From the left, Christine Hadley Snyder, interim president Corey Cockerill and Douglas Woodmansee view one of the newly installed plaques offering biographical information about building namesakes. In this case, they are viewing the plaque honoring Meriam R. Hare, namesake for the Quaker Heritage Center.
Submitted photo
Names like Boyd, Kelly and Pickett permeate the signage on Wilmington College’s campus facilities, but who are those persons behind the building namesakes for Boyd Cultural Arts Center, Thomas R. Kelly Religious Center and Pickett Hall.
Oscar F. Boyd, known by many as “Mr. Wilmington,” committed his entire professional life to his beloved alma mater, where he taught chemistry from 1914 through 1965. Upon his death, the College bell tolled 53 times in honor of his 53 years on the WC faculty.
Quaker theologian, educator and mystic Thomas R. Kelly grew up across from the Wilmington College campus on College Street with his mother and siblings. He graduated from the College in 1913 and went on to teach at WC, Earlham and Haverford colleges.
Quaker minister and Earlham College Professor Clarence E. Pickett served as executive secretary of the American Friends Service Committee for 22 years beginning in 1929. The AFSC, founded in 1917, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1947 for humanitarian service during and after World Wars I and II.
The Wilmington Yearly Meeting’s College Committee expressed an interest in producing plaques highlighting those whose names resonate daily as destinations in the College community. Christine Hadley Snyder, a member of the WYM’s College Committee and WC Board Chair Emerita, suggested the idea for the building plaques several years ago.
“The real impetus was through students who lived on campus four years and had no idea who such figures as George Austin and Clarence Pickett were,” she said, noting it’s important for students to have a solid historical perspective on their alma mater.
“It makes a place more real when you know about people’s contributions that have influenced the College,” Snyder added. “Also, it’s a way of recognizing the generosity of people, many of whom dedicated much of their lives to Wilmington College.”
Douglas Woodmansee, emeritus professor of biology, chairs the WYM’s College Committee, which, along with Quaker Leader Scholars at the College, conducted much of the research for the plaques. He cited this project as another instance in which the College and the Yearly Meeting are working together to move Wilmington College forward.
“A number of the building namesakes were Friends and recognizing them continues to build the relationship between the College and the local Quaker community,” he added, noting he expects the project will be an enduring WYM contribution to the College’s 150th anniversary observance.
Rounding out the building namesakes are William H. Robinson, George M. Austin, Albert I. Bailey, Kathryn Denver, Mary Ellen “Brady” Hazard Galvin, Simon B. Goodman, David and June Harcum, Frank O. Hazard, Hugh Heiland, T. Canby Jones, Charles F. Kettering, Samuel D. Marble, Mary Elsie McCoy, Meriam R. Hare, William R. Pyle and S. Arthur Watson.
Interim President Corey Cockerill said the building plaques offer “context, content and color” to the now 153-year life of the College. “This valuable resource adds to the ability to walk through the history of our campus.”
