Claire Allison McGuire

Features Editor

In Lowry Dining Hall at 8 a.m. on Nov. 16, more people were eating breakfast than on a typical Saturday. Students rose early to prepare for the history department’s field trip to the Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens and the Sojourner Truth statue. The trip was planned by Madonna Hettinger, Laurence Stanley chair and professor of medieval history.

“I wanted to do this trip in honor of professor Hayden Schilling, who taught at The College of Wooster from 1964 until 2015,” Hettinger said. “Professor Schilling taught a very popular course called ‘The English Country House’ and always included a trip to Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens as part of the course. Sadly, professor Schilling passed away this past summer.” 

Stan Hywet Hall was built between 1912 and 1915 and housed F.A. Seiberling, co-founder of The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, and his wife Gertrude. The Seiberlings employed around 243 people in the 40 years they lived there, many of whom were immigrants from Eastern Europe. 

The home includes a music room, library, infirmary, kitchen with a cook’s and butler’s pantry, a gymnasium, a large pool (nicknamed “The Plunge”), a solarium, in-home office, a room dedicated to the family’s breakfast, eighteen bedrooms, a nursery and much more, all in 64,500 square feet — over 10,000 more than the White House. The property also has a gate lodge, the birthplace of Alcoholics Anonymous with the help of the couple’s daughter-in-law, Henrietta Seiberling.

This trip included a guided tour of the estate, with a special focus on the lives of the domestic staff who kept the place running. Students had the opportunity to see inside the staff quarters and learn about how they lived life day-to-day. Afterward, students were welcomed to explore the rest of the home on their own. 

“I like to think that [professor Schilling] would have been proud to see so many Wooster students poking around the ‘nooks and crannies’ of the mansion on Saturday and asking good questions about the lives of the servants who managed the estate in its heyday,” Hettinger said.

Many students enjoyed exploring the home and learning about its history.

“I had a really great time and it was super cool to get to check out such a fancy house,” Jane Carpenter ’25 said. “I’m glad the trip had such a focus on the history of the house. It was also nice to get to know Dr. Hettinger as I haven’t gotten to take a class with her. I also really liked the emphasis on working-class history during the tour.” 

After students had refueled themselves with Chipotle, the next stop was the Sojourner Truth statue. The statue was erected in 2023 in the exact spot in Akron, Ohio where she gave her famous speech in 1851, commonly known as “Ain’t I a Woman?”. For years, the spot remained unrecognized for its contribution to American history. Students had the opportunity to read the speech in the very place it was first given. 

Hettinger gave a small speech before students reached the statue and said “I hope this can make you feel empowered.” 

Abhinav Randive ’27 felt it “was one of the most important parts of the trip. To stand in a place where such an important historical event happened was very exciting.”

Hettinger added that “stopping at the Sojourner Truth Memorial in Akron was a special moment for me … her words still need to be heard today.”

The trip soon ended after a long day of exploring, but not before Hettinger and her husband thanked the bus driver on the trip on behalf of everyone in attendance with Joe, a stuffed St. Bernard modeled after the Seiberling’s family dog. 

Exploring historical landmarks such as the Stan Hywet Hall and the Sojourner Truth memorial allowed students to get away from campus and spend time with their peers and to learn about the world around them and the history that built the world today. As field trips like this one occur, they present an opportunity to learn about the history of the area. In Hettinger’s words, “You never know what’s around the corner.”