Carey Croneis papers

Excerpted from "Seven Presidents of Beloit College" by Dr. Robert Irrmann:

A graduate of Denison University, with his doctorate in Geology from Harvard, Carey Croneis came to Beloit College as fifth president from a distinguished career in Geology at the University of Chicago. President Croneis took the helm in the last year of World War II, to lead the College to meet the challenges and exigencies of a post-war society. Carey Croneis's enthusiasm and skills were equal to the challenge. The President vigorously recruited a young faculty to meet the demands of a growing student body and an expanding curriculum. Genial in his personal relationships, the President had a particular affection for each incoming class, and annually composed a poem in celebration of each addition to the corpus of the college. Dr. Croneis presided proudly over the year-long festivities celebrating the Centennial of the College, 1946-1947, and he embellished the campus with needed facilities: the Field House, and new women's dormitories: Centennial (now Aldrich) and Maurer Halls, as well as with several fraternity and sorority houses. The College's reputation grew widespread through its enhanced role in Anthropology, Athletics, Art, the Theatre, as well as through expanded work in the sciences and the humanities. The President's enthusiasm invigorated his faculty to their best efforts. In the Croneis years Beloit College reached the level of the largest student body it had ever known in its more than century-long life. Resigning in December of 1953, in the following year Dr. Croneis went to Rice University as Harry Carruthers Weiss Professor of Geology to create an outstanding department in that discipline. Returning to Beloit to celebrate the dedication of the Chamberlin Science Center in 1968, Carey Croneis on that occasion gave a magnificent appreciation of the career and contributions of Thomas Chrowder Chamberlin. His last visit to Beloit was to participate in the celebration of the College's 125th anniversary, at which festival the Croneis enthusiasm and vigour was vibrant as of old.