History of The White Chapel
The White Chapel opened August 25, 2001, and was officially
dedicated on October 7 of the same year. Its full name is The John
R. and Elizabeth L. White Chapel in recognition of the $1.5 million
lead gift the generous Terre Haute couple made. A 1947 mechanical
engineering graduate and recipient of a 1997 honorary doctor of
engineering degree, John was president and founder of Hydro-Power,
Inc. The Whites' son, Steve, and granddaughter, Anne Trueblood, are
also Rose-Hulman graduates. John White passed away November 23,
2001.
In addition to the Whites, the following individuals also made
generous contributions to make it possible to build and equip the
White Chapel.
- Fred W. Goetsch, Jr.
- George Kyle in memory of his late wife Betty Jane
- Alfred R. Schmidt
- Vic Vickery in memory of his late wife Jean Elizabeth
- Bruce R. Walsh Trust
- Marian White Woosley
During the dedication ceremony, attended by a capacity crowd of
205 people, the Rose-Hulman chorus performed Let There be Peace on
Earth, Amazing Grace and America the Beautiful. Andy Mech, a
professor of mechanical engineering, was a featured soloist.
Students and mechanical engineering professor Patricia Brackin
offered inspirational readings. Interestingly, the dedication
ceremony was the first event telecast live on the Rose-Hulman Web
site.
Designed by VOA Associates of Chicago, the 5,000-square-foot
chapel has been honored by the Associated General Contractors of
Indiana for innovation and excellence. The chapel comprises a
wedge-shaped nave supported by an entryway, counseling offices and
other facilities to accommodate special events. It contains movable
chairs that enable the facility to accommodate a variety of
audiences. Diamond-shaped, stainless steel panels clad the exterior
of the arched roof. The shell is split by a series of vertical
ribbon windows and a continuous ridge skylight. The entire east end
of the chapel is made of glass so the campus creates a backdrop for
activities within the chapel. An outdoor garden terrace creates a
forecourt to the chapel. A waterfall and water channel define the
southern edge of the terrace, creating a boundary between the
everyday world and this special place.
The altar table, lectern and two side tables are constructed of
red oak from trees that once stood on the northeast corner of
campus. VOA designed the furniture, and it was built by one of
Rose-Hulman's own: Gary Burgess, facilities manager of the John T.
Myers Center for Technological Research with Industry.
Since opening, the chapel has been used by campus organizations
for worship services and is a popular place for alumni to be
wed.