Did you know...

...that McCartney Library is 95 years old? Opened to the campus and formally dedicated on Saturday, October 3, 1931, McCartney Library is arguably the most beautiful building at Geneva College. It is the crown jewel of the campus, a masterpiece of Collegiate Gothic architecture — a treasure of incalculable worth.

The magnificent Willet windows of the building are, as described by long-time professors Shirley Kilpatrick and Howard Mattsson-Bozé, both “a story in lead and light” and “a story of grace and glass.” A 14-bell carillon in the tower has rung out the hours and quarter hours, marking time for generations of Geneva students. Those same students have read and learned and studied in this elegant landmark that symbolizes the centrality of books in a college education — most particularly the Book of Books.

Did you know...

...that the Deal sisters, three maiden ladies from Philadelphia, gave McCartney Library to Geneva College? The sisters were members of the Arch Street Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, and major shareholders in the company that made Mum Deodorant, a nationally known brand, and the first commercially available deodorant. Dr. Clarence Macartney, who had grown up in Fern Cliffe, the family home, had been their dearly beloved pastor, and they desired to do something to honor him.

Dr. Robert T. Clarke, assistant to Geneva’s president, and fundraiser for the College, understood the pressing need of the College for a library building. During his 49-year tenure with the College, Dr. Clarke raised funds to build Johnston Gym, McKee Hall, the original gates for Reeves Stadium, additions to Science Hall, a central heating plant, and for the purchase of Alumni Hall. At Dr. Clarke’s suggestion, the Misses Deal provided the fund to build McCartney Library.

Did you know...

...that in the providence of God, the Deal sisters sold their Mum stock just months before the October 1929 crash of the stock market, a crash that likely would have greatly diminished its value? Their gift of $100,000 (which was later increased to cover the nearly $150,000 final cost of the Library), was the largest single gift ever given to Geneva College at that time. That gift would amount to roughly $3 million in 2026.

Did you know...

...that the original plan for the carillon in the Library tower called for only eight bells? However, a Uniontown man who had ordered 14 chimes for his church died a month before he was to dedicate the set. The contract, then cancelled, was offered to Geneva, and the Library tower had to be made taller than the original architect’s plan in order to accommodate the extra bells. To acquire these chimes today would cost several million dollars.

Did you know...

...that the Deal Sisters were not the only Arch Street parishioners who held Clarence Macartney in high esteem? So did Henry Lee Willet of Willet Stained Glass Studios in Philadelphia. Willet was a world-famous glass artist and close friend of Dr. Macartney. The Willett Studio created other iconic stained-glass windows, including works at the Chapel at West Point and the National Cathedral in Washington DC. Commissioned by the Deal sisters, Willet designed and installed the two 18-paneled, 15-foot-high windows of the main reading rooms, as well as the other stained glass printers’ marks and windows in McCartney Library at a personal expenditure of over $1,000 of what he was actually paid for the work.

So it was, that on that October day in 1931, 95 years ago, faculty, students, the Deal sisters, Dr. Macartney, and other distinguished guests gathered to celebrate the completion of the McCartney Library. Many changes have come to the building over those 95 years, including a large addition completed in 1966, but the value of the building, the resources, and the library staff to Geneva College have not changed.

If you are intrigued by what you have read and would like to know more about this amazing building, please come to the Homecoming presentation of “A Library for Geneva College,” on Friday, October 9, at 11:00 a.m. in the West Reading Room.

This article originally appeared in the September 30, 2026, issue of The Cabinet.