is a residential college of
Yale University .
In 1641, John Brockton established a farm on the plot of land that is now Calhoun College. After the
Revolutionary War an inn was constructed that would later become the meeting place of the
Phi Beta Kappa Society .
From 1863 until 1874 the land was home to Yale's divinity school.
In 1933, with the institution of the new residential college system at Yale, the dormitory at the corner of College and Elm Streets became Calhoun College, named for
John C. Calhoun , B. A. 1804, alumnus, statesman, and orator. His statue stands in Yale's
Harkness Tower . It should be noted that Calhoun College was so named, as were many of the other residential colleges, for illustrious sons of Eli. There is no direct connection between the college and the man, and he is neither founder nor patron.
Like all other residential colleges at their inception, Calhoun had twenty-four hour guard service and the gates were never locked. Jacket and tie was the necessary attire in the dining hall and meals were served at the table.
At first, Calhoun was considered an undesirable college because of its location at the corner of College and Elm, where trolleys frequently ran screeching around the corner. This perception of Calhoun changed under the popular Master Charles Schroeder, who once remarked that if the despicable trolley service were ever removed he would purchase a trolley car, put it in the courtyard, and hold a celebration to commemorate the event. The trolley system was indeed removed in 1949, and though a whole car proved unfeasible, Master Schroder secured the fare collecting machine from a trolley and made good on his promise to celebrate. Thus was born Trolley Night, a proud tradition of the college.
The coat of arms designed for Calhoun College combines the university arms, set atop the
Cross Of St. Andrew . The college colors are black, navy blue, and gold.
In 1989, Calhoun was the first residential college to be renovated. The renovations, mostly funded by alumnus
Roger Horchow , were done quickly and over the summer to minimize disruption to student life. By 2000, the physical plant began to show wear and tear again.
2005 saw the retirement of William and Betsy Sledge as Master and Associate Master of Calhoun. They were succeeded by Dr. Jonathan Holloway (PhD '95) and his wife Aisling Colón.
In the same year a limited window replacement was commissioned amid Calhoun's controversial exclusion from the most recent campus-wide renovation effort.
Though partially renovated in 1989, Calhoun College is scheduled for a full-scale renovation in the 2008-09 schoolyear.
Stephen Lassonde stepped down as the Calhoun Dean in June 2007 thus ending the longest tenure of any dean in the College's history. Within the Residential College system at Yale, deanships normally last only a few years, but Stephen Lassonde served as Calhoun Dean for fourteen years. In late April of 2007, he made the official announcement that he would be leaving Calhoun to serve as Deputy Dean of the College at Brown University in nearby Providence. The new dean of Calhoun is Leslie Woodard. Until June 2007 Dean Woodard was the director of the undergraduate creative writing program at Columbia University. A published author of short stories, Dean Woodard also has a history in the performing arts. She was a professional dancer in the Dance Theater of Harlem for a decade.
In late June 2007 Calhoun's mighty elm--host of the college's famous tire swing and shade provider for literally every Calhoun student since the college's founding--was felled. The tree was rotting from the ground up and was beginning to lean dangerously. Given the fact that the tree was actually taller than Calhoun (itself a five and six story building in different places) the tree posed a real danger to the college structure not to mention the Hounies therein. Plans are already afoot to plant another elm tree in the courtyard during the 2008-2009 renovation. While the replacement elm initially will not be as grand as the nearly 200-year old giant it replaces we must remember that all good things come to those who wait. One day in the future the tire swing will certainly be restored and future Hounies will delight in their new giving tree.
A debate over the appropriateness of the college's name has waxed and waned, as John C. Calhoun's involvement in antebellum pro-state's-rights politics and protection of the institution of slavery has been reconsidered. Calhoun never had significant involvement in Yale after his student years and was never a benefactor, though at the time the college was named, the prevailing view of Calhoun was that of an exceptional statesman and principled Senator. In 1992, the graduating seniors commissioned a plaque noting the unfortunate reality of John C. Calhoun's legacy, but at the same time supporting the notion that the college retain its name for historical purposes.
The courtyard used to have a popular tire swing, which stood in stark contrast to the stunning gothic architecture. In the Fall of 1990, newly appointed master Turan Onat made it his first priority to remove the tire swing as he sought "to restore the courtyard to a grassier state." The seniors immediately reinstalled the swing overnight and Onat quickly reversed his policy. (Please see above for the very sad recent development concerning the elm tree and tire swing.)
Calhoun used to be the only residential college with its own
Sauna .
1 Unfortunately, the sauna was removed from Entryway B/C during the 2005-06 school year.
Though Calhoun has not recently been a serious contender for the Tyng Cup (awarded each year to the college that accumulates the most points in intramural athletic events), Calhoun freshmen have won 4 of the last 6 Freshmen Olympics, held each spring on Old Campus.
