George Croll Baum: Building A Greater Gettysburg

Abstract

On November 16th, 1926 George Croll Baum died. In Gettysburg, Pennsylvania the local newspaper covered his death. The Gettysburgian, the paper for Gettysburg College reported that Henry W.A. Hanson, the college president, was “deeply distressed and further noted that Baum\u27s death \u27touched the hearts of all that knew him with deep regret.\u27 Within a month Dr. Hanson had already ordered three memorial plaques to be placed on the campus. Baum\u27s family tried to help pay for them. Hanson refused the money. In a correspondence with Baum‟s brother about the plaques, Hanson told him, “What I did for your brother George was a service of love to him.” One of these plaques was placed in the main entrance to the Gettysburg College Eddie Plank Memorial Gym, where it remains today. But who was George Baum, this man whose death greatly affected Gettysburg College? If one were to search the Appendices of Charles Glatfelter‟s seminal history of Gettysburg College, among the list of faculty and trustees one will find no reference to George Baum, although three other Baums--George‟s father, brother and nephew--are in the list of trustees. Baum was in fact the architect for Gettysburg College from 1914-1926, during a career which saw the construction of four major college buildings still standing today, as well as work on numerous smaller projects. [excerpt] Course Information: Course Title: HIST 300: Historical Method Academic Term: Spring 2010 Course Instructor: Dr. Michael J. Birkner \u2772 Hidden in Plain Sight is a collection of student papers on objects that are hidden in plain sight around the Gettysburg College campus. Topics range from the Glatfelter Hall gargoyles to the statue of Eisenhower and from historical markers to athletic accomplishments. You can download the paper in pdf format and click View Photo to see the image in greater detail.https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/hiddenpapers/1002/thumbnail.jp