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Guide to the Hammarskjöld House Photographs
PC0146  
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Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Overview
  • Administrative Information
  • Biographical/Historical note
  • Scope and Contents
  • Arrangement note
  • Access Terms

  • Overview

    Call Number: PC0146
    Creator: Dag Hammarshold House (Stanford University)
    Title: Hammarskjöld House photographs
    Dates: 1973-2009
    Physical Description: 19251.2 megabyte(s) (33 files)
    Language(s): The materials are in English.
    Repository: Department of Special Collections and University Archives
    Green Library
    557 Escondido Mall
    Stanford, CA 94305-6064
    Email: specialcollections@stanford.edu
    Phone: (650) 725-1022
    URL: http://library.stanford.edu/spc

    Administrative Information

    Information about Access

    The materials are open for research use.

    Ownership & Copyright

    All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from, or otherwise use collection materials must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, California 94305-6064. Consent is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission from the copyright owner. Such permission must be obtained from the copyright owner, heir(s) or assigns. See: http://library.stanford.edu/depts/spc/pubserv/permissions.html.
    Restrictions also apply to digital representations of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational purposes.

    Cite As

    [identification of item], Hammarskjold House Photographs (PC0146). Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.

    Biographical/Historical note

    Dag Hammarskjöld House was formerly the home of the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity. The plans for the house were initiated by several foreign students who were looking to have a place on campus and also were actively involved in the Bechtel International Center. In 1970, Richard Lyman took office as the seventh president of the university. Alfredo Prelat (MS'71,PhD'74) with the support of foreign students and the Bechtel International Center requested to President Lyman to have a place on campus for international students and Americans students that wanted to live with people from different cultures. Several names were proposed for the new international house. After a long debate the name of Dag Hammarskjöld was selected in honor of the UN secretary General who died in a plane accident while on a peace mission in Congo. Clifford Clarke, the foreign student advisor said of Hammarskjöld, "This new concept of a living group (will be) composed of people from other cultures who want to participate in educational and social programs to facilitate mutual understanding and respect."
    Alfredo Prelat from Argentina became the first president of Hammarskjöld House and Marie Antoinette Plot from France the Vice President. There were twelve students when Dag Hammarshold House opened as well as a dog named "Simon". In the early years, Hammarskjöld was supported by the general direction of Clarke and F. Lee Ziegler, the director of the I-Center. Early residents have remarked that an equally strong reason for creating the house was the founders' belief that Americans who spent a lot of time in other countries returned to the U.S. somehow changed. Hammarskjöld would be a place for them to nurture these differences and explore their own experiences. The first most colorful guest at Hammarskjöld was the President of the United Nations General Assembly, Mr. Stanislaw Trepczynski from Poland . He and his wife stayed in a room on the second floor with two Algerian body guards next door. Other Friday dinner guests in the early days of Hammarskjold included Dr. Linus Pauling, Dr. W. K. H. Panofski and Director Seij Ozawa.
    In March of 1977, student protest against Stanford's investment in South Africa became active. The University higher-ups seemed to be ignoring the issue of the University's moral responsibilities, for example; although students were vocal in their objections, the Board of Trustees would not even raise the issue at its meetings. Students took over Old Union to protest both the University's tacit support of apartheid and their unresponsiveness to student concerns. University police began to arrest protesters. During the night, Hammarskjöld became the command center of the protest. Hammies started a phone network, and called a crowd of several hundred people out to support the protesters. Hammies also cooked food for those inside and outside the building.
    The make-up of the house has changed from year to year. In the first two years the residents were from Norway, England, France, India, Tanzania, Argentina, Mexico, Taiwan, Japan, Brazil, Switzerland, Iran, Turkey, Hong Kong and USA. Some years the international students in the house were predominantly from East Asia, other years from Europe . This year many of the residents and eating associates are from India. Hammarskjöld is fond of its traditions, which include ringing the dinner bell, Friday evening happy hours/wine clubs and the big dinner parties at Thanksgiving and Chinese New Year. For these parties, house members decorate the house and prepare food for 200 people, including past members of Hammarskjöld who are invited, and assorted other guests. Hammarskjöld's personality has changed from year to year.
    This write-up was very kindly provided by Dr. Alfredo Prelat, the first president of Hammarskjold House

    Scope and Contents

    The materials consist of digital photographs of house members.

    Arrangement note

    The materials are arranged chronologically.

    Access Terms

    College students--Photograph collections.
    College students.
    Stanford University--Student housing.
    Stanford University--Students.
    Students--Societies, etc.
    Universities and colleges--Student housing.