Ross Library Construction

In 1956, Cottey President Dr. Blanche Dow was authorized by the Board of Trustees to have an architect draw up plans for a suitable library building.⁴ Blanche Skiff Ross, niece of P.E.O. co-founder Alice Virginia Coffin, established a fund for the library. Ross's daughters Verna Orndorff and Diane Fennekohl also contributed heavily to the fund. Many other donations from P.E.O. members and chapters bolstered the fund as well.

The laying of the building's cornerstone took place at the P.E.O. Cottey Seminar in September of 1962. The Blanche Skiff Ross Memorial Library was finished the following spring and opened on March 16, 1963.⁵ The Georgian-style building was 27,000 square feet and "completely air-conditioned" ― a novelty at the time.⁴ It was formally dedicated on October 13th of that year, in the presence of its benefactor.¹³

Moving In ― Books or Beer?

An interesting event took place when it came time to move the thousands of books from Main Hall to the new library. All Cottey students were asked to help carry boxes of books across Austin Boulevard to the new library. The trouble was that some of the containers were beer boxes. To passing drivers, it looked like a stream of Cottey girls carrying beer across the street! Needless to say, Cottey received many concerned calls from locals that week.

Study Rooms & Lounges

The three-story library was built for more than just books. On the second floor was the faculty reading room, a soundproof typing room seating eight, and two soundproof "listening rooms" with record players.⁴ Today the latter are equipped with computers and used for writing papers and studying. The faculty reading room has since been turned into a "fun room" with food, drinks, and shelves of popular novels. The defunct typing room is now the Nevada Room, where non-residential Cottey students can hang out.

Conference Room

Also on the second floor is the conference room, where the Cottey Board of Trustees used to meet. This was originally furnished by the Arizona State Chapter in honor of Ruth Rippey, past president of the Supreme Chapter. By the 1970s the conference room's furniture included a large boat-shaped table of "light walnut" with "matching chairs upholstered in Egyptian blue leather."⁴ The "copperlaced enclosed book shelves" along the north wall remain there today. They were once filled with "many books of bygone years," including a collection from past Cottey president Dr. Blanche Dow. Since then, the books have been joined by dolls from around the world, donated by P.E.O.s and alumnae. Another interesting feature are the portraits of P.E.O.'s seven founders that adorn the walls.

Art Gallery and Fries Room

The library's basement originally housed an art gallery and audio-video facilities. The gallery was installed in 1964 and displayed the work of students, faculty, and guest artists.¹ In later years the gallery was repurposed as the periodicals archive. Adjacent to this is the Floy Fries Room, a lecture hall and audio-visual room with seating for 100.⁴ It was made possible by a gift from Mr. Fries in honor of his wife, past president of the Montana State Chapter of the P.E.O. The Fries Room was in use until recently, when severe water damage forced its closure. A second audio-visual room was slated to be stationed next to the Fries Room in 1977, but it is unclear whether this plan came to fruition.

Cottey Archives

Perhaps the most important room in the Ross Library is the Cottey Archives, also known as the "Cottey Historical Room". Originally furnished by the Cottey Alumnae Association, the archives contain a collection of catalogues, annuals, photos, letters, passdowns, and other pieces of college history. (There is even a clandestine box of banned items.)

Changes

In 1977 the library was redecorated and reorganized, again paid for by Blanche Skiff Ross's daughters.¹¹ The entire first floor was carpeted, in part to lessen the echoes of voices and shoes. To make the building feel more spacious, furniture and shelves were rearranged. A new reading area was created at the entrance of the building, and the microfilm and non-current periodicals were moved to the basement. The basement was also carpeted and a dropped ceiling installed, both thanks to P.E.O. dollars. The Fries Room was updated to function as a "modern audio-visual center," and later expanded.

In 1991 the Academic Advising Center was moved from Hinkhouse to a newly remodeled area of the library.¹⁶ It remained there until RBAC was built in 1999, when it found a home in the remodeled Alumnae Hall.

More Photos

Sketch of Ross Library, c.1960.6	The building is impressive at night, c. 1963.13	Library facade, c. 1966.14
Ross Library, c. 1976.4	Library entrance, c. 1976.15	Teri stands with the friendship statue on the side of the library, 1987. (Courtesy Staci Thompson.)
Library entrance after Hanging of the Greens, 2005.		Side of the library in fall, 2005.

Works Cited:

1. Sphinx, The. Yearbook. Nevada, MO: Cottey College, 1965. Print.
2. Stockard, Orpha. Cottey College: The First 75 Years. Joplin, MO: Joplin Printing Co., 1961. Print.
3. Troesch, Helen DeRusha. Life of Virginia Alice Cottey Stockard. Wayside Press, Inc., 1955. Print.
4. Hawkins, Cornelia. "Blanche Skiff Ross Memorial Library." The P.E.O. Record. June 1976: 2-5. Print.
5. "Fifty Years of Progress." The P.E.O. Record. Oct. 1977: 6-10. Print.
6. "Miss Cottey Started Her School in 1884." The P.E.O. Record. Mar. 1969: 17-24. Print.
7. "Cottey College Board of Trustees." The P.E.O. Record. Feb. 1976: 3. Print.
8. Watson, Virginia. "Fine Arts Week at Cottey." The P.E.O. Record. May 1969: 2-5. Print.
9. "Cottey Seminar Summary." The P.E.O. Record. Nov. 1974: 14-16. Print.
10. Cottey Junior College promotional booklet. c. 1940. Print.
11. Tinsley, Dr. Earl. "Adequacy is Not Enough." The P.E.O. Record. Sept. 1977: 7-9. Print.
12. Sphinx, The. Yearbook. Nevada, MO: Cottey College, 1952. Print.
13. Sphinx, The. Yearbook. Nevada, MO: Cottey College, 1964. Print.
14. Sphinx, The. Yearbook. Nevada, MO: Cottey College, 1966. Print.
15. Sphinx, The. Yearbook. Nevada, MO: Cottey College, 1976. Print.
16. McBride, Roberta J. "Easy Summer Livin'? Not at Cottey!" The P.E.O. Record. July-Aug. 1991: 14-15. Print.