Having survived the ever-changing environment of college life over a period of sixty years since it’s founding in 1941, the Silliman Press ironically fell victim this past year to enthusiasm for the book-arts! With no book binding facilities in any of the colleges, current Silliman undergraduates took the initiative to create a working student bindery, and received permission from the Master to establish the shop in the facilities of the Silliman Press, disposing of much printing-related material in the process.

All was not lost, however, for this, the fourth oldest press on campus. Printers from the other colleges rescued the type from Silliman, and the better part of it made its way to Branford and Jonathan Edwards. The pride of the Silliman Press, a powered, adjustable bed Vandercook Universal I, turned out to be too heavy to remove from its basement location, and remains in the press in solid working condition. When John O. C. McCrillis, a Silliman Fellow and former Chief Designer of the Yale Press, found out what had happened, he met with the Master and explained the history of the Press. At the same time, Silliman printing alumni including Nato Gibbons and Raleigh D’Adamo stepped up, and volunteered to re-establish the press. Luckily, the giant contribution of equipment, type and presses from APE&SC means that all the resources are at hand to recreate the Silliman press. During the Fall semester of 2001, the Silliman Press will be restored to operation as a letterpress shop, while at the same time expanding and improving the binding facilities. Printing and binding are two closely allied book arts, each of which can be enhanced by the other.

Update

Restoration of the Silliman Press & Bindery is scheduled to start in early October, with a gala opening during the holiday season. Stay tuned!