CONWAY, Ark. (Sept. 24, 2007) – The construction of Hendrix College’s new columbarium and labyrinth project began Monday, the same day a national publication describing Hendrix’s plans hit newsstands.
The columbarium, a structure of vaults lined with recesses for the respectful storage of urns, will provide individual “niches” with a permanent memorial face plate identifying the loved one. The labyrinth, a quiet area for prayer or reflection, will be constructed alongside the columbarium at the corner of Front and Spruce Streets on the southern border of the college’s campus. Monday’s work focused on the labyrinth portion of the project, which will be constructed first.
Hendrix is a leader in the national trend of providing a final resting place for its alumni and friends of its college, which was the focus of a May 18 New York Times article. Hendrix’s planned columbarium is highlighted on page 26 of the October edition of Reader’s Digest under the heading: “Be a Big Man on Campus – Forever.”
“Looking to strengthen those old school ties?,” the magazine writes. “Turns out some universities are aiming to give their graduates a chance to spend a bit more time (eternity, actually) on campus. Several have begun building columbaria – memorial walls designed to accommodate ash-filled urns – with niches reserved for alumni. Notre Dame, already home to its own cemetery, is one such school. Others include the Citadel and Hendrix College in Arkansas. So for anyone who’s been dying to do some postgraduate studies, this could be one way to go.”
Hendrix’s columbarium and labyrinth is being constructed next to the grave of Captain W.W. Martin, one of the early benefactors of the college who is buried in a wooded area on campus adjacent to Trieschmann Fine Arts Center. The labyrinth incorporates a plan proposed and outlined by Nicholas Pippins, a 2007 Hendrix College graduate.
For more information contact Mark Scott, director of media relations, at scottm@hendrix.edu or 501-450-1462.