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Sixty years after Edward “Ned” Jesser Jr. '39 proposed to his wife, Ruth, under a tree outside South College, Lafayette honored the couple for their long support of the College by naming the west wing of the building Jesser Hall.
The renovated west wing of the residence hall opened to students this fall, and was dedicated on October 26 (2001).
“My longstanding friendship with Ned has now spanned almost 25 years,” said Lafayette President Arthur J. Rothkopf '55 at the dedication. “When I joined the board of trustees in 1978 I served on the athletics and student affairs committee that Ned chaired. He was a kind and thoughtful mentor, always willing to give of himself. In fact, in my mind he's the model alumnus, always thinking of the College first and what he can do to make it a better place.
“When Ned was a student here in the late 1930s, Ruth attended a number of dances and parties on campus,” Rothkopf continued. “When Ruth agreed to marry Ned, she must have known that she'd be marrying his school because he proposed to her beneath a tree outside South College. The tree is gone, but their love for one another and for Lafayette remains steadfast.”
Jesser, a former chairman and chief executive officer of Summit Bank (Princeton, N.J.), served as a Lafayette trustee for 18 years and is currently a trustee emeritus. During his tenure he chaired three committees of the board: financial policy, education policy, and athletics and student affairs. He also chaired both Lafayette's Alumni Council and Maroon Club, and served as an Alumni Admissions Representative.
In 1993 the Jessers were inducted into Lafayette's Société d'Honneur, which recognizes the College's leading benefactors. Their gifts have included endowment to provide financial aid to deserving members of the varsity tennis and golf teams. During his 60th reunion year, they contributed an additional $3 million in support of the Lafayette Leadership Campaign.
The Alumni Association has honored Jesser with its two most prestigious awards: the George Washington Kidd Class of 1836 Award in recognition of his professional achievements in the field of banking, and the Joseph E. Bell '29 Alumni Distinguished Service Award. In 1999 he received the Lafayette Medal for distinguished volunteer service, the highest honor Lafayette bestows upon a volunteer.
As an undergraduate, Jesser participated in track, ROTC, 150-pound football, and Delta Kappa Epsilon.
The Jessers have three children, including alumnus Edward A. “Chip” Jesser III '68.
South College, the original college edifice, was designed by Lafayette's first president, George Junkin. It was built in 1833-34 with Pres. Junkin serving as general contractor, doing much of the work himself with the aid of students. The west wing, added in 1871-73, served as a chapel until Colton Chapel was built in 1916, and a mess hall for Camp Lafayette during World War I. It was renovated in 1920-21 and then again in 1956-57 after a fire.
Today South College is Lafayette's largest residence hall. Each floor now features two living units, one in each wing, with a study area, lounge, and kitchen in each unit to make for a friendly living-learning environment. All student rooms and study areas have multiple connections to the new high-speed campus network, and air-conditioning. The 62,000 square foot building is occupied by 214 students, eight resident advisers, one head resident adviser, and one faculty resident. About half of the residents are first-year students.
Trustee Emeritus Edward A. “Ned” Jesser Jr. ’39 (seated) and his wife, Ruth, listen as Kevin D. Worthen, associate dean of students and director of student life administration, speaks at the dedication of Jesser Hall Oct. 26, 2001.