A number of the buildings on campus have been dedicated to honor early educators within the Cortland Normal School. Some of these women are also alumna. Their contributions to the College have left an everlasting impact on its functionality, curriculum development, student success, and Red Dragon Pride. This section seeks to honor the memories and dedication of these individuals.
The page is organized in alphabetical order from left-to-right.
Minnie Alger was born in McGraw, New York and taught music at the Cortland Normal School from 1893 to 1925. She helped plan and direct plays on campus. Alger also worked create a woman's organization on campus in 1902 called the Philomathean Society.
Alger Hall was established in 1966 as a dormitory. Alger Hall is one of the largest dorm buildings on campus, standing eight floors tall.
Dr. Fay L. Corey worked in the student personnel office at Cortland from 1948 until she passed away in 1965. She was the Associate Dean for Counseling. She also was instrumental in developing a robust student government as well as other student-based activities.
Fay L. Corey Union was built in 1967 and formally dedicated in 1969.
Corey Union under construction, 1967.
Corey Union Dedication Program and Fay Corey Memorial Plaque.
Ina Margaret Hayes was a graduate of the Plattsburgh Normal School and the Colombia Teacher's College. From 1917 to 1953 she taught in the School of Practice at the Cortland Campus School. She specialized in methods that introduced new ways to teach arithmetic.
Hayes Hall was built in 1960 as a dormitory but formally dedicated in 1962.
Mary "Molly" Hendrick was a teacher at the Cortland Normal School from 1869 to 1904. She was head of the Department for Literature and Rhetoric. She was an organizer of the Cortland Ladies Literary Club (1880), Alpha Delta Sorority (1892), and Cortland Twentieth-Century Club (1907). Hendrick was the first president of the Hospital Aid Society and life member of the Cortland Hospital Association.
Hendrick Hall was built in 1960 as a dormitory and formally dedicated in 1962.
Capt. Katherine A. Whitaker was a member of the health department and medical staff at Cortland for nearly 15-years. She received her bachelor's degree from Elmira College, a master's in nursing from the Yale School of Nursing, and another master's from Columbia University. She was a Captain in the US Army Corps. and served during World War II.
Katherine Whitaker is pictured second from the left, 1958.
Whitaker Hall was originally designed as the College's infirmary, opening in 1971 honoring Captain Whitaker. Aside from being used for health services, the hall also housed the counseling center, advisement, career planning, placement, learning skills, and veteran affairs. In the middle of the 1980's the infirmary transitioned into a dormitory before becoming the location for international students. Most recently, in 2017 University Police relocated there from Van Hoesen Hall.
Maria Bishop graduated from The Cortland Normal School in 1880. She was immediately hired and ran the School of Practice from 1881 to 1905. After her time at the Cortland Normal School, she went to the Hampton Institute to teach before retiring to her home in Cortland.
Bishop Hall was built in 1959 and formally dedicated to Maria Bishop in 1962. It was designed as a dormitory.
Ruth E. Dowd graduated from the Cortland Normal School in 1921 and went to study music at the Columbia Teachers College. In 1923, she returned Cortland as an educator, where she taught music until 1966.
Dowd Fine Arts Center was built in 1967. The land on Prospect Terrace was previously used for agriculture. The original President's House once stood where Dowd currently resides.
Ella Van Hoesen was born in Preble, New York and graduated from the Cortland Normal School in 1889. Van Hoesen began teaching at the Cortland Normal School in 1903, and eventually became the principal of the School of Practice. She worked at the Cortland Normal school for thirty-five years. In 1938 the Board of Visitors renamed the School of Practice the Ella Van Hoesen Campus School in her honor. The School eventually closed on campus on 1981.
Van Hoesen Hall was established in 1962 for the Campus School, which had been previously housed in Old Main. It included a gymnasium, a library, classrooms, cafeteria, and an auditorium. Today Van Hoesen Hall serves as an academic building for several departments and offices on campus.
Bessie L. Park was from LaFayette, New York and graduated from the Cortland Normal School in 1901. She worked at Cortland from 1915-1941, serving in a number of capacities. She was a teacher, the first Director of Physical Education for Women, and the first Executive Secretary of the Alumni Office, where she was instrumental in organizing and restructuring the office. She was the first editor of the Cortland Alumni Magazine, which she founded, and additionally served on the Alumni Board of Directors from 1946-1967. In 1970 she received the Distinguished Service Award. She also authored the first book on the history of the College titled "Cortland - Our Alma Mater" in 1961.
Park Center was built in 1973 and was named the PER Center (Physical Education & Recreation Center). In 1980, the building was dedicated to honor Bessie Park.
Eileen Winchell graduated from the Cortland Normal School in 1912. She was a member of the College Council, the Student Welfare Association, and served as the Executive Secretary for the Alumni Office
Winchell Hall was established in 1966 as a dormitory. Today, it houses Administrative Computing and Auxiliary Services.
