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In 1863 the Civil War raged on; the Emancipation Proclamation was signed and put into effect and what is known as the bloodiest battle in the Civil War, the Battle of Gettysburg, killed thousands of men.
But in 1863, in Olivet, Michigan, three women were the first students to receive degrees from Olivet College. Sophia A. Keyes, Mary N. Barbour, and Sara Benedict made up the first class after Olivet College was incorporated as a collegiate institution in 1859. The three classes after them were also all women.
The women in this photo are Sophia A. Keyes, Mary N. Barbour, and Sara Benedict; the first graduating class of Olivet College.
Because most men were serving in the Civil War, an all-male dormitory was not built until 1871 and was called Parson’s Hall. Then the college president, Professor Nathan J. Morrison, claimed that it was the “brick building” to end all queries about removing the college from the Village of Olivet.
A photo of Parson’s Hall, which was the dormitory for men at Olivet College from 1871-1928.
Though Parson’s Hall was home to generations of Olivet men, the building’s use was discontinued in 1928 when it was destroyed by fire.
Behind Parson’s Hall, Old Colonial Hall had held fast since 1888, and the students petitioned for it to be a gymnasium. The building was then placed upon a stone foundation and enlarged, serving as the Athletics Center until 1928.
A picture of Old Colonial Hall which was turned into a gymnasium for students.
“And when the sun is setting in the golden west,
Then do not mourn the passing of the day, for night is best.
There’s nothing in the whole wide world can make us e’er forget
The shining of the stars above the Oaks of Olivet” (Newhall, ‘02).
Written by Mia Williams
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