According to the Wooster Chronicles, “On November 6, 1930, Wooster’s Chapel was consecrated and dedicated to the memory of James Marshall, a hat manufacturer from Fall River, Massachusetts. Mrs. Marshall, who moved to Newtown after her husband’s death, gave Wooster $50,000 to erect the Chapel in her husband’s memory.”
Our Archives team and Chapel Council uncovered more details about Mrs. Jennie Marshall that were shared at a Chapel service this spring, and we thought all of you alumni might appreciate them as well.
Jennie had been interested in the school since it opened and was an active member of the Board of Managers and frequently visited the school and Aaron Coburn’s house. She wished to build a chapel on the school grounds in memory of her late husband. The $50,000 she donated is about $923,404 in today's money.
Aaron Coburn spoke briefly about her during a Mass Service in Fall River after her death. She gave the chapel “quietly and simply” instead of in a “grand ostentation.”
He added, “May the boys who graduate in years to come remember that they are what they are through the efforts of a woman who led a life of simplicity.”
Thanks to Jennie, all current and former Wooster students and faculty have memories of, arguably, the most significant building on our campus.