photo of Denise Gallant at KZSC in 1977
At the Cowell Press, student artisans create timeless works using illustration, poetry, and a hand-operated letterpress. (Photo by Elena Zhukova)

In what used to be a provost’s garage there is a workshop where students practice centuries-old techniques of typography and printing. At Cowell College’s printing press, traditional metal typefaces and wooden forms give prose and poetry physical heft. A gift from Pat and Rowland Rebele will preserve the Cowell Press as a refreshing throwback to a pre-digital age. The enjoyment of poetry will also continue in perpetuity with the George Hitchcock Modern Poetry Fund, which supports public performances and readings for students and the broader community to enjoy. Charles Dickens, one of the 19th century’s most beloved voices, will continue to incite scholarship beyond misty summers at the Dickens Universe, thanks to an endowed chair in the literature department. A grant from the Mellon Foundation will support graduate student training and mentorships. And it will fund public talks on questions that matter—like how anger can affect an election and the role of play in our lives. A planned gift will support the Department of History to continue the exploration and understanding of the past.

Key support provided by George Hitchcock, John Jordan, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Linda Peterson (Stevenson ’70, history), Roland and Patricia Rebele, Tilly Shaw, Marjorie Simon, and Michael Stern.