Photography by Carrie Hojnicki, Online Editor

Images courtesy of Ed Pittman, Associate Dean of the College for Campus Life

Photography by Eric Estes, Design and Production Editor

A crisp, colorful October day is certainly one of the finest for visiting a cemetery, and no finer cemetery than the Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery, where several important figures from the history of the College currently reside, including the founder of the College himself.

The Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery is an example of a burial movement from the mid-nineteenth century. To alleviate crowding in churchyards, address hygiene concerns and enhance the spiritual nature of burial, towns and cities began looking for more bucolic, natural venues for the burial of their citizens. Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery was founded in 1853, and Matthew Vassar was a member of the committee that was in charge of choosing its location and arranging for its design. They hired renowned landscape architect of the period Andrew Jackson Downing to oversee the project.

The beautiful, rolling landscape allows a visitor to get lost in the site. Situated over the Hudson, the residents have some spectacular views. The graves themselves are very characteristic of the 19^th century, including many examples of carved drapery and not a few obelisks. “It’s really quite striking almost any time of the year,” said Dean Emeritus of the College Colton Johnson.

Vassar’s gravestone takes its form from a design that he drew himself, which he often liked to show students. Though it lost a little something in translation.

“It’s supposed to be an acorn—the drawing looks more like an acorn. It’s always looked to me like an egg in an egg-cup,” said Dean Emeritus of the College Colton Johnson. “But when you get there you’ll see the smaller acorns are more recognizable. The idea was [from] his college: ‘Great oaks from little acorns grow.’ He had planted the acorn.”

Vassar’s grave is no less dramatic than was his death. “You know, he died in the trustee meeting of 1868, giving his final address,” explained Johnson. “He just got to the paragraph where he said ‘And now I bid you farewell,’ and he died. And they adjourned for a couple, three hours, and then the chairman of the board read the final paragraph.”

Students of the College also used to have more of a relationship with the cemetery. “When they did the full-dress Founder’s Day, back in the ‘30s, they had scripts that faculty and administration would come out and read things at the various stones. It was a big deal,” said Johnson.  Though this seems like a far cry from present-day Founder’s Day celebrations, Johnson still leads a group every year to the cemetery to lay a wreath on Vassar’s grave.

Other figures from the College’s history who have been laid to rest in the cemetery, include Vassar’s nephews, John Guy Vassar and Matthew Vassar, Jr.; Vassar’s wife, Catherine; and President of the College from 1885-1914 James Monroe Taylor.

An afternoon visit to the Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery, more picturesque than morbid, adds historical flare to any Halloween plans.

See captions below slide show.

Photographs by Juliana Halpert

1. Rockefeller Hall

2. Professor Peter Stillman; Political Science
Rockefeller 204
Years teaching at Vassar: 30
Years in current office: 20

“It’s big, it’s bright; this is definitely one of the best faculty offices in the college,” Stillman boasted.

3. Stillman’s dog, Webster, is a frequent office companion.

4. Professor John McCleary; Mathematics
Rockefeller Hall 303A
Years teaching at Vassar: 30
Years in current office: 3.5

5. When you’re around for thirty years, you get to be the first to pick your office,” said McCleary. “I got first dibs. This one is certainly the best on campus.”

6. Professor Yvonne Elet; Art History
Taylor Hall 307
Years teaching at Vassar: only one month!

Professors who have not been at Vassar for decades also seem quite contented with their offices. Elet just moved in this summer, yet feels quite settled.

7. “I love these gothic tracery windows–between them and the view of Main building it’s pretty glorious,” Elet said. “You can’t stick an A/C in there, though.”

8. Professor Maria Hantzopoulos; Education
Old Observatory
Years teaching at Vassar: 1/2
Years in current office: 1/2

The Old Observatory was recently renovated, right before Hantzopoulos arrived at Vassar.

9. “It’s a really beautiful facility, just a humanizing space overall,” she commented. “Good for the psyche.”

10. Professor Lydia Murdoch; History, Women’s Studies
New England 205
Years teaching at Vassar: 9
Years in current office: 0

As the new program director for Women’s Studies, Murdoch recently moved into this office while keeping her other space in Swift Hall. “I like it,” she said. “There’s nice light, and I love the starfish.”

11. Professor James Steerman
Vogelstein Center for Drama and Film 306
Years teaching at Vassar: 42
Years in current office: 6

“Every office I’ve been in, I’ve always spent a lot of time there,” Steerman said. “I like this one, I ended up with a nice big office this time.”

12. “There’s plenty of space for all my stuff.”

The ’09/’10 school year will be Steerman’s last two semesters teaching at Vassar.

13. Professor Erica Crispi; Biology
Olmsted 325
Years teaching at Vassar: 5
Years in current office: 5

“In here there’s a never-ending attempt at organization. But I like it, because it’s the one place where I get to be in total control of my space,” Crispi mentioned.

14. Professor Lynn Christensen; Biology and Environmental Science
New England 103

Christensen has been a visiting assistant professor for two years, and has occupied this office since she started.

15. “I’m happy here,” Christensen said. “I love to look outside and see trees. But you have to be careful that squirrels don’t come in through the windows!”

16. Professor Bryan Van Norden; Philosophy
Rockefeller 207
Years teaching at Vassar: 15
Years in current office: 5

Van Norden’s office used to be on the fourth floor of Rockefeller Hall, and he appreciates the increase in traffic that he experiences two levels down. “I feel more in touch with students and colleagues here,” he remarked.

17. “It’s definitely a great space,” Van Norden added. “Probably one of the best on campus.”

From Assistant Online Editor Liz Jordan’s article about the change: “This year, the day of the tradition was moved from a Friday to Saturday, and faculty were absent from the event. Most notably, though, the campus-wide food fight between seniors and freshmen that previously marked the beginning of the academic year was no longer a food fight—instead, a water-only Serenading took place last Saturday, Sept. 5.” To continue reading and to find out more about the procedures and processes behind revisions, click here.

This exhibition has been organized by the New-York Historical Society. The exhibition at the New-York Historical Society and the publication of the catalogue and its research were generously supported by The Getty Foundation, Leonard L. and Ellen Milberg, Barbara and Richard Debs, Pam and Scott Schafler, Eli Wilner & Company, Inc., The Samuel H. Kress Foundation, Furthermore: a program of the J.M. Kaplan Fund, Alexander Acevedo, and Graham Arader.