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.
Marjory Rea Laughlin House—now commonly known as Laughlin House—was built in 1912 and originally served as the home of James Laughlin, Chatham’s first Board of Trustees president. In 1967, the mansion was donated to Chatham and became a residence hall for 32 students. Today, Laughlin House is Chatham’s women’s only residence hall and home to the Women’s Leadership Living Community.
(left) Laughlin House, 1979, University Archives & Special Collections / (right) Laughlin House, 2015
In 1910, before women could vote, President William Howard Taft spoke to PCW students, telling them that they would “play an important part in the life of this great Nation—whether [they] vote or not.” In 2016, nearly 100 years after the 19th amendment was ratified, Vice President Joe Biden urged a crowd of students and community members to not only vote, but to make sure everyone they knew voted as well.
(left) Mellon Center, 1910, University Archives & Special Collections / (right) Athletic Fitness Center, 2016
In the days before all campus watering holes like Anderson Dining Hall, students often had meals in the dining rooms of their residence halls. Dinner, however, was still the quintessential time to gather for gab and grub. In the above photo, students are wearing ‘dinks’, a required beanie to denote their first year status. Today, we might call that hazing.
(left) Woodland Hall Cafeteria, c. 1945-1955, University Archives & Special Collections / (right) Catherine Giles ‘15, MSUS ‘17, Eden Hall Lodge, 2015