The Cavalier Daily 17 May 1957: 2

From Jefferson Hall

As a complete shock to the Jefferson Society, it was noticed by a passer-by the other day that Jefferson Hall was being renovated by the University. This is certainly a welcome and much needed gift from the University, but it does seem that the men in charge of the renovation might have discussed their plans with the organization which uses the hall every week and considered certain recommendations from the Society's officers.

As the architect for the project is out of town, no official plans are available, but the Building and Grounds Department has given us some idea of what the renovated hall will look like.

Jefferson Hall, which has been used by the Society since 1837, will be completely done over along lines which are in keeping with Jeffersonian architecture.

A new semi-circular speaker's stand with three steps leading to the rostrum will be erected at the back of the hall. In front of this a long railing will stretch across the room. The walls will be replastered and the floors refinished. A color scheme for the hall has not yet been decided on.

The tentative plans for lighting call for a chandelier in the middle of the room and indirect lighting at the cornices. No mention has been made concerning the furnishings.

According to present plans, the workmen will be finished by September.

The meeting tonight will be held in Madison Hall at which time the annual Benjamin C. Moomaw Oratorical Contest will be held. The public is invited to attend.

Also at the meeting tonight, members of the probationary class will be elected into membership, and nominations will be made for president of the Society. The elections will be held next week.

The Jefferson Society was recently privileged to have Mr. William Faulkner address the membership. The program was no different in form from Mr. Faulkner's characteristic meetings with the public: a brief reading from one of his works, followed by a question-and-answer period. The atmosphere, however, was very far from the strained and formal air that has marked most of Mr. Faulkner's public appearances here. Perhaps the size of the crowd had something to do with it – there were about thirty-five members present – or perhaps Mr. Faulkner was just in a particularly fine fettle. In any case, the members were treated to an excellent presentation of Faulkner the man. As one member of the audience remarked after the meeting, "I realized that Faulkner was a human being!"

Mr. Faulkner read an episode from his recent novel, The Town. This was followed by an introductory remark that set the tone for the meeting: "Well, I guess there ain't nobody here that don't want to be here." This was said in his familiar Mississippi accent, punctuated with a puff on his equally familiar pipe. The Society responded to his informal tone with questions on a conversational level and received in reply colorful anecdotes from his career, not entirely reprintable here. The most serious aspects of the writer were also brought out. Mr. Faulkner made the interesting observation that the work is more important than the author and should be considered apart.

Mr. Faulkner was presented with a copy of the "Writer in Residence" issue of the Spectator, which he had not yet seen. When asked if he recognized the caricature on the cover, he answered, "Yes." No further comment was available. He then shook hands with several members of his enthusiastic audience and left, escorted by his ever-vigilant protectors from the English department.

©1957 The Cavalier Daily