Mead Hall

History

Built in 1901, Mead Hall was named for Elizabeth Mead, president from 1890 to 1900, who shaped Mount Holyoke into a leading women's college. Brigham, Safford, Porter and Pearsons were built during her tenure.

The Images

All cards are available with both front and back scans, and comments about what is written on the front or back, either by the user or by the publisher, are included below.

P9096 Mead Hall: front "P9096 Mead Hall Mt. Holyoke College, So. Hadley, Mass." "Photo Underwood & Underwood, NY" Inscription: "This is not the hall I am in. I will send you a card of the one I am in."; back Divided back. Postmarked Dec 15, 1915 7am in South Hadley. "Dear William, I am so sorry to hear that you are sick and hope that you are getting better now. I addressed this card to you a long while ago but didn't write anything on it & now when I heard you were sick I thought you would particularly like some mail. To-day we are separated from the rest of the world. There has been no street cars running out here or no mail has come and the telephone wires are down. We might just as well be in Europe. Love Corinne"
2292 Mead Hall: front "Mead Hall So. Hadley, Mass. 2292"; back Divided back. Flag cancel. Postmarked Aug 26, 1914 11pm in Northampton, Mass. "Northampton, Mass Aug 26 Dear Mrs. Campbell: Rec'd your card, and was suprised [sic] to hear you were at Fishers Island. Supposed you were up in NH. I hope you are improved in health. We have been having a very exciting time here in Northampton. We had a strike on street-cars. Bessie is gone home a week or more now. Kindly remember me to Mr. B. been up spending the day with Kate to-day we went out and spend [sic] the afternoon with Mrs. Walker. She is very pleasantly situated. I remain, yours ..., Mrs. Katherine J. ...."
Mead Hall: front "Mt. Holyoke College Mead Hall So. Hadley, Mass." Inscription "How do you like the new house I have recently purchased? Rhena October 25, 1903." Weak postmark on front - or it could be a bleed-through from the back. I can't quite tell for sure. Blue stamp of "Mead Hall" attempts to disguise misprinted "Wilder Hall" label underneath.; back Private Mailing Card, undivided back. Postmarked October 25, 1903 12 midnight in South Hadley. Transit mark October 26 3pm in Springfield, Mass.
Mead Hall: front "Mead Hall, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Mass."; back Divided back. Published by Robert A. Glesmann, South Hadley, Mass. and the Albertype Co., Brooklyn, NY. Postally unused. Inscription: "Dear Edith: Motored to So. Hadley yesterday. Mildred looks real well. Dined at "College Inn". Send you this souvenir of Old Times. The grounds are beautiful. All the shrubs are in bloom. I am still writing history Printer begins the middle of June. Give my best regards to "Ludia" and my love to the "Graces at #12." Still use my cane. I feel "cabined-confined" would like to stroll more on the "Upper Deck" As Ever, J. E. N."
Mead Hall: front "Mead Hall Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, Mass." Has a 1930s car in the photo.; back Divided back, unused. Published by Robert A. Glesmann, South Hadley, Mass. and The Albertype Co., Brooklyn, NY.
Elizabeth Mead Hall: front "Elizabeth Mead Hall, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Mass."; back Divided back, stamp box, unused. C. A. Gridley & Son. #1127 Made in Germany.
Elizabeth Mead Hall: front "Elizabeth Mead Hall, Mt. Holyoke College, South Hadley, Mass." Inscription: "We need a chaperone. Beulah and Dick"; back Undivided back, postmarked Aug 5, 1907 7:30am in Amherst, Mass. Flag cancel. Transit mark Aug 7, 1907 12:30pm in Plainfield, NJ. Scott photo #650. Addressed to Lillian Maclay.
Elizabeth Mead Hall: front "Elizabeth Mead Hall, Mt. Holyoke College, South Hadley, Mass."; back Undivided back, stamp box, unused.
Elizabeth Mead Hall: front "Elizabeth Mead Hall, Mt. Holyoke College, So. Hadley, Mass."; back Divided back, postmarked Sep 27, 1914 4:30pm in South Hadley. #F3271 Published by A. S. Kinney, South Hadley, Mass. Made in Germany. An Excelsior card. "Dear Clara - This is the hall where I am - on the 1st floor & Dor is on the 4th. I passed ent. exams. in geometry and I was shocked for they were awfully hard I thought. Lots of love to all of you girls. Marj is here just now but she rooms about a mile away. Philena"
Elizabeth Mead Hall: front "Elizabeth Mead Hall, Mt. Holyoke College, South Hadley, Mass." Two crosses inked near far left window on the third floor. Inscription: "These two crosses show my room - Very lovingly - Christine Everts"; back Divided back, stamp box, postmarked Oct 6, 1908 10am in South Hadley. #A4852 Published by A. S. Kinney, South Hadley, Mass. Made in Germany. An Excelsior card. "I am having a lovely time here but I have been frightfully homesick. Mother is coming up to see me tomorrow and I can hardly wait to see her. How are you and everything at the port. C. E."
Elisabeth Mead Hall: front "Elisabeth Mead Hall, Mt. Holyoke College, South Hadley, Mass." Inscription: "Here's where I live right behind the tree. V. E. G."; back Undivided back, stamp box, postmarked Feb 11, 1907 12midnight in South Hadley[?]. Stamp missing. Transit mark Feb 11, 1907 3pm in Holyoke, Mass. #A3382 Published by The Springfield News Company, Springfield, Mass. An Excelsior card.
Elizabeth Mead Hall: front "Elizabeth Mead Hall, Mt. Holyoke College, South Hadley, Mass."; back Undivided back, stamp box, unused.
Elizabeth Mead Hall: front "Elizabeth Mead Hall, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Mass." Two windows next door to each other on the first floor to the left of the entrance are marked with an X and an O.; back Divided back, stamp box, postally unused but inscribed: "The X is the room Charlotte Haywood has this year & the O that of Betty Frease. This is next to the largest hall. Pearsons being the largest. You can see Prospect by the side door. The dean lives here. It looks out on the back door of Rocky & all the ice cream cans etc. - not very pleasant outlook from front but lower lake from back. All the campus houses are brick." C. A. Gridley & Son. #1127 Printed in Germany.
Elizabeth Mead Hall: front "Elizabeth Mead Hall, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Mass." A window on the second floor between the two entrances is marked with an X. Inscription: "I live just above the cross."; back Divided back, postmarked Dec 15, 1914 7?m in South Hadley. #B6086 Published by A. S. Kinney, So. Hadley, Mass. Made in Germany. An Excelsior card. "Sue dear: It is late Wednesday night. I have not written a letter to Father about my Pullman so will not write a letter to you. It is just a week from tonight that I'll eat my first meal at home. We have had an awfully stylish supper party here tonight, the President's reception to the Faculty. I served. These next days will be awfully busy ones now. Had a grand skate last night but it is getting warmer now and the ice is going very fast. I only hope I get thru the Berkshires before it snows. Give my love to all the family. Love for you from R."
H13661 Elizabeth S. Mead Hall: front "Elizabeth S. Mead Hall, Mt. Holyoke College, So. Hadley, Mass." Hand colored.; back Divided back, stamp box, postmarked Jun 12, 1912 5:30pm in South Hadley. #H13661 The Robbins Bros. Co., Boston, Mass and Germany. "Greetings Miss H. J. Stevenson"
Elizabeth Mead Hall: front "Elizabeth Mead Hall, Mt. Holyoke College, South Hadley, Mass."; back Undivided back, stamp box, unused.
Mead Hall: front Untitled view of Mead.; back Divided back, unused. "Mead Hall, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massachusetts" Published by Mount Holyoke College Bookstore, South Hadley, Mass. and The Albertype Co., Brooklyn, NY.
Mead Hall: front "Mt. Holyoke College Mead Hall So. Hadley, Mass." Inscription "Another dormitory - around the side where the [arrow] is lives Eveline Lyle & Faith Kelton, two of about the truest finest friends I have in college. This is about the prettiest hall in many ways on the campus - the dining room especially is very attractive. Back of this is a big hill, where for the last wk. you could have seen girls coasting on dust pans & chafing dish trays -" According to an article in the Holyoke Daily Transcript and Telegram on May 8, 1937, coasting on brooms was a recognized method of recreation in early seminary days. Blue stamp of "Mead Hall" attempts to disguise misprinted "Wilder Hall" label underneath.; back Private Mailing Card, undivided back. Bad crease from top to bottom.
Elizabeth Mead Hall: front "Elizabeth Mead Hall, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Mass."; back Divided back, unused. Published by A. S. Kinney, South Hadley, Mass. and The Albertype Co., Brooklyn, NY.
Mead Hall: front "Mt. Holyoke College Mead Hall So. Hadley, Mass." Inscription "Dear Adeline Will you tell your mother not to come this week to my house but come next week in haste M. Easton" Blue stamp of "Mead Hall" attempts to disguise misprinted "Wilder Hall" label underneath.; back Private Mailing Card, undivided back. Postmarked Jul 10, 1906 in Westfield, Mass. Flag cancel with "1" in the banner.
Mead Hall: front Untitled 1950s view of Mead.; back Divided back, postmarked Jan 13, 1964 3pm in South Hadley. "Mead Hall Mt. Holyoke College South Hadley, Mass." Photo by Bob Grenier. #MA-1357 Published by Bromley and Company. Also numbered #54279. "Jan 11, '63 (Study break) Success! (Yale) love, Gretchen"
Mead Hall: front "Mead Hall, Mt. Holyoke College, South Hadley, Mass."; back Divided back, postmarked Oct 2, 1918 5:30pm in South Hadley. Published by C. A. Gridley & Son, South Hadley. "This is my front door. My room is on the other side. Mead is supposed to be one of the best halls. The dean lives here, and the minister comes here Sunday, and all the distinguished guests of the college room here. It is said to have better food than any of the other dorms. Catharine"
Elizabeth Mead Hall: front "Elizabeth Mead Hall, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Mass." Note the "X" on the first floor window to the left of the front porch.; back Divided back, postmarked Sep 23 [1920] 10am in South Hadley. C. A. Gridley & Son. #1127 Made in Germany. "We arrived safely and on time with lots of other college girls. Nice to see everybody again. My room is on first floor Mead, - I've marked the window. Am writing this with a fountain pen I just bought. Lots of love Jean Thurs."
Mead Hall: front "Mt. Holyoke College Mead Hall So. Hadley, Mass." Inscription "I am sending you these cards to remind you that I am still in existence and havent forgotten the letter I owe you. E. A. P. August 4, 1905" Blue stamp of "Mead Hall" attempts to disguise misprinted "Wilder Hall" label underneath.; back Private Mailing Card, undivided back, postmarked Aug 5, 1905 5pm in South Walpole, Mass. Transit mark Aug 5, 1905 5:30pm in Walpole, Mass.
Elizabeth Mead Hall: front "Elizabeth Mead Hall, Mt. Holyoke College, South Hadley, Mass."; back Divided back, stamp box (stamp missing), postmarked Jun 17, 1908 12noon in South Hadley. #A4852 Published by A. S. Kinney, South Hadley, Mass. Made in Germany. An Excelsior card. "Having a good time home tomorrow. This is the house I am living in. L. C. S."