BC 1960s

When Emmett K.  McLarty became president of Brevard College in the summer of 1957 he saw the need to strengthen academics, particularly the science, music and arts departments.  Within two years he had begun a capital campaign to build additional classrooms and dorms, a new gym, administration building, library, dining hall and student union.

By the start of the 1965 fall term three new buildings were open, new athletic fields were in place, streets had been paved and renovations for the music department were nearly complete.

The Bryan Moore Science Building opened in August 1961.  It housed the math, chemistry, physics and biology departments.  The building was also home to the Chelf Gem and Mineral Collection featuring over 700 specimens from the U.S. and foreign countries.

The Cary Boshamer gym was completed in 1962 and its indoor pool opened in January 1963.

The new administration building was completed in 1965.  It was named for Grier Beam, a college Trustees and strong supporter of the building expansion program.  It provided space for offices formerly located in the Campus Center.

This allowed for renovations of the Campus Center for the music department.  Renamed Dunham Music Center, it offered classroom space, teaching studios, a music reference library and offices all under one roof.  Previously it had been scattered throughout the campus wherever space was available.

Construction of the new library in 1967.  The old library, before it was
expanded into the Student Union is to the right of the construction site.

By the fall of 1966 the new Lena Sun Beam Dorm had opened and the new library was under construction.  Beam dormitory originally housed 180 girls in private and double rooms built as suites.

The new James Addison Jones Library, which opened in May 1967, had three times the book capacity of the former library.  It also had seminar rooms, group study rooms and a faculty research area. 

Myers Dining Hall opened in 1968.  It had a large dining room and two private dining rooms available for student or faculty meetings and special occasions.

The completion of the library and cafeteria allowed for renovations to their former spaces.  The Music Department expanded into the old cafeteria in the former Campus Center building, now Dunham Music Center.  The former library would be remodeled and expanded as the new student center.

In 1970 the McLarty-Goodson Classroom Building on the campus quad was opened.  It was named for President McLarty, who worked tirelessly to build both the campus and the student body.  He had died suddenly in 1968.  Kenneth Goodson was a college trustee and Methodist Church bishop in Birmingham, Alabama.

This mid-1980s photograph show Jones and Beam dormitories behind the library.
On the right are the Moore Science, Beam Administration and
McLarty-Goodson buildings.

When the Sims Student Union opened in January 1971 it completed McLarty’s plan to build excellent physical facilities at Brevard College.  It offered a lounge with a large color television, the Tornado Room with a grill, billiard and table tennis rooms, a mail room and a book store. 

Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library.  Visit the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about our history and see additional photographs.  For more information, comments or suggestions contact Marcy at marcy.thompson@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-3151 X242.