The right ‘vibe’.
For an alphabetical index of the New England College series of pieces, click here.
Founded in 1831, Wesleyan holds 3,100 students, almost all of whom are undergraduates. Named after the English creator of Methodism, it started life as exclusively male but is now co-educational, the genders equally represented. The 360 acre campus includes over 340 buildings.
We are learning the strangest thing during our month of New England college tours and it is that the undefinable element of ‘feel’ or ‘vibe’, if you prefer, is present in abundance. And while my subjective opinions are irrelevant to my son’s eventual decision they are an important element in his deliberations. With a four year commitment the feel must be right, and we both just adored that of Wesleyan.
As luck would have it our visit today was on graduation day and even the weather cooperated. (Hint: park in the residential area on the other side of Washington Street – Route 66! Nowhere else is possible on such a day without a pass).
Though the campus houses many buildings, it manages to remain compact and accessible.
The Center for African American studies.
The Davison Health Center, curlicues and all.
The Davison Art Center. We visited a fine photography exhibition there.
Every campus has its ugly building and the Performing Arts Center bears that distinction at Wesleyan.
The Usdan Student Center.
Inside the Usdan.
Andrus Field is at campus center.
Wesleyan is making significant progress in widening the ethnicities of its student base.
In superb repair, the Memorial Chapel echoes the red and black colors of the school in its roof.
Inside the Memorial Chapel, taken in near darkness. Thank goodness for pews!
The many stained glass windows are surprisingly ornate given the relatively strict nature of the Methodist religion. This window honors those lost in WW2.
Graduation Day! The Van Vleck Observatory dates from 1914 and sees Wesleyan graduating more astronomy and astrophysics graduates than any other U.S. school.
Magnificent Romanesque architecture on the South College building.
The Davison Health Center has a lovely, light look.
Hanging out. A campus which encourages socializing.
Campus life.
The magnificent Olin Memorial Library, designed by McKim, Mead and White. The Olin Foundation seems to have donated buildings to every campus we have visited, some small compensation for the founder’s sins. John Olin was an ammunition manufacturer.
Another eyesore, the Science Library opposite the Olin.
The alumni list at Wesleyan is long and distinguished, with the college exceptionally well represented in Hollywood. Alumni include Bill Rodgers of marathon fame, Michael Bay, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Bill Belichick, Robert Ludlum, Timothy Hutton and Merce Cunningham.
Three faculty members have been awarded Nobel Prizes – V. S. Naipaul, Woodrow Wilson and T. S. Eliot.