Guide to the Hammarskjöld House Photographs
Daniel Hartwig
Stanford University. Libraries.
Department of Special Collections and University Archives
June 2012
Stanford, California
Copyright © 2015 The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. All rights reserved.
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
The materials are open for research use.
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.
[identification of item], Hammarskjold House Photographs (PC0146). Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford
University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.
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
The materials consist of digital photographs of house members.
The materials are arranged chronologically.
College students--Photograph collections.
College students.
Stanford University--Student housing.
Stanford University--Students.
Students--Societies, etc.
Universities and colleges--Student housing.
Group Photographs 1973-2009
2008-2009