David Allen Reed Hall
Construction began on David Allen Reed Hall on August 1st, 1961 and was completed in a little over a year on September 1st, 1962. The dedication took place on October 20th, 1962. The building was originally to be named Massasoit Hall, but was changed to Reed Hall on June 10th, 1961, when the trustees decided that the last dormitory constructed in the tri-pod of dormitories should be named after the College’s founder in order to allow time to collect proper funds in his name.
David Allen Reed founded Springfield College in 1885 and at the dedication of the dormitory it was said: “today 77 years after a dream come true it is fitting that tribute to this pioneering educator and religious leader be given at the college he founded.”
Today it is also fitting that the dormitory houses freshmen, the visionaries of the future in the world as well as visionaries of future in the college. Each year the freshmen give new life and see new possibilities for the college in the same way that David Allen Reed saw the possibility of a beautiful location for a school from the unpromising track of land which in 1885 was covered in sand dunes and scrub pines, and a city dump was located where some of the newest, most beautiful buildings now stand.
Scope and Contents of the Collection
This collection documents the planning, construction, and significance of David Allan Reed Hall. The collection includes general information, a dedication program, floor plans, and an outside newspaper article regarding the dormitory’s completed construction and dedication. Visual images of the dormitory include undated exterior photographs of the front, east, west, and south sides of the dormitory, as well as slides.
