A photograph of Springfield College's first women's dormitory, Abbey Hall. Many chairs are set up in front of the building and people are gathered in front of the entrance. This may have been for the building dedication. The picture is in black and white. The picture is taken from Alden Street. On April 24th, 1934 Springfield College accepted a gift from Mrs. Emily F. Abbey Gill to erect a women’s dormitory, in anticipation of Springfield College accepting undergraduate women into the college. The college at the time accepted a few women in special undergraduate and graduate programs. The college continued to increase the number of women enrolled as undergraduate and graduate students, so in 1949 Mrs. Emily F. Abbey Gill donated a further $150,000 to finance the much needed women’s residency. Finally, on June 10th, 1950, Springfield College voted to inaugurate a regular undergraduate program for women, officially ending its status as an all men's school since its founding in 1885. On July 20th, 1950 the ground breaking ceremony was held for the new dormitory. Emily F. Abbey Gill served as a member of the college corporation, but died on April 24th, 1950. After her death, the college suggested that the new dormitory be named Abbey Hall in honor of her dream of a women’s program at Springfield. The corner stone was laid on January 18th 1951 and in September of that year Abbey Hall was ready for occupancy. The formal dedication took place on May 10th, 1952, after the building was fully furnished and the interior decoration was completed. Today Abbey Hall is part of Abbey-Appleton Halls (added in 1953), a co-educational dormitory.
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