Liberal Arts, Inc.: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 23:50, 28 September 2005

Revision as of 01:17, 29 September 2005

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According to Glen Edward Avery{{ref|avery}}, Barr thought St. John's had grown too large and feared that its land was about to be seized by the U.S. Navy for its own academy. The first such threat had been made in [[1940]]; St. John's was saved only by the direct intervention of [[Franklin D. Roosevelt|President Roosevelt]] and Secretary of the Navy [[Frank Knox]]. A [[1946]] newspaper story says that "the college's Damocles sword again threatened to drop in [[1944]], by which time St. John's had lost its two greatest friends in the government." The college's board of trustees was unable to get a definite answer from Congress, then in control of Federal land-taking, on whether St. John's land would be taken, and Barr wanted to secure "a home free of the endless menace of eviction."{{ref|hannaestatebought}}

Several sites were considered for the new college. The first choice hadwas a site occupied by the Darrow School in [[New Lebanon, New York|New Lebanon, N.Y.]], butoccupied by the [[Darrow School]], which refused to sell.{{ref|knell}} The final choice of the Stockbridge ___location may have been influenced by Scott Buchanan, who was familiar with the area,Dan havingHanna graduatedestate in [[1912]] from [[PittsfieldStockbridge, Massachusetts|Pittsfield]]. High School as well as attending [[Amherst College]].{{ref|lost}}

The choice of this ___location may have been influenced by Scott Buchanan, who was familiar with the area, having graduated in [[1912]] from [[Pittsfield, Massachusetts|Pittsfield]] High School. The site, officially known as Bonny Brier Farm, already contained eighteen buildings, including an inn and a dormitory, and a boathouse located on 2500 feet of frontage on the west shore of the [[Stockbridge Bowl]]. In [[1934]] and [[1935]] the site was the ___location of the Berkshire Symphonic Festival, which moved to [[Tanglewood]] in [[1936]].

to head the new college. Leaving with Barr to join the new enterprise was his associate [[Scott Buchanan]], dean of St. John's and a major force in the development of the curriculum. Among other members of the corporation were [[Mark Van Doren]] of Columbia University and [[Mortimer J. Adler]] of the University of Chicago.{{ref|nyt1946}}

The enterprise was launched with a $4.5 million endowment from Paul W. Mellon, son of [[Andrew W. Mellon]],. andThe aHanna site on the west shore of the [[Stockbridge Bowl]]estate was purchased and deeded to the corporation in March, 1947{{ref|nyt1947}}. The site, the former estate of Dan Hanna, son of [[Mark Hanna]], and a already contained eighteen buildings including an inn and a dormitory.

to head the new college. Leaving with Barr to join the new enterprise was his associate [[Scott Buchanan]], dean of St. John's and a major force in the development of the curriculum. Among other members of the corporation were [[Mark Van Doren]] of Columbia University and [[Mortimer J. Adler]] of the University of Chicago.{{ref|nyt1946}}

The project failed circa [[1949]]<!--So far I've been unable to find out why. --dpbsmith--><!--I've found out quite a bit more, watch this space!--dpbsmith-->, and Barr and Buchanan moved on to other projects.