2008 Woodie Awards
Chase Center a dream come true
Sherri Daus
Issue date: 11/7/02 Section: Features
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Lucius P. Chase Center, home of the science and math departments, arose out of a need for more space and better equipment, and was designed by three intrepid Lakeland College faculty members who knew exactly what they wanted.
Allen Wangemann, museum curator and head of museum research; William Welti, academic dean and head of the biology department; and Dr. David Rath, professor of general chemistry conspired with a Milwaukee architect to design a building that would fulfill the needs of faculty and students alike, and the Chase center was born.
Implementation of the plan, however, wasn't going to be easy. With a budget of only $250,000, there was concern over whether the job could be done for such a small amount. Lucius P. Chase, member of the Board of Trustees, rose to the occasion and offered a solution--he would donate enough money to increase the amount to $1 million.
"With a great deal of zeal and intelligence, [Chase] went ahead and convinced the board to accept the idea," recalled Wangemann.
On May 10, 1968, the new science and math building was dedicated, with Dr. Ralph Ley, chairman of Lakeland College, and John Morland, former president, officiating the ceremony. The center consisted of 13 student labs, 5 research labs, 4 lecture rooms, an auditorium that seated 210 people, 3 seminar rooms, 10 private offices, a darkroom, a radio counting room (the science department was working with radioactive isotopes), and an instrumentation room. Also in the building were a greenhouse, a sterilization room, and a walk-in incubator and cold room. A science library was housed in the basement, along with the museum, a ventilated live animal room, and a hot isotopes storage room.
The concrete panels on the outside, formed with strange designs, were designed in dedication to each of the departments. The chemical panel depicts two flasks and symbols from the time of Delton, a famous chemist. Math is depicted by geometric shapes, and the physics panel contains a fulcrum and a prism connected with abstract lines showing the division of light. Biology is represented by a sunburst, the symbol for the ultimate source of energy, and a benzene ring, which is the main structure for most biochemical compounds. Also included on the panel are the sex symbols representing male and female.
Allen Wangemann, museum curator and head of museum research; William Welti, academic dean and head of the biology department; and Dr. David Rath, professor of general chemistry conspired with a Milwaukee architect to design a building that would fulfill the needs of faculty and students alike, and the Chase center was born.
Implementation of the plan, however, wasn't going to be easy. With a budget of only $250,000, there was concern over whether the job could be done for such a small amount. Lucius P. Chase, member of the Board of Trustees, rose to the occasion and offered a solution--he would donate enough money to increase the amount to $1 million.
"With a great deal of zeal and intelligence, [Chase] went ahead and convinced the board to accept the idea," recalled Wangemann.
On May 10, 1968, the new science and math building was dedicated, with Dr. Ralph Ley, chairman of Lakeland College, and John Morland, former president, officiating the ceremony. The center consisted of 13 student labs, 5 research labs, 4 lecture rooms, an auditorium that seated 210 people, 3 seminar rooms, 10 private offices, a darkroom, a radio counting room (the science department was working with radioactive isotopes), and an instrumentation room. Also in the building were a greenhouse, a sterilization room, and a walk-in incubator and cold room. A science library was housed in the basement, along with the museum, a ventilated live animal room, and a hot isotopes storage room.
The concrete panels on the outside, formed with strange designs, were designed in dedication to each of the departments. The chemical panel depicts two flasks and symbols from the time of Delton, a famous chemist. Math is depicted by geometric shapes, and the physics panel contains a fulcrum and a prism connected with abstract lines showing the division of light. Biology is represented by a sunburst, the symbol for the ultimate source of energy, and a benzene ring, which is the main structure for most biochemical compounds. Also included on the panel are the sex symbols representing male and female.