IThe InternationalStudent House

Washington, DC

An Unforgettable Experiencein International Living

by Paul Feys

© 2001 Paul Feys - International Student HouseAll rights reserved. Printed in USA

First Edition

Design by Wood Ronsaville Harlin, Inc.Annapolis, Maryland

TABLE OF CONTENTS

v Foreword

1 Chapter One The Beginning of ISH

11 Chapter Two 1825 R Street

17 Chapter Three Progress & Growing Pains

25 Chapter Four ISH Becomes Indepent

31 Chapter Five New Challenges: The Seventies

39 Chapter Six Renewal and Growth at Age Fifty

45 Chapter Seven Life after Fifty

49 Chapter Eight From Formal Elegance to Relaxed Informality

53 Chapter Nine Ghosts

57 Chapter Ten Personal Memories

63 Conclusion

64 Appendix

65 Afterword

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INTERNATIONAL STUDENT HOUSE

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This is an account of what the International Student House has been and what it has become) as told by

the man who was its Executive Director for 23years. If there is afault in this presentation) it is in the

understatement of the central role of this modest man in the mission of the House; that international

relations can be changed one student at a time. It is also important to add that the impact of that "one

student" has also changed. A recent alum now living in Prague put it this way: "I'm in touch via e-mail

each week with 13 of my ISH friends. I've become an international girl. My year at ISH changed my

life." And probably others too.

Jerrold Scoutt, Jr.Former PresidentBoard of Directors

FOREWORD

This history of the International Student House (ISH) in Washington) DC was written for the members

of the ISH family.

I have relied on records collected during my years at ISH) which included a wealth of information about

the early years of ISH, thanks to a diary of the first director, Grace Lowry (which her daughter

Elizabeth loaned me 25years ago}, and to numerous meticulously preserved newspaper clippings from

that period. When I decided to write this essay) I also discovered a huge amount of documents and

records stored in boxes in various locations in the House.

After reading through those thousands of pages) I did not even attempt to organize and classify them

before returning them to ISH. In the following pages) therefore) I cannot point to particular documents

that would be organized and easily verifiable and my notes would fall far short of a professional histori-

an's standards. Nor can I vouch for the accuracy of all my sources. Last but not least) hard as I may

have tried to be totally objective) in matters so close to my heart I am not sure I have always succeeded.

My objective has not been primarily to present all the factual information on the history of ISH) but to

impart a sense of excitement about an institution that has been very dear to many of us. I have also

occasionally complemented the written records with unverified anecdotes and hearsay) heeding the

Italian saying: "Se non e uero, e bene trouatol," which broadly translated means: «It may not be true)

but it has a ring of truth!"

I want to express my gratitude here to Jane Hart and China Jessup) who have taken the time to read dif-

ferent drafts and have given me invaluable advice on grammar, style) and brevity) and to Rosalind

Springsteen for her knowledgeable editing.

Paul Feys •

OF COL..UMBIA--- ••,uJECTS ADMINISTRATIONL EDW••••RDS·ADMINISTRATOR

"'Ulle

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT HOUSE

THE BEGINNING OF ISH Chapter One

The International Student House offers foreign and American students an opportunity for an in-depth

experience in international living, to create better understanding and friendship among people from

different countries) cultures) races and religions) and to promote peace and cooperation between the

nations of the earth.

Birth of an IdeaThe prospect for peace and.co~perationbetween nations was very dim in the 1930s.The whole world was threatened with vio-lence and war: the rise to power of Hitler inGermany, Italy's invasion of Ethiopia, t~ebrutal Stalinist regime in the Soviet Union,the Spanish civil war, the Japanese ag~res-sion in China, open racism in the UnitedStates and elsewhere: those factors andmany others created a sense of impendingworld-wide conflict.

It is in this context that the Quakers of theFlorida Avenue Meeting in Washington,DC, in 1934 began to ask themselves howthey could contribute on the local level tobetter understanding between people ofdiverse national backgrounds. Their con-clusion was that real peace would comenot so much from negotiations betweendiplomats as from contacts between com-mon people, particularly young people.They also saw the local need for young. for-eigners, often isolated and lonely here inWashington, to meet and become.acquainted with each other and with thelocal community, sparking growth ofrespect and understanding for each other.

In November 1934, they sent an invitationto the approximately 300 f~reigr: ~tu~entswho attended the major uruversities mWashington, DC, to come to the MeetingHouse for Sunday supper. Almost 100 ofthe students showed up, and they decidedto establish an International Student Club.The Quakers invited them to have mo~thlySunday supper gatherings at the MeetmgHouse. A number of American studentssoon joined the group. Later, weeklySunday informal teas became part of theclub's program.

These occasional activities and meetingsinevitably led to the desire for a ho~e .where people from all races and nationali-ties could gather at any time for t~lks, formeals, for dances, and for entertainment.The American Friends Service Committee(AFSC),an active branch of the Quakers,undertook to make that dream come true.Thanks to their initiative, Mrs. BancroftDavis, a well-known Washington philan-thropist agreed to fund the purchase ~ndfurnishing of a house for the InternationalStudent Club.

The imminent purchase of such a housewas officially announced by Clarence

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Pickett, Executive Director of the AFSC, atthe first annual banquet of the WashingtonInternational Club at the Hay-Adams Hotelon May 2, 1936, at which Eleanor Rooseveltwas the guest speaker. The director of theInternational House in New York came toWashington expressly for that occasion.

Bancroft Davis, whose family had greatwealth from railroad enterprises. They hadtwo daughters, one of whom was mentallyhandicapped, and the other who became asocial worker in Kentucky.

When Bancroft Davis died in 1934, hiswidow was astonished at the considerablefortune she inherited. «My tastes were sim-ple," she wrote) «and 1had no ambition to havea lot of money) so when my husband died leavingme a large amount) 1was a most surprised per-

son) as 1had never thought much aboutwhat we had and had never been interest-ed in business of any kind. 1was onlyanxious to dispose of it as soon as possible)before 1was called to the greatunknown ... Being, however, of anintensely economical nature) 1wasobliged to think of the best way to get ridof it to help the most people) and thatfilled my brain and heart so fully that 1had no time for grief or loneliness. ))

Thus was the International Student House(ISH) founded in 1936 in the Quaker spiritof peace and with the purpose of offeringan "in-depth experiment in internationalliving." Since then, thousands ofstudents from

First) she deeded her home at2410 Wyoming Avenue to theAFSC, stipulating that it be usedas an International HospitalityHouse, and gave the AFSC a

_~~~~:::::~:::~:_ •••••••••,...~~~~ Residence Fund Trust of$106,000 so the overnight guests did notaround the have to be charged. After her death, the

world have lived at ISH and gained an neighbors who resented the interracial mixexperience that has profoundly influenced of residents and guests, had it closed bytheir lives and their outlook on the world. the city government because it was not«1can never look at the world map with the zoned as a guesthouse. Consequently,same eyes as before," is how a former resident Davis House, as it was called, moved inrecounts it. 1950 to its present location at 1822 R

Street, NW.

Mrs. Bancroft DavisWithout the generous support of Mrs.Bancroft Davis, the AFSCmight not havebeen able to purchase a house as early as1936. Born Anne Hubbard in the late1850's near Boston, she had married

In 1936, Mrs. Davis learned of theInternational Student Club's dream of hav-ing their own home, and she offered theAFSC money to buy and furnish a house. Itis said that a new receptionist at theFlorida Quaker Meeting, who took Mrs.

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Davis' first call, politely dismissed her andlater told the Director that a "silly oldlady" had called to offer $25,000 to theAFSe! Only someone new to the charitablegiving world in Washington could h~~ebeen so uninformed about Mrs. Davisrenown for outstanding philanthropy. Shehad given $100,000 to Goodwill Industriesin Washington (henceforth called theDavis Memorial Goodwill Industries) andshe contributed generously to many organ-izations, especially those that helped peo-ple help themselves.

Mrs. Davis did not only provide the fundsto buy the house, she also remained very.involved in the early years of ISH. She paidfor most of the furniture needed,and although her frugal nature atfirst led her to recommend buyingused furniture (mostly fromGoodwill Industries), a friend per-suaded her that solid new furni-ture would last much longer. Sheoften came to talk with the stu-dents and to learn about theircountries. Even though she waswell into her 70s, she delighted indancing at parties and enjoyedteaching the students theVirginia ReeL

In 1946, she made up her mindthat it was time for her to die,even though she had never been ~ilLShe confided to her close ..•~~~~~~~;.:;~:::'~' ;':U1:':'~:::~~:!~:::: ,~~jfriends that she had told God shewanted to die, and she was sure He wouldtake care of it; she was in the habit of hav-ing things go her way.When she sa~ nosigns of deteriorating heal~?, she said:. (7guess He doesn't want me yet! ,but later mthe year, she caught pneumonia and diedafter a short illness in December of thatyear. She was a lady of un~ommon forti-tude, enlightened humamty, and remark-able generosity.

Racial DiscriminationThe ISH "experiment in internationalliv-ing" which the Quakers launched i? themidst of threats of global war was intend-ed to give peace a better chance by bring~ngtogether students from different countnesand cultures. To quote from a brochure:«Friends (as the Quakers call themselves) be~iev.ethat a simple life) a desire for truth and.a bebef inthe common humanity of all men provide a firmbasis for a peaceful world. By living together as agroup) students of many nationalities) races andreligions make a contribution to the cause of »

world peace and international understandmg.

Because this international project wasinevitably also interracial, it cam~ in~o con-

flict from the very begmnmg

with the racial discrimination thatprevailed at the time and affect~d all non-white or "colored" persons, foreigners aswell as Americans. In her diary, Mrs. GraceLowry, the first Director ofISH, noted (wemust remember that the respectful termfor African Americans at that time was"Negroes" or "colored"): "One of the greatestproblems was housing: many people who rented

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Mrs. Lowry recorded that at a dinner anddance at the Mayflower Hotel in 1937, <Thehotel management was worried about having aninterracial function) so they required that everycolored student be met at the door of the hotel bya white student and be accompanied to the pri-vate ballroom. ))

out rooms to students folt that all colored peoplemust be Negroes) so that Indians) Chinese) andJapanese as well) had doors shut in their faces.Very fow hotels would book a colored person) andrestaurants just would not serve them. The onlyeating place where a colored student was sure tobe served was at Union Station. Otherwise theyhad to hunt for a Negro restaurant. ))

Such racial segregation prevailed at thetime in many parts of the nation, particu-larly in the South. John F. Kennedy wouldlater call Washington a city combiningsouthern efficiency and northern charm,but in terms of racial relations, it was defi-nitely a southern city.

"One day," continues Mrs. Lowry, «I gave atalk at a church about International StudentHouse. In awed tones) one woman in the audi-ence said: <Doyou mean that you will take col-ored people into this house?' <Yesindeed,' Ireplied) <theywill be welcome. J>

Large public parkswere the only places where interracialgroups of students could hope to avoidopen hostility. A more guarded discrimina-tion manifested itself at some formal func-tions organized by the InternationalStudent Club.

One outstanding exception was Mrs.Roosevelt. For Christmas 1937, she agreedto receive the students of ISH at the WhiteHouse. "I was asked to furnish a list of namesfrom the different universities) ))writes Mrs.Lowry. "When I gave Mrs. Roosevelt's secretarythe list, she noted that there was a group fromHoward University and said: <But these mustbe Negroes!' I replied that I did not think itwould make any difference to Mrs. Roosevelt.And indeed) we had a wonderful reception.Louis Achille from Martinique played the goldpiano) the student group from ISH sang a fowcarols) and Mrs. Roosevelt shook hands witheveryone. I think it was the first time that amixed group) Negroes and whites) had beenreceived by a President's wifo at the WhiteHouse." Mrs. Roosevelt continued to invitethe students to the White House atChristmas time until 1941 when theUnited States went to war.

But ugly incidents elsewhere continued formore than a decade. In 1948, after aJamaican resident had helped a Canadiangirl carry her luggage to the bus onConnecticut Avenue, a policeman accostedhim and asked him the name of the "whitegirl." When the student refused, the police-man arrested him, took him to the policestation, and charged him with disorderlyconduct. The ISH staff and other Quakershad to make several interventions beforethey released him on bond ($5.00). Later,after the director contacted the BritishEmbassy (representing Jamaica), the StateDepartment, and the Corporation Counselof the District of Columbia, the policedropped the charges .

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The interracial character ofISH was anenduring cause for suspicion among manyoutsiders. In 1948, Director LeslieJohnston reported rumors that the Housewas being watched by the FBI for possiblesubversive activities, and wondered whetherone of the American residents was an FBIundercover agent. In 1959, Director TomMoore told a residents' meeting: «Many ofour neighbors do not have an accurate idea ofwhat goes on in this House. Some of them feelit must be quite a scandalous place becausethey have no other concept of circumstancesunder which people of different races minglefreely. "

The Washington Post and other newspa-pers. As long as racial discrimination con-tinued, the House consistently refused todo business with any supplier or contrac-tor who practiced segregation.

The House also extended its hospitality toAfrican-American leaders and artists whowere not welcome elsewhere. In 1948, adinner was held at ISH in honor of singer

Paul Robeson after he andhis friends

The racial conflict continued fordecades. An alumna from the 60swrote: «Sometimes residents who wentout in interracial groups were taunted onthe streets in that very racist age. It madeus all the more realize what a wonderfulplace the I-House was (and is!)."

The ISH members, however, didnot passively acquiesce to the pre-

vailing discrimination. They :~;"'''''''';;=~=:~~~:::::::Jspearheaded the crusade for desegre-gation in Washington, and public protests wereand demonstrations were an integral com- refused service at theponent of life at ISH. When George last minute, first at the Mayflower andWashington University in 1946 would not then at another hotel. After dinner, Paulallow Negroes to attend a play at the Lisner Robeson wanted to practice for his upcom-Auditorium, for example, ISH students ing recital, but his accompanist had sud-sent a collective letter of protest to the uni- denly fallen ill. The ISH secretary wasversity president. In 1947, the Crystal City called upon to accompany him on theRestaurant at Connecticut Avenue and R Steinway piano in the Great Hall, andStreet, which had had a fairly liberal atti- everybody enjoyed an informal recital.tude till then, refused service to two sepa- Soprano Marian Anderson was also wel-rate groups ofISH students within one corned at ISH more than once.week. The staff protested, but the manage-ment replied that they could not risk fur-ther loss of business. This led the studentsto consider the possibility of establishing anew interracial restaurant in the neighbor-hood, which, of course, proved to be totallyimpractical. Often, they would also contact

The International Student House was abeacon of racial harmony and understand-ing. (The presence of ISH in Washington,))wrote LeslieJohnston in 1949, "isparticular-ly appropriate) for here in the nation's capitalwhere human brotherhood is denied in so many

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spheres of activity) the House assumes somethingof the character of an oasis. There is no barrierhere to the free mingling of people) no matterwhat their race or creed or nationality ... A worldtorn by so much dissension needs small (and ifpossible large) (islands of sanity) where friendshipand cooperation are accepted values and whereno difference of color or religious belief or place ofbirth are allowed to interfere with the essentialfact of the brotherhood of man. ))

courageous undertaking. Modestly) humbly) theywere content with doing silently what theythought responded to their deep beliefi. Theydid it consistently) as their second and betternature. I wish to pay a belated but timely tributeof gratitude and admiration to the bold) quietand generous open-mindedness of the HouseBoard members) successive directors and many)many residents. ))

The First HouseThe AFse estimated in 1936that the purchase of a housefor students would costapproximately $20,000 andanother $5,000 would beneeded for furniture. Mrs.Davis donate the sum$25,000 to them in the springof 1936. In June, they offered$20,000 to Mr. and Mrs.Victor Kauffmann whowanted to sell their residenceat 1708 New HampshireAvenue, NW, an avenue thatwas the favorite street of

y,()u..t /5H ~ William Howard Taft. That___~ -;'~::~::'::::~':'~-r""::::::first bid was turned down,.~ but subsequently they settled for $23,200.

On the occasion of Mrs. Davis willingly pledged to add thethe 50th anniversary ofISH in 1986, Louis estimated $5,000 for furniture to that sum.Achille, a native of Martinique and a resi- Mrs. Alfred (Grace) Lowry was appointeddent ofISH in the late 30s, wrote this trib- Director of this first International Studentute: "It may not have struck many residents of House, although her oldest daughter toldISH in the late 30s and early 40s that their her: «How can you take on a job like this? YouHouse was practically the only place in aren't even a good housekeeper!"Washington where persons of different colors andraces could associate freely as normal humanbeings. The embarrassing difficulties shared at thetime) on our common outings and for our formalballs) testify to the exemplary attitudes of those incharge of the House and the Club. "

(<Yetthese Friends (Quakers) never, to myknowledge) made a great display for our benefitof the guiding principles of their unusual and

The five-story house at 1708 NewHampshire Avenue provided space fortwelve bedrooms accommodating eighteenstudents and Mrs. Lowry with her twoyounger children. There was a roof terracewhere Saturday and Sunday teas wereserved in the summer and which became apopular evening gathering place for thestudents.' There was a large sitting room, a

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recreation room with a ping-pong table, a"drawing room" with a fireplace, and twokitchens, one to prepare the regular din-ners and one for use by the students.' Mrs.Lowry asked Mrs. Davis for advice and helpin preparing the house for residents. Manyof the furnishings were purchased atStrawbridge and Clothier's in Philadelphia.

While the house was being prepared toaccommodate residents, members of theWashington International Student Clubcame to talk with Mrs. Lowry about howthe house should be run and what kind ofentertainment to have. The club had beena well-established and efficient organiza-tion for two years/ so they thought theywould be able to assume all the responsi-bilities for the House. The Director of theInternational House in New York cameto Washington and cautioned that otherstudent houses had failed because thestudent groups were too transient toassume financial responsibilities. It wasagreed, therefore, that the AFSC head-quarters in Philadelphia would supportthe Friends Meeting of Washington.Mrs. Lowry would run the house andthe members of the Club would be incharge of the programs, of theSunday evening lectures/discussions,and of the policy regarding admis-sion to the club. The AFSC Directoremphasized that there was one non-negotiable rule: No drinking in thehouse!

mal Sunday suppers was introduced: in theabsence of the cook, the students wouldbuy and prepare the food themselves andtake care of the clean-up. Soon these moreintimate suppers proved so valuable for thecommunity living there that they wererestricted to residents only.

To organize the various activities better,the International Club established quite anumber of standing committees:

Membership, Program,

The formal opening of theInternational Student House washeld on Sunday, October 4, 1936,

even though some students had ~;:""'-"';'~::~~:::~~~;~~:~~jalready taken up residence in September.The house rapidly became a livelymeeting Social,place for students from all over town. Once Budget, Ways&Means, Folkthe House became functional, residents Dancing, Tap Dancing, and Sports. Squareand other members of the Club started dancing was introduced on Friday nights,having meals together. A tradition of infor- and the Friday night dance was to become

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a 30-year tradition. On Tuesday evenings,they had tap-dancing instruction, and onSaturdays, they sometimes held formalballroom dances, but no dances were per-mitted on Sundays. The club also started atradition that would continue for at least20 years: laboriously prepared theatricalproductions, which they would present todifferent audiences on successive nights.

Because Mrs. Roosevelt hadbeen the guest speaker at the firstInternational Student Club banquet, whenthe founding of ISH was announced, shewas invited for a visit to the House andcame for tea on Sunday, January 30,1937.She arrived a little early and «she made sucha relaxed entry) »writes Grace Lowry, «that itseemed quite normal for her to drop in) and wewent upstairs where I introduced the students toher." After tea, she wanted to see the wholehouse. The small elevator was in properworking order, and Mrs. Roosevelt, GraceLowry, and a Chinese student called LinLin squeezed into it. Between floors, theelevator suddenly stopped. Grace Lowry,unfamiliar with elevators, started to panic,

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but Mrs. Roosevelt calmly said: "Ob, I knowthese things» and addressing Lin Lin pointedout, «you must have leaned against the STOPbutton. » She pushed another button, andthe elevator resumed its ascent.

The next day, in her column «MyDay'which she wrote for The Washington DailyNews, Mrs. Roosevelt described her visit asfollows: "It poured all day yesterday and Istayed indoors until the afternoon when I hadpromised to visit International House at 4o'clock. I was much interested in seeing this housewhich was given by a very generous woman lastyear and which seems to be doing a marvelouspiece of work for the foreign students inWashington. Young people from foreign lands)attending a university or studying some phases ofLifoin the United States) can find a welcome andmake friends in this hospitable house. »

The club began organizing excursions,some on foot or by bike and some by car tomore distant sites such as the AppalachianTrail, the Skyline Drive, and Old RagMountain. Grace Lowry mentions how,before climbing Old Rag, they would spendthe night at a farm where they could haveall the fried chicken they could eat.

Interracial outings in Washington, howev-er, continued to be unpleasant, so Mrs.Davis and Mrs. Lowry tried to find a placein the country where students could havepicnics and swim without being bothered.They located a property of three acres witha dilapidated house next to a stream and avery old swimming hole near Route 29,which at the time was the back road toBaltimore. It was well hidden from occa-sional passersby. Mrs. Davis bought it andit came to be known as «the farm." Thestudents would often go there, swimmingand picnicking and having barbecues (evenroasting a whole pig). During World WarII, they grew vegetables in a little gardenthey cultivated themselves. After a few

years, however, the students lost interest inthe farm, because the parks in Washingtonhad meanwhile been officially desegregat-ed, making it possible to have excursionsthere. Mrs. Davis gave the property to theYouth Hostels for a desegregated hosteLLater, the State of Maryland purchased itto dam the little stream, and allegedly asmall PEPeo station was built there.

The beginning of World War II inevitablybrought a change, and tensions occasional-ly arose among the students. Minutes of astudent meeting in June 1940 report: «Wewere reminded that in these serious and tryingtimes we must not forget we are all friends herein spite of what is going on in other parts of theworld. We must not hold prejudices but carry outthe feeling that was intended to be carried outwhen the house was started. })

Footnotes

1. The roof terrace was accessible only through twogirls' bedrooms, which necessitated some rules foraccess by young men. According to the minutes of ahouse meeting in 1949, it was agreed that "the terraceshould be closed at 10 P.M. (unless you have pullwith the authorities in the barricade preceding theterrace [i.e. the girls living there]). Visitors shouldgive the girls sufficient notice before traversingthrough their domains and we must respect theirwishes and authority over the much coveted territory."Later, it was agreed that the terrace would be offlimits to non-residents.

2. The same minutes stipulate that "Each week, onemember is to see that those who use the kitchen arekeeping it clean. There is to be a Milk Bottle Fund towhich all are to contribute a small gift with which acommon store of salt and sugar is to be bought. Weare to stop raiding the main kitchen's refrigerator,larder and breadbox, We could not come to an agreement as to what would be a suitable punishment but

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These were indeed trying times for theHouse. As the war spread to more parts ofthe world, the number of foreign studentscoming to the United States kept declin-ing. Whereas in the first few years of ISHthere had been a predominance of studentsfrom Europe, Far East Asia, and thePhilippines, hardly anyone from theseregions could make it during the war. Inspite of a considerable increase in the num-ber of Latin American students, soon therewere fewer foreign students at the housethan Americans. In addition, as many ofthe Americans signed up for military serv-ice, it was hard to preserve a happy atmos-phere in the House. ISH maintained itsprograms and activities, but it was a cheer-less period as the whole world got caughtup m war.

any offender will definitely be in the doghouse."In the early days, management resembled more thatof a large family than that of an institution, such aswhen the Director had to announce in 1946 that theincrease in the price of milk necessitated a charge ofeight cents for each dinner when milk was requested.In 1959, a broken hinge on the breadbox made itimpossible to keep it locked, and the Director had toinform the students that "We have lately come upwith insufficient bread on several mornings and wantall of you to be aware of the fact that breakfast isoften all served before the bread man arrives in themorning. Therefore it is important for you to usegood judgment when, besides the allotted two slicesfor breakfast, you help yourself to some bread formaking a small snack."

3. The International Student Club had an ExecutiveCommittee consisting of a President, Vice President,Treasurer, Corresponding Secretary, and RecordingSecretary. All but a couple of the officers in the firstthree years (1934 to 1937) were foreign students.

- - .-~-

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT HOUSE

1825 R STREET Chapter Two

When World War II ended) more foreign students began to come to the United States and to Washington.

It soon became apparent that ISH would need to expand to meet the demand. In 1946) the APSC started

searching for a larger residence. One of the properties for sale at the time was at the corner of

Massachusetts and Florida Avenues. On inspection of the building, the APSC allegedly decided that some

of thepaintings on the ceilings were too risquefor a student residence. Subsequently) that building at 2121

Massachusetts Avenue became the Cosmos Club.

By the end of 1946, the AFSC settled onthe residence of Mrs. Demarest Lloyd at1825 R Street. They had closely investigat-ed the building, including the frames andpanes of every single window. The pricenegotiated with Mrs. Lloyd was set at$144,465. The house at 1708 NewHampshire Avenue, originally listed for$57,500, was sold for $39,800 and thatsum was matched by local contributions.The AFSC provided the additional$64,865.

The Building at 1825 R StreetThe residence at 1825 R Street wasdesigned in 1912 by architect WolcottClarke Waggaman4 for Henri Meserve, aninternational banker fromMassachusetts, who spent several yearsin Korea and opened branch offices of aNew York bank in Russia, Italy, Germany,France, and Spain.' The house was built inthe Tudor style; the drawing room (GreatHall) was modeled after the great hall inHaddon Hall in Yorkshire, England,including the balcony or minstrels' gallery.

After the untimely death of his wife in1919, and as he spent little time at homebecause of his frequent and prolongedabsences for business, Mr. Meserve sold the

house in 1925 to Mr. and Mrs.Demarest Lloyd.

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Washington correspondent of theChristian Science Monitor and moved toWashington with his wife Katharine, whosefather was a Swedish immigrant, and their

three children.

In thehouse at 1825 R Street, theyhad a domestic staff of at least ten ser-vants, including a downstairs maid, anupstairs maid, a cook, a scullery maid, agardener, a chauffeur, and a butler. Themarriage of Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd ended indivorce, and Mr. Lloyd died in 1937 at theage of 44. By 1946, Mrs. Lloyd was residingalone in the house: her son, Demarest Jr.,had died during the war in the Pacific in1944, and her two daughters, Angelica andKaren, were married.

After she sold her house to the AFSC andmoved out, Mrs. Lloyd resolved never to setfoot again in the building, in spite of laterpleas from her brother and her two chil-dren who had each stopped by the Housein the 70s and been surprised at its finecondition. She spent the last decades of

her life in Georgetown, where shedied in 1978 at the age of 85.

In later visits, Angelica regaled lis-teners with her reminiscences ofgrowing up in the house: how askids they used to slide down the ban-isters of the stairs when their motherwas not looking and how, in herteens, when she stayed out at nightlonger than permitted, she wouldsneak in and walk on tiptoes past thebutler's quarters. If the door waslocked, she had no recourse but to qui-etly knock on the butler's windows, nextto the entrance, and beg him to let herin and say nothing to her parents. Sherecalled her debutante ball, which lastedall night; early Sunday morning, herfather assembled all the Catholics in theparty, though not one himself, andmarched them to Mass at St. Matthew'sCathedral. They returned to continue theparty and enjoy a hearty breakfast.

One day I asked her if it was true that threeU.S. Presidents had been entertained at thehouse by her family. Angelica paused tothink: «Let me count: President Coolidge)yes Ithink so. President Hoover also. But Roosevelt?No) my father would NEVER have invited him. »

The Move to 1825 R StreetOriginally, the AFSC had hoped to havethe new house ready for occupancy inNovember 1946, but first the kitchen need-ed to be remodeled for institutional use, ata cost of about $10,000.

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The move to the new house was plannedfor January 14, 1947, but the Lloyd staffhad not finished packing, and the wholeoperation had to be postponed to the nextday. Unfortunately, on the 15th it rainedsteadily all afternoon. The move took from8:30 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. When the first loadarrived, the hallway was still full of furni-ture and packing cases. Mrs. Lloyd's butlerwas upset because he did not expect themso soon, and only regained his usual com-posure after being assured he could stay atthe house until he found other lodging.Forty beds, plus all the furniture of thedirector, LeslieJohnston, his family andthe director's assistant was ferried overfrom 1708 New Hampshire Avenue to1825 R Street. The students did not movein until March, because the building didnot have the required fire escape.Nevertheless, they had their first dinner atthe new house on January 18, 1947.The formal opening tea was heldon May 3rd, but after all thetables and chairs had been set upin the garden a sudden dreadfulthunderstorm broke out, andeverything had to be moved insidein a great hurry. That evening, aSpring Ball was held in the GreatHall, attended by 200 to 300 people.

Beside the work on the newkitchen, other changes were madeto adapt the house to its new use.On the first floor, two powderrooms were made into small offices.The butler's room was divided intotwo single rooms for students; after1970, it became a ping-pong room,later a student lounge, and finally thepresent large office. The sitting roomon the second floor, currently the TVroom, became a room for Quaker meetingsfor worship, and for reading, quiet games,and small group meetings.

On the present parking lot behind ISHstood a two-story garage. The second floorwas turned into a small apartment for thestaff, and in 1961, the garage itself wasconverted into a game room, allowing theping-pong table to be moved there fromthe Great Hall. The garage stood thereuntil the late 60s, when it was torn downto make a place for a new volleyball court.Soon afterward it became a much-neededparking lot. The original volleyball courtadjacent to 1825 R Street would becomethe building site for the new wing.

The Great Hall, or Lounge as it was calledfor a long time, was used every two weeksfor Sunday Gramophone Concerts. Theaudience gathered around the fireplace inwinter, or on the sofas in summer, and astudent on the balcony playedrecords

on a gramophone orVictrola. The Student EntertainmentCommittee purchased new loudspeakersfor better enjoyment of those musicalevenings. To provide live music, the staffmade great efforts to raise money for the

III

purchase of a suitable piano, but thegramophone concerts contin~ed eve~ afteran excellent second-hand Stemway planohad been purchased.

Beside the director and his family and theassistant director, the new house couldnow accommodate 25-30 long-term resi-dents and 6-10 transients every night.

A son born to Valerie and LeslieJohnston,on July 6,1947, was the only known ..instance of a child born to parents living at1825 R Street, since the children of boththe Meserves and the Lloyds had been bornwell before their parents moved into thehouse.

Changes in ISH GovernanceThe Washington International Studen~Club founded in 1934 as a self-govermngorga~ization, had played a decisive role inthe management and direction ofISH. Butin 1946, with the prospect of moving to alarger house and taking on increased .financial responsibilities, the AFSC deCld~dto disband the club and take full control inthe administration of the House. An elect-ed Student Council took over most of theclub's activities, without any legal standing.

An International Student HouseCommittee of the Washington FriendsMeeting counseled and assisted t~e AFSC,in Philadelphia, in matters of policy andmaintenance of the House. But the need

III

for a more permanent and local group ofcitizens, particularly to develop local finan-cial support for the House as a supplementto the Af'SC' s funding, led to the establish-ment of a Citizens' Council in the fall of1952. It was composed of 14-16 members,some appointed directly by the AFSC, oth-ers by the various local Quaker MeetingHouses. The council soon assumed a moreactive role in the government of the Houseunder the general authority of the AFSC inPhiladelphia. After ISH became independ-ent from the Quakers in 1962, theCitizen's Council evolved into the newBoard of Directors.

A policy limiting the length of residence totwo years for foreign students and one year

Footnotes

4. Wolcott Clarke Waggaman had a distinguishedcareer, designing 135 elegant homes in 12 yearsbefore his untimely death at age 41. His architect sondesigned the fifth floor of the building, which wasadded in 1929.

•

for Americans was maintained, but it wasspecified that there would not be morethan fiveAmericans and two residentsfrom any other country living at ISH atanyone time.

The move to this larger residence resultednot only in an increase in the number ofresidents but also in a considerable growthin the non-resident membership. In 1946,there were only about 100 members,including the residents, but by 1949 thenon-resident membership had increased toover 300. Such a situation would eventual-ly necessitate a reevaluation of the role ofthe two groups at ISH.

5. Mr. Meserve's initials are incorporated in the mantelpiece of the dining room. His first name is spelled"Henri" on the architects blueprints, and "Harry" inthe National Cyclopedia [sic] of American Biography.He married his wife Helen in London in 1902 andadopted her daughter Jean from a previous marriage.It is said that he promised to build them an Englishmansion in Washington, DC, before they moved tothe United States .

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT HOUSE

PROGRESS & GROWING PAINS Chapter Three

The decades following the move of the International Student House to 1825 R Street saw a steady progress

but also raised questions about its direction and the scope of its services. Although the number of residents

remained limited to 35) the activities of the house greatly expanded. Most of the original traditions were

preserved: the meals together, the Friday dances) and the Sunday lecture program.

A Davis Fund had been set up by a giftfrom Mrs. Davis to be used for small schol-arships "for as many needy students aspossible." Students could also earn somemoney by helping in the office, especiallyfor reception and telephone duty. In May1951, however, the office duty was puton a voluntary non-paid basis. Instead,residents were given responsibility forsome maintenance jobs such as cleaningthe whole house and the garden on Clean-Up Day and polishing all the brass forChristmas, "and there is an amazing amountof brassware in this House!" noted the Director.

The House became better known in thelocal community and entertained a num-ber of illustrious guests. Mrs. Nehru spoketo a women's group and served tea at ISHin March 1948. In November 1949 the sis-ter of Emperor Hirohito ofJapan and herhusband, Abbot Kocho Otani, came for avisit. Over the years, a number of celebri-ties drew large audiences in the Great Hall:Alistair Cooke in 1949, Pearl S. Buck in1950, Justice William Douglas in 1955,David Brinkley in 1966, W.AverellHarriman in 1970, Art Buchwald in 1971,to name a few.Marian Anderson came fora reception on March 14, 1953, followingher concert at Constitution Hall. After her

arrival at the House, the students learnedthat she had not had dinner and promptlyprepared an impromptu meal for her.

The House was also involved in several ini-tiatives in the late 40s and early 50s to

improve the cooperation betweeninternational

•educationprograms. LeslieJohnstonwas involved in 1947-48 in the planningand founding of the National Association

of Foreign Student Advisors (NAFSA),which is now the largest international edu-cation association in the world with morethan 8,000 members in 1999. In 1952,

Director Hugh Jenkins

either too luxurious or too inadequate as far asrooms are concerned. »

The fifth floor was the most inadequate. Ithad been added to the building in 1929 toprovide a playroom and servants' quarters.

It was cold in winter and hot insummer. For a long time the resi-dents up there had to rough it, andnot until 1961 was the heating sys-tem fixed to provide adequateheating.

As for air conditioning, if it wasavailable at all in the 40s and 50s, itwould have been a luxury in studentdormitories at that time. The firstcooling effort was made in 1959 byinstalling fans on the fifth floor.Director Tom Moore explained to thestudents that the purpose of the fanswas «to help drain the hot air out and per-mit cool air, if any) to come in. It is impor-.........---~:.:::r.:::~=~~~~~~:::Jtant to remember that fans are chiefly help-ful when there is a perspiring body in the

sponsored a meeting at ISH of a room to be cooled by evaporation facilitatedRegional Conference on International by the moving air. Once Washington warms upHouses and Centers for the whole there's not much cooling effect from simply blow-Northeastern part of the United States. It ing some of the hot air out of the room and draw-included foreign student advisors and rep- ing in hot air from outside." Speaking of theresentatives of the US government. The summer heat, he also reminded the stu-conference met several more times in dif- dents that «the heat often tempts us to travelferent locations over the next few years and around in our swimming trunks and we woulddiscussed the formation of a National like to ask that at dinner time) at the Sunday teaCouncil ofInternational Houses and Centers, and at programs at the House) residents see to itbut the effort failed for lack of funds. that they are not only decently covered but have

some degree of formality that is a compromisebetween what is appropriate to the weather andwhat they might wear at such occasions in thewinter time. ))

Modern FacilitiesAfter acquiring the building at 1825 RStreet, the AFSC did its best to make it ashomelike as possible for the students.Converting a private home into a studentresidence, however, was not altogether sat-isfactory, as Director Jenkins noted in1954: (The House was originally planned for aprivate family plus servants and is) therefore)

Awindow air-conditioning unit was firstinstalled in the library in 1964, so all stu-dents could enjoy some relief from thesummer heat. Next the rooms on the fifthfloor got window units in 1967, promptingconsideration of an increase in rate in

•

~~~t:.' ~~---~.called

restaurant, needed a daily aver-age of 50 dinners served. Because this aver-age was hard to maintain, the staff sug-gested at one point that dinner be servedfrom 6:00 to 8:30 instead of the 6:30 sit-down dinner, but the tradition of the fami-ly-style dinner was too sacrosanct to be sac-rificed for pecuniary reasons.

those rooms of $1.00 per week per personduring the air-conditioning season. Theother bedrooms did not get air condition-ing untilJune 1971. In the dining room,large fans were more proficient at blowingpaper napkins all over the room than atcooling the many bodies busily engaged inchewing and talking at the same time. Anew, lower ceiling and better lightinginstalled in the summer of 1963 improvedthe sound proofing but reduced the vol-ume of air and intensified the heat becauseof the more powerful lights. Only in 1973did a generous gift from two anonymousBoard members make it possible for thedining room to be connected to the centralair conditioning system in the new build-ing. The Board was almost as delighted asthe residents, because all their meetingswere held in the dining room, usually inthe middle of the day.

air-conditioned recreation room. Televisioncame to the House in 1955 and was firstlocated in the Great HalL Later the DavisRoom, once used for Quaker meetingsfor worship and for quiet reading, becamethe TV room.

Because the dining room could seat 65-70people, non-resident members were wel-come to eat meals at the House. In addi-tion, ISH had an agreement with some col-leges (Coe, Colgate, Earlham, andMonmouth) allowing their students whocame to Washington for 10-week seminarsto join the residents for breakfast and din-ner; sometimes, their students could evenlive at ISH. Special groups of foreigntrainees also ate at the House for extendedperiods. To cover its expenses, the DiningHall, sometimes

Unfortunately, appliances likewindow air conditioners occa-sionally break down, as evi-denced in the following notereceived much later from asummer resident living on thefifth floor:

The air stood stillFrom wall to sillInside the tiny room.

No breath of airNo fan's fair dinDid cool the heated gloom.

And one by oneBeneath the sunYoung men died much too soon.

Dances in the summer were customarilyheld in the garden where wooden plat-forms were constructed to create a leveldance floor over the uneven flagstones. Butfrom 1970 on, the summer dances movedinto the new Van Slyck building with its

Clarifying the Role of ISHThe years following World War II saw a sig-nificant increase in the number of youngforeigners in Washington, DC, both at theeducational institutions and in the newembassies being established. From a fewhundred before and during the war, theirnumbers gradually grew to many thou-sands in the post-war period. This increasewould lead to questions about the func-tion and role of ISH:

Long-term or Short-term?Since the opening of the House in 1936, afew rooms had been set apart to accommo-date visiting foreigners who often couldnot find suitable lodgings elsewhere, espe-cially if they were "colored." From two orthree rooms at 1708 New HampshireAvenue, the number doubled at 1825 RStreet, including the dormitory for fivepersons on the fifth floor, which is nowpartially divided to accommodate four stu-dents. The transient rooms not only pro-vided a service

to visitors, they also producedmore income than those oflong-term resi-dents. Thus it was a tempting option to

expand their number. In 1948, DirectorJohnston even pondered whether ISHshould not become primarily a house fortransients with merely a nucleus of perma-nent residents, resulting in a significantincrease in income. That idea was neverseriously followed up and although roomsfor transients were maintained for manymore years, by the 60s the House had deci-sively turned into a long-term residence forstudents only.

Student Center or Residence?Amuch more complex and prolongeddebate developed about the role of theHouse with regard to non-resident mem-bers. The International Student Club hadstarted in 1934 as an organization withouta residence, but it had led to the purchaseof a house two years later, so naturally allclub members saw the House as theirhome, whether they lived there or not. Ineverybody's eyes, ISH was to serve bothgroups equally, and conflict between thetwo seemed inconceivable.

However, the influx of young foreigners inWashington following World War II result-ed in a corresponding increase in the num-ber of non-resident members at ISH. Bythe late 40s and into the 60s, non-residentmembers outnumbered residents, often tento one.

The small membership fee ($10 a year inthe mid 50s) made it an attractive deal foryoung people, both foreign and American,living outside ISH. Not only did non-resi-dent members have free entry to the House(the front door was kept unlocked duringoffice hours, which stretched from 8 A.M.to 11 P.M. every day, including Sunday 6),but also they were entitled to full use of allthe recreational, laundry, and library facili-ties. They could request to receive theirmail at ISH and were allowed to take theirmeals there at a modest price. The full

meal plan in 1962 cost $50 a month; sepa-rate meals cost 70¢ for breakfast and $1.50for dinner. For the staff, collecting themeal tickets at every meal became an irri-tating burden, aware as they were of thesubterfuges used by some non-residents toavoid handing over their tickets. It was alsovery difficult to verify which of the manyoutsiders frequenting the House had paida membership fee.

Council (FSSC),which intended not tocompete with or duplicate the specific serv-ices ofISH but to complement them.

The separation was amicable, and ISH andthe FSSC met regularly to find ways ofcooperating. In the first five years, theyheld joint benefits to raise money, whichwas then divided equally. In 1962, however,the FSSC Board of Directors voted to holda separate benefit without first consultingwith ISH. Henceforth, both organizations

had to competeIt became clear that ISH couldnot continue in the long runto serve both residents andnon-residents adequately.Discussing the role of ISHtoward non-residents, theCitizens Council concludedthat a choice would have tobe made between ISH beinga center offering variousservices to many young peo-ple or a residence providing"an in-depth experience ininternational living," as theQuakers had originallydescribed it, for a few stu-dents. No consensusemerged. The AFSC inPhiladelphia and manyCouncil members wanted

to hold on to the original ~;;~: ••••••':::::::~::::c~~::~::::::~JQu-aker concept, whereas oth:rs wereconvinced that, as a Quaker project, ISH for supportshould reach out to more people. The lat- from the same pool of patrons. Theter group began to consult and meet with resulting animosity between the twointernational education professionals and endured for several years, but goodwillgovernment representatives in eventually prevailed and the two organiza-Washington, who all strongly supported tions explored possibilities of cooperation.the idea of an organization offering exten- In 1973-74, as ISH looked into the possiblesive services to foreign students in the purchase of an adjacent building, it wasWashington area. As a result, part of the with the objective of bringing the twoCitizens' Council members together with institutions under one roof Further dia-the Executive Director left ISH in October logue continued for two decades, but FSSC1956 to found the Greater Washington was disbanded in 1997.Council for Foreign Students, soonrenamed the Foreign Student Service

m

Back in 1956, however, only ISH offeredthe spacious facilities for large social activi-ties, and the founding of the FSSC did notease the dilemma for ISH in dealing withthe unwieldy number of non-residents.

Between the residents

and non-residents, a senseof uneasiness developed, which sometimesturned into sharp tensions. The fact thatmany of the non-residents were not stu-dents only aggravated the problem.

The International Student House inWashington, DC, was unique in grantingmembership to students and non-studentsalike. The International Houses in NewYork and in Philadelphia had very restric-tive policies regarding membership fornon-students, especially if they wereAmerican. At ISH, on the contrary, manyof the non-resident members were not stu-dents at all, among them were manyAmericans. Non-students often seemedinterested primarily in parties and otherentertainment, with little consideration for

the study needs of the residents. Otherswho had personal adjustment problems intheir daily environment found a non-threatening haven at ISH but did not con-tribute toward a more mature community.Lastly, the considerable number of foreignand American women among the resident

and non-resident members appearedto have acted as a magnet for manyyoung men, especially in the growinginternational community inWashington, DC. In the late 50s,within five years 24 new foreignembassies were opened. ISH seemed tooffer them better opportunities tomeet unprejudiced young women thanthe local population at large, and formany of them, ISH became a favoritemeeting and dating place.

This situation troubled not only thestaff and the residents but also manydedicated non-resident members whourged a more selective admission and astricter enforcement of the membershippolicy. For the residents, the frequent dis-ruption of their study needs by non-resi-dents was aggravated by the fact that theStudent Council was elected by and fromresidents and non-resident members alike.This gave the non-residents a preponder-ant control in the Council's decisions,sometimes to the detriment of the residents.

The Citizens Council and later the Boardof Directors gradually undertook toreduce, if not the number, at least theinfluence of non-resident members and togive residents a degree of primacy, but itwas a slow process. As late as 1971, AliceKorff, Vice President of the Board,expressed her concern «that the StudentCouncil be truly representative of the residentstudents and not be dominated by the non-residents.First consideration should be given to the needsand wishes of the current resident population. Also)

III

degrees. An unspoken dichotomy devel-oped in the student community.

it seems that to be truly responsive) the majorityon the Student Council must be residents. »

Fortunately, outside factors helped easethe tensions as more and more activitiesand programs became available for stu-dents in the Washington area and all kindsof student clubs emerged at the universi-ties. In addition, the decline in the numberof non-residents was contrasted with thedoubling in the number of residents in1970, thanks to the new Van Slyck build-ing. In the following decade, the fee-payingnon-resident membership ceased to be aseparate program. Students from outsidecontinued to be welcome at the Houseactivities but as guests rather thanequal partners with the residents.

By the mid-70s, as the student attitudeseverywhere shifted back to serious studyrather than student activism, the commu-nity at ISH regained a sense of serenity anda more amicable atmosphere, as describedby Mrs. Jean-Ellen Maner, the AssistantDirector: «In the relaxed family atmosphere ofthe House) students learn to appreciate andrespect the difforences in culture) race) religion)and political systems. Moslem students decoratethe Christmas tree) Africans organize the snow-shoveling brigade) Chinese from Taiwan welcomeand befriend the first residents

General Student UnrestIn the 60s and early 70s, the nation-wide student unrest and turmoilwere reflected at ISH. Politically radi-cal articles appeared in the monthlynewsletters published by the stu-dents. They naturally also sympa-thized with the peace demonstrators,who were occasionally offered hospi-tality at ISH, sleeping in the GreatHall. The Student Council held manydiscussions among themselves aboutpower sharing with the Board and thestaff and playing a greater role in themanagement of ISH.

from mainland China) an Israeli and a PalestinianArab have a lively exchange of ideas over a cup ofcoffee) and two Japanese converse in haltingEnglish so everyone may understand them. Thus)a real international bond of friendship is created)developed and strengthened) one which will haveits impact throughout the world in years to come. »

Only a relatively small number of students,mostly from the Western world, espousedsuch a confrontational attitude. Themajority of students from other areas wereprimarily concerned with obtaining their

Footnote

6. Until 1955, even the residents' rooms had no locks.

m

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT HOUSE

ISH BECOMES INDEPENDENT Chapter Four

For the American Friends Service Committee, ISH was only one of the local and national network of

Quaker activities grounded in the Quaker beliefs. But after managing and supporting the House for a

quarter of a century, the APSC decided that ISH should be «laid down, " as the Quakers say: either it had

to support itself or it would have to close.

The local groups in charge ofISH made aconcerted effort to persuade the AFSC notto withdraw its support until they coulddevelop a significant fund raising campaign.Betty Cooke, chairman of the FriendsInternational Student House Committee,wrote to the AFSC in Philadelphia: «Theclosingof the International Student House wouldbe a disaster.' Professor A. Buel Trowbridgeof American University, a leading memberof the Citizens' Council, traveled toPhiladelphia several times to plead in per-son for a gradual "devolvement," as theycalled the process of independence.

The AFSC agreed but exerted pressure onthe Council and the local community byreducing its financial contribution from$15,000 in fiscal year 1960-61 to $9,000 for1961-62. The Citizens' Council, for its part,managed to raise $10,000 from local foun-dations for the 25th Anniversary Fund in1961, plus another $9,000 from the public.

As a first step in the devolvement, theAFSC had the House incorporated in theDistrict of Columbia as an independentnon-profit organization in June of 1962.The Citizens' Council became an inde-pendent Board of Directors, to whom the

AFSC would hand over the responsibilityfor ISH. The new Board of Directors wascomposed of 17 men and women, most ofwhom had been associated with the Housebefore, and it met for the first time onSeptember 30, 1962. The first presidentwas Mr. DeForest Van Slyck.

Immediately after the incorporation ofISH, the Board entered into an agreementwith the AFSC under which: 1) the Boardof Directors agreed to assume operationalresponsibility for the House as soon asthey proved themselves able to raise thenecessary money to meet the total annualoperating deficit and 2) the AFSC agreedto provide some transitional support:$7,000 for 1962-63, and $3,000 in 1963-64.

The AFSC had already determined earlierthat an institution serving only 30 stu-dents while depending on outside supportfor 50 percent of its income was not eco-nomically viable. The building at 1825 RStreet had been designed for a private fam-ily, with very few bedrooms but very largecommon rooms. There was no space foradditional student rooms, whereas thecommon rooms could serve the socialneeds of many more residents.

As early as 1954, Director Hugh Jenkinshad suggested that constructing a smallannex on the adjacent volleyball courtowned by ISH would provide an additional15 single rooms, of which there were toofew.By the early 60s, the consensus wasthat the addition of a dormitory for 30more students would provide a greatereconomy of scale, would make better use ofthe building's common rooms, and wouldserve more students.' In 1960 and 1961,the possible purchase of one of the adja-cent houses was actively pursued butproved to be less than desirable.

With judicious foresight, the APSC stipu-lated in its 1962 agreement with the newBoard of Directors that they would nottransfer the deed to the property until theBoard had raised sufficient funds for thebuilding of an addition that would doublethe number of residents.

all the water piping in the House wouldcost another $15,000; and, "while you areat it," added the architect, "you might aswell replace most of the bathroom fixturesand tiling," for another $15,000.

Instead of relying exclusively on the unpre-dictable results from the earlier type offund raising such as theater benefits andan annual bazaar, which continued until1970, the Board decided to embark upon apersonalized campaign to raise moneyfrom the public. They set the goal of thefirst annual campaign at $25,000.

To obtain wider community support andinterest, the Board was expanded to 50members. The 1962-63 campaign was asurprising success and raised over $26,000

from individual contributions.In addition, foundations madegrants of $26,000 to ISH. Themajor renovations were carriedout and, thanks to a compe-tent contractor and the freeservices of a Quaker archi-tect, the total expense didnot exceed $32,000, insteadof the estimated $45,000.

This financial successappeased the concerns ofthe APSC and on October1, 1963, they let theBoard assume fullresponsibility for themanagement of theHouse and for its entire

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~=~=~~!~~~;;~:financial support.In the following fiscal year of 1963-64,The financial out- income from students rose to 60 percent of

look for fiscal year 1962-63 was the operating deficit. The Board decided toprecarious. In addition to the declining forsake the $3,000 transitional subsidyAPSC contribution, new DC Pire Code reg- pledged by the APSe. As the number ofulations required expenditures of $15,000 contributors increased to 500, thefor alterations. The urgent need to replace fundraising goal of $26,000 was amply met.

Ready to advance to the next step, theBoard unanimously voted in February1964 to expand the ISH facilities. Thedirector persuaded the Board that «It wouldbe desirable to have girls and men in separatebuildings. Furthermore) as foreign women mayfeel uneasy about sharing a room) there should beonly single rooms. YJ The addition was there-fore planned as a women's dormitory withsingle rooms, whereas the men would allbe housed in the old building. The newbuilding was to be erected on the existingvolleyball court, which was called the sparelot or the west garden. A suggestion byBoard member architect, WaldronFaulkner, to first explore the feasibility anddesirability of acquiring and remodelingsome building adjacent to the ISH proper-ty was taken up, but the owners of proper-ties on either side of ISH were not inter-ested in selling. Further study also estab-lished that it would be both more con-venient and less costly to erect a newstructure on the existing property. ~

The Board hired the services of the archi- """!!!!l! ..!:!!~~~~~tectural firm of Keyes,Lethbridge and large corpo- '--~"""""""'-~\!!!!!II ••••••JCondon to produce a preliminary design rate foundations. Despitewith cost estimates. They presented the his efforts they contributed only a total ofdesign in August 1964 with an estimated $29,000, supplemented by $30,000 fromcost of$270,174. This figure included local foundations. The Board eventually$41,000 for alterations to the old building, concluded that it would have to rely onparticularly the kitchen and landscaping private contributions for the bulk of theand $13,000 for furniture. After the funds needed.Board's approval in October, the AFSC rat-ified the plans in January 1965. InFebruary, the Board committed itself irrev-ocably by signing a $19,000 contract withthe architects for the final drawings andfor a building permit. The planning for thenew construction in the following yearswas greatly assisted by the fact that thePresident of the Board at the time, JohnHammond, was himself an architect byprofession.

Meanwhile, the Board had undertaken amajor long-range effort to raise sufficientfunds for the construction of the building.Over the next few years, Board PresidentDeForest Van Slyck was untiring in his cor-

respondence and travels to obtainmajor grants from

the

An auspicious beginning was made in 1964by Board members Mr. and Mrs. L. CorrinStrong's pledge of $100,000 over threeyears. Other Board members and friendspledged or contributed $10,000, $15,000,and even $25,000, and many more madesmaller but significant contributions overthe next few years. Thus the Board, with-out government or corporate support, man-aged to raise sufficient funds to completethe building project without borrowing

any money, not even temporarily, a truetestimony to the determination and gen-erosity of that first group of Directors,who set a standard for those to come later.

From 1964 to 1970, annual contributionsto the Building Fund averaged $70,000,with a high of $96,000 in fiscal year 1968-69, and in the meantime there was no let-up in the regular annual appeal. TheBuilding Fund always managed to stayahead of all the expenses payable, and noteven temporary loans ever proved neces-sary. On the contrary, the surplus was prof-itably invested, and between 1964 and1970, interest and gains from the invest-ments yielded more than $30,000 in addi-tional funds.

The deed to the property was turned overto the Board of Directors by the AFSC inthe summer of 1968, during the presidencyof Peter Powers, when it was obvious thatsufficient funds would be available forbuilding the addition. Originally, the con-struction was to start in 1968 and be readybyJuly 1, 1969, for the new school year,but unforeseen complications in the pro-jected construction expense necessitated arevision of the plans to reduce the cost ofsuch things as eliminating the planned ele-vator. Finally, a contract was signed inMarch 1969 with the James DavisConstruction Company for $315,430, anda ground-breaking ceremony took place onMay 27,1969, at which Justice PotterStewart of the U.S. Supreme Court gave anaddress and turned the first shovel of

earth. The construction work had actuallystarted earlier, and it was completed withinthe time frame agreed upon, by the end ofDecember.

The total cost of the construction, includ-ing the architects' fees, furniture, andmodifications to the main building,ultimately amounted to $438,730, withpayments of almost $127,000 in fiscalyear 1969-70 alone. This was a far cryfrom the original 1964 estimate of$270,174, but amazingly the BuildingFund had grown to a total of$453,147.Thus, after the last payment had beenmade, a balance of$14,417 remained andwas transferred to the operating fund.

The new furnishings, ordered well inadvance at a cost of $25,000, were installedin early January 1970, and the building wasready for occupancy. By then, the initialidea of a girls' dormitory had been aban-doned, and both men and women movedin on separate floors, the women's floorssandwiched in between the men's. Ahousewarming party took place onFebruary 7, 1970.

For more than 15 years, the additionremained known as the New Building, an

Footnote

7. A survey in 1963 indicated that almost 3,800 foreignstudents were registered at the six major universitiesin the Washington area (American, Catholic, Howard,Georgetown, George Washington, and Maryland), notcounting those at other institutions (like SAIS or Ianguage schools). Of that number, only 15 percent werehoused on the universities' campus, almost none ofthem graduate students.

incongruous name by the mid-80s whenmajor repairs and maintenance workbecame necessary. Originally, DeForest VanSlyck had suggested that it be named theAlice and Corrin Strong Wing, butapparently

they refused thehonor. In late 1985, after DeForest Van

Slyck had passed away, the Board votedinstead to call it the Van Slyck Building, inrecognition of his tremendous efforts toraise funds for the project, a designationthat Van himself would have opposedwhile he was alive.

• •

NEW CHALLENGES: THE SEVENTIES Chapter Five

The fund raisingfor the new building and its completion in 1969 had been a real success, but some dis-

tressing problems in the next Jew years would not allow the Board to rest on its laurels.

Unsafe Conditions in theNeighborhoodIn 1968, following the assassination ofMartin Luther King, riots broke out inWashington, DC, only a few blocks awayfrom ISH and created an atmosphere ofinsecurity and fear. At the same time, crimehad become rampant in the Dupont Circlearea. Several residents were mugged in thevicinity of the House, some robberiesoccurred even in the House, and there wasa shooting in the alley behind the parkinglot as one resident drove out. The frontdoor was not kept locked at the time,except at night.

There was obviously nothing the Boardcould do about such a situation. It wouldgradually improve in the following years,but the opening of the Dupont CircleMetro station in 1976 brought a measureof safety to the neighborhood.

Turmoil Among ResidentsOnce the new building was ready for occu-pancy, budget projections began to includethe income from all these additionalrooms without making allowance for agradual growth from 30 to 60 residents.Consequently, there was intense pressurefrom the Finance Committee to fill thenew building to capacity as soon as possible.

This pressure may have led to a lowering ofthe admission standards.

A number of young people straight out ofhigh school were admitted. Overall, theywere neither as mature nor as focused ontheir studies as the rest of the residents.Many of them, instead of pursuing an aca-demic degree, were enrolled in career insti-tutes such as schools for secretaries, cooks,travel agents and decorators. There werealso many short-term language studentsand others waiting for admission to aschooL This type of student did not con-tribute to a mature, well-integrated studentcommunity.

More troubling, however, was the admis-sion to the House of severely disturbed stu-dents, who were, or should have been,under psychiatric care. There were, in fact,two suicides within 18 months. To themore dedicated and mature residents thesituation became increasingly distressing,even threatening. One resident kept a base-ball bat under his bed for fear of an attackby his roommate. Some of the studentsmet with the officers of the Board and con-veyed their apprehension about the futureof the House.

The Executive Committee of the Boardreviewed the situation and concluded thatit was not the function ofISH to look after

m

also fortunate to have a well-qualified anddedicated staff to work with. Moreover,some exceptionally mature and supportiveresidents, many of them students at JohnsHopkins' School for AdvancedInternational Studies, (SAIS)were ofinvaluable help in bringing stability to theISH community as the immature teen-agestudents were gradually eased out. Iremember particularly two very helpfulstudents: David Streich, a gentle American

from a missionary family, andAlbert Naderfrom Syria,strong-willedand outspoken,both of themtotally reliable tokeep the inter-ests of the Housein mind.

seriously troubled students and that thestaff should not be expected to provideemotional support and counseling tothem. In May 1972, President WilliamCrocker and the officers decided that anew director had to be sought withoutdelay, even without the approval of the fullBoard, which would not meet until inOctober.

Acting Directorfor One YearIn the summers of 1970 and 1971, I hadbeen the substitute director at ISH for sixweeks while the director was on vacation. Ihad thus become acquainted with many ofthe officers of the Board and worked close-ly with the staff When Dr. Crocker askedme in May 1972 to become Acting Directorfor a one-year renewable term starting onJuly 1, I was delighted to accept.

Bill Crocker and the other officers of theBoard gave me their strong support. I was

Of great impor-tance to me wasalso the support ofmy wife Elsbeth. Asthe first director ofISH not to live inthe House, I hadagreed to stay fordinner at ISH threetimes a week and goin every Sunday,which would obvious-ly curtail the familytime I could spend at

home. Wemade up partially by decidingthat our whole family would come alongevery Sunday. First there was only Cara,barely one year old, later George also camefrom the time he was a couple of monthsold. ISH thus became our extended family,and Jean-Ellen Maner, the AssistantDirector, who let the children take theirafternoon nap in her apartment becamelike a grandmother to them. Our wholefamily continued to be part ofISH on

m

the House on the road to financial recov-ery, it also had an unexpected side effect onthe quality of residents: those who lived atISH only because it was inexpensive had nolonger any incentive to stay on, and thelevel of interest and participation amongthe residents increased accordingly.

Sundays and at many special events untilour children became teenagers, but Elsbethkept coming along for many more yearsuntil she started going to college. She con-tributed to the life of ISH in many ways,such as cultivating the garden, bringingflowers from our own garden to makeflower arrangements for the auctions andother events, and baking hundreds ofcookies every year for the Christmas tea.

Evenwith the support and assistance Ireceived from all sides, reversing the situa-tion at ISH and restoring a more matureattitude in the student community was nota matter of instant results. Our effortscould also not lose sight of the need toachieve and maintain a high occupancyrate, which was essential for the financialsurvival of the House. The situation at thetime was quite precarious indeed.

Financial SurvivalISH was facing a dangerous financial crisis.The income was well under budget becauseof the low occupancy rate, whereasincreased costs of food and major repairs,combined with a generous severance pay-ment to the previous director, raised theexpenses well beyond budget. In fiscal year1972-73, the operating deficit of$61,300was only half met by a total fund raising of$32,000. The president warned the Boardthat, unless additional funds were received,the House might have to close byChristmas 1973. Indeed, by October of1973, the bank reserves ofISH were downto $1,150, whereas the House needed sup-port of$1,000 per week on average to sup-plement the income from room and board.

In addition to appealing for special contri-butions, the Board voted to enact anunprecedented increase of 25 percent inthe room and board rates effective October1, 1973. The increase not only helped put

III

To ease the financial hardship on somevaluable residents who could not affordthe higher rates, the Board established aScholarship Fund. Added to the smallamount left in the 1947 Davis Fund, thesupplementary scholarships over the nextfew years gave several students the chanceto remain at ISH, for their own and theHouse's mutual benefit.

By the end of 1973, the reserves had morethan doubled, to $3,000! A graduallyincreasing occupancy rate of up to 95 per-cent brought the reserves up to $20,000 bythe end of 1974. In some good years lateron, the reserves in the General Fund wouldgrow by as much as $10-15,000 a year,thanks to increasingly successful fund rais-ing and to operating deficits that werelower than expected.

Efforts for New ExpansionIn late 1972, a report by Robert Duke, afund raising consultant hired by the Board,recommended, among other things, theexpansion of the ISH facilities and closercooperation with sister organizations,which would achieve a higher public pro-file for the House. A committee headed byJerrold Scoutt.jr. to review the DukeReport confirmed these recommendationsin 1973 and made practical suggestions onhow to carry them out.

A small Real Estate Committee startedlooking for a building adjacent or close toISH, which would not only offer suitablerooms for older scholars and married cou-

ples but also provide office space for sist~rorganizations. The Foreign Student ServiceCouncil, the Washington office of theExperiment in International Living, andthe Washington Public Affairs Center ofthe University of Southern Californiaexpressed great interest. Jean-Ellen Maner,looking beyond the immediate concern,recommended a long-range vision of an"international village" around ISH, wheremost of the services for international visi-tors students and trainees would be con-,centrated.

Over the next two years, the committeeinspected more than half a dozen build-ings on R Street close to ISH, especiallytwo buildings across the street, at 1822 andat 1826 R Street, which seemed to be thebest prospects. Meanwhile, the Boardlaunched a campaign for pledges in view ofa possible purchase. ByJuly 1974, pledgestotaling $53,500 had been received, withanother $25,000 pledged for 1975.

Unfortunately, several factors combined todefeat these efforts. The buildings surveyedwere either not suitable for a mix of resi-dential quarters and office space, or werenot zoned for office use. The cost estimatesof buying and renovating them kept goingup. ISH was in a dire financial situation asit was and Board members did not want to,burden ISH further with a mortgage debt.One by one, all the properties consideredfound other buyers. Later on, the bleakeconomic outlook of the mid to late 70swith ultra-high inflation rates, stock mar-ket declines, and oil embargoes, made anyfurther efforts look more precarious thanbefore.

From a later vantage-point, the effort toexpand again so closely on the heel~ ?f t~eVan Slyck addition may look surpnsmg, Ifnot unwise. But it was a testimony to the

m

vigor of the Board that they earnestlyundertook the effort at all. From that time,they would never lose sight of the desirabil-ity of a new expansion, and it would even-tually bear fruit 15 years later.

Fund RaisingThe traditional fund raising appeal to pri-vate donors could not keep up with theannually increasing operating deficit. TheBoard therefore explored other venues forfund raising. An International Dinner,with much of the food donated by differ-ent embassies, produced a net income of$3,450 in May 1972, and $3,700 the follow-ing year. By 1974, its purpose was shiftedfrom fund raising to creating goodwillamong the friends of the House and givingthem an opportunity to meet the students,and so a catering service was hired. Afterthe International Dinners barely brokeeven in 1974 and 1975, they were discon-tinued.

In 1974, Board Member Leah Chase pro-posed a benefit to be held at the KennedyCenter on the opening night of theVenetian Festival on September 30, 1974,under the patronage of the Ambassador ofItaly. Originally, there was some reluctanceamong Board members who held to theQuakers' disapproval of public display,unaware that in the 50s the Quakers hadorganized annual theater benefits for ISH.The tentative approval by the Board wasalmost derailed, however, when theKennedy Center requested that the recep-tion following the performance be held "inthe manner of a masked ball." That wastoo much for the Board. Only after theKennedy Center relented and agreed todancing with optional hand-held masks,did the Board give its final consent. Thebenefit raised an unexpected $18,800 and

was greatly enjoyed by all who attended.From then on, theater or other benefitswere held every two to three years.

become problematic once she was nolonger able to play her role; there was neverany doubt about her willingness.

Other strategies to raise money stillappeared essential. In 1975, Board MemberWilhelmina Holladay suggested a new wayof raising funds: a silent auction of itemsand services with an international charac-ter donated by Board members and friends.The Board agreed to give it a try, hoping toraise as much as $10,000. The auction tookplace on March 14, 1976, and resulted in astaggering net profit of$19,500 One moreauction was readily agreed to for the fol-lowing year, and in March of 1977 itraised $23,500. Auctions thus provedto be a superb way of raising fundswhile involving most of the Boardmembers as well as the students, andhenceforth they became an annualevent. The date was soon changed tothe fall instead of the spring toavoid a conflict with the traditionalfund raising campaign which alwaysstarted early in the year. From 1976through 1994, 18 auctions tookplace with only one interruption, in1992. The net profit would rangefrom a high of $36,000 to a low of$20,000.

As it was, by the late 80s more and moreorganizations had turned to auctions forfund raising and the many auctions held inWashington, DC, made them less prof-itable. It also became increasingly difficultto find valuable items as the attics of manyBoard members and friends had beendepleted. In the early 90s the net profit haddropped to $20-25,000 per year, and it nolonger seemed worthwhile putting in somuch effort for diminishing returns. Thelast auction took place in 1994. The auction

proceeds were

Finding an auction chairperson :::"-P~~:':=::~~!l;~~~~~::::~Jwas a headache for the presidentevery year, but one person could always becounted on to playa pivotal role. Year afteryear, for each of the 18 auctions, MarionSanger collected many of the items donat-ed and spent innumerable hours incramped quarters describing and catalogu-ing them. She could list by heart almost allthe 500-600 items, how much they werevalued at, and where they came from. Ofcourse, she received considerable help frommany other Board members, but she wasunquestionably "Mrs. ISH Auction."Everybody knew that auctions would

supplemented about every two yearsby additional theater and other benefits.ISH never again came as close to shuttingdown as it had in 1973. Yet throughout thegood and the bad times, the Board insistedon preserving its independence, consistent-ly refusing to consider applying for a gov-ernment grant or joining a collective fund-raising effort like the United Way.

III

obtain enough votes, despite the smokers'majority, for increasing restrictions onsmoking. The library became smoke-freefirst. In the dining room, a limited smok-ing ban during meal times was first intro-du~ed in the early 70s. Unsuspecting newresldent~ would ~eflexivelylight a cigaretteafter their first dinner, only to be enlight-ened immediately by the non-smokers.Later, the smoking ban in the dining roomwas ext~nded to all times. By the early 90s,the ent~remain building and all publicspaces m the other two buildings hadbecome no-smoking areas.

Changing CustomsEven after ISH became independent fromthe American Friends Service Committee~he~uaker spirit continued to be the guid-mg light of the House, especially theQuaker beliefs in peace and in respect forevery single person. But the Board and thestaff felt increasingly free to revise andchange many of the specific regulations.

The prohibition against all alcoholic bever-ages had been strictly maintained by theAFSC,8but gradually it was tempered andfinally replaced by a policy of moderateand appropriate use of alcohol without

restrictions of place or time.

When it came to smoking,however, there seems to have been norestriction originally. Residents could~moke anywhere and at any time, even dur-mg meals. In the late 60s and early 70s, theStudent Council even explored the feasibil-~tyof getting a cigarette-vending machinein the House. But soon a few residentsstarted an anti-smoking campaign, andsubsequent Student Councils managed to

Restrictive rules on inter-visitation betweenmen and women also underwent a gradualrelaxation. For decades, students were to

«refrain from visiting privaterooms occupied by mem-bers of the opposite sex) »and in the 60s, DirectorMrs. Howard Becker per-suaded the Board to takeadvantage of the sched-uled expansion to housemen and women in sepa-rate buildings. The firstsmall breach in the policyoccurred in 1961, when theBoard approved theStudent Council's requestthat inter-visitation withopen doors be allowed duringthe day in shared rooms.General inter-visitationbecame permissible later butonly within strictly specifiedhours. Finally, in 1972, theBoard approved the staff and

students' recommendation that restric-tions be lifted and replaced by an emphasison respect and sensitivity for others.

The new policy did not turn students intoangels. I remember a student complainingone day that his roommate had locked

m

room!" In the early 90s, the staff decidedthat more professional-sounding peoplewere needed and selected residents fluentin English, offering them a rebate on theirroom and board to provide telephoneanswering service and security throughoutthe night.

their door and put a sign on it: "DO NOTBOTHER." But altogether it did bringabout a more mature and respectful rela-tionship between men and women. Theratio of female residents, which had beenless than-one third of the total number,rose significantly in the subsequent years,evidence that even women from conserva-tive cultures felt no threat from living inthe same buildings as men and beingallowed to visit each other. Eventually,women would sometimes outnumber men.

Regulations concerning student work alsochanged with the times. Until the early 70s,residents were expected to sign up forsome work duty, such as keeping the houseand garden clean and collecting the trash,which proved totally unmanageable. Allresidents were also required to sign up fortelephone duty at the front desk a fewhours each month. It was never a completesuccess, not only because many residentsfailed to sign up or show up, but alsobecause others without comfortableknowledge of English were all too willingto do phone duty. Instead of answering:«International Student House) can I help you?"a couple of new residents were overheardto say: «International Student House) pleasecan you help me?" One German alumna toldme years later she was so nervous the firsttime that she answered: "InternationalStudent Help) can I house ya«?" "obyes)please) » replied the caller, «I really need a

Footnotes

8. In 1961, the Embassy of France offered to help with aFrench nationality dinner at ISH and explained that aFrench dinner without (French) wine was an oxymoron. But the Quakers in charge deemed the policyof "No Alcohol" to be of a higher standard thanFrench culture and decided that, French dinner ornot, the policy would suffer no exception.Fortunately, no lasting damage seems to have resultedin the relations between ISH and the French Embassy!

Old traditions changed or were aban-doned. Visiting old-time alumni wouldinvariably ask whether we still had theSunday teas and the Friday night dances,evidence that these two traditions hadbeen very much part of life at ISH since1936. The Sunday teas did continue, butthe weekly Friday dances fell victim in theearly 70s to the increasing social and recre-ational events available outside the House.

Some new traditions arose. Board memberAnthony Gould offered to come and bakeblueberry pancakes for breakfast oneSaturday. His pancakes were so popularthat he was asked to come back once amonth, a tradition which continued forthe next 10-15 years. Alumni from thoseyears still remember Mr. Gould's blueberrypancakes.

The following decade would furtherdemonstrate the vitality of the new inde-pendent ISH. It had come into its ownwithout forsaking the spirit of its Quakerfounders.

THE WHITE HOUSE-ASliINOTON

October 14. 1986

Dear Mr, SPringsteen'

Co •wft~gratulatfon" to 0cele the 1DternatfoY u and eve

brate your SOthDaJStudent ~:e connectedA

anniverBa_ e aa youB a reaJden -J'people (ro ce and gatherinROU8efu1 m many diC(e g place (or:rld pea::~~~/0:n~;tc=:rj~8. slu~~~~~ :'o!enallinternatfcm:;l1tualunde~8t~~DlOtingBe d of U8 I peace 18 80 .- g. In an best wfah • apprecfat liUPOrtantto COOle. es (or eve_ e Your eftort8 a

-" 8UCce8sin th andGod bl e year8

e88 you,

R Slo_.

Mr. Gaol'••••S ~ ~PreaJd ••~ . SprinInterna~t. Board o( ~n. Jr.1825 R S= StUdent HouS:rsWaabfn r, N.W

gton. DC 20009

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT HOUSE

RENEWAL AND GROWTHAT AGE FIFTY Chapter Six

The 50th anniversary of ISH in 1986 was still years away when the staffbegan to think of a suitable

celebration. It also seemed an appropriate time to come to grips with a major problem that could not be

avoided much longer: the deteriorating condition of the main building at 1825 R Street. In addition)

the 50 years' milestone was an opportunity to take an overall look at ISH) reviewing the past and

making projections for the future. In this context) reviving the old dream to expand ISH again seemed

particularly significant.

The 50th AnniversaryCelebrationFor over a year and a half, the staff metwith an active group of alumni spanningthe five decades since the founding of ISHand planned a grand 50th anniversary cele-bration. The celebration took place fromOctober 10 through October 12, 1986,with a three-day course of events drawingover 150 alumni from the late 30s to recentyears, coming from all over the UnitedStates, Canada, Latin America, and Europe.Some had not seen each other for decadesand had touching reunions, and there wasa festive spirit among all involved. The out-side events included tours of the StateDepartment, the Capitol, and thePentagon, a Washington by Night bustour, a tour of the National Air & SpaceMuseum guided by Kazem Omidvar, analumnus working for NASA, and finally avisit to the first ISH building at 1708 NewHampshire Avenue. At the House itself, aFriday night barbecue in the garden wasfollowed by square dancing in the GreatHall a formal dance followed the Saturday,

night Gala dinner, and a closing High Teawas held on Sunday October 12.

While actively participating in the celebra-tions, the Board had been happy to leavethe planning and execution to the staffand alumni. The Board members' mainconcern was the long-range planning forthe future of ISH. The most pressing con-cern was the choice to be made betweenrenovating the main building or selling itand moving to more modern quarters. Intruth it was never a real choice, because in,everybody's eyes ISH had become i~enti-fied with 1825 R Street, and relocation wasout of the question and never came to a vote.

There was also another concern, however:the desirability of a new expansion of ISHas a validation of its vitality after 50 yearsand as a way to put the House on asounder economic basis. Renovation andexpansion would each necessitate hi~hertounthinkable amounts of money. It did notappear possible to do both. But after exten-sive deliberations, the choice the Boardmade over the next two years brings to

mind the advice of Yogi Berra: «When youcome to a fork in the road) take it!" They choseto do both, although not simultaneously.

Renovation of 1825 R StreetVisitors to the House saw only the elegantfacade and the magnificence of the GreatHall, without an inkling of its physicaldeterioration and its inadequate living con-ditions. Continuing to patch up ever-wors-ening problems was not sustainable muchlonger. Associate Director and HouseManager Barbara Dirks knew the phonenumbers of the plumber the electrician, ,and the roofer by heart. Leaks from theroof, from one floor to the one below, andthrough the Great Hall ceiling were almostweekly occurrences. As for the studentquarters, they were woefully inadequate,especially in terms of bathrooms. On thefourth floor, one large undivided bath-room was shared by five women students.On the fifth floor, the shower floors had tobe replaced every few years and yet keptleaking. A sweeping renovation of thebuilding could not wait much longer.

As a first step, a Building Committee,established in late 1984 under the ablechairmanship of former president JimWilson, selected the architectural firm ofMcCartney Lewis. Originally it was hopedthat the renovation would also increase theresident capacity, either by expanding thefifth floor over the entire extension of theroof, or by adding a sixth floor, or, alterna-tiv~ly~adding one floor to the Van Slyckbuilding. Those options, however, provedtotally unrealistic and were not included inthe preliminary blueprints submitted bythe architects and approved by the Boardin May 1985, with a total cost estimate of$750,000 ($650,000 for the actual work the,rest for architects' fees and other expenses).The blueprints included an extension of

II

the dining room into the garden and a newoffice behind the existing offices.

The final drawings in May 1986, whichincluded a total electrical rewiring and thereplacement of all the plumbing, had morethan doubled the cost estimate to over,$1.5 million. Over the next few months. 'J1mWilson spent innumerable hours going?ver the blu~prints in great detail prompt-mg the architect to tell him: "You knowthe blueprints better than I do!" and elimi-nating everything that would not put thepurpose and the safety of the renovation injeopardy. In October, the pared down costestimate of $1 million was approved by theBoard. To everybody's shock, however,when those drawings were submitted tothree contractors in 1987, the lowest bidcame to $1.4 million. The BuildingCommittee abandoned the idea of anexpanded dining room and of a new office~nd restricted all the electrical and plumb-mg work to what was essential for safety.These and other cuts allowed the architectsto negotiate with the firm of Whalen &Purdy, selected as building contractors,and to agree to a total cost estimate of $1million, as had been previously approvedby the Board.

The renovation work was supposed tobegin in early October 1987. All the roomswere vacated of all furniture and studentsby late September, but it was December 7before the workers actually started thedemolition phase. This allowed the resi-dents to hold a Halloween Party in thespooky empty rooms. Once the work gotunderway, the staff and the residents soonbecame inured to the dust, the noise, andthe blaring radios of the workers from 7A.M. to 3 P.M. every day, as well as thebuilding materials piled up in the garden,and the parking lot entirely monopolizedby the builders.

pest control company exterminated the ter-mites found under the wooden floor,which was then replaced by a cement floor.Squeezed together for weeks in one smalloffice, we became closer than ever.

Some work was necessary in the library tocut an opening to the Van Slyck building,and in the Great Hall to put in a new fireexit door, but the renovation work other-wise remained limited to the three topfloors. On the second floor, heavy plasticsheets hung from ceiling to floor in frontof the stairs to the third floor, but thewarning of "Authorized Personnel OnlyBeyond This Point" did not hold back any-one after the workmen had left in theafternoon. Students who had lived in thoserooms a couple of months earlier looked inawe at walls totally torn down, plumbingfixtures ripped out, and wooden floorsentirely removed. One workman wouldlater lose his footing between twobeams on the fourth floor and gocrashing through the ceiling of theGreat Hall; but instinctively hespread out his arms and held ontothe beams for dear life until otherspulled him up.

The discovery of asbestos in the oldwalls soon brought the renovationwork to a halt, while specialized work-men in spacesuits removed every fiberof asbestos. This unexpected setbackdelayed the renovation by several weeksand added $42,600 to the cost. The com-pletion of the work had been projectedfor September 1, 1988, in time for thebeginning of the new academic year, but itwas mid-October before the last workmenleft. Nobody was happier than all of us onthe staff, who had been working through11 months of dust, noise, and myriadrequests from the workmen. For two weekswewere subjected to the deafening soundof jackhammers in the hallway trying tolocate a leaking pipe under the concretefloor, which made conversations andphone calls utterly impossible before 3P.M. In addition, we had to vacate the twoexisting offices, one after the other, while a

The renovated rooms became available foroccupancy only after the District ofColumbia building inspectors issued theoccupancy permit in December. Eventually,it was January 1989 before residents movedinto the renovated rooms, four monthslate and a quarter of a million dol-lars above estimatedcost.

.. .6 /"J/b""~. if l'IjO#~~~

50f!, The total renovationproject took place under two Board

Presidents and owed much of its success totheir vigorous leadership: GeorgeSpringsteen in the planning phase of therenovation and fund raising, and Jane Hartin the supervision of the work and themajor thrust of the fund raising. But morethan anyone else it was former PresidentJim Wilson who, from beginning to end,meticulously oversaw both the planningand the execution of the project and sub-stantially contained its cost. I will alwaysthink of it as the "Wilson Renovation."

III

The acquisition of the building would nothave been possible without the assistanceof Ron ~itchell, owner of the WashingtonInternational Youth Hostel and a friend ofISH. He purchased the property in early1986 for $410,000 to hold it until ISH wasready to co~mit itself The upcoming ren-ovation, which would require the oldbuilding to be totally vacated of residents,gave a sense of urgency to the project.The Board signed a contract with RonMitchell on June 22, 1987, agreeing to apurchase price of $585,000, whichincluded $175,000 in renovations, withpayments of principal and interestdeferred for three years.

ISH had to spend an additional$12,000 for new plumbing, and thou-sands more for roof repairs, refur-bishing the rooms, and installationof window air conditioners in eachroom. Even then the rooms were byfar not up to the standard of theother two buildings. The newly

.....:::~~~~~d~~~~~~~·~'~~=:::~/r.P1W:...._~=~acquired building at 1825 RiggsPlace allowed ISH to maintain theThe purchase of 1824 same number of 60 residents while the old

Riggs Place, however, was not a quick and building was vacated for the duration ofeasy decision for the Board, and more than the renovation and subsequently increasedthree years elapsed between the appearance the number of residents to 90. The incomeof the ad and the actual acquisition of the fr?m room and board rose by 50 percentbuilding. Projections for the additional WIthout a corresponding increase in theincome from 30 more residents had to be overhead expenses. UntilJune 1991 thisweig~ed against the cost of acquiring, ren- building housed both men and womenovatmg, and equipping the property, origi- but later it was made an all male residencenally estimated at $465,000 to $485,000. for security reasons.Naturally, the Board was both interestedand reluctant to commit itself to such anun~ertaking. President GeorgeSpnngsteen, although his attention wasfocused on the renovation, strongly sup-ported the idea of expansion but wanted tomake sure that the House was not over-extending itself financially.

ExpansionIf the renovation was an inescapable neces-sity, the expansion proved to be a one-timeopportunity. When Louise Armstrong in1984 saw an ad in the paper for a 12-apart-ment building on Riggs Place, right behindI~H, she re~ognized that no such opportu-mty to realize the expansion, that had beenconsidered in principle, might recur formany years.

Fund RaisingIn .Oc.tober 1986, the Board had agreed inprinciple to try to raise 1.4 million dollarsfor bo:h the rer:ovation and the expansion.To assist them in reaching such anunprecedented target, they selected a fund-raising consultant, Fisher Howe, in January1987. The architects had given the Board a

II

payment of$77,000 due to the contractorin December 1988 was made possiblethrough a loan from the Endowment Fundand personal loans from several Boardmembers most of whom "forgave" theirloans later on.

deadline ofJune to receive assurances ofadequate funds before they could actuallystart the renovation work.

After a feasibility study, Fisher Howe con-cluded that the Board had the capabilityand dedication to reach the CapitalCampaign goal, but not without greatefforts and extraordinary generosity on thepart of everyone. He suggested that$200,000 be added to the original goal of$1.4 million for program development toattract foundations not interested in bricksand mortar. The Board agreed to the $1.6million target in May 1987.

Fisher Howe inspired, advised, and guidedthe Board very effectively. As a first step, herecommended that potential contributorsbe invited to a complimentary specialevent, without a word about money. Theywould all know, he said, why they wereinvited, yet they would largely accept, as inthe limerick:

The lovely young lady from KentShe said that she knew what it meantWhen men took her out to dinePlied her with cocktails and wineShe knew what it meant -- but she went!

The Capital Campaign Fund, or BuildingFund drive, which started under PresidentGeorge Springsteen and continued underPresident Jane Hart, was chaired by LouiseArmstrong. As an auspicious kick-off, theBoard allocated to the Capital Fund a sumof$190,000 already in the hands ofISHfrom bequests and memorial funds. Therest did not come so easily, but the resultsof the campaign were nonetheless aston-ishing. ByDecember 1987, the fund hadgrown by $560,000 in contributions andpledges. By the time the renovation endedin October 1988, the Building Fund hadaccumulated $945,000, somewhat short ofthe final cost of 1.15 million dollars plus$29,400 in fund raising expenses. The last

II

If the Board did not reach the originalCapital Campaign goal of $1.6 million, itwas due in great part to the fact that, as inthe 60s, none of the anticipated major sup-port from foundations ever materialized.To have raised almost $1 million in twoyears mostly from private contributors wasan extraordinary accomplishment for aBoard that had never before raised morethan $100,000 a year.

None of the Capital Campaign funds wereleft to even make a dent in the $585,000plus accumulated interest needed for thepurchase of 1824 Riggs Place, but thethree-year moratorium gave the Boardsome breathing space to deal with thatproblem. The additional income from 30more residents made it possible over thefollowing three years to pay some of theprincipal and accumulated interest to RonMitchelL When the total balance "balloonpayment" was due in June 1990 as requiredin the 1987 contract, ISH assumed a mort-gage of $610,000 with Riggs Bank. In thenext few years, Mrs. Jefferson (Marvin)Patterson, in addition to her previous andsubsequent generosity toward ISH, con-tributed the bulk of the funds used toreduce the debt on the Riggs Place build-ing through her Marpat Foundation. Inrecognition, the building was designatedMarpat Hall 9

Footnote

9. At an earlier date, after Board member ElizabethCabot had made a considerable contribution, formerBoard President Peggy Beam suggested that thebuilding be called "Cabot Lodge." In another instanceof proposing new names, following a $160,000bequest from Grace Fox, Barbara Dirks proposed thatthe Great Hall be renamed "Fox Hall." Neither ofthose suggestions found favor with the Board.

LIFE AFTER FIFTY Chapter Seven

With the renovation and the expansion successfully accomplished) ISH resolutely faced its next half

century. By the end of the decade) the House had settled into its new routine with 90 residents instead of

60. Compared to the intimate family setting of its original 15 residents in 1936) it had become a large

institution) yet it continued to offer the same unique international experience but to six times as many

students. As an institution) it alsojoined very slowly the electronic age)acquiring afax machine and one

computer in the early 90s!

New challenges, of course, would soonappear, of which the most costly but notunexpected one was the need to bringMarpat Hall up to a standard comparableto the other two buildings.

Erected in the mid 40s, 1824 Riggs Placeneeded major renovation, especially to turnit into 24 proper student rooms instead of12 apartments of two rooms each. In six ofthe apartments, the room in the backcould only be reached through the frontroom, with the result that students in theback had to walk through the front room,leaving no privacy to the resident there.

Although room rates were quite a bit lowerthan in the other two buildings, it becameincreasingly difficult to find applicantswilling to take a room in Marpat Hall,except for those who absolutely wanted tosave money.

Before a decision on the necessaryimprovements was reached, the house at1837 R Street, next to the Van Slyck build-ing, was put on the market, a house that

ISH had seriously considered buying twicebefore, in the 60s and in the 70s. PresidentPhilip White suggested trying to sellMarpat Hall and buying 1837 R Streetinstead, which would give ISH threeadjoining buildings. In spite of his year-long efforts, however, neither the purchaseof 1837 R Street nor the sale of Mar patHall proved feasible.

Consequently, in June 1992, the Boardvoted to go ahead with the renovation ofMarpat Hall. A Riggs Place RenovationCommittee, chaired by Captain "Buzz"Pearson, reviewed designs and cost esti-mates from three contractors. While wewere discussing the bids submitted by thecontractors, Buzz declared, seemingly outof the blue: «Everybody knows that for goodconstruction work you need a check or a pole. »For a moment, I was totally puzzled: acheck for sure, and a large one at that, buta pole instead of a scaffolding? I couldalready visualize workers clambering upand down a pole! The light dawned on mewhen Buzz went on to propose that,among the contractors, we select the one

who was an immigrant from Poland. ACzech or a Pole.

The proposal selected had a cost estimateof$199,600 and was scheduled to start inearly January 1993. It would take 3months, one floor at a time, so the othertwo floors could continue to be occupiedin rotation. The work actually started onemonth late and took approximately 6weeks per floor. The dust and the noiseeveryweekday from 7 A.M. to 3 P.M.tested the

rate access to each room. The work wascompleted by the end ofJune at a final costof$237,600. A special appeal for that pur-pose had raised only two-thirds of theamount needed, and ISH renegotiated itsloan with Riggs Bank to payoff the bal-ance.

In the meantime, the idea of enlarging oradding to the dining room, shelved duringthe 1987 renovation, became a topic of dis-cussion again. Plans for a glass enclosurebehind the dining room, at a cost estimateof $26,000, were approved by the Board.Unfortunately, the DC HistoricPreservation Commission vetoed the grant-ing of a building permit, even though thechange would not be visible from outsidethe garden. Instead, Jim Noonan, residentmanager, with his wife Fran, built a smallpatio on the same spot with space for acouple of tables.

Progress in ProgramsIn 1992, an Embassy Liaison Committeewas established to improve and expandrelations with the different embassies, at atime when an ISH alumnus from the early70s,Juan Aguirre, was the Ambassador ofParaguay in Washington. Under thedynamic leadership of former BoardPresident Herb Schmitz, regular meet-ings were organized at the Housebetween educational attaches of differ-ent embassies, and they establishedtheir own committee under the chair-manship of Gudrun Luecke-Hogaust,the enthusiastic representative fromthe German Embassy. These meetings

~ soon led to a hitherto unheard of col-_:::=~~~&td::~Vt-~.;t:h-::!:!:.~~_~_~!!!!!!!!!!:laboration between several embassies:_ the embassies of Germany, Japan, and

patience of the Russia offered ISH residents and Boardremaining residents, but they were reward- members several joint cultural and artisticed with significantly improved quarters, programs of the highest caliber. Individualincluding totally new bathrooms and sepa- embassies also began to invite ISH resi-

dents to cultural programs at theembassies or to offer performances at theHouse by some of their visiting musicaland artistic groups. The spirit ofcooperation was boosted by the factthat ISH was able to house internsworking at different embassies.The participation ofISH in manycultural events organized byembassies was to become a regularfeature of the overall ISH program.

In early 1994, the Board and Ihad agreed that I would retireby the end of March 1995. Isuggested that the entireorganization and policies ofISH be reviewed and the ~future course ofISH be ~?>~~~~II!::iiii-=::~~!mapped out before the search for a ~~.~ /Yr~cz~av.......~.new director would start. President China -~.a;.Gf.:D.Jessup established an ISH 2000 Committee descriptions forwith Jerry Scoutt as chairman. After several the staff, and the students'months of intensive meetings, the commit- brochures and instructions. Many of thetee's report was approved in May 1994 as long-standing regulations were consignedthe master plan for the future course of to the institutional memory and had neverISH. The report did not propose any radi- been made a matter of record. The effortscal changes but did call for a rejuvenation of Phil White and his committee producedof the Board and for more Board involve- an ISH Manual, which unified and consoli-ment with the residents. It recommended dated the full range of the governing andthat the Executive Director's task be divid- administrative traditions ofISH. In con-ed in the future between two people, an junction with the ISH 2000 policy docu-administrative "inside" director and a ment, it described the practical proceduresfund raising "outside" director, but this for carrying out these policies.division eventually proved undesirable andtoo costly.

Looking Toward theYear 20UO

and regulations concerning the three com-ponents of ISH, Board, staff, and residents.The only governing documents at thattime consisted of the by-laws, the Board

Committee descriptions,the job

Thus, when I retired on March 31, 1995,the International Student House, afteralmost 60 years of existence, was headedtoward a sounder and more organizedfuture than ever before.

At the same time, China Jessup encouragedformer President Phil White to undertakethe huge task of codifying all the policies

II

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT HOUSE

FROM FORMAL ELEGANCETO RELAXED INFORMALITY Chapter Eight

In its ornate Tudor setting and in a period offormal events and strict dress codes) ISH developed many

elegant traditions early in its history. As times changed) however, those traditions gave way to a more

relaxed and informal atmosphere. Here are three illustrations of this evolution.

Sunday 4 O'clock TeaThe Sunday Tea has remained the oneunbroken tradition going back all the wayto 1936, but earlier residents attending aSunday tea now can be forgiven for con-cluding that it is not the same tradition.Originally tea was served at 4 0' clock onboth Saturdays and Sundays, but only theSunday Tea has continued uninterrupted-ly.Until the early 80s, it was a dress-upaffair, served in the Great Hall, or in thegarden in summer, from elegant tea urnsby Board member hostesses. It attracted asmany as 150 or more students and visitorsand was often followed by a program ofspeakers or entertainment. Because of thelarge attendance, the staff in 1967 request-ed and received an allocation of$100 lorreserve cookies over and above those contributedby the hostesses.' Later, the attendance grad-ually decreased, but it remained a formalaffair as long as Board member GladysScott Roberts was the firm and intrepidchairman of the Sunday Tea Committee.She was untiring in calling for "tea ladies"for every Sunday and most times showingup herself to supervise them. Nobodycould replace her, and after she died inearly 1985, the staff gradually took overfrom the hostesses. Soon it became routinefor the House to prepare and serve the teaon Sundays.

Without outside hostesses, the event soontook on a more informal style. After awhile it appeared preferable to serve tea inthe dining room in a less formal settingand less of a burden for the kitchen. Thenumber of visitors or friends from outsideslowly dwindled, and in the end, it evolvedinto a simple Sunday afternoon snack timefor the residents, with the exception of spe-cial occasions like the Valentine's Tea andthe Christmas Tea. Yet alumni and friendsmay still show up any Sunday and findconversation with residents and other visi-tors around a cup of tea and cookies.

Sit-down DinnerServing dinner family-style every day in arather formal style had been a long tradi-tion. A 1963 directive specifies that <girlsare not to wear slacks for dinner, and on Sundaysand special days) boys should wear coats and ties.))At the appointed time, the residents wouldgather in front of the dining room andwait for the chimes to announce that thefood was ready on the tables. Nobody satdown until after a moment of silence, aQuaker tradition, signaled by the tappingof a glass. AJapanese alumnus still remem-bered it 15 years later in these words: «Yourlittle bell is ringing right now while I am reading

your newsletter, and every resident's meditationbefore your delicious dishes and many conversa-tions among many nationalities. " New resi-dents were introduced at dinner the veryday they arrived, and there were almostdaily announcements. At each table, stu-dents waited until all had finished eating,quite a test of patience when one of themhad arrived late, was a slow eater or aloquacious talker, or, as in many cases, allof the above. The clearing of the tables wasregulated almost in a military manner: «Forclearing tables, not more than two people shouldleave the table: One takes all serving dishes to thepantry, and one scrapes the plates at the servingcart, NOT at the table. When the table is com-pletely cleared, one of these people should bringthe dessert." (1963 regulations). A later regu-lation would request that the table becleared by «the person seated at the south orwest end of the table" and the dessert broughtin by the «person seated at the north or east

end of the table, .» and

By the mid-70s, the students' busy sched-ules made them reluctant to sit aroundwaiting for everyone to finish and to spendanother 15 minutes in the Great Hall forcoffee and dessert. As a first step to loosenthe old tradition, coffee and dessert beganto be served in the dining room, and stu-dents could leave as soon as they finished.Later, because of problems with staffingthe kitchen on weekends, the staff decidedto serve Saturday dinner cafeteria-style, tothe delight of the socially active residents.The cafeteria-style was extended to theFriday dinner some time later.

In 1988, the addition of Marpat Hallincreased the number of residents from 60to 90, and the dining room could nolonger accommodate all the residents atone time. Since then, dinner has beenserved cafeteria-style every day, with theexception of Sunday noon dinner, whengenerally enough residents are absent toprovide adequate seating for everyone else,

and for special evenings suchas the international dinners,when additional tables aresqueezed in to make spacefor everybody.

thatapparently without a com-pass. Coffee was served afterwards in theGreat Hall, and it became customary for awhile to have the dessert in the Great Hallas well.

ThanksgivingCelebrationFor Thanksgiving Day, someresidents go home or spend theday with friends. Many of theothers gratefully accept Mrs.Ella Poe Burling's invitation tospend the day at her Rich NeckManor estate in Maryland. TheThanksgiving celebration at theHouse, therefore, has traditionallybeen held the weekend before.Until the late 80s, it was a very for-

mal and elegant affair held in the GreatHall on the Saturday evening. Residents

canceling the special Saturday evening din-ner and replacing it with a Thanksgivingmenu at the regular Sunday dinner.

dressed up, some Board members andother guests were invited, and the firstturkey was ceremoniously carved in every-one's presence by a paterfamilias, a roleplayed for many years by Anthony Gould.The leisurely and multi-course dinner, witha fire blazing in the fireplace, was followedby a program prepared by American resi-dents to explain the origin and meaning ofThanksgiving - sometimes in a seriousmanner, often in a humorous and evenirreverent way.

Such an event, unavoidably, was verylabor intensive and involved a greatdeal of moving tables, chairs, chinaand cutlery upstairs, not to mentionbringing up all the food from thekitchen. It became harder and harderto find kitchen staff willing to put insuch long hours on a weekend evening.In the late 80s, to relieve the burden onthe kitchen, the dinner was moved tothe dining room; only the refreshmentsbefore and the program afterwards werestill held in the Great Hall. In spite ofthe change of locale, the dinnerremained for many more years a very ele-gant celebration. Little by little, however,it started losing much of its formality.Perhaps the low point occurred when anew staff member joined the others for theThanksgiving dinner straight from herdaily jogging and still in her runningclothes. It was only a matter of time beforethe celebration was further simplified by

These are but a few examples of the manytraditions that, like society at large, haveevolved and been simplified over the yearsThose who remember the old times maymourn the disappearance of the elegantand formal events.

But thechange has been one of style rather

than of substance, as many visiting alumnihave attested. The same friendly, open,convivial atmosphere reigns among thepresent residents, and the "in-depth experi-ence in international living" flourishes inthe relaxed informality of today just as wellas in the formal elegance of yesterday.

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GHOSTS Chapter Nine

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT HOUSE

Tales of tragedy: Hidden closets) door that leads nowhere) concealed cellar, secret safe) human hand buried

in the soil) visions of ghosts ...

The house at 1825 R Street isfull of riddles and secrets. The paneling in the dining room conceals) not too

well any more after 80 years of use) a walk-in silver safe. A trap door in a supply closet leads to a former

wine cellar. In the previous master bedroom on the fourth floor, which is now a quadruple room) a small

jewelry safe is hidden behind one of the panels) and another larger panel gives access to a small closet.

Most intriguing is the secret door in the Great Hall) an exact replica down to the keyhole of the actual

entrance door in the same wall) but not opening up or leading anywhere.

Tales of real and alleged tragedies haveadded a spooky ambience. According to arumor, the young daughter of the originalowners, Mr. and Mrs. Henri Meserve, fell toher death from the Great Hall balcony onthe night of the house-warming party,prompting her parents to leave the houseforever. The facts, unfortunately, do notsupport this rumor. It is true that theMeserves had one daughter, Jean, from Mrs.Meserve's first marriage, whom Mr. Meservehad legally adopted. But she could not havedied in childhood, since in 1947 she visitedthe House with her husband, Nicholas deBasily.There is no record or evidence ofanother Meserve child. Yet the sadly touch-ing tale of little Miss Meserve has persistedand been handed down from one group ofresidents to the next. Poor little MissMeserve: she has fallen off the balcony, ordown the stairs in other versions, in tales sooften told and retold that she has become

the prime source of ghost stories at ISH.The death of the ghost's presumptivemother, Mrs. Meserve, is a different story.Henri Meserve had married her in Londonin 1902, and when his business called himback to the United States, he allegedlypromised to build her an English mansionin Washington. Unfortunately she passedaway in 1919. One would expect her, espe-cially being English, to haunt the housebuilt for her and where she had lived sobriefly, but, to my knowledge, no appari-tions have ever been sighted.

There are other authentic stories. The yearafter ISH had moved into the house, one ofthe musicians who had played at the 1948New Year's Eve dance collapsed on the waydown the stairs from the Great Hall anddied shortly afterwards. Annabelle Neal,who since 1954 has arrived at the houseevery morning at 5:30 A.M. to prepare

m

. r". , As for the extra door in the Great. ~£.~~AJ~-

_~~~A~~nA~'~=::::~~~~~~fMV"'/~!:-::·:':':"..!--;;:Hall, pragmatic people will see only/JQW""'" a symmetry intended by the architect.

our in-house Those with a more vivid imagination see aexpert, Annabelle did not hesitate one secret entrance to another world, like themoment. (That's Mrs. Maner," she looking-glass in Alice in Wonderland.exclaimed, «1often see her in the pantry in themorning." Jean-Ellen Maner had been theHouse Manager and Assistant Directorfrom 1972 to 1979 and had died unexpect-edly in her sleep six months after retiring.

breakfast, claims that she has seen morethan once a man dressed in a white suitslowlywalking down those stairs.

More recently, in the early 90s, a new resi-dent reported that an old woman of gentledemeanor appeared in her room at nightseveral times. When she described theapparition to

In the 60s and 70s, the night-man, Chico,repeatedly reported that he had heard wail-ing and dragging of chains in the base-ment during the night and was too scaredto go investigate. Unlike Annabelle, howev-er, he was known to take a nip from thebottle and a nap in a chair while on nightwatch, and the ghosts provided a goodexcuse for his work being only half done inthe morning.

Other events contributed to the ghostambience at ISH. Director Hugh Jenkinsremembers that a desiccated human handwas found buried in the soil when the vol-leyball court, where the Van SlyckBuildingnow stands, was resurfaced in the 50s.The troubling enigma was resolved whena former medical student resident non-chalantly disclosed that, while packingto move out, he had thrown out thewindow some old "materials" from hisfirst-year anatomy class.

In the 80s, a rounded marble slab wasfound buried in the garden. Some stu-dents put it upright in the ground,making it look like a tombstone.Residents started wondering laterwho was buried under there. Oldphotographs of the garden, however,show a marble bench of which thealleged tombstone appears to be abroken piece.

"Chacun a son gout!" There is enough evi-dence for believers and unbelievers alike.But one must admit, a house like 1825 RStreet would not seem genuine if it couldnot claim its own ghosts.

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PERSONAL MEMORIES Chapter Ten

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT HOUSE

After a talent show, all of us form a large circle, hand in hand, in the Great Hall, singing ((Weare the

world, we are thepeople" and swinging to the music. The mood is serious, there is an intense feeling ofsol-

idarity and brotherhood. Everyone is very much aware that a few among us will soon return to a home

where there is no freedom and no equality. Here at ISH, we are indeed the world in all its diversity, we

are the future with its promise of peace. Here we are brothers and sisters, we do not even notice color or

origin any more. Only after leaving ISH and finding ourselves back in our old homogeneous environ-

ment does the absence of diversity strike us: "It was so strange when I got back home toJapan," writes an

alumna; "eoerybody here isJapanese!"

We Are the World - 1985

An Alumnus from Laos-1982A letter arrives from Laos: an alumnusfrom 1962-63 has spent the last 7 years in acere-education camp," but has been able tosmuggle out some letters. He remembersnot only the correct address of ISH, butalso the countries of his roommates andthe names of people who helped him. Heappeals for medicine, clothing, and moralsupport. We try to send help through theAmerican Friends Service Committee's"Indochina Project" and Mennonite organ-izations.

A year and a half later, a letter fromChicago: he escaped from the camp, fledacross the Mekong River on a tiny raft and,after months of delay in Thailand andGermany, has finally arrived in the USA.He gratefully remembers Annabelle: (Thefirst time we had pancakes for breakfast, the kind

lady advised me to take two instead offour. Shewas right:two pancakes were more than enough.))

Thanksgiving at Mrs. Burling'sYear after year, on Thanksgiving Day, apacked bus carrying as many as 50 peoplepulls up at Rich Neck Manor in Claiborne,Maryland. Mrs. Burling and other Boardmembers welcome everyone personally.Inside, drinks and snacks are ready. Aninvigorating walk follows on the longstretch of narrow beach; some collecthorseshoe crab shells or pieces of drift-wood. Back at the house, a feast ofThanksgiving food awaits. With platesheaped up high, everybody sits whereverthere is space, the lucky ones around thefireplace. Afterwards, a vigorous game ofsoccer gives the brave ones a healthy work-out, while others watch or remain inside

reading. As it gets dark, we all board thebus for a sleepy or a singing return home."This was the best day since I arrived inWashington," many have said. Many yearslater, alumni still remember ThanksgivingDay at Mrs. Burling's. 10

library, and introduce him to a couple ofresidents. On his way out he says: (7knewthere was still a part of me in this house) butwhen I walked in the door; I was not surewhether I would still find it. Now I know: it isstill here. You may not see it, but part of myheart is still here. »

An Apache Love Song - 1988Thanksgiving dinner at the House: severalalumni recounting their ISH experiences tothe residents. Willem de Reuse tells abouthis studying American-Indian cultures andpracticing Indian songs in his room, par-ticularly one Apache love song. Hisneighbor, Pat Puke,does not

"If Only the Nations of theWorld Could Learn to LiveTogether as We Did at ISH!"One evening at the daily sit-down dinner,no staff members are present to introducea newly arrived resident from Turkey. Thenext morning, Nikos from Greece tells me:"I took it upon myselflast night at dinnerto introduce our new friend from Turkey. Ihope that was OK." Could anyone havemade a more significant introduction thanNikos?

A Korean and a Japanese find out they aretaking the same courses. They begin todiscuss their classes, and soon theybecome inseparable friends. At the end ofthe year, they promise to visit each otherin their respective countries.

seem tomind, in fact he asks

Willem to teach him that song.Weeks later, Pat is killed in a hit-and-runaccident while jogging in Rock Creek Park.Now Willem sings the haunting Apachelove song in tribute to Pat, in hushedsilence and then heartfelt applause.

A Pakistani student comes to apply,and as I show him around the house werun into an Indian resident. I introducethem to each other and leave them tothemselves. Half an hour later, thePakistani, back in my office, declares: "Myfriend from India has persuaded me tocome and live here."

An Alumnus from Haiti - 1995A 1948-49 alumnus from Haiti shows upfor his first visit in 46 years. I show him thedining room, the Great Hall, and the

"So long;" says a small Nepalese student,looking up at his tall American roommate,as they say goodbye. "So short, ))countersthe American, bending down for a finalhug. They have become very close friends.Now they laugh loudly to conceal theiremotions as they go their separate ways.

privately, I carefully explain that pajamasare not habitually worn in the House, noteven at breakfast. "Sir," he responds proud-ly, «this is what I wear in my country) Pakistan)in my house and outside. » Embarrassment,apologies, but I have much more to learn.

A German Ph.D. candidate reluctantlyaccepts the only vacancy, in a double roomwith a Korean roommate, waiting for a sin-gle room to become available. Some timelater he no longer wants the single roomthat has opened up, he wants to stay withhis roommate. After returning home, hewrites: «Sharing a room with Kim has been themost unexpected benefit from my stay at ISH.Having traveled to many countries) I had thoughtof myself as an internationalist. My long talkswith my roommate about Korea have made meaware of how limited my horizon had been. Kimand I have become real friends and will visit eachother. I would suggest that all residents stay in adouble room) at least for some time. "

Christmas Eve Dinner -Every YearOn Christmas Day, ISH is totally quiet andalmost empty. The few residents whoremain at the House are invited for dinnerby Board members. One year, Pam Mixterinvited thirteen of them. Christmas Eve iswhen a special in-house celebration is held.After refreshments in the Great Hall, resi-dents and staff, and whatever family orguests may be present, sit down around afew tables in the dining room to enjoy aspecial menu, usually filet mignon. Dessertis a large Buche de Noel, courtesy of Mrs.Chase. After dinner, Santa Claus appearsand distributes presents to all the stu-dents, Marion Sanger has done his shop-ping for him, ever since the 60s. Great sur-prise and true joy! Most residents stayingbehind at ISH are not from Christiancountries, but the small presents give thema taste of the Christmas spirit.

There Is No End to LearningIn my first year at ISH, I am told that onestudent shows up at breakfast in his paja-mas. When I get a chance to talk to him

I introduce a student from Czechoslovakiaas a Czech, and instantly learn that Slovaks

do not want to be identified

as Czechs, even when theystill shared the country of Czechoslovakia.At dinner, I am puzzled when I ask aJapanese resident: «Don't you want anydessert?" and she answers (<Yes"but thenembarrassedly refuses the dessert I offerher. I learn that in many cultures "yes"means "that's right," and she meant:(That's right, I don't want any.» I learn not tolook surprised when a student loudlybelches at the dinner table, because in his

country it is an expression of appreciationfor the food. When an African residentapproaches me with a request, he walks uptoo close for my comfort, so I back up. Hemoves up, and I back up again, and hemoves up again, until I am stuck againstthe counter. Then I remember that inAfrica and many other parts of the world,the "personal space" that people need forcomfort is much smaller than forWesterners.

the end of her studies. She asks if theycould have the wedding in the Great Hall."Of course) ))I say.The two come from themost dissimilar cultures possible. She hasnot told her family yet, is not sure how herparents will react, and is afraid they maynot want to attend the wedding. "If my par-ents do not come) will you act as my father at thewedding?" she asks me, «you are like a secondfather to me." I am deeply touched, but Ihope for her sake that her parents willcome. And they do, six months later, as dothe parents of the young man. At thereception after the wedding, I watch thetwo sets of parents who have not metbefore. Will they restrict their contact topolite formalities? I see them walk towardseach other and extend uneasy greetings.But then the two fathers go sit downtogether on a sofa, while the two mothersfind another place to huddle. They com-municate in halting English, their only

common language. Later,when they leave, the twomothers embrace. Whata portent for that mar-riage! What a portent forglobal understanding!

And I learn again and again that youngpeople from all over the world can be won-derful, warm, generous and tolerant, andthat sometimes two people from oppositepoles of the earth fall in love with eachother.

A Remarkable WeddingAyoung woman tells me confidentiallythat she and a recent alumnus havebecome engaged and plan to bemarried at

Footnote

10. Many others deserve recognition for inviting studentsto their homes year after year for picnics, tennis andswimming: Mr. and Mrs. William Breese in Accokeek,starting in 1948; Mr. and Mrs. Buel Trowbridge inArlington; Mr. and Mrs. Austin Kiplinger inPoolesville; Emily Gardiner in Great Falls; MarionSanger,]errold Scoutt, and Perry Sellon, all inBethesda, Herb and]oyce Schmitz at their summerhouse in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, and, inwinter, Betty Cooke for a walk through the woodsand hot spiced tea afterwards.

CONCLUSION

~- <

w:~<a USE~

The longest and most cherished chapter in my proftssionallife came to a close when I retired at the end of

March 1995. My contribution to the history of ISH must also end there.

After months of being immersed in all theISH records, my principal and lastingimpression is of the vast number of peoplewho have made it the truly unique place ithas been since 1936, and it makes mehumbly aware of the small and imperfectrole any single one of us has played.Besides the few people who are mentionedhere by name, there are countless otherswho have played significant roles. ISH is acollective product of profound reflection,unselfish efforts, and magnanimous gen-erosity on the part of innumerable Boardmembers, staff members, and contributors.We must include here the thousands ofstudents who have lived at ISH since 1936,so many of whom have not only enjoyedtheir stay at ISH but have also contributedto making it a better place to live. We haveall gained from our association with ISH.

Residents have experienced ISH as a wel-coming home, an immediate family in anunfamiliar city. (7 am ISH-sick more thanhomesick" wrote an Egyptian student froma university out West after his first fewmonths at ISH. Because I cannot quote thehundreds of similar expressions I want toconclude with one written by JackMcAndrew, a high-school teacher, whospent a sabbatical year at ISH in 1979-80while working for the US Senate.

«During the summer, I had the opportunity toreflect on my stay at the International StudentHouse. My internship at the US. Senate was aunique experience. However, the most meaning-ful aspect of my one-year leave was the opportu-nity to be a resident at ISH. The stimulating dis-cussions) the chance to re-examine many of mybelief) being exposed to the intellectual inquisi-tiveness of the residents and participating in thefamily atmosphere of the House far exceeded myhopes of what to expect when I first arrived at1825 R Street in September 1979.

I was impressed by the civility and caring of allthe residents and staff for the well being of thetotal body) their willingness to share responsibili-ties. Even in these troubled times I have beenoptimistic that mankind will peacefully meet thechallenges of the 20th century) but my faith inmankind was certainly rekindled by my ten-month stay at ISH.

I will always cherish my stay at ISH! The manyfriends I made) the interesting people I met andthe good times will long be remembered) and therealization that we can live in harmony willnever be forgotten. »

I too will always cherish my time at ISH.

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INTERNATIONAL STUDENT HOUSE

APPENDIX

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS OFISH SINCE 19361936-1946: Grace (Mrs. Alfred) Lowry.

She took a leave of absencein 1943-1944 to work with aQuaker relief operation inFrance during World War II.During that time, Edith T.Maul was the Acting Director.

1946-1950: Leslie and Valerie Johnston

1951-1956: Hugh and Juanita Jenkins

1956-1957: Percy H. and Helen Baker

1957-1960: Tom and Anne Moore

1960-1967: Frances (Mrs. Howard)Becker

1967-1968: Miss Joan Bouchier

1968-1972: John and June Yungblut

1972-1995: Paul Feys

1995- Richard Calkins

PRESIDENTS OF THEBOARD OF DIRECTORSSINCE 1962

June 1963-May 1965: DeForest Van Slyck

May 1965-May 1968: John Hammond

May 1968-May 1971: Peter G. Powers

May 1971-May 1974: Dr. William Crocker

May 1974-May 1976: Peggy D. (Mrs.Jacob) Beam

May 1976-May 1979: Jerrold Scoutt, Jr.

May 1979-May 1981: Herbert K. Schmitz

May 1981-May 1984: James M. Wilson, Jr.

May 1984-0ct.1987: George S.Springsteen, Jr.

Oct. 1987-0ct.1990: Jane (Mrs. Parker T.)Hart

Oct. 1990-Feb.1993: Dr. Philip C. White

Feb. 1993-Feb.1995: China (Mrs. Peter)Jessup

Feb. 1995-Feb. 1998: Robert Patterson

Feb. 1998-Feb.2001: George Springsteen

Feb. 2001- Andrea Tebbets

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- S E

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AFTERWORD

In the few years since the retirement of Paul Feys the International Student House has changedprinci-

pally in technology. It is now fully computerized. It has high speed internet accessand has ten individual

work stations. It also has a web site which is interactive) and a chat room for alumni for updating and

exchange of addresses. Contrast this with most of the 65years of correspondence by post; a student inquiry

arrived) Paul responded with an application) which took some days to arrive. Application was posted

back) then a mailed response from ISH as to acceptance) the total correspondence taking two or three

weeks) often more.

Residents now all have computer accessfor their academic work and for constant accessibility to home.

It is a different world in this technical sense) but at ISH the ambiance) the personal experiences of living

with scholars of many nations is the same and as unique as ever. The unforgettable exchanges and

friendships) and the life-altering new understandings attained continue) new with each season's new

arrivals at 1825 R Street.

The International Student House expresseswith affection itsgratitude to DeForest Van Slyck for hisyears

of wise and generous service and his vision for thefuture of The House.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT HOUSE

Paul Feys was born in 1926 in Ostend, Belgium. He studied theology in Louvain and earned an MA in

philosophy at the Gregorian University in Rome. As a member of the Missionaries of Africa) he became a

teacher and later a director in schoolsfor the training of missionaries in Belgium and in England) and for

the education of African priests in Rwanda and in Tanzania. He came to the United States in late 1969

and taught Latin at Sidwell Friends School in Washington) DC. In July of 1972 he became the director of

the International Student House and served in that capacity until March of 1995. His wift Elsbeth is

German-born) and they have two children) Cara and George. For many years the whole family partici-

pated in the life of the International Student House on Sundays and at special dinners and activities; and

as the children grew up the House became their second home.