Kendall Hall plaque returns home

The building plaque for one of the campus’ original structures, which was uncovered recently after mysteriously disappearing, has been restored and returned to its original home.

Words by TCNJ's editorial staff

Last spring, we told readers about the mysterious reappearance of the plaque made to honor the namesake of one campus’ original buildings (“The curious case of the Kendall Hall plaque,” June 2012). At that time, the 80-year-old bronze marker, which presumably had been hung prior to the hall’s dedication in June 1932, had been discovered in items marked for the trash. No one we spoke to on campus could seem to remember where the plaque had once hung or why and when it had been taken down.

Dale Simon, theatre coordinator and technical director for Kendall’s Main Stage Theatre, contacted us recently with an update. It seems Emeritus Professor Hal Hogstrom wrote Simon to say he recalled seeing the sign mounted outside of Kendall. “I suspect it was

removed due to the construction of the ADA ramp, which covered its original location,” said Simon.

There is a happy ending of sorts to the story, Simon added. TCNJ facilities operations staff restored the plaque and installed it Kendall’s main lobby last semester. “Pete Ratzlaff of facilities was instrumental in this project, and he and his crew did amazing work to recover this part of our shared campus history,” said Simon.