This page is no longer being updated and remains online for informational and historical purposes only. The information is accurate as of the last page update.
For questions about page contents, contact the Communications Division.
McKelvy House Scholars past and present gathered Saturday to celebrate the program’s historic success and look forward to even better things to come. (A slideshow is available on the Homecoming web site.)
As part of the wide range of Homecoming activities, McKelvy House, at 200 High Street, hosted a reception for students, alumni, and faculty that featured a look at where the house has been and a peek at where it might be in the future.
Chawne Kimber, associate professor of mathematics, spoke about some of the changes in store for the house. She served as faculty adviser for the program until taking on the same role this school year for the Reeder Scholars program, which is modeled after McKelvy but has distinctive differences.
College Archivist Diane Windham Shaw provided an in-depth look at the building’s colorful history and the people behind its design, up until the structure actually became McKelvy House in 1962. McKelvy House was built in 1888 on High Street overlooking the Delaware River, three blocks from campus. Designed by McKim, Mead, and White, the home was built for John Eyerman, a faculty lecturer in mineralogy from 1888-91. It was bought by Lafayette Trustee Francis G. McKelvy and donated to the College by his heirs in 1960.
McKelvy alumnus John O’Keefe ’96, director of academic technology and network services at Lafayette, followed with an at-times wry look at the McKelvy Scholars program, which has brought together Lafayette students with a wide range of majors and interests to reside together and share in intellectual and social activities.
Those participating in the program have found that it offers an outstanding residential learning environment.
“It was a tremendous broadening experience,” noted Molly Moon ’79.
A self-described “science nerd,” Moon said the “enriching and stimulating” McKelvy Scholars program brought her out of her cocoon and forced her to look at the world, and other people, differently. She said that growing up in Erie, Pa., provided a somewhat sheltered existence.
“Here I got to be familiar with a different range of people,” said Moon, who majored in both chemistry and physics. “The program introduced me to a lot of opinions and perspectives other than the ones I grew up with.”
Several of those gathered fondly recalled the trips to New York City to see theater and other attractions.
Thomas Garrabrandt ’74 recalled the McKelvy experience as a time of broadening perspectives in his life, including a point where he developed a strong interest in architecture because of the unique qualities of the house.
“It reminded me that there’s more to life than the little things you specialize in at the moment,” he said. “Nothing is out of bounds.”
At the house, weekly dinner discussions engage students in debate and exchange of ideas that often continue long after the meals are over. Most members also contribute to the annual McKelvy Papers, written on a topic of each person’s choice. The program’s success led to the formation of the Reeder Scholars program.
Electrical and computer engineering major Ben Doremus ’07 (Hopkinton, Mass.) talked about the opportunities the Reeder program offers, but also had a question for the returning alumni.
“I’d like to know if anybody has ghost stories, because this place is totally haunted,” he said, drawing some knowing chuckles from those in attendance.
Current McKelvy Scholar Karen Ruggles ’08 (Easton, Pa.), a double major in English and art, confirmed the existence of a spirit, but said it’s the vigorous intellectual spirit the program fosters.
“I’ve met a lot of people who have awesomely great ideas,” she observed. “Without these kinds of experiences, I wouldn’t be thinking the way I think today.”
Echoing comments on intellectual diversity from other alumni, Alberto Rojas ’94 noted of McKelvy residents, “Everybody comes from different facets. It’s something I never would have experienced by actually living on campus.”
AlmaScott Buczak ’74 recalled that hers was the first class that allowed women into the McKelvy program, though they weren’t yet allowed to live at the house because the campus in general had not incorporated co-ed living.
In his earlier comments, O’Keefe noted how becoming part of the McKelvy program allowed him to experience college as he imagined it while in high school. That was a comment that resonated with Paul Greenman ’85, who these days runs a computer software company in New York City.
“To me this was what I expected college to be,” he said. “You often tend to focus on people who are in your discipline. But the house allows you access outside of that. You’re exposed to different ideas and different information all the time. It was very enjoyable and fulfilling.”