The Campus mirror. (Atlanta, Georgia) 1924-19??, December 15, 1933, Image 5

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

The Campus Mirror 5 The Memorial Service on Thanksgiving morning in honor of Lucy Hale Tapley re minded us not only of the woman herself, but of the work she did during her life time. Probably no one has contributed more to the development of Spelman College than has Mi ss Tapley. After teaching twenty years she served as President for seventeen years, carrying on the traditions established by the two courageous women who had gone before and developing the work as changed conditions made new plans desir able and possible. During her presidency four buildings were constructed. In 1!)17 Bessie Strong Nome, a dormitory for students in the Nurse Training Department, now used as a teacher s dormitory, was erected. In 15)18 Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial Building was completed as a memorial to Mrs. .John 1). Rockefeller, Sr. Tapley Hall, the science building, completed in 15)25, was named in honor of Miss Tapley and stands as a memorial to her. In 15)27 Mr. •lohn I). Rockefeller, dr., dedicated the Sisters ('Impel in honor of his mother and aunt, the Spelman Sisters. It was at the end of this year that Miss Tapley resigned, on account of failing health, and the chapel, a beautiful (Jreek structure, might be con sidered the crowning achievement of her work. I apley llall houses the laboratories, reci tation rooms, and offices for courses in Physical and (lencral Science, Biology and ( hemistry. The courses in Physics, for the college* year l!)25-2(>, when Tapley llall was opened for use, were Neneral Physics, Elec tricity ami a course in Magnetism, Heat and Light. The courses now offered in Physics are Neneral Physics, Electrical Measurements, Household Physics, and a course in Heat, Sound and Light. The courses in Neneral Science, as separate courses, were discontinued in 1D2G-27. In 15)25-2(i the Department of Biology offered courses in General Biology and Bacteriol ogy, as the department grew, courses were added, and now the curriculum includes General Biology, Household Bacteriology, Comparative Anatomy, Vertebrate Embryol ogy, Histology, Cytology, Entomology, and the Teaching of Biology in the High School. In the Chemistry department the courses now offered are General Chemistry, Quali tative Analysis, Quantitative Analysis, Ele mentary Organic Chemistry and the Teach ing of Chemistry in High School. Ad vanced courses offered at Morehouse College and senior-graduate courses offered by At lanta University in Physics, Biology and ( hemistry are open to Spelman students. It is, perhaps, particularly suitable that the memorial to Miss Tapley should be a science hall. The science courses, estab lished by her, typify as nothing else could her ability to adapt to new times and new needs. At the beginning of her presidency, Spelman was a seminary with primary, grammar, high, and occupational schools attached. It thus embodied those phases of education which seemed best fitted to the needs of the people whom it served. In 15)24, it became a teachers' college; for, by that time, it had become apparent that schools for Negroes could utilize teachers of more advanced and specialized training than had formerly seemed necessary. The lower schools were still maintained, as they are today under the transfer to At lanta University; and the work of the Semi nary and ot tin* occupational departments had to be continued until those, already enrolled, were graduated. However, a> has already been shown, regular college courses "ere introduced, which form the founda tion of those now taught in the liberal arts college which was substituted for the teach ers' college not long after Miss Tapley's resignation. Training in science is one of the important requisites of our day; and The Development of the Biology Department at Spelman College Marv Reddick, ’34 Since the change of Spelman from a Seminary to a College in 15)24, there has been steady development in the department of Biology. The present generation of stu dents has seen only the progress which has been made in tin* last three or four vears. When one thinks of progress in an aca demic department, one takes into consid eration the equipment, materials, the num ber of students, and the training and tenure of the faculty in that department. Before 15)2o, when Tapley Hall was built, the Bi ology department was in its infancy in size and equipment. On the second floor of Tapley Science Hall, which is devoted to Biology, are three well-equipped laboratories, in each of which there are display windows, a well regulated system, and plenty of running water. The rooms are large and comfortable, and the main lecture room has had since 15)2(1 an excellent projection lantern, by means of which some of the studies can be illustrated. As one looks through the department, he can see that much of the demonstration ma terial has been prepared by different mem bers of the department: the skeletons of frogs, snakes and a turtle have been done by faculty members; dissections and mounts of preserved animals of different kinds have been done by students. Other materials have been especially prepared by different Biological Companies. Recently many valuable materials have been added, such as an autoclave, an incu bator and other apparatus for bacteriology, models tor embryology and charts which il lustrate certain phases of biology that are hard to visualize. Within the last three years interest has been growing in en tomology and ornithology. Demonstration mounts for entomology have been made, using the specimens that different students and faculty members have brought in. There is now an insect cabinet which will be used for student collections. The study of ento mology requires more materials and pro vides the incentive for collecting it. This year the main interest outside of the regular courses will be in birds. Two collections have been presented by the I nited States National Museum. In the collection for this year there have been re ceived birds which live in or migrate through tin* immediate region. Then* are tour beautiful Audobon bird charts which not only show the plumage of birds by which they may be identified, but also give (Continued on Rage 8) the dedication to Miss Tapley of the build ing in which science is taught, may be taken as a recognition of one of her outstanding traits, the capacity to see and to meet the changing requirements ol a changing so ciety.