Colby College Residence Halls Named After Four Alumnae

Colby College has named four residence halls honoring four prominent alumnae.

The Carol Swann-Daniels House is one of the four Colby College residence halls named after trailblazing alumnae.Paula Crane Lunder, ’98, is a life trustee. Jane Powers, ’86, an advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights, was the first woman to chair the Board of Trustees. Carol Swann-Daniels, ’69, was among those who desegregated public schools in Richmond, Virginia. Jacqueline Núñez, ’61, advocated for the college to enact a non-discrimination clause before it became standard in higher education.

“Their histories and contributions are extraordinary, and their stories need to be told over and over again so that all students who attend Colby know who came before them and how they lived their lives with such courage and grace,” said President David A. Greene.

Colby dedicated the Paula Crane Lunder House, the Jane Powers House, the Jacqueline Núñez House, and the Carol Swann-Daniels House this spring. The facilities, home to some 200 students, opened during the 2022-23 academic year.

The dedication is the latest among such historic recognitions on campus, according to Greene. The President’s House was the first, renamed the Osborne House in 2017 in recognition of the family of Samuel Osborne, who was born into slavery and after the Civil War became Colby’s custodian for nearly 40 years. His daughter, Marion, was the first African American woman to graduate the college in 1900.

“We have been identifying people in Colby’s history who have made important contributions to the college but who have not been fully recognized,” said Greene.