Hope College

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DECEMBER 1979 PUBLISHED BY THE HOPE COLLEGE OFFICE OF INFORMATION SERVICES

Voorhees to Remain a Residence Hall

The Board of Trustees of Hope College has 40 rooms, togetherwith music rooms, parlors hall. the brunt of many jokes as "the bachelorwho voted to restore Voorhees Hall as a residence and refectory, all under the control of a lady The 1907 senior class dinner was the first lived in the hen house." hall for women. superintendent who would be a worthy formal function to be held in Voorhees. At And of course, the front steps have pro- The action came during the Board's example of Christianculture and refinement that time, there were so few women on cam- vided the setting for literallyhundreds of pin- October meeting and ended several years of for the girls." pus that each could occupy a room alone and ning ceremonies for Hope couples. debate over the future of the 73-year-old "Today, Hope is equally dedicated to a still not nearly all the rooms were filled. The Specifications for renovating the building building. strong program of residential life for the stu- College was fearful that she had a white are being prepared by the College'sarchitect

Voorhees has not been used as a residence . dent body," said PresidentVan Wylen. "We elephant on her hands. It was then decided to and a plan devised by the College administra- hall since early 1969 when it was deemed must give continued attentionto the physical •open the first floor to unmarriedfaculty tion for financing the project. unsafe by the state fire marshal. facilities, social life and overall quality of resi- members. It will be the second major renovation of a In recent years there had been talk of dential and community life in order to make One who took up residencein Voorhees building of historical importance to the Col- converting the buildinginto an administrative college living the finest possibleexperience was the late John B. Nykerk who taught at lege. Students moved back into Van Vleck center or even demolishing the structureto for our students. Hope for 50 yeais and was chairman of the residencehall in October after it underwenta make way for another facility. "Because Voorhees Hall has served as a English and music departments. For this fact $400,000 renovation. VanVleck is the oldest "Voorhees Hall is a reminder of Hope's women's residence,its renovation will be a he was in Ripley's "Believe It or Not," and building on campus. commitment to being a coeducationalinstitu- reminder of the important role women have tion," said President Van Wylen. had in the life of Hope College." Prior to the constructionof Voorhees Hall Voorhees was constructedin 1907 at a cost Hope was basically a school for men. During of $40,183. Its renovation is expected to cost Science Tradition Rates High the 1906-07 school year the College had only in excess of $1 million. 19 female students.President Kollen attrib- The building is named after Ralph and Hope College has emerged as top leader in a Categories in which Hope was ranked uted this small number to the lack of suitable ElizabethVoorhees of Clinton, N.J. They survey of chemical research activity at U.S. number one are: Number of Ph.D.s in housing for them. pre