Kauke rededicated with joy and gratitude

Clark and Hales cut the ribbon as Wilson looks on.

» Kauke Hall Dedication Photo Gallery

WOOSTER, Ohio - It was a typical late October day in Northeast Ohio: grey skies and rain, followed by plunging temperatures and strong winds that knocked out electrical power on campus for about three hours in the afternoon. But the crowds gathered to celebrate the rededication of Kauke Hall took it all in stride. By 5:30 p.m., power had been restored and President R. Stanton Hales and James T. Clarke '59, chairman of Independent Minds: The Campaign for Wooster, cut a Macleod tartan ribbon in the Delmar Arch to formally mark the campus landmark's rebirth.

Trustees, alumni, students, faculty and friends of the college then moved inside to the ground floor, where a time capsule was inserted into a niche in the foundation. Inside were photos and messages from students in Paul Edmiston's First-Year Seminar class, copies of The Wooster Voice, a CD of the Scot Symphonic Band's 2006 commencement concert, and a DVD of the Independent Minds campaign video.

Later, the celebration moved to Kittredge Hall, where more than 200 gathered for dinner to celebrate the successful completion of the most ambitious capital project in Wooster’s history.

James R. Wilson '63, chairman of the college’s board of trustees, thanked "Wooster's faculty, past and present, whose memorable teaching and mentoring inspired many gifts to Kauke."

Stanley C. Gault '48, chairman emeritus of the board, reviewed all the elements of the campus master plan that had to come together to make the project possible: the construction of Longbrake Student Wellness Center, to allow the demolition of Hygaeia Hall, which provided the site for Burton D. Morgan Hall, which in turn allowed three academic departments to move out of Kauke, providing more space for those that remained.

Albert L. Filoni, lead architect on the project, Ted Bogner, president of Bogner Construction Company, and Robert A. Walton, the college's vice president for finance and business, all spoke about the challenges of bringing a 104-year-old building into the 21st century while also renewing its original beauty.

"It became a real labor of love," said Filoni, principal of Maclachlan, Cornelius & Filoni Architects, Inc., "and we feel fortunate that we were able to play a role."

John P. Gabriele, professor of Spanish, Jonathan A. Hartschuh '07, president of the Student Government Association, and Mary Neagoy '83, president of the alumni association, offered words of appreciation on behalf of the faculty, students, and alumni, respectively.

Clarke, the campaign chair, summed up the feelings of many in the room when he said, of Kauke’s renovation, "I knew it needed to be done, I was sure it would make a difference, but I didn't expect to walk in and say 'wow!'"

The College of Wooster is an independent liberal arts college, nationally recognized for an innovative curriculum that emphasizes independent learning. Each Wooster senior works one-on-one with a faculty mentor to create an original research project, written work, performance or art exhibit. Founded in 1866, the college enrolls approximately 1,800 students.