College Archives

Franklin & Marshall on Film

The earliest film footage documenting Franklin and Marshall College has recently been transferred to DVD. Selected clips are available for viewing below. Windows media player is required. Download player

 1926 Commencement. Shows traditional cap and gown procession from the Science building (now Stager Hall) to Hensel Hall. 11.8 mb- 2:17- Silent- B&W- play clip

 Poverty Parade, 1926. Footage of the traditional student poverty parade held at Williamson Field during a home football game. Note the male F&M cheerleaders and the formal attire of the spectators. 7.4mb- 1:27- Silent-B&W- play clip

 Snowstorm, 1927. Footage of campus in the aftermath of an early 1927 Lancaster snowstorm. Note the Campus House sign on what is currently known as Distler House. The Campus House opened on January 21, 1927 as a student center after being converted from its original use as the College Gymnasium. 7.4 mb- 2:02- Silent- B&W- play clip

 Class Day June 3, 1927. Footage shows Class day exercises as part of Commencement week, Class reunions, F&M trustee Benjamin F. Fackenthal Jr., the Senior parade. 10mb- 1:58- Silent- B&W- play clip

 Football- F&M vs. Haverford October 1, 1927. Shows Band, football game, Freshman-Sophomore Tug of War. 12.6mb-2:19- Silent- B&W- play clip

 1929 Convocation/Freshman Chapel sevices. Shows faculty and Freshmen leaving Hensel Hall convocation/chapel services. Note the arcade in the background connecting Biesecker Gymnasium and Fackenthal Laboratory that was razed in the 1960s. 4.9mb -0:58 - Silent- B&W- play clip

 Cornerstone laying ceremony Fackenthal Laboratories, April 30, 1929. Footage shows President Henry Harbaugh Apple speaking at the cornerstone laying ceremonies of Fackenthal Lab, constructed 1928-1929. 4.6mb- 0:52- Silent- B&W- play clip

 Campus scenes from tower of Old Main, ca. 1930. Views of campus, Lancaster Theological Seminary and the Lancaster skyline. 7.5mb- 1:27- Silent-B&W- play clip

 1930 Class reunion weekend. Shows the traditional alumni processional featuring the Class of 1905 parading down College Avenue with a covered wagon and the Class of 1880 through 1925 on parade. 11.8 mb- 2:19- Silent-B&W- play clip

 Cornerstone laying ceremony Fackenthal Pool September 19, 1930. 5.4mb- 1:04 - Silent- B&W- play clip

 1932 Commencement procession. Academic procession on campus. 2.5 mb- 0:26- Silent- B&W- play clip

 College officials visit John Marshall grave and home, 1935. Footage shows College administrators', including President John A. Schaeffer, visit to the grave and home of John Marshall in Richmond, Virginia in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of his death. 17.3mb-3:25- Silent- B&W- play clip

 Abraham dePeyster statue. 1936 footage of the Abraham dePeyster statue in front of the former Watts-dePeyster Library. The sculpture was often painted by students as a prank beginning around 1933. It was moved to its present site along Buchanan Avenue in 1937. 2.5mb- 0:29- Silent- Color- play clip

 Construction of Keiper Hall, 1936. Footage of Keiper Hall under construction showing steel framing and construction crews. 6.6mb-1:19- Silent- Color- play clip

 Construction of Fackenthal Library, 1937. Footage showing structural steel work on Fackenthal Library. Note the workman tossing a hot rivet to a riveter above. 5.2mb- 1:00- Silent- Color- play clip

 Cornerstone laying Fackenthal Library, July 28, 1937. Footage of the cornerstone laying ceremony for Fackenthal Library. B.F. Fackenthal and President John Schaeffer can be seen placing a time capsule in the cornerstone. 4.3mb- 0:51- Silent- Color- play clip

 1939 Convocation. Footage of faculty and students leaving Hensel Hall convocation ceremony. Note the blue caps and green bow ties worn by Freshmen. President John A. Schaeffer (in brown suit) and Retired President Henry Harbaugh Apple (who waves at the camera) can be seen in the procession. 10.8mb- 2:12- Silent- Color- play clip

 Track and Field, 1939. Shows Track and Field events held at Williamson Field. Note the Armstrong Plant and the smoke from a more industrial Lancaster in the background. 8.4mb- 1:36- Silent- Color- play clip

 F&M Band at the 1939 World's Fair. Footage of F&M Band performing at the 1939 World's Fair in New York. 9.9mb-1:39- Silent- Color- play clip

 Views of Campus, Spring 1942. 9.9mb- 1:56- Silent- Color- play clip

 Military parade ca. 1943-45. Parade of F&M V-12 and V-5 Naval and Marine officers training program band and cadets at Williamson Field before a home football game. 15.5mb- 3:10- Silent- Color- play clip

 Alumni luncheon, June 29, 1946. Views of Alumni reunion luncheon held in Biesecker Gym and Ladies (Alumni Wives) Luncheon held in the Academy Building (Hartman Hall). 5.4mb- 1:03- Silent- B&W- play clip

 Dedication of Hartman Hall, June 29, 1946. Footage of the dedicaton of the former F&M Academy Building as Hartman Hall in honor of Edwin M. Hartman, long-time principal of the school. The Academy closed in 1943. College President Theodore Distler and Hartman can be see addressing the crowd. 6.6mb- 1:17- Silent- Color- play clip

 Baccalaureate Excercises, 1946. Color footage shows procession of Seniors to Old Main for chapel services. B&W footage shows interior of College chapel and services. 7.5mb- 1:30- Silent- Color and B&W- play clip

  1951 Commencement. Shows series of Commencement day events such as senior procession to Hensel Hall, graduation at Williamson Field, gathering for class photo at Hartman Hall, post-graduation congratulations, and leaving campus for the final time. Note the brick arcade located between Biesecker Gym and Fackenthal Lab (that was removed in the early 1960s) in a shot of seniors returning from Williamson Field. 8.6mb- 1:43- Silent- Color- play clip

 Groundbreaking and construction of North Museum, 1951. Shows North Museum groundbreaking ceremonies held May 13, 1951 and subsequent construction activities. 6mb- 1:11- Silent- Color- play clip

 Alumni Office. Ca. 1951 footage showing the activities of the Alumni office located in Stahr (now Stager) Hall. Mundane, yet interesting, views of College office work before computers. Note that the Alumni magazine is what is being prepared for mailing at the end of the clip. 3.9mb- 0:45- Silent- Color- play clip

 Science department scenes, ca 1951. Series of footage shows students using the Shand Library, students meeting with chemistry professor William Weisgerber, students using the chemistry lab and the greenhouse in Fackenthal Lab. Additional footage shows a geology field trip and a geology classroom scene in Stahr Hall. 8.6mb- 1:41- Silent- Color- play clip

 Campus protests, 1970. Initial footage shows student protests outside East Hall (then the College administration building) on or about April 30, 1970 concerning the College's refusal to rehire popular history and sociology professors Henry Mayer and Anthony Lazroe. Additional footage depicts student protests in early May (on present-day Hartman Green) of the April 30th U.S. invasion of Cambodia and the May 4th killing of four Kent State students in Ohio by National Guard troops during a campus Vietnam War protest. Film ends with F&M student peace march to Penn Square. (footage courtesy of Jerry Abrams (F&M 1973) 16mb- 3:11- Silent- Color- play clip

Footage may be subject to copyright. Not to be used for any purposes other than private viewing without permission of Franklin and Marshall College and/or the copyright holder.

updated 04/20/09 mrl