PAGE SIX Tents, Igloos, Houses Join By MARILYNN JACOBSON “What about bousing? ” they yell—the students who are living three in a room meant for two, the ordnance research workers, the townspeople and the trailer campers. “Well, what about hous ing?” we asked ourselves. Here’s what. Tihe man behind the desk at the ordnance research laboratory wasn’t very thorough that day. He asked only a few dozen ques tions .and stared only a few min utes. Finally, when permission was granted, the switchboard operator called the secretary of the man who knew all about housing the 152 odd workers who are employed at the laboratory. As chairman of the housing committee, Layrnon Miller, as sistant professor of engineering research at the laboratory, ex plained that about 100 stalfif mem bers have come to State College from at least 20 states. Literally they hail from Maine to Califor nia, he said, and about 25 of them hg 'o come without their families. Mi'ler Explains Shortage “When the situation was gett ing desperate,” explained Profes sor Miller,” we had to do some thing. We organized the housing committee and from then on wr’ve had some unusual things happen.” “When we left Cambridge.'’ he said, “we were asked if we want ed a two-car garage, a large liv ing room, and two bathrooms. When we arrived in State Col lege. not only was the first empty apartment found in Phillipshurg, but the first, empty room had a personal bath —in the back yard.” Professor Miller went on to say that some of the staff members Want only temporary residences .since they intend to build their own homes here in the spring. But others, he said, want to rent rooms permanently. “The ordnance research lab is a permanent fixture on the College campus,” he explained. “Just be cause we do Naval research does not mean that the program will be disbanded as soon as the dur ation is over.” Housing Committee Helps The- immediate purpose oif the 'housing 'Committee was to take care of the men who had come here without their families, he said. Right from the start, it was necessary to coordinate all -ef forts at finding rooms. This sav ed time and trouble fior both the men who were looking for rooms and the people who -didn’t have them. “One night,” Professor Miller said, smiling, “we were palled out of bed with the startling news that several miles out of town was an old mansion which was going to be remodeled. We broke all speed records. We almost ■broke our necks before we found out Where the house Was. Old mansion! When we -arrived at the sight, we found an ancient dilapi dated ghost house that probably housed soldiers before this —in the Civil War. “Speaking of wild goose chas es.” he 'continued, “we used to drive up and down all the coun try roads near town. If we saw a half-empty pack of cement or a farmer sawing wood, we decided he was remodeling and maybe he’d Wave room for a couple of people. Usually we were wrong, but once in a while our efforts were rewarded.” AVith Professor Miller’s inilbr A California 'woman tried to crash tram ’the end to the front of a stocking sale >line-up. She got same socks—but. they weren’t nylons. SALLY'S Caves Available; Museum Relics rnation on hand, the next step was to find out how many people were planning to build. Borough engineer Charles Eder volunteer ed these figures: Houses Offered From March to November, 1945, permits for 20 one-family hous ing of about six rooms each were granted. In addition to this 27- two-family houses were set down on tihe records, and one apart ment house containing fifteen ap'artments of three and four l ooms each. This was solid information, concrete facts. But after that it wasn’t so easy. “Labor is a big problem,” vol unteered Barry Norris, town con tractor. “Materials are 'hal'd to get and probably will continue being scarce for another year or year and a half. We’re trying to Soldiers Prove Good Teachers Gl’s attending the American Univei’sity at Shrivenham were not only good students, they were good teachers. So reports R. U. Blasingame, head of the department of agri cultural engineering at /the Col lege. who only recently returned in this country after teaching ag ricultureal engineering at Shriv snham for nearly five months. "I learned more from the stu dents in my classes than they learned from me,” Blasingame asserts. Students caine from every state in the country. Blasingame says he learned from them many ways in which farm machinery is used in different sections of the United States. “The potato grower of Idaho, the farmer who raises sugar cane in Louisiana, or the Arkansan who grows rice on irrigated land —-all use farm machinery, but use it differently,” Blasingame learned. The students from different.lo r calities would discuss farming in their home states and explain alterations and improvements which they had devised for farm machinery for their own specific needs. Through the generosity of Am erican industry and British im porters of American equipment, Blasingame was able to obtain necessary farm machinery parts, training films, charts, publica tions and even lecturers for his courses. Blasingame sailed from this country last July 5 and was on hand for the opening of the first term at Shrivenham on August 1. About 3600 soldiers, all ap plicants to attend the University, composed, the student body for the first term. Their average age was 24. Approxixmately 4000 soldiers, with an average age of 22, were enrolled for the second and final term' which began on October 8 and closed on December 5. Shrivenham University was situated seven miles east of Swin don, Wilts, on what formerly was one of the best British Army posts. It had been used by American troops until after “D- Day” and in less than six months after V-E Day was converted in to an American university, com plete with laboratories, “dormi tories,” a faculty of 295 officers, enlisted men, and civilians, an operating cadre of 1500 soldiers, and a student body of officers and enlisted men. THE COLLEGIAN maintain what we have—there’s nothing much we can possibly do about the housing shortage right now.” Contractor Vernon J. Dietz added, “We intend to relieve tihe housing shortage with about 15 or 20 low-cost homes by early spring. These homes should be ready for occupancy by late spring or early summer. And, “he said, by spring we are anticipat ing some relief in labor. Right now we train raw recruits be cause efficient labor is so scarce. We also anticipate relief in ma terials very shortly.” Representing M. Shapiro and Sone, Miss Edna Mansfield vol unteered the news that the con struction company was working on 40 double-unit homes, which would house 80 families. These residences, called College Park Homes, are duplex houses with six rooms to a unit-living room, dining room, kitchen, and three bedrooms. Construction Started “The construction was started early in October,” she said, “in order to supply homes as soon as possible. But bricks are still 'a problem. We hope to have most of them ready by May 1, but this date is tentative.” When asked if any of these buildings, still an. the making, were rented yet, Miss Mansfield said that 22 units have already been rented and 44 sold, leaving only, 14 units not accounted for. “Apparently South Atherton and Third Avenue is a pretty good location for these people,” didn’t have an outdoor telephone booth! Veteran's Plan To Organize Organization of a Penn State chapter of the American Veter ans Committee is now underway. Robert Rolontz, field' represen tative from Philadelphia, is aid ing the group. The recently-formed group of World War II veterans, backed by several military leaders, have an ambitious platform. - The committee is striving for adequate financial, medical, vo cational and educational assist ance for every veteran; a job for every veteran; thorough social and economic security; free speech, press, worship, assembly and ballot; disarmament of Ger many and Japan and elimination of the power of their militaristic classes; and active participation of the United .States in the United Nations Organization to stop any threat of aggression. BE IRISH SCOTCH Buy St. Patrick’s Day Corsage WOODRING FLORAL GARDENS WE TELEGRAPH FLOWERS DIAL 2045 117 E. BEAVER AVE. Poor's Old Main (Continued from page five) importance. The mass of Old Main behind them helps their sig nificance to be felt. The flanking groups round out a central unit which is framed and given scale by the columns beside the stair. Since its execution the mural has received widespread acclaim. However, it is still incomplete, being only one piece of the fres co intended to extend completely around the balcony. Lately, stu dents and faculty .members have realized the great advisability of finishing this work of art now. All-College Cabinet allocated ap proximately $3,500 toward this purpose last semester, and the class of February ’46 followed with a gift of some $2,200. In all, about $lO,OOO will be needed to complete the fresco. With this money, Mr. Poor could proceed with his original intention which he stated when he submitted plans for the pres ent section: “The whole mural has been kept in a very human, rather classic, mode rather than defin ite illustration of historic or pres ent incidents. My suggestion is, that with this as the central main: BACK TO iCOiuce That’s right . . . “Back to College” is the slogan of mil lions of students . . . And just like “Back to College” is a slogan for students ... so Keelers ißook Store, is the name on, the lips of every student at Penn State . . . Here you’ll find all the texits you need tor your classes Then of course, greeting cards to express your every . . . everything in the way of student sup- And you can het your life that-Keeler’s aim is to-please you sentiment to give you prompt and courteous service ... So come on in and see for yourself! Keeler's Book Store FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 1946 Fresco mural decoration, it should 1 extended around the balcony 1 make a complete whole, ’tl smaller broken spaces would 1 devoted to the more specific ar present-day activities of the Co lege—to the right those activitii in the mechanic arts and to tl left those of agriculture ar home industry.” MACBETH is coming
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers