Our curated Then & Now photos highlight how much our campuses, communities, mascots, and more have changed since 1869. Slide the photos from left to right to see the remarkable differences and similarities between then & now. Stop back each month for updated photos.
In Chatham College: The First Ninety Years, Laberta Dysart writes, “In athletics, the students gain[ed] valuable experience. By assuming responsibility and organizing for the accomplishment of a purpose, by working under leadership of their own choosing, and by accepting the consequences of their actions, whether success or failure, they were learning fundamental lessons.” Though the sports (and the mascots) have changed significantly over the years, the fundamental impact of our athletic programs on our student athletes remains intact.
(left) PCW students fencing in Dilworth Hall, c. 1908, Chatham University Archives & Special Collections / (right) Chatham men's hockey, 2018
After it was donated by the Mellon family in 1941, Mellon Hall was used as a residence hall. Nowadays, the former estate serves as the main administration building and the venue for an array of beloved events. Andrew Mellon’s portrait still waits just beyond these doors and first-year students are still told to wave and smile at his likeness or else face the wrath of a bad midterm grade.
(left) Classmates stroll from Mellon, 1940, Chatham University Archives & Special Collections / (right) Entryway to Mellon Hall, 2014
In the 70s, the Chatham University Art Gallery was housed in the Falk Building, located where the commuter lounge is now. During its run in Falk, the Art Gallery exhibited the work of big name artists like Raphael Soyer, an American Realist, and Lynda Benglis, a feminist sculptor. Today, the Art Gallery, located in Woodland Hall, serves as a showcase for traditional and contemporary work as well as a hands-on classroom for students in our arts programs.
(left) Chatham University Art Gallery in Falk Hall, 1972-1973, Chatham University Archives & Special Collections / (right) Chatham University Art Gallery in Woodland Hall, 2018
It’s never exactly easy to get a graduation cap to stay on your head—luckily our graduates always help each other manage. Commencement was once held in the Campbell Memorial Chapel, but as our community has grown, we’ve expanded our venues: now hosting Spring Commencement in Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall and Winter Commencement in the Athletic Fitness Center gymnasium.
(left) Chatham Commencement, 1959, Chatham University Archives & Special Collections / (right) Chatham University Commencement, 2016
When Pennsylvania Female College was founded, it was customary for women’s colleges to emphasize instrumental and vocal music. PFC offered a full four-year program covering voice, piano, and music theory. A Soiree Musicale—“in which only the most talented students had the honor to participate”—was performed in the Chapel three times a year. Chatham music students still perform in the Chapel at Candlelight, but they also orchestrate a pep band at basketball games.
(left) Chatham students rehearsing, 1973, Chatham University Archives & Special Collections / (right) Chatham students performing at Candlelight, 2018