Archive Attic: April 1925

April 6, 1925

Visit of Sir Josiah Stamp to open new extension

From the school magazine Truro College Magazine, July 1925

‘In the morning he gave an address in the big hall in the presence of the whole school and several of the Governors. It was then also publicly announced that the school and staff, to show their appreciation for the honour that had recently been conferred upon Mr Magson by the University of London, wished to present him with the scarlet and gold robes of his doctorate.

Mr Willday spoke first, on behalf of the staff, and congratulated Mr Magson on the great distinction he had won for himself and for the school. Furthermore, Mr Magson had been to them not only a headmaster, but a friend, and they appreciated the opportunity of being able to serve under him.

Tregunna, our Senior Prefect, joining in the congratulations of the school, mentioned that his experience of headmasters showed him that as a rule they were persons to be both feared and respected, the fear usually being predominant. With Mr Magson, however, the case was different; he was a real friend to the school, and could always be relied on for help and advice, and for a hearing in all matters of difficulty.

Tregunna then assisted Dr Magson to assume his robes, amidst great applause.

Thanking the school, Dr Magson said that this was a gift which he would appreciate all his life, because of the kind thoughts which accompanied it; and asked us to believe that, though he and the staff might at times appear unreasonable and hardhearted men, they always had the welfare of the school at heart. Dr Magson then introduced us to Sir Josiah, who, in turn congratulated him ‘from the point of view of a member of the Senate of London University and also as a holder of the same doctorate’.

Mentioning that pride of school was a great asset in after-life, he was pleased to see the obvious pride that we took in our school, evidenced by the way we had just honoured our headmaster. It was in school that the beginnings of our character were formed, and it was in the games and sports of school that we developed the spirit of unselfishness which, in conjunction with character, help to produce the finest types of humanity all over the Empire.’

The opening of the extensions was held in the afternoon. Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch presided over a short service, then

‘the assembly was formed into a procession which proceeded along the main corridor, up the oak staircase, through the new library and the fourth dormitory to the door of the new dormitory, where a halt was called Mr AJ Cornelius, the architect, presented the gold key, bearing he school crest, to Sir Josiah, who formally opened the extensions. The procession then proceeded down the iron staircase to the new classrooms, where a vote of thanks was proposed by Mr H Harcourt Williams and seconded by Mr T Wickett. After singing the National Anthem the visitors were entertained to tea.’

The new buildings comprised of a physics laboratory in the former workshop and the workshop was transferred to a hut in the lower playground. Music rooms had been built under the covered shed ‘and are heated by means of radiators’. There was also a music room ‘in the hut’. Four new classrooms, two in the former library and two on the lower floor of the new building, have ‘set free for their proper use the Gymnasium and the Assembly Hall’. The Library [today the Staff Room] on the first floor ‘commands a view of the town much admired by visitors. The room is panelled in pitch pine and is provided with a reference library and also a small room at the end where a fiction library is being formed. Ten lounge chairs purchased by the boys with proceeds of the annual concert supplement the ordinary furniture of tables and bentwood chairs. There was a new dormitory on the upper floor, with access through the old dormitory, or via an iron stairway from cloakroom; it provided accommodation for 19 boys, and a room for a staff member at the end. There was also increased bathroom space and a cloakroom, as well as new heating provided by two boilers, one for hot water and one for room heating.