Venard Chinese Characters Chinese writing on Jackson Hall.

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For a text version of the story:
[Click] ChineseCharacters.pdf

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The following is from:
Sharon Gardoski, M.S.L.S.
Associate Professor, Library Director
Murphy Memorial Library

Input from Dr. Jim Lytle, president of Clarks Summit University:

"Yes, there were Chinese characters on Jackson Hall. They were on both sides of the OSD porch - that's the north end of the building. When I was out on the porch once, I was surprised to see gold glyphs barely visible through a covering of maroon paint. They were hard to see from the ground.

Trustee emerita Ruth Trott had served in Hong Kong. I asked her to take a look and try to translate. Ruth said that she could make out just enough to see that one of them probably said something to the effect that "knowledge is the gateway to light." Because of the paint covering some of the details, she was not highly confident. She couldn't read the other one.

I left for a couple weeks' vacation in the summer of 2014, and to my chagrin someone painted them over with gray paint while I was away. I have not tried to find anyone who might be able to remove the 2 layers of paint without damaging the letters underneath. I have gone through some archival photos, hoping to find a picture of the north end of the building. So far that search didn't turn anything up."

I took this photo today (9/29/23). You can see the gray areas Dr. Lytle identified:



More information:
[Click] Maryknoll Archives (archivist Trevor Polasek)

More pictures from Ray Voith

Chinese Characters in Rotunda



Phil Grimes, Gene Gorrel, Jay, Bob Herbert, Ray Gleason (class of 1965)



Other views of Rotunda





North end of building (Characters on 2 vertical strips)