History of the CSC
A Brief History of the Newman House
The beautiful edifice that now houses the Washington University Catholic Student Center at 6352 Forsyth in Clayton, Missouri, was originally built in 1910 as a private residence for George W. Taylor who was in the insurance business. The house was designed by Maritz & Young Architects and has many distinctive features - the legacy of European craftsmen who remained in St. Louis after the World’s Fair of 1904.
George Taylor married a lovely young woman named Ida Howe. Ida and her brother James Howe had been orphaned at an early age. They went to live with an uncle, A. H. Lewis, in Bolivar, Missouri. Eventually they moved to St. Louis where "Dr." Lewis, a pharmacist who used the title Doctor, developed a product called TUMS. After Ida and George were married, they invited "Papa" Lewis, as he was affectionately called, to live with them on Forsyth. Dr. Lewis and Ida’s brother, James Howe formed a company called Lewis-Howe to market the TUMS product. One of James Howe’s grandsons, William T. Dooley, has fond memories of visiting the house where a special treasure to him was a suit of armor in the front hall.
It was Ida Howe Taylor who filled the big home on Forsyth with warmth and treasures. With the help of a domestic staff, Mrs. Taylor made sure the house and grounds were kept in impeccable condition. George and Ida’s only daughter, Jane, who attended Mary Institute and John Burroughs, loved to have her friends come to visit. One of Jane’s best friends was Helen Thomas, whose daughter, Tamara Thomas, nostalgically remembers the many happy times spent at the house with "Aunt Jane." She writes "…at Christmas the house was filled with music from the grand piano in the stairway hall. The acoustics were incredible." Tamara was Jane’s Godchild and named her own daughter Jane Taylor Sowell.
Tamara also reminisces about the summers she used to spend with Aunt Jane. After playing in the well-tended gardens, they would go in, select a Classic story from the voluminous library and read on the window seat at the top of the stairs which overlooked the Washington University Campus. Dinner was the "big event" of the day at which Ida Taylor presided with great relish. One of the neighbors on the block was the family of actor Vincent Price.
After Ida Taylor died, Jane and her husband, Eugene Blumeyer, who had no children, continued to live in the house. Jane died in 1958 and is buried in Calvary Cemetery with her parents. The Taylor ownership of the property ended when it was purchased by Elmer J. & Susan Steger from whom it was later acquired to be used as the Newman Center for the students at Washington University by Monsignor Gerard Glynn.
Monsignor Glynn had become Chaplain for the Washington University Newman Community in 1950. It was he, along with a group of patrons, who were extremely instrumental in acquiring and developing the facilities at 6352 Forsyth as the Center for Catholic Students of the University. A house at 221 S. Skinker was owned prior to the Forsyth acquisition.
In 1964 construction was completed on a wing adjoining the southwest corner of the residence. This wing extended over the spacious gardens, some of which remain on the south side of the present chapel. Within the new addition are offices, a conference room, a library, two large meeting spaces and a chapel dedicated to the Sacred Heart. On the wall of the Chapel is a mural by Edward Boccia. Many of the rooms are dedicated to generous benefactors.
Monsignor Glynn continued his Newman ministry there until 1989 and was briefly replaced by Father Larch Fiedler. Since 1991 Father Gary Braun has been the director of the vibrant, active community.
As Tamara Thomas writes of 6352 Forsyth, "it was and always has been a very special house. Being a Catholic, I was so thrilled … that it was now the Catholic Student Center. Aunt Jane was a very caring loving woman and having the house available to so many young people would make her very happy!"
* Note: James Howe had three children - James Howe, Jr., Nelson Howe, and Cornelia Howe Dooley (Mrs. William).
The Lewis-Howe Company which manufactured TUMS was eventually sold by the family and became a subsidiary of a larger drug firm.
Various bits of information above were furnished by some of those named therein and we thank them for their contributions.
Mary Ann Stohr
October 21, 1996
Our Mission Statement and Creed
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THE CATHOLIC STUDENT CENTER at Washington University is a house of Catholic formation and a community of hospitality to students of all faiths. The Catholic Student Center strives - through education, service, and a worshipping community that seeks to know and become Christ - to form students intellectually, morally, socially, and spiritually according to the wisdom of the Catholic Church, so that they become active participants in parish life and moral and spiritual leaders in Church and society for the 21st century.
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EL CENTRO DE ESTUDIANTES CATÓLICOS en la Universidad de Washington es una casa de formación católica y una comunidad de hospitalidad para los estudiantes de todas las religiones. El Centro de Estudiantes Católicos se esfuerza - a través de la educación, el servicio, y la adoración de una comunidad que busca conocer y convertirse en Cristo - para formar a los estudiantes intelectualmente, moralmente, socialmente y espiritualmente, según la sabiduría de la Iglesia Católica, para que se conviertan en participantes activos en la vida parroquial y líderes morales y espirituales en la Iglesia y en la sociedad para el siglo 21.
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华盛顿大学天主教学生中心是由天主教信仰凝聚起来的团体。
我们热烈欢迎来自五湖四海，各种文化与信仰的同学和朋友。天主教学生中心是一个渴望通过教育，服务，和祈祷来了解和成为基督的团体。 我们根据天主教教会的智慧，培养学生的智力，道德，社交的能力，使他们成为积极参与教区生活，成为教会和社会的道德精神领袖。
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워싱턴 대학의 "카톨릭 학생 센터"는 카톨릭 지역사회의 집과 모든 종교의 학생들을 위한 친절한 환대의 커뮤니티입니다. "카톨릭 학생 센터"는 교육,서비스,그리고 신앙 커뮤니티를 통하여 그리스도를 알게하고, 그리스도 신자가 되게하는 방법을 찾는 것을 노력하고 있습니다. 카톨릭 교회의 지혜를 통해서, 학생들을 보다 지적인, 도덕적인, 사회적인, 정신적인 구성원으로 만들며, 그들을 적극적인 교구 참가자가 되게하고, 21세기 사회와 교회에 도적적이고, 영적인 지도자가 될수 있도록 합니다.
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Le Centre Catholique pour les Étudiants à Washington University in St. Louis est une maison de formation catholique ainsi qu'une communauté dédiée à l'hospitalité envers les étudiants de toute confession religieuse. En se concentrant sur l'éducation, le service et l'adoration collective de Dieu, le Centre se consacre à guider intellectuellement, moralement, socialement et spirituellement les étudiants, afin qu'ils deviennent des membres actifs de leurs paroisses et pour qu'ils s'engagent dans la domaine moral et spirituel de l'Église et de la société du XXIème siècle.
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Swahili: Not posted yet.
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COMMUNITAS SCHOLASTICA CATHOLICA Washingtonianae Universitatis est domus institutionis Catholicae et societas hospitalitatis discipulis fidium omnium. Quae Communitas Scholastica Catholica nititur--per educationem, ministerium, et cultus societatem quae tendit scire et factam esse Christum--instituere discipulos mente, moribus, societate, spiritu, ex sapientia Catholicae Ecclesiae ut actores in parochiae vita et duces morales et spirituales in Ecclesia et societate pro saeculo uno et vicesimo fiant.
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تأسس المركز الكاثوليكي الطلاّبي في جامعة واشنطن بمبادرة كاثوليكية ليكون بيت استضافةٍ يلتقي فيه طلابٌ من كل المعتقدات. من خلال التعليم والخدمة والجماعة العابدة الطامحة إلى معرفة المسيح، يسعى المركز إلى بناء التلامذة فكرياً وأدبياً واجتماعياً بما يتماشى وحكمة الكنيسة الكاثوليكية، كيما يصبحون مشاركين نشيطين في حياة الأبرشية، وقادة روحيين وأدبيين في الكنيسة والمجتمع للقرن الحادي والعشرين القرن 21.
