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$15,000. Among those most keenly interested in the project were
Mr. and Mrs. R. Sanford Riley, '96. His death in May, 1926, only a
month before he would have been elected to the Board of Trustees, was
a tremendous loss to the college. As a tribute to him, the Trustees
proposed that the dormitory be named Sanford Riley Hall. The proposal
was very gratifying to his family, and Mrs. Riley volunteered to
contribute a large share of the cost as a memorial to him.
Plans for the building were prepared in the spring, and the first
spade of earth was turned at Commencement by Conrad Riley, youngest
son of the family. Construction was carried on throughout the
following year, under direction of a committee of trustees, headed by
Moses B. Kaven, '85. As the plans developed, the cost of the structure
mounted, reaching a final figure of about $380,000, about half of
which was paid by gifts, and the other half appropriated from
Institute funds. Many donations were received for equipment and
furnishings. The building was ready for occupancy by freshmen who
entered in the fall of 1927.
One of President Earle's aims was to revive chapel exercises, in order
to comply fully with John Boynton's letter of gift. A voluntary chapel
service, under the auspices of the Student Y. M. C. A., the name of
which was later changed to Student Christian Association, was
inaugurated early in 1926, with Paul R. Swan, the newly appointed
secretary, in charge. This ten-minute morning service, led by various
ministers, teachers, and business men, was popular from the start. It
led to a desire for a more attractive room than the old Boynton Hall
library then was.
President Earle revived the old anecdote about the stabling of the
horse in the chapel. He informed the classes of 1885 and 1886 that
their schoolboy prank had caused serious damage to the room, and
suggested that only a thorough renovation could wipe away their
guilt. They responded in the same amused spirit, contributing nearly
$5,000 for new floors, furnishings and redecoration. At that time it
was
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