Ed School to Build Tower Across From Longfellow

Construction will begin in September on the medieval-style headquarters of the Graduate School of Education, Acting Dean Judson T. Shaplin '42 said yesterday. The Corporation approved the preparation of working drawings at its regular meeting last month.

The seven-story brick structure, designed to resemble a medieval tower, will be built opposite Longfellow Hall on Appian Way, on the site now occupied by three frame houses that Radcliffe uses for classrooms and offices. Target date for its completion is January, 1965.

Edward G. Kaelber '46, assistant dean of the Ed School, described the new building as a "short tower" with "irregular fenestration." Windows will be various sizes, up to two stories high.

When completed, the new building will contain approximately 47,000 square feet of gross office space. It has been designed by Caudill, Rowlett, and Scott, an architectural firm based in Texas.

In an effort to consolidate its facilities, the Ed School will also take over Long-fellow Hall. Classes under the Faculty of Arts and Sciences will continue to be taught there, however.

Kaelber said that it would be necessary to build new partitions and refurbish the hall. While Longfellow is being modified, courses that meet there will have to seek new quarters. Work on Longfellow is scheduled to begin in April, so that the building will be ready for occupancy by next September.

Kaelber declared that he saw nothing to prevent the on-time completion of the Ed School shift. There has been pressure on the Cambridge city council to declare Appian Way a "historic area" in which building would be strictly controlled. There seemed doubt that the proposed tower would win official approval. The council has not yet taken action, but Kaelber said that the Ed School would hold consultations with neighbors of the unorthodox structure and others who might object to it.