The Fountain in Front of Old Main

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

The fountain is one of the most iconic, and most photographed, places on the Shippensburg University campus. The cast-iron fountain designed by the J.W. Fiske Company of New York City was donated by the Class of 1896 at the time of their graduation. The fountain has seen many different uses over its long history. President Dr. Samuel Martin’s children, Emily and Drew, enjoyed swimming in the fountain on hot summer days, it was a favorite meeting spot, and also was, and still is, a regular spot for portraits and group pictures.

Images

A beautiful photograph of the fountain on a post card.

A traditional freshman dink.

The name tag all freshmen wore around their necks.

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

Besides being a location for pictures, this place was were many students used this place to meet as well as hang out. During the Vietnam War, students would organize anti-war protests at the Army War College in Carlisle. They would meet at the fountain before carpooling to Carlisle.

In past years, when the fountain was emptied for the winter, the school used to decorate it as a Christmas tree.

Freshmen were not allowed to hang out near the fountain during their first semester. This was supposedly meant to give freshmen a greater love for the fountain in their following year as a student.

It was much easier to tell who was a freshmen - first year students from the 1930s until 1971 would wear a beanie, known as a Dink, Black bow-ties, Black socks, and large sign proclaiming them a freshman that would hang around their neck. Freshmen had to wear these until the Homecoming game or face a punishment.

These first year students could also be stopped by the upperclassmen and could be asked questions regarding the school. If they could not answer correctly, they would then be thrown into the fountain.

The Fountain in Front of Old Main

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Additional Information