Legacy of PMC

Cadet Uniforms

Cadet_Phil_Barkley_in_1878

No aspect of PMC stood out more than a cadet in uniform. The uniformed cadet became a symbol of the school and clearly showed he was a member of an elite group. The uniform was also a disciplining force. The way he conducted himself in public while in uniform became the basis for how the public sees the school.

Dress AAs early as 1862 the cadet gray full dress uniform became standard. The design was identical to those worn by the cadets at West Point, except for the buttons on the coats and the shields on the caps, which were designed by the school. Each uniform was a hand tailored garment made to measure using the finest quality cloth supplied by the Charlottesville Woolen Mills. This uniform changed little between 1862 and 1972.

To ensure uniformity in appearance and quality, all cadets were required to purchase their uniforms from M.C. Thackray of Philadelphia. Beginning in 1873, all uniforms were purchased from John Wanamaker in Philadelphia. After 1890, however, uniforms were made and supplied on campus through the Quartermaster Store and finally, from the William Bell Uniform Company of Chester, Pennsylvania.

Uniforms 50sEach cadet was also expected to have a a “cadet gray” dress uniform of high collared, tailed coat with both gray and white trousers. The daily dress for classes and on campus consisted of a collared, long sleeved, gray cotton dress shirt, black tie, and the gray woolen trousers.”Cadets wore their dress gray uniform trousers and a gray flannel shirt, later replaced by lighter weight material. In 1963, a lightweight white summer uniform was issued.

Symbolism of the Class Ring

Ring profile

The PMC class ring has been a cherished reminder of every cadet’s years at the school. The symbolism of the ring has been well documented and described to each class prior to receiving it. Unfortunately, memories fade, as do the meanings of the symbolism. The Handbook of Fourth Class Knowledge provides the following information.

Ring side BEach ring has an Eagle on either side. The head of one is looking to the past, and the other to the future. The head of the eagle looking to the past is larger than the one looking toward the future, because we can see more in the past than we can guess the future can hold.

On one side is a keystone. It represents the State of Pennsylvania, its pivotal role in determining independence, which described as the keystone vote, and being an early seat of government.

There are two crossed rifles behind the Keystone, which is where the year of graduation is found. These rifles stand for our continual fight to keep up with the times in order to successfully accomplish our mission.

Ring side AOn the other side is the Great Seal of the United States, which represents the power and might of our country.

A circle surrounds the Great Seal. This circle stands for our dedication and devotion, which is without beginning or end, to our country.

Behind the Great Seal there are two crossed sabers. These embody the proud tradition of PMC’s top-rated cavalry units.

Below the Keystone and Great Seal are two torches that represent the light of knowledge, both present and future, which we acquired at PMC.

Surrounding both the Keystone and Great Seal are a wreath of garland. This stands for the motto of PMC, “Virtue, Liberty, and Independence.”

Ring topThe single star found between the words Pennsylvania Military College is symbolic of the stars of the states in the field of the American flag and its purpose – Union. Before graduation the star faces inward. After graduation it faces outward.

The ring is made of gold, a symbol of honor and respect for our beloved institution.

Commencement

1931 Commencement

Commencements at PMC, was often attended by thousands of parents, honored guests, alumni and citizens of Chester, and was often described as “Inspiring! Splendid! Magnificent! Stunning! and Overwhelming!”

The ceremonies changed little during the time of the Hyatt’s and well beyond. Each year the activities and ceremonies were held during a 3-day period culminating on Commencement Day. This day began with honored guests being met by an honor guard and escorted to the reception room of Old Main. The group waited there for the conclusion of the annual meeting of the Board of Trustees. The trustees, honored guests, and faculty then began the academic procession, passing the corps of cadets standing at attention, from Old Main to the Armory. Following an invocation, the college president made his opening remarks. After that came the awarding of prizes and medals followed by the conferring of degrees. Presentation of honorary degrees was next. After Benediction, everyone become spectators to the exercises of the Corps. The Corps marched past the review stand, and then trustees and honored guests reviewed it. The ceremony ended with the president of the graduating class presenting the sword and the sash to the president of the incoming senior class.

1965 Color Guard Broom DrillThe day’s activities ended with a very solemn moment. Members of the alumni association, in keeping with the tradition that early cadets drilled with broom sticks, lined up in preparation of the annual broom drill. After going through the “Manual of brooms,” they marched and formed a hollow square. While in formation, the names of those alumni that died within the past year were formally reported to all those in attendance. As each name was called, the Corps of Cadets were given the order to “present arms.” Taps was then sounded. John W. Loveland ’87, former trustee and president of the Alumni Association, organized the Hollow Square ceremony around 1919.

This colorful and superb Commencement ceremony continued to be the end of the year’s activities for the Corps of Cadets and left lasting memories.

PMC Emblem

Emblem 1965

In 1965, the Department of the Army designed a new emblem for Pennsylvania Military College. Below is an explanation of its symbolism.

The shield consists of an armored horse’s head set against a background of red, yellow, and white which are the colors of the Corps of Cadets. The horse’s head refers to the introduction of military instruction to the college and also to the horses supporting the arms of the State of Pennsylvania. The three white roundels (circles) are a part of the arms of William Penn.

The indented partition line marks the P,M,C,’s three changes of location beginning with the transfer from the State of Delaware in 1862.

PMC_Seal_1965The crest consists of a wreath upon which is set a keystone with a gold cross crosslet, referring to the arms of Lord De La Warr, namesake of the State of Delaware where the college had its earliest beginnings. Two crossed Civil War officers’ swords, one Union and one Confederate, overlap the crest. They denote the outbreak of the Civil War and the resultant move to Pennsylvania where the college was incorporated under an act of the State Legislature as a military university.

At the bottom of the emblem is a scroll with the inscription Virtue, Liberty, and Independence in red letters symbolizing the ideals and goals of Pennsylvania Military College.

Honorary Degrees

FDR honorary degree

A tradition at colleges has been the awarding of honorary degrees to distinguish visitors. Colonel Hyatt launched an ambitious program of using this academic tradition to make PMC known nationally.

FDR gets degreeHonorary degrees were awarded to many well-known individuals, including Warren G. Harding (1920), John Philip Sousa (1920), General John J. Pershing (1921), General Douglas MacArthur (1928), Richard E. Byrd (1928), Cecil B. DeMille ’98 (1931), J. Edgar Hoover (1936), David Sarnoff (1952), Walter H. Annenberg (1954) and many others. During the Commencement of 1920, Franklin D. Roosevelt was awarded Doctor of Laws. In accepting the degree he said in part:

“This.is a historic moment for me – the getting of this degree in an institution so essential1y American. The great need of our country today is broad Americanism and a leadership of vision. This institution stands for that sort of thing, and this is why its graduates have made enviable records in all lands.”

For many, receiving an honorary degree from PMC was a tribute. In 1933, Colonel Hyatt was invited to visit President Roosevelt in the White House. The President told Hyatt that:

Honoring FDRSince I received my degree (1920), I have taken as much interest in PMC as if I were in reality a graduate. I have faithfully followed PMC sports in the newspapers and have been particularly fascinated by your fine polo teams. PMC is truly expressive of the American spirit, and lays the foundation for the sort of Americanism needed to perpetuate the worthwhile institutions of our country.

In 1924, PMC conferred the degree of Bachelor of Military Science upon 64 alumni. Judge George T. Cann, ’85 explained that the degree was designed to honor graduates of the College who had served in any branch of the military in time of actual warfare. For the several more years, this degree was awarded to 202 more alumni.

 

Year
Name
Position/Title
1874
Leonard H. Boole
Superintendent, John Roach & Co.
1875
George Patten
Professor of Engineering, P.M.C.
1877
Edward Brooks
Principal, Pennsylvania State Normal School
Rev. James E. McDougall
President, York Collegiate Institute
1878
Rev. John Wilson
Wesleyan Female College
1882
Henry D. Sellers
Pennsylvania National Guard
1883
John R. Sweeney
Music Director, P.M.C.
1889
Benjamin F. Morley ’78
Professor of Chemistry, P.M.C.
1892
Edwin A. McHenry
Northern Pacific Railroad
1896
James F. Powers
1897
David McMurtrie Gregg
Union General and Auditor General of Pennsylvania
1901
Captain Beverly W. Dunn
Ordnance Department
Frank S. Krug, ’84
1911
Henry Denny Thomason, ’79
John W. Loveland, ’87
William Wood Russell, ’87
Edwin Alberti Howell, ’90
Chester attorney
1912
Major General Leonard Wood
Chief of Staff, U.S.A.
William G. Randle
Superintendent, N.Y. Shipbuilding Co.
Rukard Hurd, ’78
Secretary, Minnesota Tax Commission
Frank Sutton, ’79
Geographer, U.S. Geological Survey
Joseph W. Shirley, ’91
Chief Engineer, Topographical Survey Commission
Albert F. Huntt, ’91
Architect
1913
Charles E. Hyatt
President, P.M.C.
James D. Hurd
Mining Engineer
1914
Major Evan M. Johnson, Jr.
United States Army
George Whitelock, ’72
Baltimore Attorney
Brigadier General Carroll A. Devol, ’78
Quartermaster Corps
Merritt H. Smith, ’80
Engineer, N.Y.C. Board of Water Supply
Geroge H. Webb, ’80
Engineer, Michigan Central Railroad
1916
General Hugh Scott
Chief of Staff, U.S. Army
James Campbell
Engineer, El Paso and South Western Railway
Thomas C. Hatton
Engineer, Sewerage Commission Wisconsin
Guion Moore Gest
Engineer, Expert in Distribution of Electrical Energy
1919
William C. Sproul
Governor of Pennsylvania
Josephus Daniels
Secretary of the Navy
Brigadier General William Rose (ret)
Corps of Engineers, U.S.A.
Samuel M. Felton
President, Chicago and Great Western Railway
1920
Warren G. Harding
Senator from Ohio
John Philip Sousa
Composer
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Assistant Secretary of the Navy
Lt. General William G. Price, Jr.
National Guard
William Backes
New Haven & Hartford Railway
Lewis T. Byrant, ’81
N.J. Commission of Labor
William I. Schaffer
Attorney General, Pennsylvania
1921
General John J. Pershing
U.S. Army
Honorable Robert von Moschzisker
Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Honorable Alexander Simpson, Jr.
Justice, Supremem Court of Pennsylvania
William Burk
Washington Memorial, Valley Forge PA
Sylvanus Griswold Morley, ’04
Associate, Carnegie Institution
1922
John Weeks
Secretary of War
George Wharton Pepper
Senator Pennsylvania
Emiliano Chamorro
Minister from Nicaragua
1923
Andrew W. Mellon
Secretary of the Treasury
Gifford Pincot
Governor of Pennsylvania
General Robert S. Bullard
Commander Second Corps
1924
Charles B. McMichael
President Judge, Philalplhia Common Pleas
William G. Clyde
V.P. Carnegie Steel Company
Smedley D. Butler
Brigadier General USMC
1925
General Tasker H. Bliss
in absentia
James J. Davis
Secretary of Labor
1926
Morris L. Clothier
Merchant
William C. L. Eglin
President, Franklin Institute
Harry Taylor
General, Chief of Engineers
1927
Curtis D. Wilbur
Secretary of Navy
Ralph Modjeski
Chief Engineer, Delaware River Bridge
Charles P. Summerall
Major General, Chief of Staff
1928
Major General Douglas MacArthur
U.S. Army
Richard E. Byrd
Commander, U.S. Navy
William L. Mellon
Financier
Daniel Willard
President, B&O Railroad
Charles Evans Hughes
Former Secretary of State
1929
John Stuchell Fisher
Governor of Pennsylvania
James E. Fechet
Major General, U.S. Army Air Corps
James Meschter Anders
Philadelphia Physician
1930
Nicholas Longworth
Speaker of the House
Patrick J. Hurley
Secretary of War
1931
Cecil B. DeMille
Playwright and Motion Picture Producer
Hanson E. Ely
Major General, Commander Second Corps Area
Honorable Owen J. Roberts
Associate Justice, U.S. Supreme Court
1932
Charles F. Adams
Secretary of Navy
William W. Atterbury
President, Pennsylvania Railroad
1933
George H. Dern
Secretary of War
David A. Reed
Senator from Pennsylvania
Leon Levy
President, WCAU
1934
Harold L. Ickes
Secretary of the Interior
General Peyton C. March
Former Chief of Staff, U.S. Army
John G. Pew
President, Sun Shipbuilding
1935
Cordell Hull
Secretary of State
George T. Cann
Attorney
Davel L. Powers
U.S. Congressman NJ
1936
J. Edgar Hoover
Attorney, Justice Department
Norman E. McClure
President, Ursinus College
Major General Leon B. Kromer
Chief of Cavalry, U.S. Army
1937
Dr. Chevalier Jackson
Physician and Surgeon
Major John W. Loveland, 1887
Attorney
Louis Allis
President, Allis Motors Company
1938
Homer Cummings
Attorney General of U.S.
Chester H. Rhodes
Judge, Superior Court PA
Edward V. Rickenbacker
President, Eastern Airlines
1939
Arthur H. James
Governor of Pennsylvania
Dr. James R. Angell
President Emeritus Yale University
Major General James G. Harboard
Chairman of the Board, RCA
Dr. Herbert J. Tily
President, Strawbridge & Clothier
1940
General George C. Marshall
Chief of Staff, U.S. Army
William L. Phelps
Professor Emeritus, Yale University
Edwin A. Howell
Attorney
1943
Robert P. Patterson
Under Secretary of War
Major General Harold George
Commander, AAF Air Transport
Major General Wilhelm Delp Styer
Chief of Staff, Army Service Forces
Major General Lorenzo D. Gasser
President, War Department Manpower
Colonel William M. Connor
Professor of Law, USMA
1945
Lt. General Barney M. Giles
Commander, Army Air Force Pacific
Vice Admiral Ben Moreell
Commander, Seabees
Charles Edson Adams
Chief Engineer, PA Railroad
1946
General Carl Spaatz
Commander, Strategic Air Forces
1947
James Henderson Duff
Governor of Pennsylvania
Joseph William Martin, Jr.
Speaker of the House
Vice Admiral Jeames L. Kauffman
Commander Fourth Naval Districk
1948
Kenneth Royall
Secretary of the Army
General Hoyt S. Vandenberg
Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force
Dr. Luther H. Evans
Library of Congress
1949
Lt. General Walter Bedell Smith
Commander U.S. First Army
Lt. General Leonard T. Gerow
Commander U.S. Second Army
1950
Alfred E. Driscoll
Governor of New Jersey
Louis A. Johnson
Secretary of Defense
William Stern
Sportscaster, NBC
Dr. Edward L. Bortz
former president AMA
1951
General Mark Clark
Chief of the Army Field Forces
Senator Robert A. Taft
Ohio Senator
Leslie R. Groves
V-P, Remington Rand
1952
Lt. General Edward H. Brooks
Commander, Second Army
Major General Elbert L. Ford
Chief of Ordnance, U.S. Army
David Sarnoff
Chairman, RCA
1953
General John Hull
Vice Chief of Staff
Howard J. Pew
Sun Oil Company
Honorable Horace Stern
Chief Justice, U.S. Supreme Court
1954
Hugh M. Milton, II
Assistant Secretary of the Army
Walter H. Annenberg
Publisher, Philadelphia Inquirer
1955
Lt. General Hubert R. Harmon
Superintendent, U.S. Air Force Acdemy
Thomas S Gates, Jr.
investment banker
1956
Dr. Milton S. Eisenhower
President, Penn State
General Maxwell Taylor
Chief of Staff, U.S. Army
1957
Dr. Hollington K. Tong
Chinese Ambassador to U.S.
Admiral Louis E. Denfeld
Chief of Naval Operations
Dr. James Creese
President of Drexel
John J. McClure
former State Senator
1958
Robert W. Sarnoff
President NBC
Richard L. Burke
Sun Ship President
Wilfred D. Gillen
President of Bell Telephone
General John B. Medaris
Commander U.S. Army Ordnanc Missile Command
1959
Dr. Wernher von Braun
Space scientist
Lt. General Edwin A. Pollock
Commander, Fleet Marine Force (Atlantic)
Robert G. Dunlop
President, Sun Oil Company
Major General Edward MacMorland
President, P.M.C.
Francis S. Friel
President, American Society of Civil Engineers
1960
Vice Admiral Robert B. Pirie
Deputy Chief Naval Operations
W. Beverley Murphy
President, Campbell Soup
1961
General George H. Decker
Army Chief of Staff
J. Newton Pew
President, Delaware County National Bank
1962
Leonard P. Pool
Founder, Air Products and Chemicals
Lt. General Arthur G. Trudeau
Director of Army Research and Development
Frank Wolfgram
Dr. Lee A. DuBridge
President, California Institute of Technology
1963
Dr. Harian H. Hatcher
President, University of Michigan
Lt. General Albert Watson, II
commander Third U.S. Army
Virgil Kaufman
Aero Service Corp
5/31/1963 General Dwight D. Eisenmhower reviews the Corps
1964
Lt. General James H. Doolittle
aviation pioneer
1965
Bob Hope
Comedian
Dr. Detley Bronk
President, Rockefeller Insitute
1966
General Bernard A. Schriever
Commander, U.S. Air Force Systems Command
1967
Raymond P. Shafer
Governor of Pennsylvania
William K. Whiteford
Gulf Oil Corporation
1968
Lt. General Milton Baker
Superintendent, Valley Forge Military Academy
Jacob Blaustein
Co-founder American Oil Company
General Harold Johnson
Chief of Staff, U.S. Army
1969
Zenon C.R. Hansen
President, Mnack Trucks
Dr. Franklin H. Littell
President, Iowa Wesleyan College
1970
Ronald Wells
President, Crozer Theological Seminary
James Quinn
Headmasater, Episcopal Academy
James Cass
Editor, Saturday Review
Rev. Fred C. Reinert, S.J.
President, St. Louis University
1971
John H. Ware, 3rd
Trustee
Virginia Knauer
Presidential Assistant, Consumer Affairs
Archbishop Iakovos
Greek Orthodox Church

Theodore Hyatt Memorial Observatory

Silas Comfort

John W. Simmons, ‘87, described Colonel Theodore Hyatt as “sincere and true. No one could know him well without loving him. He was sympathetic and charitable, and where he knew there was suffering and want, there his hand went out.” It is no wonder that the PMC community searched to find a fitting memorial to this great man. Because of its importance to the study of Civil Engineering and his interest in astronomical studies, building an Observatory was chosen to honor the late Colonel Hyatt.

Hyatt_ObservatoryThe building was designed and planned by Colonel Silas Comfort,’89, a Professor of Engineering and Vice-President at the school. His plan was not to build an ornamental monument, but one that would be of use students. The result was a tastefully designed gray stone building overlooking the athletic fields from the east and was on the most elevated spot to meet the needs of student astronomers.

Through the efforts of the Alumni Association, ex-cadets and friends of the school raised funds to equip the Observatory with astronomical instruments consisting of

a six-inch refracting telescope with position-micrometer, helioscope, and solar and spectroscope attachments, a transit, a chronograph, a sidereal clock, and all other appurtenances necessary to systematic and accurate work. The Observatory will be in telegraphic connection with other Observatories.

The Observatory was dedicated at the 1891 Commencement exercises.

Lindborg Mural in the Memorial Library

Lindborg

Beginning in 1958, Cadets often found the Memorial Library to provide them with the necessary resources as well as comfortable surroundings for their studies. Over the fireplace in the Reference Room hung a large mural, 11 feet in height and 7 feet in width that after four years of study became almost invisible.

Hung in the library in 1959, the mural is a montage of life at PMC. The focal point of the picture is the likeness of Major General Edward E. MacMorland, then the president of the college, surrounded by cadets. These cadets were enrolled at PMC at the time and posed for the painting. An art student is also visible painting a picture of Frank K. Hyatt, who passed away shortly before the mural was started. Besides academics and the activities of the Corps, three football players are depicted, with the number 56 clearly visible on one player. Football fans will recall that this is the number of Herm Sweeney, one of PMC’s greatest players.

lindborg MuralThe mural was the work of Carl Lindborg, a prominent local artist and art instructor at Pennsylvania Military Preparatory School and later the Evening Division at the college. Born in Philadelphia, Lindborg began his studies at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. He continued his studies in Paris at the Academie Julian and with Andre Lhote, a renowned modernist painter. He began to exhibit extensively at the Salons of America, the Corcoran Gallery Biennials, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Philadelphia Art Alliance, the Philadelphia Art Club and the Butler Institute of American Art in Ohio.

The mural is more than just a painting of the activities at PMC. In many ways it illustrates the legacy of PMC: individual education, character building and military training.

Memorial Library

Library Photoshop required

By 1948, PMC realized it needed to gain accreditation from the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, the organization which evaluates degree-granting colleges and universities in the Middle States and certifies the quality of education in those institutions. To accomplish this, a new and adequate library was needed. In February 1948 the Trustees announced that the PMC Memorial Library was to be constructed.

Ralph P. Minich, a noted Philadelphia architect, designed the building, a Georgian Colonial brick structure with two wings and a center court. It was to be located at a point near the west gate and followed the curve of the campus drive almost to the Annex Building. The central court of the new library was to be a memorial to Lt. William J. Wolfram of the Class of 1943. Colonel Frank K. Hyatt stated that the library “symbolizes the spirit of the new PMC” and represents the first step in providing students the “modern facilities” they required. The cornerstone of Memorial Library was laid in November 1948. Placed in the cornerstone were a letter of tribute to Colonel Theodore Hyatt, a letter from Mr Frank Wolfgram describing the spirit of PMC, a scroll with the names of the Library Fund subscribers, a list of the Library and Building Committees, a list of graduates and a Bible.

Originally to cost $80,000 it soon became clear that this estimate was low. Unfortunately the additional funds required were not available and in early 1949 construction was suspended. A campaign conducted by Colonel Hyatt was begun to raise the additional $50,000 needed to complete the structure. This was not completed until 1951. The Library Committee then began a drive to raise money to furnish the building. By the summer of 1952, the final step in completing the Library was ready to be taken.

In August 1952 a group of sixty summer session students along with members of the library staff, Dean of Faculty James Graham and Professor of Biology Dr. Joseph Storlazzi began to move 20,000 books and periodicals. At the end of a very long and hot day, most of the books had been moved and placed on the shelves in their proper order. This achievement was accomplished by using special book-carrying cases, which had been loaned to PMC by Bucknell University, that had been built especially for this purpose.

Memorial Stadium

1926 stadium

Since the beginning of PMC, athletics was an important part in the development of leadership. PMC athletic teams often attracted a national audience. Attendance at football games swelled to thousands of spectators, while at some of the outdoor polo games the attendance was even larger. In addition, the Corps continued to use the fields as a parade ground and commencement exercises often attracted many thousands. It quickly became apparent that the grass stands were not sufficient.

In the spring of 1926, the Athletic Council of PMC announced plans to build a concrete stadium along with new athletic fields. The stadium was to be 300 feet long and will have a seating capacity of 4,000 persons. A glass-enclosed press box, which contained a telegraph and telephone, accommodated reporters. Underneath there were locker rooms, various storerooms for military equipment and a rifle range.

The new athletic fields were to have two levels. The upper level was approximately 700 feet in length and 400 feet in width. After a drop of about ten feet, the lower fields were to contain practice fields and a baseball diamond.

The Stadium Campaign Committee, led by Frank G. Sweney ’76, son of Dr. John R. Sweney the music director at PMC, immediately set out to raise the $100,000 needed for the stadium. The Committee reached out to graduates, ex-cadets, students, friends of the school and the citizens of Chester and Philadelphia interested in athletics. Each person was asked to purchase a $200 lifetime membership in the PMC Athletic Association. This membership offered free admission to all Athletic Association events at the stadium. In addition, each year twenty-five percent of the gross receipts of the Athletic Association would be distributed equally among the members until the $200 fee was paid back.

Stadium stylizedWork began on June 18, 1926, and progressed quickly until the middle of the summer. For some time a rainy spell greatly slowed the work and the fields turned into “seas of mud.” Work continued and the first football game played at the new stadium was against Washington College. To commemorate the first game, Secretary of War Dwight L. Davis arranged for a football to be dropped on the gridiron from a Navy plane just before the kickoff. The final score was PMC 12 Washington College 3.

The stadium was dedicated on November 13. General Hyatt said: “I have been waiting sixty years for this development-a development that will mean much to the young men of this institution. This fine new stadium offers all of the modern facilities for the carrying on of clean sports.”

The character of the games played by PMC was portrayed by the motto engraved at the entrance of the stands – Dedicated to Youth.

Old Main (The Heart of PMC)

Old Main, which today houses the Office of the President of Widener University and a host of administrative offices, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. It was designed by Philadelphia architect John Crump and completed in 1868, three years after Theodore Hyatt brought the college to Chester.

At the time, the Chester Evening News described the building, with its iconic dome, as made “of brick and granite, and in size about on hundred and fifty feet by sixty-seven feet, and five stories in height. It was not only built in the most substantial manner but it … was elaborate and an ornament to the city.” It was formally dedicated at the Commencement ceremony, June 24, 1868.

The original building was destroyed by a fire that started in the fifth-floor science lab in February,1882. Within a year, however, Old Main was rebuilt, enlarged to 217 by 50 feet and outfitted with fire escapes and fire walls. A separate science lab was added and connected to the main building by a 60-foot iron bridge.

Seven months after the fire, cadets took up residence in the new structure, known then simply as the “Main Building.” It was not until the early 1900s that it became affectionately known as Old Main.

Back then, the ground floor contained the furnace and storage rooms, the kitchen and mess hall, and, under the Assembly Room, a 44-by-64-foot washroom ringed with spigots and basins for use by all cadets before the bugle sounded reveille at 6:00 a.m.

Every Friday night, the washroom floor was rolled back in sections, revealing 16 bathtubs. Well-known TV and film character actor Burt Mustin (Class of 1903) recalled that “at an appointed time, everyone, except those in the Infirmary, would assemble outside the washroom in their bathrobes to take a bath. Divided into sections of 16, cadets began the 15-minute ritual of taking a bath. On command, cadets were out of the tubs and into their bathrobes … the tubs were refilled and ready for the next section.”

Breakfast was served at 7:30 a.m. in the mess hall, where each table accommodated eight cadets with cadet officers seated at seat each end.

The commandant’s office and two reception rooms were on the first floor along with the library, tailor shop, infirmary, quartermaster’s quarters and guard room. At the end of the corridor was the Assembly Room, where during the presidency of Charles E. Hyatt– appointed president after his father’s death in 1888–a plaque proclaimed the school’s motto:

When wealth is lost
Nothing is lost;
When health is lost
Something is lost
When character is lost
All is lost.

Here incoming freshmen received their “rook” program indoctrination, endured inspirational addresses and competed in annual declamatory and oratory contests. In 1896, the sophomore that excelled in the Pollack Declamation Contest, named in honor of James Pollock, the Pennsylvania Governor and for thirty years the President of the Board of Trustees. This contest continued until 1931.

The second and third floors were cadet quarters. Each room was about eight by twelve feet and supplied with two beds. Cadets kept their clothing in a large trunk at the foot of their beds.
After dinner, a staff officer was assigned to each corridor to monitor the cadets’ study.
“At any moment,” Burt Mustin remembered, “he could pop into your room and make sure your nose was buried in the right books and woe betide the cadet who was lounging on his cot or engaged in anything other than lesson study…. Any dereliction in study was followed by a restriction to quarters and additional guard (punishment tours) walking at a time when the rest of the Corps was enjoying a few hours of relaxation on Wednesdays and Saturdays.”

Gene Hoops (Class of 1901) remembered that, “During the week, the time between Reveille and breakfast was used to clean the room. Each cadet was responsible for making their bed and keeping their clothes box and desk orderly.

“Roommates took turns being the Room Orderlies. The Orderly swept the floor, keeping the books in the bookcase organized, and dusting the room. On Saturday mornings the Military Staff conducted room inspections. These inspections were thorough and complete and included the cadets themselves. Each cadet stood at the side of his bed, at attention, while the officer was in the room. The cadet was in his full-dress uniform, his shoes polished, and his hair cut to the regulation length.

“Both the clothes boxes and desk tops were open. Each item in the boxes had a place and had to be arranged so that the bottom of the box could be seen. Nothing escaped the Military Staff or their white gloves.”

Classrooms were on the fourth floor along with the large water tanks and various other apartments. Classes were held from 8:45 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. with a break in between for lunch. Military instruction was scheduled from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Beginning in 1964, a 25-bell carillon installed in the Dome in memory of star PMC athlete Albert Filoreto (Class of 1963), sounded an eight-note phrase from “Hail to PMC” each day at the beginning of each class period and called cadets to evening mess with notes from the Alma Mater. After a 10-year hiatus, the carillon was restored and resumed ringing in 1978. In 2010, the chimes began to play the new Widener University fight song, “Hear the Roar!”

Virtually all PMC’s functions were carried out at Old Main until well into the 1950s, when the first dormitories and classroom buildings were constructed.

In 1978, a team of Philadelphia architects spent two months taking paint scrapings, testing the condition of the roof and ornamental trim, studying the stability of the dome and front balustrade and investigating the strength of the stone foundation. After a careful review of the findings, the National Park Service announced that Old Main and the Chemistry Building had been added to the National Register of History Places.

For nearly a century, tradition called for cadets to scrawl their names on the rafters or walls inside Dome itself. Today, these areas are off-limits for reasons of safety and insurance. But the signatures remain, silent testimony to generations of PMC history.