ACADEMICS

Geology Consortium

Pomona joined in a unique consortium of geology departments from 10 liberal arts colleges across the country, including such sister institutions as Amherst, Carleton and Smith, sponsoring a series of faculty exchanges and cooperative student-faculty research.

CAMPUS

Holmes Hall Demolition Delayed

After two structural analyses determined that Holmes Hall was structurally unsafe, the decision was made to demolish the structure, which had been built in 1893 as Pomona’s first classroom building, and plans were begun to carry out the demolition in the summer of 1987. However, opposition by the city of Claremont forced the matter into the courts, and the building wasn’t demolished until 1990, after the College received a favorable ruling from the California Supreme Court.

EVENTS

Pomona’s Centennial

In 1987, Pomona launched a year-long celebration of its centennial, with two Founders Day convocations on Oct. 13 and 14, to which representatives of colleges and universities associated with the founders and first faculty were invited. The principal speaker was Kingman Brewster, former President of Yale University and current Master of University College, Oxford University.

Stories from the First Century

“Our Pomona: Stories from the First Century,” an original play celebrating the centennial anniversary of the College, was presented in October. The play was drawn from unpublished letters, manuscripts and transcripts of oral history tapes and interviews, as well as articles printed over the past 100 years in various College publications. Information for the play was compiled by Pomona theatre students under the direction of professors Thomas Leabhart and Brian Stonehill.

Teen Wolf and Beaches

Two very different films used Pomona as a backdrop during 1987. Actor Jason Bateman starred in Teen Wolf Too, one of only a handful of films ever filmed entirely on the Pomona College campus. Pomona also provided sets for the drama Beaches, starring Barbara Hershey and Bette Middler.

ATHLETICS

Seventh Top-Three Finish

The women’s swimming team finished second in the NCAA Division III Championships, the seventh straight year that it earned a top-three finish nationally (three second place, four third place).

CONSORTIUM

Honnold and Mudd Libraries Joined

A new, 32,000-square foot library addition was completed, combining Mudd and Honnold Libraries into the 353-foot-long complex known today as Honnold/Mudd Library.

EVENTS

Twyla Tharp

The nationally acclaimed dancer and choreographer Twyla Tharp, who attended Pomona for three semesters before finishing her degree at Barnard College, was the featured speaker at Pomona’s 94th annual commencement exercises.

Yevgeny Yevtushenko

Russian poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko, whom The New York Times called “possibly the world’s most famous living poet,” gave a poetry reading in Lyman Hall in April.

Frank Wells

Frank Wells ’53, president and chief operating officer of The Walt Disney Company and co-author of Seven Summits, a chronicle of his 1983 attempt to scale the highest mountain on each of the seven continents, was the featured speaker at Pomona College’s Class Day.

ELSEWHERE

American Motors Corporation was acquired by the Chrysler Corporation.

During a visit to West Berlin, President Ronald Reagan challenged Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall.

Iraqi warplanes dropped mustard gas bombs on the Iranian town of Sardasht.