RESTORATION OF THE BLACKWELL ROOM
The Blackwell Room is named after Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman Doctor of Medicine. Dr. Blackwell studied at the Geneva Medical College, the precursor to Hobart and William Smith Colleges. She received her MD degree in 1849, becoming the first female in the world to graduate from an accredited medical college.
In July of 2020 I wrote to President Joyce Jacobsen and asked her to consider restoring the Blackwell Room at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. The Blackwell Room, one of the iconic spaces at the colleges, had suffered over the years from a number of changes including damage to the fabric of the building and conversion of the space to a classroom. The harmonious beauty of the former reading room was lost when the carved wood furnishings were removed and replaced with office furniture.
President Jacobsen invited us to come to Geneva for a walk-through of the room and to discuss my restoration ideas. During our inspection we discovered broken stained glass in the main window and roof leaks that were harming the interior side stone window frames and wall. She decided that we should move ahead and I prepared a plan recommending a path forward. When the project began, Kathy Regan, the President’s Chief of Staff, took over supervision of the work and she was an immense help in bringing the room back to its former beauty.
The broken stained glass was repaired by Pike Stained Glass Studio in Rochester, NY. Miles & May Furniture Works in Geneva, NY, made the new ash study tables. To brighten the room the walls were painted with Sherwin-Williams Summer White eggshell. The restoration was completed in 2023 and a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony was held in June during reunion weekend.
