FRIDAY. MARCH 15. 1946
Old Main Mural
What It Means !o Penn State
Main fresco,
(This is fhe firsi in a series of
ariicles designed io acquaint fhe
student with the significance
of the incomplete Henry Varn
um Poor mural in the lobby of
Old Main.)
By Jane Wolbarst
The fresco in the lobby of Old
Main has become, since its exe
cution, an integral part of the
College, Besides this, it has re
ceived high praise from art crit
ics throughout the land as an out
standing example of mural paint
ing. Yet, it stands incomplete.
Now, as contributions are be
ing made toward its completion,
questions are often raised as to
the technique of the artist, the
significance of the famous work
of art, and the plans concerning
its future.
The present painting was made
possible by a gift from the class
of 1932. The noted artist, Henry
Varnum Poor, was commissioned
to do the job.
Starting in September, 1939.
Mr. Poor devoted almost his en
tire time toward making prelim
inary sketches' and studies. He
started the actual painting of the
wall on April 26 and finished on
June 18, 1940. Poor paints fresco
at the rate of about one square
yard a day.
The painting is pure fresco,
which means that it is painted
directly on wet plaster applied
fresh every painting day. Miss
Hungry? ....
DROP IN AT THE
CAMPUS RESTAURANT
"A bite to eat
in a comfortable seat“
142 E. College Ave. State College, Pa.
Henry Varaum Poor and his daughter. Ann, work on the Old
Ann Poor, daughter of the artist,
did most of the plastering. As
the two worked, the lobby of Old
Main was always filled with ob
servers who were fascinated by
Ihe work and interested in watch
ing the fresco grow.
Before their eyes appeared the
tall, lanky figure of Abe Lincoln,
signer of the Morrill Land Grant
Act which provided for the es
tablishment of this school and
others.
As they watched the work, stu
dents became extremely conscious
of art and gained an understand
ing and appreciation that has
probably not been equalled on
campus since.
Taken as a whole, tne mural
dramatizes the period of the
founding of the College, which
became, under the Morrill Act
signed after the Civil War, one
of the first schools of agricultural
and industrial arts in America.
Mr. Poor expressed his aims
when he said, "First, I want to
bring a sense of great spatial ex
tension and ordered movement
across the wall. Second, the
main drama of the design will be
i in the light itself, with the farm
ing and industrial regions of the
state each lying in the light,
which most characterizes it. Us
ing the general costume of about
1860, and having as its main
theme the building of Old Main,
I want to express the relation of
THE COLLEGIAN
the College to the agricultural
and industrial life of the stave —
but to do this by putting them in
their simplest terms so they be
come in a sense symbols.
"I want Lincoln to be a symbol
of l'aith and hope and more than
just a part of the design because
of his historic signing of the Mor
rill Act. I want his face and
figure to express doubt and tra
gedy, and the full fruit of what
he hoped to be expressed in the
figure of the young student hold
ing a tree to be planted.”
Old Main itself provides a per
fect background for the fresco.
The figures of Lincoln and the
young- student are very large in
scale because of their symbolic
(Continued on page six)
War Increases
British Output
While Great Britain can blame
the war for present food short
aces. she also is indebted to
World War II for the increased
production she has today.
"Probably no country in his
tory has realized the increase
in food production that England
achieved during World War II."
according to R. U. Blasingame.
professor of agricultural engin
eering at tire College.
Blasingame recently returned
to this country after spending
seven months in England, teach
ing at Shrivenham American
University, and observing agri
cultural engineering develop
ments in the British Isles. He
oointed out that prior to the war.
England was able to feed her
people only two days per week.
Now she is self-sustaining for
five and one-half days per week.
‘‘The British government di
rected the cultivation of thous
ands of acres that had been pre
served as estates. Much of the
land was covered with trees and
was used only for hunting,”
Blasingame explained.
But he gave as the main rea
son for the rapid rise in produc
tion the increased use of mechan
ized farm equipment.
"Before the war. England had
few combine harvesters., modern
tractors, and gang plows.” Blas
ingame said.
During the war she imported
under iend-lease much modern
farm machinery from this coun
nciuding bull-dozers that
invaluable in clearing thou
ands of acres of land.
"Another amazing thing about
■'criruliure in England." Blasin
eame said, "is the high producl
vity of the land."
He explained that although the
soil there had been tilled for cen
turies, the British people have
taken good care of their farms
and their land will out-produce
much of the land in this country.
He also credited the marine cli
mate. as compared to our occa
sional heavy rains, for the limit
ed soil erosion in England.
"In addition to the use of mod
ern machinery, a land army of
women who worked on the farms
during the war played a large
part in feeding the British
people," Blasingame added.
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LA BOTTLING CO., ALTOONA, PA
’X-G'l Club Conducts
Seasons First Smoker
: The welcome mat is out for all
Sw-servicemen at the X-GI Club:-
informal smoker at Schwab Au
ditorium a to p.m. Tuesday. Tin
1 purpose of the club s first social al
l-loir of this semester, a traditional
I early-semesler event, is to wel
come the new veterans to the
Penn State campus and to outline
the club’s aims and organization.
| Following the regular program
!in Schwab, which will include
1 talks by Arthur R. Warnoek, dear,
10l men: Professor Robert. Gal-
I braith, the Collcee veterans' coiin
| sellor: Charles Speicicl. wrestling
! coach just out of the Navy: anc
! Louis Bell, director of public in-
I formation, the smoker _ will shift
! to Old Main where refreshments
j will be served and new rneinbei ■
I ships, in the organization \\ ill he
I accepted.
11 NROTC’s End
College Duly
Seventy-seven Naval ROTC
trainees have ended their tour
of duty at the College, Capt. Wil
liam T. MeGarry. commanding
officer, announced today.
Remaining on the campus are
11)7 trainees who, according to
Captain MeGarry. have promised
to remain on duty until July 1.
and accept commissions in the
Naval Reserve, if tendered them,
upon the completion of their
training.
The change from a V-12 to at.
ROTC unit was effected here last
fall, and the strength of the unit
boosted to 300 by transfers from
other V-12 units. No immediau
replacements are planned for the
outgoing trainees. Captain Me-
Garry said.
Of the outgoing trainees. IP
were sent 1o separation centers
for discharge: 14. who are eligible
for March 3 and
April 15. were transferred to Ihe
headquarters of the Naval Dis
trict nearest their homes; and 38
were assigned to the Naval Train
ing Station at Great Lakes, 111...
for boot training.
Six men were ordered to the
Receiving Station at Philadelphia
for further assignment.
Friendly
refreshment
PAGE FIVE
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