EMERSON HALL

Emerson Hall, the new building to be used by the Department of Philosophy, which stands back of Sever Hall on Quincy street, forming a quadrangle with Sever and Robinson Halls, is now nearing completion and will be ready for use in September.

The idea of a separate building for the philosophical department was first definitely set forth by Professor Hugo Munsterberg in an article published in the Graduates' Magazine in June, 1901. At present almost all the lectures of the department are given in different recitation rooms in the Yard, or in the New Lecture Hall, there being no rooms available in Dane Hall, and there are no facilities for the meeting of seminars in advanced subjects of research. The work of the department has therefore been very much scattered.

In Emerson Hall the work of the Department of Philosophy in all its allied branches will be gathered under one roof, and this, aside from the advantages afforded by more space and better equipment, will be of great help to both Professors and students.

In the two years following the publication of Professor Munsterberg's appeal about $32,000 was raised, and by July 31, 1904, about $148,000 had been raised. Work was accordingly begun in the spring of 1904. The money was raised by the visiting committee of the Department of Philosophy, consisting of the following graduates: G. B. Dorr '74, R. C. Cabot '89, Joseph Lee '83. T. W. Ward '66, R. H. Dana '74 and R. C. Robins '92. Two anonymons gifts of $50,000 and $20,000, the latter for equipment, and four gifts of $10,000 each from Mrs. W. H. Forbes, Mrs. Henry Lee, Joseph Lee '83 and Miss F. P. Mason have been received, in addition to numerous gifts for smaller amounts.

Emerson Hall is 143 feet long by 73 1-2 feet wide, three stories high, and will cost, with furnishings, about $200,000. The general type of architecture is Greek and the building materials brick and limestone, correspond in effect with Robinson Hall. On the west, fronting the quadrangle, as in Robinson Hall, there is an imposing entrance, set in a receding porch and flanked by columns two stories in height.

The interior of the building will be finished mainly in oak. On the first floor, the east wing will be occupied by a large lecture room, with a seating capacity of 360, and the west wing by two smaller lecture rooms. In the rear, opposite the main entrance, there will be a large philosophical library, and on either side of the vestibule, seminar and department rooms. The second floor will contain the museum, library, study and lecture room of the division of the ethics of the social questions, the psychological library, and two class rooms. On the third floor there will be a psychological lecture room, a storage room, and twenty-two laboratories. Three of the rooms will be finished entirely in black for use in optical experiments.

The exterior of the building is now entirely completed. In the interior the iron stairways and rough woodwork, consisting of floor beams and studs in the partitions, have been completed, and the lathing and rough plastering has been finished. All the decorative plaster and finished woodwork, however, is still to be put in. Dark pine floors, window and door casings, book cases, exhibition cases, tables and chairs, all of quartered oak, are yet to be made for the libraries and museums of the building. The oak desks and platforms for the lecture rooms will not be put in until some time during the summer.

The plumbing is almost finished. The electric wiring has all been put in and in the psychological department on the third floor of the hall a system of wires has been so arranged that direct and alternating currents may be obtained for use in connection with a special apparatus for research work.

It is expected that the whole building will be completed in time for the opening of College next autumn. The Hall will have no formal opening, but in the latter part of December the American Philosophical Association, the American Psychological Association and the Southern Psychological Association will hold their annual meeting there. This will give a national aspect to the affair and will enable the most prominent scholars of philosophy to inspect the building. A number of addresses will be made, but the details of the program have not yet been arranged