Though I have enjoyed many of the Rose Scholars events which I have attended, last week’s talk on Flora Rose and Martha van Rennselaer stands out as the best, for the simple reason that no other event has taught me as much about the history of Cornell, or of Rose House in particular.

The stated intent for the building of West Campus was to create residential communities such as exist at Yale and other universities. Honestly, I do not feel we are succeeding quite yet. I live in Rose, but I don’t really feel like a part of Rose House, more so than any other part of West Campus. The Rose pride is lacking. I feel like our houses have yet to develop unique identities-something in which we, as residents, could be invested.

Before last week, I did not know who Flora Rose was, or what she had done to merit having a West Campus house named after her. Today, I can say I have a little more pride in Rose House, knowing who we are named for. I admire Flora Rose’s commitment to education, her diligence, and her accomplishments. It is fairly amazing to know everything that she did-including that she was a regular correspondent of Eleanor Roosevelt-and to also know that almost no one has heard of her.

It was also fascinating to hear about the history of the College of Human ecology. I had always found the mix of disciplines contained within it-human development, nutrition, public health, fiber sciences-somewhat arbitrary, but now, knowing that the College originated as a school of home economics, it all makes sense. It is especially interesting to know that the College was, for a period, exclusively staffed by and attended by women.

After hearing this talk, I am resolved to visit the Cornell archives. I have had several opportunities to visit, all of which I have passed up- which I now regret. It is my hope that I have the opportunity, during my tenure at Cornell, to conduct research in our archives. It is also my hope that we will have more events that focus on the history of Cornell.