Text:

Translation:

Location: Branford College, Courtyard Entryway K (Formerly Evarts Entry in the Memorial Quadrangle), 74 High Street

Commentary:

This Latin inscription is located above an entryway that had been Evarts’ Entry, named after William Maxwell Evarts, who graduated from Yale in 1837 and became U.S. Secretary of State and Leader of the American Bar Association. Today, it stands above Branford Courtyard Entryway K as a memorial dedicated to student workers who helped build the Memorial Quadrangle. In the summer of 1920, amid worker strikes and shortages, labor was scarce to complete the project as planned. To fill in this gap, low-income students who needed to work to pay for their education worked on the construction teams. Architect James Gamble Rogers’ superintendent, George Nichols, sketched the structure, and a stonecutter chiseled the design directly into the stone walls of the Memorial Quadrangle.

From a distance, the text and the frieze are difficult to discern. Upon closer inspection, it depicts four men with tools. Knee-deep in the dirt, two men are digging with shovels, one is holding a pickaxe, and another is hauling away debris, all working together to build the foundation of the Quadrangle, the place where they and others would study the liberal arts. In the foreground is an image of a glass window bordered by elm trees (which lined New Haven streets), their leafy branches adorning the window’s arch. This window also functions as an actual four-paned window on the building structure. In the background, there is wooden scaffolding visible and two tower structures in the Quadrangle – the one on the left is the gatehouse of Calliope Court, which adjoins Branford Courtyard, and the one on the right is Saybrook College’s Wrexham Tower (based on St. Giles Church in Wrexham, Wales; Elihu Yale is buried in the churchyard).

This stone carving marks one of the few places Yale student workers’ contributions are recognized – although anonymously. Yale’s Office of the Secretary published an official English translation, which emphasizes the students’ “contribution” to “erecting these buildings.” This obscures the physical labor of the individual students who actively participated in the building process. Their names were not memorialized in the records of this inscription, their contributions remain forgotten. Tragically, some workers died while constructing the Quadrangle, and this inscription is their only memorial.

Sources:

French, Robert Dudley. 1929. The Memorial Quadrangle: A Book about Yale: Including Biographies of Forty-three Eminent Yale Men written by various hands. Yale University Press: 125, 390. Online here.

Office of the Secretary. 1963. Yale Memorials. Yale University. Online here.

Editor: Sophie Foster, December 7, 2023

Text:

In memoriam Josephi Battell qui die XVII Apr. A.D. MDCCCVI
natus mortuus est VIII Jul. A.D. MDCCCLXXIV
Eum et reverenter coluisse deum et alienis utilitatibus
penitus studuisse semper sit documento hæc aedes
sacra
Neque minus in memoria est tenenda dilecta illius soror
Irene Larned Guilielmi Augusti Larned uxor quae
vitam suam suavissimis quasi morum harmoniis et
fide plenam ad exitum perduxit die V Maii A.D. MDCCCLXXVII
annos nata LXV

Translation:

In memory of Joseph Battell, who was born on the 17th day of April in the year of our Lord 1806, and who died on the 8th day of July in the year of our Lord 1874.

May this holy chapel always serve as proof that he both worshiped God reverently and dedicated himself deeply to the common good.

And no less must his dear sister Irene Larned be held in memory, wife of William Augustus Larned, who conducted her life as if full of faith and sweetest harmonies of character, until its end on the 5th day of May in the year of our Lord 1877; she lived for 65 years.

Location: Battell Chapel, 400 College Street

Commentary:

Battell Chapel was constructed between the years 1874-1876. It was named after Joseph Battell (1774-1841) by his son Joseph Battell (1806-1874); it is the latter Joseph Battell who is named in this dedicatory inscription. An enthusiast of sacred music, Joseph Battell the younger first gifted $5,000 to the support of sacred music at Yale, and later gifted another $35,000. Having passed away in 1874, he left $50,000 in his will for the construction of the chapel.

Irene Larned (née Battell) was the sister of Joseph Battell and the husband of William Augustus Larned, a theologian and professor of rhetoric and English literature at Yale. After moving to New Haven, Irene Larned helped found two organizations dedicated to the performance of music in New Haven, the New Haven County Musical Association and the Mendelssohn Society of New Haven. Larned was herself a musician and sang soprano solos in the oratorios performed by these musical organizations. She also donated to Yale’s 1854 sacred music fund, and in particular supported the acquisition of music books and the maintenance of the Battell Chapel organ.

The church has its own website with translations of all inscriptions found in the building, including this one. The website is linked here.

Sources:

Yale Chaplain’s Office: History of Battell Chapel

Dexter, Frederick Bowditch. 1892. A Catalogue, with Descriptive Notices, of the Portraits, Busts, Etc., Belonging to Yale University. New Haven: Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor. pp. 6–7.

Lotto, Adrienne. 2019. “Irene Battell Larned, Champion of Music at Yale.”

Editor: Ava Dadvand, December 10, 2023

Text:

The people shall be troubled at midnight and pass away.

At high noon, just from, and about to renew
her daily work, in her full strength of
body and mind,
Mary E. Hart,
having fallen prostrate,
remained unconscious, until she died at midnight.
October 15, 1872.
Born December 16, 1824.

Location: Evergreen Cemetery, 769 Ella T Grasso Blvd, New Haven, CT
Evergreen Avenue, Plot 50, Grave 4

Commentary:

Any self-respecting book, website, or blog post documenting ghost stories and legends of Connecticut will doubtless have an entry on Mary E. Hart, popularly known as Midnight Mary. While nothing actually is known about Mary or her death, legend has it that she was a seamstress who lived an unremarkable life in the Winthrop Street neighborhood just east of Evergreen Cemetery. At the age of 47 she suddenly fell ill in such a way that she appeared dead to her family, who believing she was dead had her buried by midnight. However, the next night Mary’s aunt had a dream of Mary begging for help from her grave, alive. Forthwith the family had her exhumed and found Mary indeed dead, but with a panicked expression on her face and bloodied fingers from trying to scratch her way out of the coffin. In other words, her family had inadvertently buried her alive.

The inscription above Mary’s biography, “the people shall be troubled at midnight and pass away,” has fueled legends of Midnight Mary to this day. The line, a quote from Job 34:20 that acknowledges the death of the rich and poor alike, has been reinterpreted as a curse: those who trespass on her grave after midnight shall be punished. Stories tell of visitors—especially students at universities in the area—who violated the curse dying by impalement on the cemetery’s fence, slit throats, or traffic accident, falling down stairs, or simply disappearing.

As we can see, people continue to leave offerings for Midnight Mary, reinforcing the fact that legend can have more power than reality.

Bibliography:

Philips, D. E. 1992. Legendary Connecticut: Traditional Tales from the Nutmeg State. Curbstone Press: 232-236.

Editor: James F. Patterson, November 10, 2024

the seal of Yale College

Text:

LUX ET VERITAS
SIGILL COLL YALEN NOV PORT NOV ANGL

Translation:

Light and Truth
The Seal of Yale College, New Haven, New England

Location: Schwarzman Center, Rotunda, 168 Grove Street

Commentary:

This inscription is inscribed on the shield of a soldier wearing a helmet. This soldier is carved into a flat wall, which is white marble, with this figure protruding only slightly from the background. This is located in the Memorial Hall, which “honors Yale students and faculty who gave their lives in armed conflicts dating back to the Revolutionary War, must be preserved and respected. The committee hopes that the space can be enhanced with cleaning of the marble, new lighting, and explication of the lives honored” (Report to Yale President Peter Salovey, 36).

The soldier memorial bas-relief is dedicated to and commemorates soldiers or military personnel who graduated from Yale University, particularly those who sacrificed their lives in the Spanish American War & Philippine insurrection. Positioned on two adjacent walls, the right side serves as a backdrop, presenting a listing of casualties from the ‘SPANISH AMERICAN WAR & PHILIPPINE INSURRECTION,’ ‘WAR OF 1812,’ and ‘WAR WITH MEXICO.’ On the left, the continuation of the Spanish American War & Philippine Insurrection casualties unfolds, each name accompanied by their Yale graduation year, military title, location, and date of death. In particular, most of the year of death matches the year of the Spanish American War (1898). In this regard, this bar-relief soldier whose shield has the Latin inscription should be understood as a memorial to honor the sacrifices, services and bravery of individuals who have served and died in the military in the Spanish American War & Philippine Insurrection.

This bas-relief soldier, bearing a Latin inscription on the shield, stands as a poignant memorial, honoring Yale alumni’s sacrifices, service, and valor in the Spanish American War & Philippine Insurrection. This soldier can be understood as a visual representation of respect and gratitude, evoking a profound acknowledgment for those who dedicated their lives to the United States armed forces.

The soldier is shown naked, wearing a helmet, holding a sword, wearing sandals, and holding a military robe. Right above the soldier, there is an English inscription that reads, “Courage Disdains Fame and Wins it.” The Latin inscription on the shield of the soldier is translated as “Light and Truth,” which is Yale’s motto. Based on the list of those killed in battle adjacent to the soldier, this inscription can suggest that those memorialized in the battle – the Spanish American War – fought for the “Light and Truth” of the world, embodying the principles encapsulated in Yale’s enduring motto.

The circular inscription in the arched ceiling surrounding the Latin inscription reads, “SIGILL: COLL: YALEN: NOV: PORT: NOV: ANGL:” – a series of abbreviations translating to “The Seal of Yale College, New Haven, New England.” In the center is the seal itself, bearing Yale’s motto in both Latin and Hebrew (אוריםוהמים), meaning “Light and Truth.” (See YCI 1.)  In this regard, the Latin inscription “Light and Truth” can be understood as an official emblem or design that represents Yale, conveying the values, traditions, and history of Yale University, particularly commemorating Yale alumni—students and faculty—who gave their lives at the Spanish American War for “Light and Truth” of the world.

The soldier memorial bas-relief is one of the four distinct bas-reliefs adorning the Memorial Hall. The other three reliefs are 1) a female figure, positioned to the left of the soldier memorial bas-relief, holding a sandglass, accompanied by the inscription, “Memory here guards ennobled names,” 2) another female figure, holding both a baby and a symbolic leaf, above whom the inscription reads, “Peace Crowns Their Act of Sacrifice,” situated diagonally of the soldier memorial bas-relief and 3) a male figure, positioned on the opposite side of the soldier memorial bas-relief, holding a flag and wearing a cloak above whom the inscription reads, “DEVOTION GIVES A SANCTITY TO STRIFE.” The 2) and 3) are to commemorate Yale students and faculty who gave their lives in the War of Revolution.

These four reliefs are meticulously crafted to commemorate Yale students and faculty who sacrificed their lives during the War. Notably, while all the reliefs share this commemorative purpose, it is intriguing to observe that only the soldier memorial bas-relief bears both Latin and Hebrew inscriptions, proudly displaying Yale’s motto, ‘Light and Truth.’ Consequently, the soldier memorial bas-relief can be comprehended in its entirety as a profound representation of homage to Yale students and faculty who made the ultimate sacrifice in armed conflicts, unified by the guiding principles encapsulated in Yale’s motto.

See also Lux et Veritas (YCI 10)

External Links:

• The Seal of Yale College
• Schwarzman Center Virtual Tour
• The Schwarzman Center Advisory Committee, Report to Yale President Peter Salovey, December 2015

Editor: Rachel Park, December 19, 2023

Text:

Translation:

Location: Osborn Memorial Laboratories, 165 Prospect Street

Commentary:

Medium is chisel into Longmeadow sandstone, with material removed around to create raised letters. Font style is a variation of blackletter, evoking the medieval inscriptions of Oxford and Cambridge. The inscription is at eye level to the right of the Gothic Revival entry archway to Osborn Memorial Laboratories, consisting of two connected wings stretching along Sachem Street and Prospect Street. Charles C. Haight designed the laboratories to resemble the structure of the Alumni Hall, a twin-turreted structure demolished in 1911 in the location of Lanman Wright Hall. Osborn Memorial Laboratories was originally home to Yale’s Biology and Zoology departments and, along with the adjacent Sloane Physics Laboratory, was one of the first two buildings constructed after Yale purchased Sachem’s Wood, an estate owned by the Hillhouse family.

The inscription commemorates Miriam Osborn, a wealthy philanthropist and benefactor to the university. Born Miriam Trowbridge, Mrs. Osborn was widowed in 1885 upon the death of her husband Charles, a wealthy stock broker, leaving her with a fortune of approximately $5,000,000. Upon visiting Yale and learning about its educational mission, Mrs. Osborn donated over $150,000 to commemorate her husband with the construction of the now-demolished Osborn Hall, a facility of recitation rooms which was located at the corner of College and Chapel Streets. Other philanthropic endeavors of Mrs. Osborn included the construction of The Osborn, a senior-living community in Rye, New York. Mrs. Osborn died in New York in 1891 after an extended battle with illness, leaving funds for the university in her will.

front gate of Osborn Memorial Laboratories

Bibliography:

“Charles J. Osborn to Retire.” The New York Times, The New York Times, April 2,1884. Online here.

Daniel. “Osborn Memorial Laboratories, Yale University (1913).” Historic Buildings of Connecticut, May 28, 2013. Online here.

“Osborn Memorial Labs.” Giordano Construction. Online here.

“The New Recitation Hall at Yale.” News | The Harvard Crimson. December 5, 1889. Online here.

“The Yale Daily News, 17 March 1891.” The Yale Daily News 17 March 1891 – Yale Daily News Historical Archive. Online here.

Editor: Cael McCullum, December 16, 2023

Text:

: COLL : YALEN : NOV : PORT : NOV : ANGL : SIGILL :
1643 1721
ELIHU YALE

Translation:

Seal of Yale College in New Haven in New England
Elihu Yale, 1643-1721

Location: Bingham Hall, Entryway D, 300 College Street

Commentary: <review> 

The bust is that of Elihu Yale. The Latin inscription that surrounds it is the trademarked seal of Yale College that is found in various places at Yale. The dates refer to the birth and death years of Eli Yale.

The bust itself seems to be a copy of a bust found on a snuff box that is now in the collection of the Yale Center for British Art. It was created by John Obrisset and given to Yale in 1788 by Ezra Stiles.

On either side of the bust are two Yales (Latin eale), or centicores. First described by Pliny the Elder <citation>, they are medieval monsters that are similar in appearance to antelope and were said to be found in a legendary land that ancient Greeks and Romans called Aethiopia.

The yale appears as a heraldic beast most notably for the Beauforts, and this inscription appears to be referencing depictions of Lady Magaret Beaufort’s Arms which feature yales as supporters. These can be found at St John’s College, Cambridge, and the Christ’s College Book of Donors, 1623.

Bingham Hall was constructed in 1928 by Walter B. Chambers. The building is built out of Longmeadow brownstone and cast stone and funds for its construction were donated by the children of Charles W. Bingham (BA 1868, MA 1871). It stands on the site of the first building on Yale’s new Haven Campus, Osborn Hall, which is referenced by the inscription featuring the bust of Elihu Yale.

—Alleise Bonner, December 1, 2023

Text: Qui transtulit sustinet

Translation: He who transplanted us, sustains us

Location: Porter Gate, Cross Campus

Commentary:

This is the coat of arms of Connecticut. The Latin appears to be an original composition. That is, it is not a quote from elsewhere. Its modernized translation of the inscription is believed to mean that, since God has moved us, the Puritans, to Connecticut, we are saved from religious persecution [from the Church of England] and still under God’s protection. According to the official website of the State of Connecticut, Charles J. Hoadly suggested that the imagery is a reference to Psalm 80, “Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it.”

Above the inscription are three stakes wrapped with grapevines. According to Britannica, they represent either the three colonies of what is now the state of Connecticut (Connecticut Colony, New Haven Colony, and Saybrook Colony) or the first three towns founded by Europeans (Hartford, Wethersfield, and Windsor).

The Puritans established Connecticut as a religious haven from other religious groups who perceived the Puritans’ views as unjust. Yale was also founded due to this, as the Puritans wanted to create a college where their leaders could learn at higher levels.

Of course, you’ll see this inscription all around the Yale campus; and while it is contradictory to Yale’s belief of religious inclusivity, Yale wants to acknowledge the history of Yale, New Haven, and of the State of Connecticut being founded upon religion and particularly Puritanism.

Porter Gate, Cross Campus

Editor: Kurt Boone, December 12, 2023