April 7, 1994 • The Skidmore News • Page 17 FEATURES What's in a name? By Ann Marie Przywara staff writer Have you ever wondered where many of Skidmore’s buildings got their names? Wonder no more. Case Center is named after Mrs. Everett N. Case (Josephine Young Case) who served as chairman on the Board of Trustees of Skidmore beginning in 1983. She was bom in 1907 in Lexington, Massachusetts. Case believed in the education of women and was a mother, novelist, poet, teacher of English Literature and Creative Writing, and the holder of two major and five honorary degrees from Elmira, Skidmore, St. Lawrence University, and Colgate University. Barrett Center is named after G. Hinman Barrett, a cousin of Mrs. Lucy Skidmore Scribner. Barrett was born on September 19, 1887, and died at age 81 after serving as a trustee of Skidmore tor almost 50 years. He became chairman of the Board of Trustees after Scribner died in 1931. Barrett was named Treasurer of the college when the Skidmore School of Art became a college in 1925. He resigned in 1965. Barrett contributed much of his time to volunteer work. He served as Director and Secretary of the American Association for the United Nations from 1954-1964 in addition to writing poetry and prose. Wilson Chapel is named after Val H. Wilson who served as the third President of Skidmore College. Wilson initiated the move to the new campus and became the main fund raiser for the $20 million dollar project. Wilson’s death in 1964 prevented him from seeing the completion of the new campus. He was bom in Scotland on Valentines Day in 1915. In 1938, he received an A.B. degree as cum laude from Bates College. He received his PH.D. in Philosophy from Yale in 1941. As President, Wilson urged students “to go beyond academic education and ‘develop the basic human values which will deepen appreciations, fortify integrity, and thus strengthen those qualities of character which are truly hallmarks of the educated person.” Kathryn Starbuck is the name from which Starbuck Center is named. Starbuck was a Professor of Law and the Executive Secretary to Skidmore in 1921. In 1950, she was awarded a Citation of Merit from Governor Dewey for “outstanding contributions in business achievement.” Starbuck was mainly concerned about the role of women in society. In 1957, she was appointed to the New York State Women’s Counsel for her efforts to stop discrimination and to allow women to serve on juries. Starbuck served on the Board of Trustees after retiring in 1954. She served until her death in 1965. The Van Lennop Riding Center is named after Frederick Van Lennop who was “a widely known horseman and owner of Castleton Farm in Lexington, Kentucky” and Mrs. Van Lennop. Their daughter, Fredericka D. Van Lennop was a Skidmore student. Bolton Hall is named in memory of Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Sheldon Gerry Bolton who worked collectively for over 30 years at Skidmore. They both taught English. The excellence of the English department today is due to the leadership of Dr. Bolton as the chair of the department until 1957. He was the first ever to give the first annual Faculty Lecture. The couple had several yearbooks dedicated to both of them. Mrs. Bolton retired in 1960 and Dr. Bolton in 1962. He is often referred to as “a pillar in the development at Skidmore.” Dana Science is named in memory of Charles Anderson Dana who was a lifetime philanthropist. He was bom in 1881 in New York City. He went to Cutler School and Columbia University and received his B.A. and masters in Law. Dana offered Skidmore a challenge to raise $600,000 by December 15,1966, in order to build a science center. It was the largest challenge grant ever presented to Skidmore and allowed only one year to raise the money. Jonsson Tower was one of the four buildings built in the “second residential complex,” that we know today as North Quad. The full name, Margaret Jonsson Tower came from the interest of her daughter, a student whose parents felt she had been provided with “stimulating, meaningful, education.” “Margaret Jonsson and her husband. Erik Jonsson, in 1960, gave Skidmore the gift of 1,000 acres of land on which the new campus is now built.” Howe Hall is named in memory of William David Howe, a trustee of Skidmore elected in 1924. Howe was much respected for his “sound judgement” and “vital interest in every’ detail of the college.” Rounds is named after Leslie Raymond Rounds who served as a trustee to Skidmore in 1935 and as chairman from 1947-1960. He remained very active until his and his wife’s health declined. Rounds was a businessman who gave many contributions, including financial, to the college. Mrs. Charlotte Smith Kimball was a former trustee and assistant dean of students at Skidmore. She also served as Mrs. Lucy Skidmore Scribner’s secretary for a year after the school became a college. J. ERIK JONSSON - The man behind the Tower Margaret Jonsson Neiman-Marcus Studio DR. VAL WILSON - Skidmore’s third president