Dr. George C. S. Benson and Dr. Mabel Benson developed the intellectual framework for CMC
“Our effort is not to do away with theory but rather, following scientific method, to secure better theory by the constant checking of our principles against the facts of the political and economic world.”
—President George C. S. Benson
Professor of international economics became a major promoter of CMC
Among the many distinguished faculty whom CMC President George C. S. Benson recruited in the first four years of the College was Jacob Anton de Haas.
CMC began in 1946 with one building, 15 acres, and great expectations
Seventy-five years ago, 86 students and seven faculty members opened a new “undergraduate school for men” in Claremont, Calif. The new college’s purpose was clear: “to prepare future leaders of private and public enterprise through a distinctive liberal arts curriculum.”
Collins Dining Hall offers more than food for thought
By 1955, it had been realized for some time that the dining area in Story House was inadequate for the college, and substantial gifts for a new dining hall started coming in. The new dining hall was part of the Tenth Anniversary Building Program, which was budgeted at $800,000 and brought nine major construction or improvement projects over the next five years.
Donald McKenna’s legacy lives on
A linguistic scholar, savvy entrepreneur, and benevolent philanthropist, Donald McKenna played a significant role in the establishment of Claremont Men’s College in 1946. As one of the first trustees, McKenna initiated support for a third college, the college that would become Claremont McKenna, and remained a generous contributor to the College for the rest of his life.
Social and Intellectual Life at the Athenaeum: 1980-89
Marian Miner Cook and the Gala Opening: 1983
On March 5, 1980, McKenna produced another missive about the Athenaeum project. The total project involved $2 million for the building and $4 million for the endowment. McKenna had already pledged a $2 million matching gift.
Donald McKenna’s Idea for the Athenaeum: 1968
Jil Stark ’58 GP’11 shares some personal history with Jack Stark ’57 GP’11
I arrived at Scripps College on a Saturday in the Fall of 1954. I traveled from China, where I was born. I was just 17 years old, wearing my school uniform, socks, and loafers. My trunk had been mislaid, so the next day I still had on the same clothes I had worn for two days while traveling.
The first faculty members accelerated the new College’s momentum
Claremont McKenna College was off to a phenomenal start in 1946. Within four months of the College’s opening and while he was teaching at the Harvard Summer School, CMC President George C. S. Benson recruited the founding faculty members.
