Root House To Become Art History Center

Elihu Root, Jr. (class of 1903), son of Nobel Peace Prize winner Elihu Root (class of 1864), often painted on the porch of his summer home at the top of College Hill Road in Clinton. An attorney by profession, Root, Jr., was publicly recognized as an accomplished artist who also served on the board of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The same home in which he taught his grandchildren to paint and to appreciate art is now being transformed into a center for the study of art history and made an integral part of Hamilton's campus.

The house was originally a wedding gift from the senior Root, to his son Elihu, Jr. Elihu III and his wife, Molly Root, lived in the colonial revival house beginning in the 1940s and raised their family there. All three of their children, David, Carolyn and Alice, are Hamilton alumni. Molly Root lived in the house until her death in 2004. Just weeks before she died, Molly Root made a generous gift to the College. Quite appropriately, her gift is being used to renovate her home of many decades.

The acquisition of the house was made possible as a result of a significant gift from Jack Levy '75. Commenting on his motivation for supporting this project, Levy said, "I didn't have anything to do with the arts when I was at Hamilton. Today I wish I had. Hopefully the new facility will inspire enthusiasm for the arts." Kevin Kennedy '70 and others also contributed generously to the project.

These renovations are part of Hamilton's Excelsior Campaign, which was publicly initiated in 2004. The unexpected availability of the house triggered an enlarged and even more exciting vision for the arts at Hamilton. When completed, the house, which was originally designed by noted New York architects McKim, Meade and White and built in 1915-16, will include classrooms, faculty offices, a seminar room, conference room, slide library and student research areas. The Root House conversion is the first step in campaign plans for a larger arts "campus" that will include a museum and theater and will provide a much more accessible gateway to access Hamilton's arts programs.

Linda Johnson '80, chair of the trustee planning committee for the arts, said about the new arts facilities, "I'm fortunate to have been exposed to art at an early age. Most people are not raised this way. That's why exhibit space is important, because it's a way to get the arts to students who may not come to campus with the arts in mind. If it's a place that's energized and fun to go to, that will attract them. Even if you're not going to make art, it can be a part of your life, and we should have a space where students are exposed to it. We're not giving our students a liberal education if we don't encourage them to explore what's out there."

The Root family connections to the arts on campus go beyond those of Elihu Jr.'s painting lessons with his grandchildren. Edward W. Root (class of 1905), another son of the first Elihu Root, lived in another Root family house on the Hill and taught Hamilton students art appreciation courses there. That house later became known as the Edward W. Root Art Center. At that time it included a gallery, music department offices and classrooms. Edward Root's son, John Root (class of 1944), currently serves on the college's visual arts committee.

Professor of Music Sam Pellman, who is the coordinator of  on-campus planning committee for the arts, summarized the college's arts programming for the future, "We don't cater here to students in a pre-professional way. We don't hoard our resources for arts concentrators. Our programs are inclusive, we seek out students from across the College, and we devote the same energy and attention to non-majors as we do to majors. Our programs have grown, our facilities have been well used, and it's time for an upgrade." The renovation of this historic house will be the first step toward achieving this goal.