For nearly 40 years, some of Dartmouth's most prized works of art have been covered by wooden boards and left to gradually deteriorate. In 1964, as the College was evolving from its Protestant roots into a more secular institution, stained glass windows created by Louis Tiffany and several other well-renowned artisans were thought to be too religious for the newly non-denominational Rollins Chapel. The College decided to cover the glass when it renovated the Chapel that year, and no one has seen the windows since.
The time is now to take down the boards and restore Rollins Chapel to its original beauty.
Because of Rollins' role as a non-denominational religious meeting place for students of all faiths, some have questioned the appropriateness of allowing Christian imagery to be displayed prominently in the Chapel. These reservations are valid, and we do not suggest that those celebrating Jewish or Muslim services be forced to do so underneath a stained glass Jesus. However, there is room for compromise.
Earlier this week Student Assembly succeeded in finding a way to bring together both sides of the dispute for the sake of further investigation into the feasibility of such a project. Some of the boards will be temporarily removed for the purpose of assessing the state of the artwork, and renovation could proceed after approval from the College. As part of the deal, members of Hillel and other interested organizations will be allowed to view the windows prior to any restoration, and measures would likely be taken to construct moveable frosted glass partitions to cover the windows during non-Christian services.
Nobody is really quite sure what lies behind the wooden boards because they haven't seen the light of day in so long, but there is a great deal of interest in the art community to find out. It is very possible that funds for the project could be raised from national art organizations to cover the possible $80,000 or $90,000 project. And there is no sense in keeping such a treasure hidden.
It is important to note that all the other Ivy League schools have non-denominational chapels with religious imagery intact from years ago. This is not a case of erecting a cross on the Green; it is simply a move to restore a lost beauty to the campus.
Let's take down the boards and find out what's behind them.
