Guide to the

Lawrence University Buildings,

Alexander Gymnasiums I and II Collection

Collection number: LU-ARC20-02

University Archives

Seeley G. Mudd Library

Lawrence University

Appleton, Wisconsin

Contact information:

University Archives

Seeley G. Mudd Library

113 S. Lawe Street

Lawrence University

Appleton, WI 54911

Phone: (920) 832-6753

Fax: (920) 832-6967

Email: archives@lawrence.edu

URL: http://www.lawrence.edu/library/archives/

© 2009 Lawrence University. All rights reserved.

Descriptive Summary of the Collection

Title

Lawrence University buildings, Alexander Gymnasiums I and II collection

Inclusive dates

1905-2007

Collection number

LU-ARC20-02

Extent

0.8 linear foot (2 boxes)

Language of collection material

Collection is in English.

Repository

Lawrence University. Seeley G. Mudd Library. University Archives.

Appleton, Wisconsin 54911

Abstract

This collection is comprised of materials documenting the history of Alexander Gymnasiums I and II. The first gymnasium was built in 1901, and the second one was built in 1929. Correspondence, newspaper clippings, programs, and photographs are included in the collection. The collection is part of the Lawrence University Buildings Collection. Materials are arranged alphabetically by subject and type of material, then in chronological order at the file level.

Important Information for Researchers

 Access

Collection is open for research.

Publication rights

Property rights reside with Lawrence University. For permissions to reproduce or to publish, please contact the University Archivist.

Preferred citation

Lawrence University Buildings, Alexander Gymnasiums I and II Collection. LU-ARC20-02. University Archives, Seeley G. Mudd Library, Appleton, Wisconsin.

Acquisition information

Materials on Alexander Gymnasiums I and II were collected and placed in the Archives vertical file prior to 2005. The donor and source of the materials, as well as who collected them and arranged them in the vertical file is unknown. Materials on Alexander Gymnasiums I and II will continue to be collected and placed in this collection by the University Archivist .

Processing history

Preliminary processing done prior to 2005, date and processor unknown. Further processing and finding aid was done by Julia Stringfellow, 2009.

Alexander Gymnasium, located where Youngchild Hall of Science is now, was built in 1901. Funding for the gymnasium was provided by Lewis M. Alexander, president of the Lawrence Board of Trustees. After the construction of Alexander Gymnasium II in 1929, Alexander Gymnasium I was used solely by female students. The first gymnasium was also where students took final exams. Each student had an assigned seat and the rooms were proctored by faculty. Alexander Gymnasium I was razed in 1963.

Alexander Gymnasium II, Lawrence's current gymnasium, was built as the first Alexander Gymnasium became too small to accommodate the growing student population. The land where the second gymnasium was built was purchased by Lewis M. Alexander, who also provided funding to build the gymnasium. The architects of Alexander Gymnasium II were Frank A. Childs and William J. Smith of Chicago. When Alexander Gymnasium II was completed in 1929, the speaker at the dedication ceremony was Jesse Feiring Williams of Columbia University.

Alexander Gymnasium II continues to be used by the Lawrence community for athletic events to this day.

See also: Breunig, Charles, A great and good work :a history of Lawrence University, 1847-1964.

Raney, William Francis, The history of Lawrence University, 1847-1925.

Schumann, Marguerite E., Creation of a campus; a chronicle of Lawrence College buildings and the men who made them.

Chronology

Collection Scope and Content Summary

This collection is comprised of materials documenting the history of Alexander Gymnasiums I and II. The first gymnasium was built in 1901, and the second one was built in 1929. Correspondence, newspaper clippings, programs, and photographs are included in the collection. The collection is part of the Lawrence University Buildings Collection. Materials are arranged alphabetically by subject and type of material, then in chronological order at the file level.

Collection Arrangement

The collection is arranged alphabetically by subject and type of material, then chronologically at the file level.

Related Collections

The following collection in University Archives contains related materials:

• Lawrence University Vertical File Collection.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects

Alexander, Lewis M.

Lawrence University.

Lawrence University Buildings.

Lawrence University History.

Wriston, Henry Merritt, 1889-

Genres and Forms of Materials

Clippings.

Letters.

Photographic prints.

Collection Contents