College to Close Apley As Student Dormitory

Apley Court houses undergraduates for the last time this spring. Associate Dean Watson said yesterday that the College is "not planning to use Apley as a dormitory next year; we are, however, planning to leave Claverly open."

The University has not yet definitely decided what the former Gold Coast dormitory will be used for.

Watson, who is supervisor of the Housing Office, said the reason for the closure was an anticipated drop next September in enrollment. The Registrar's Office admitted yesterday this was probable, but said there are no definite figures available yet. A decreased enrollment would conform to the recent trend-a record post-war low of 4,426 men registered this semester.

Apley might have been closed at the end of the fall term, but Watson decided that "the disadvantages would have been greater than the benefits secured." Although the University would save money, "we would have forced incompatible roommates to share rooms," Watson explained.

Student convenience was the primary motive in forestalling the move. The 27 men now living in Apley would go either into the Houses or, more likely, into Claverly which now has only 98 residents. This would have broken up roommate combinations, since for the most part only "spot vacancies" are available in Claverly and the Houses, and--with two exceptions--all Apley suites are doubles.

If the University had closed Apley this month, it would have had to cancel the room contracts of some men, and pay the moving charges. Since some of the Apley rooms are cheaper than the Claverly vacancies, the College would have to supply the difference.

The present operating expenses of Apley are $9,562, including the cost of maid and janitorial service. This figure is based on totals for the year ending June 30, 1951. Apley cost $60,000 when the University bought it in 1920.

One Man Prefers Apley

Apley residents seemed passive about being evicted. Most men contacted last night said they were either graduating or "expecting to be in a House."

The only dissenter was Thomas B. Wilson, Jr. '54 who said he "would prefer to remain here next fall" and cited as reasons the inconvenience of moving, closeness to Yard, and his relatively inexpensive room.

All agreed that Apley was a "far better place to live than Claverly."

Earlier, the University had intended to close both Apley and Claverly this year. Last March 15, Watson announced that 100 percent of the Class of '54 would be in the Houses and he would assign no future sophomores to the so-called "outhouses."

Luxury and leisure keynoted Apley Court student life in the fabulous Gold Coast era. On page four of this issue is the history of the five-story Georgian building from its construction in 1897 until it became a College dormitory in 1920.