Feeling Frost-y in Georgia

Here’s an interesting tidbit...the McCain Library at Agnes Scott College has a substantial Robert Frost collection that includes original Frost transcripts and memorabilia along with books, articles and photographs about his life.  While Robert Frost’s name brings to mind stone walls in Vermont and snowy paths through the woods, it does not make me think of the warm breezes of Atlanta (or Decatur) or southern hospitality.  I have not completely solved the enigma of Frost’s relationship with the college but I do know that he visited Agnes Scott College over twenty times (more than any other college outside New England) beginning in 1935.  

Margaret Pepperdene’s (an English Professor at Agnes Scott) speech from 2001 filled me in on some details.  Pepperdene was a new professor at the college during Frost’s visits in the 1950’s and was assigned to be his escort around campus.  It seems that Frost originally had a friendship with Emma May Laney, the head of the English Department at the College,  and began his visit as short layovers on his way to Florida.  But beginning in 1945,  Frost extended his overnights and spent several days at Agnes Scott every January, until his death. Professor Laney was his sponsor and his “self appointed caretaker” during his visit and did everything from meeting him at the airport to making sure he wore his overshoes.  

Pepperdene shares great memories of Frost holding court for adoring coeds and faculty during long winter evenings and extended lunches.  He greatly enjoyed sharing experiences such as the Kennedy Inauguration, his acceptance of honorary degrees from Oxford and Cambridge and Ezra Pound’s run in with a mental hospital while his female fans hung on his every word.   And then there was his public reading and lecture night when the entire community formed a line that snaked through campus just to get the chance to hear him speak (I’d go, wouldn’t you?)  He loved to talk and relished his admiring audience.

Over the years Frost sent the library original work, Christmas cards and photographs which led to the creation of the current special collection.  George Lundeen was commissioned to sculpt Frost ‘writing’ in the alumnae garden to recall his love of strolling through campus at night.
But still I wonder, why Agnes Scott and why so many visits?  My guess is that Professor Laney was a persistent fan that made Frost feel personally important and the Agnes Scott community admired and revered his talent.  Who knows if his relationship with Laney was more than professional (at the time of his visits Frost was a widower) but it is certain that he got something out of his relationship with the college - one thing I learned about Frost was that he didn’t do anything he didn’t want to do.

Hello Agnes!

photo from Campus Architecture Project

Ten miles into my marathon I ran onto the picture perfect campus of Agnes Scott College.  The college is actually in Decatur, a peaceful, leafy suburb of Atlanta (with an active Preservation Alliance).  The town had set up little rhyming placards all along the marathon route that encouraged runners to keep going and then come back and have fun (and spend $) in Decatur - it was easy to see that it was a town with a sense of humor and an active intellect. 

 I wasn’t surprised to learn that Agnes Scott was voted the 2nd most beautiful campus in the country by The Princeton Review in 2006 - the 100 acre campus is the epitome of southern charm and apparently boasts some of Georgia’s oldest trees.  The school was founded in 1889 as the Decatur Women’s Seminary by Presbyterian minister Frank Gaines (I was surprised that women were even allowed to go to seminary in the 1800s, must investigate that situation).  A year later the name was changed to honor Colonel George Washington Scott’s mother.  George Scott was a Civil War veteran who gained notoriety by developed a revolutionary fertilizer - but he wasn’t the famous Scott from Scotts Miracle Grow (that was Orlando Scott way back in 1868).
G.W. Scott owned a plantation in Florida where he invented a fertilizer made from cottonseed, bonemeal and sulfuric acid.  He was also one of the first to understand the role of phosphates in fertilizer and purchased large tracts of phosphate rich land in Florida.  Scott moved to Georgia in the 1870s and expanded his business while buying more real estate.  
In 1890 Scott gave $112,000 to the Seminary which was then renamed to honor his mother.  The school’s original goal was to “educate women for the betterment of their families and the elevation of their region”. Thankfully the mission has evolved and now strives to “educates women to think deeply, live honorably and engage in the intellectual and social challenges of their times.”  We’ve come a long way baby.
When Scott died in 1903 his friend and fellow Presbyterian, Sam Inman stepped in as a member of the Board of Trustees.  Inman also invested in real estate and was responsible for creating the first ‘planned’ community outside of Atlanta called, Inman Park (and another gorgeous segment of the marathon).    During Inman’s decade of work on the board he contacted Andrew Carnegie about a library for the new school.  The funding was granted, as a gift, and The Carnegie Library was constructed in 1910.  Sadly, by the 1930s a new larger library was needed (why did they make these buildings so small!) and the college built a new structure, also beautiful, and kept the name of The Carnegie Library. The original library building was re-purposed as a student center.  
I was disappointed to learn that the original library was eventually demolished in 1986 (no reason was given).  However, the 1930s library has been completely renovated, updated and renamed.  It is now the James Ross McCain Library (named after the College’s 2nd President).  While I hate to see history erased, I understand the need for new libraries, especially at the college level and this one is historic, handsome and state of the art.  Logic aside, I really would have liked to run by Mr. Carnegie’s library gift from back in the day.