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