Capsule - bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com

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Monday, Aug. 30, 2021 Page 3 The Chronicle-News Trinidad, Colorado T RINIDAD H ISTORY T IME C APSULE 1945: Trinidad College announces plans for new building construction on campus Cosette Henritze / The Chronicle-News The Mullen Building on Pine St. was the first structure built on campus at Trinidad Junior College following World War II. It was named in honor of a former student and graduate, James E. Mullen, who died while serving during the war. Pictured above inset into the current photograph of the building is an architectural design blueprint that was printed in the Trojan Tribune when the construction project was first announced in 1945. Cosette Henritze The Chronicle-News In November, 1945 it was an- nounced by officials at Trini- dad Junior College that a new building would soon be under construction on campus, one said to be of “ultra modern de- sign” and certain to be an im- portant addition in facilitating the school’s goal of preparing students to take an active role in America’s future and their own success. With the end of World War II there was a renewed vigor and drive to get the nation re- focused on things at home. The young men returning from military service were ready to go to college to earn a degree or to learn a trade that would give them the means to earn a good living. Trinidad’s board of direc- tors had long been discuss- ing plans for expansion of the programs offered at the school and knew that there was a great need for construction of additional buildings on cam- pus to accommodate the class- rooms and facilities for proper instruction, as well as library and research areas and physi- cal education and recreational space. It was a difficult deci- sion to select what should take priority, even understanding that eventually there would be more buildings constructed to fulfill all the school’s needs. An article in the college newspaper showed an architec- tural drawing of the building they’d chosen. It was to be a multi-story L-shaped building located on Pine St. that would serve as a vocational building. Constructed of native sand- stone and brick to coordinate with the nearby administra- tion building, this structure would have some interesting design elements such as exten- sive use of glass bricks to allow more light to naturally filter inside and also to break up the long expanse of brick and stone walls. Actual exterior measurements were given as 50 feet by 140 feet on the north wing along Pine St. and 150 feet by 50 feet on the east wing along College Dr. “The college committee of capable members who first foresaw the need for a new building for the college in- cludes: A.V. Berg, A.G. Mason, J.M. Romero, William T. Eck- hart, and Ben Johnson. L.A. Des Jardens, local ar- chitect, had prepared the blue- prints and William S. Bailey will be construction engineer. Construction costs were esti- mated at $85,000 (approximate- ly $1.3 million in 2021). It was hoped that the building would be completed in time for occu- pation by the fall term of 1946. Not surprisingly, given the size of the project, it took twice that long, but the following an- nouncement appeared in the October 16, 1947 issue of the Trojan Tribune: “The new building on the campus of Trinidad Junior College is to be formally dedi- cated at ceremonies on Tues- day, October 21, 1947. The name of the building is to be the ‘James E. Mullen Mechanic Arts Building,’ in honor of all the veterans of World War II, and Lt. James E. Mullen. Mullen was president of the Student Council here at the college when plans were first made for construction of the present administration build- ing. He received his degree here on June 7, 1940 and not long afterward joined the U.S. Army Air Forces, completing training at Kelly Field on April 25, 1941. He was in the Philip- pine Islands when the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred. Lt. Mullen was taken pris- oner by the Japanese and sub- sequently died at Moji, Japan, Jan. 30, 1945.” —Source note: Some of the research for this story was done on-line using the Colo- rado Historic Newspaper Association website, where all of the editions of TSJC’s Trojan Tribune are avail- able. You can access them, along with many other news- papers at: www.coloradohis- toricnewspapers.org Today in History August 30 61 Years Ago – 1960 The new ski resort at Cuchara Ski Ba- sin, the first within convenient distance of Trinidad Junior College, will open during the 1960-61 season and prepara- tions are beginning with the offering of a package of expert ski instruction for beginners and competitions for interme- diates. There is a possibility that a ski club will be organized on the TJC campus if enough interested students can be found. Any student, either beginner or other- wise, interested in such a club is asked to contact the TRIBUNE office. There is also the possibility that the once-popular Winter Carnival will be revived this year if there is enough in- terest shown. Competition between col- leges, with TJC, Pueblo Junior College, Lamar Junior College, Adams State, and Western State is expected. According to early plans discussed a slalom for inter- mediate skiers will be held during the Carnival in February. The early season program at Cuchara is going to be directed by former Olym- pic team member and Southern Rocky Mountain Ski Champion Magnus E. Bu- cher. 110 Years Ago – 1911 At the ball game in the park on Sun- day John Vest was seated behind an older man and a young girl who kept leaning over to the elderly man, whom she called ‘grandpapa,’ and peppering him with questions like “why did they do that?” and “where are those boys go- ing and why are they yelling about the ball hitting the tree before it went over the fence?” Finally, the grandfather grew weary. When she asked why the Sopris catcher wore “that funny wire thing on his face,” she frowned at the response, “Oh, some- times the catcher gets mad at the um- pire’s decisions.” “What’s that got to do with any- thing?” she asked. “Well, you see he just might get TOO mad and BITE the umpire, and so just to be safe they’ve muzzled him!” 121 Years Ago – 1900 The Republican county convention, which is in session at the court house to- day, is one of the largest attended, most enthusiastic and harmonious gatherings of a similar nature held in this county in the past six years. Every precinct in the county is represented and all delegates report a material gain for their district. Mayor F.R. Wood promptly at 10:30 o’clock this forenoon called the meeting to order, with Pedro Martinez acting as interpreter. Murdo Mackenzie was made temporary chairman and there was a re- port from the credentials committee of Frank Stites, G.B. McDermott, J.M. Ma- drid, and Rafael Chacon. Chief business of the morning was to pass the following resolution: The Republican party of Las Ani- mas County, in convention assembled, congratulates the country upon the prosperity which it has experienced in ordinances and business under the wise legislation of the Republican congress since the inauguration of the present Re- publican administration; It is therefore resolved that we en- dorse the eminently honest, able and patriotic administration of William McKinley. Be it also resolved that we unquali- fiedly condemn the present Democratic administration in Las Animas county because of its unwise and most unjust discrimination against citizens of oppo- site political convictions in the matter of the levy and collection of taxes. “The new building on the campus of Trinidad Junior College is to be formally dedicated at ceremonies on Tuesday, October 21, 1947. The name of the building is to be the ‘James E. Mullen Mechanic Arts Building,’ in honor of all the veterans of World War II, and Lt. James E. Mullen.” ~Trojan Tribune 1947

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Monday, Aug. 30, 2021 Page 3The Chronicle-News Trinidad, Colorado

Trinidad HisTory

Time Capsule

1945: Trinidad College announces plans for new building construction on campus

Cosette Henritze / The Chronicle-NewsThe Mullen Building on Pine St. was the first structure built on campus at Trinidad Junior College following World War II. It was named in honor of a former student and graduate, James E. Mullen, who died while serving during the war. Pictured above inset into the current photograph of the building is an architectural design blueprint that was printed in the Trojan Tribune when the construction project was first announced in 1945.

Cosette HenritzeThe Chronicle-News

In November, 1945 it was an-nounced by officials at Trini-dad Junior College that a new building would soon be under construction on campus, one said to be of “ultra modern de-sign” and certain to be an im-portant addition in facilitating the school’s goal of preparing students to take an active role in America’s future and their own success.

With the end of World War II there was a renewed vigor and drive to get the nation re-focused on things at home. The young men returning from military service were ready to go to college to earn a degree or to learn a trade that would give them the means to earn a good living.

Trinidad’s board of direc-tors had long been discuss-ing plans for expansion of the programs offered at the school and knew that there was a great need for construction of additional buildings on cam-pus to accommodate the class-rooms and facilities for proper instruction, as well as library and research areas and physi-cal education and recreational space. It was a difficult deci-sion to select what should take priority, even understanding that eventually there would be more buildings constructed to fulfill all the school’s needs.

An article in the college newspaper showed an architec-tural drawing of the building they’d chosen. It was to be a

multi-story L-shaped building located on Pine St. that would serve as a vocational building. Constructed of native sand-stone and brick to coordinate with the nearby administra-tion building, this structure

would have some interesting design elements such as exten-sive use of glass bricks to allow more light to naturally filter inside and also to break up the long expanse of brick and stone walls. Actual exterior measurements were given as 50 feet by 140 feet on the north wing along Pine St. and 150

feet by 50 feet on the east wing along College Dr.

“The college committee of capable members who first foresaw the need for a new building for the college in-cludes: A.V. Berg, A.G. Mason,

J.M. Romero, William T. Eck-hart, and Ben Johnson.

L.A. Des Jardens, local ar-chitect, had prepared the blue-prints and William S. Bailey will be construction engineer. Construction costs were esti-mated at $85,000 (approximate-ly $1.3 million in 2021). It was hoped that the building would

be completed in time for occu-pation by the fall term of 1946.

Not surprisingly, given the size of the project, it took twice that long, but the following an-nouncement appeared in the October 16, 1947 issue of the Trojan Tribune:

“The new building on the campus of Trinidad Junior College is to be formally dedi-cated at ceremonies on Tues-day, October 21, 1947. The name of the building is to be the ‘James E. Mullen Mechanic Arts Building,’ in honor of all the veterans of World War II, and Lt. James E. Mullen.

Mullen was president of the Student Council here at the college when plans were first made for construction of the present administration build-ing. He received his degree here on June 7, 1940 and not long afterward joined the U.S. Army Air Forces, completing training at Kelly Field on April 25, 1941. He was in the Philip-pine Islands when the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred.

Lt. Mullen was taken pris-oner by the Japanese and sub-sequently died at Moji, Japan, Jan. 30, 1945.”

—Source note: Some of the research for this story was done on-line using the Colo-rado Historic Newspaper Association website, where all of the editions of TSJC’s Trojan Tribune are avail-able. You can access them, along with many other news-papers at: www.coloradohis-toricnewspapers.org

Today in History August 30

61 Years Ago – 1960

The new ski resort at Cuchara Ski Ba-sin, the first within convenient distance of Trinidad Junior College, will open during the 1960-61 season and prepara-tions are beginning with the offering of a package of expert ski instruction for beginners and competitions for interme-diates.

There is a possibility that a ski club will be organized on the TJC campus if enough interested students can be found. Any student, either beginner or other-wise, interested in such a club is asked to contact the TRIBUNE office.

There is also the possibility that the once-popular Winter Carnival will be revived this year if there is enough in-terest shown. Competition between col-leges, with TJC, Pueblo Junior College, Lamar Junior College, Adams State, and Western State is expected. According to early plans discussed a slalom for inter-mediate skiers will be held during the Carnival in February.

The early season program at Cuchara is going to be directed by former Olym-pic team member and Southern Rocky Mountain Ski Champion Magnus E. Bu-cher.

110 Years Ago – 1911

At the ball game in the park on Sun-day John Vest was seated behind an older man and a young girl who kept leaning over to the elderly man, whom she called ‘grandpapa,’ and peppering him with questions like “why did they do that?” and “where are those boys go-ing and why are they yelling about the ball hitting the tree before it went over the fence?”

Finally, the grandfather grew weary. When she asked why the Sopris catcher wore “that funny wire thing on his face,” she frowned at the response, “Oh, some-times the catcher gets mad at the um-pire’s decisions.”

“What’s that got to do with any-thing?” she asked.

“Well, you see he just might get TOO mad and BITE the umpire, and so just to be safe they’ve muzzled him!”

121 Years Ago – 1900

The Republican county convention, which is in session at the court house to-day, is one of the largest attended, most enthusiastic and harmonious gatherings of a similar nature held in this county in the past six years. Every precinct in the county is represented and all delegates report a material gain for their district.

Mayor F.R. Wood promptly at 10:30 o’clock this forenoon called the meeting to order, with Pedro Martinez acting as interpreter. Murdo Mackenzie was made temporary chairman and there was a re-port from the credentials committee of Frank Stites, G.B. McDermott, J.M. Ma-drid, and Rafael Chacon.

Chief business of the morning was to pass the following resolution:

The Republican party of Las Ani-mas County, in convention assembled, congratulates the country upon the prosperity which it has experienced in ordinances and business under the wise legislation of the Republican congress since the inauguration of the present Re-publican administration;

It is therefore resolved that we en-dorse the eminently honest, able and patriotic administration of William McKinley.

Be it also resolved that we unquali-fiedly condemn the present Democratic administration in Las Animas county because of its unwise and most unjust discrimination against citizens of oppo-site political convictions in the matter of the levy and collection of taxes.

“The new building on the campus of Trinidad Junior College is to be formally dedicated at ceremonies on Tuesday, October 21, 1947. The name of the building is to be the ‘James E. Mullen Mechanic Arts Building,’ in honor of all the veterans of World War II, and Lt. James E. Mullen.” ~Trojan Tribune 1947