WELCOME

When Pendleton Hall opened in 1935 it was a state-of-the-art facility for teaching chemistry, physics and psychology. The faculty at that time were enormously pleased with the new building. Louise McDowell, the head of the Physics department described Pendleton as follows,

For the comfort of students and staff, all lecture rooms and classrooms, corridors, offices and certain laboratories have ceilings of acoustical tile. In lecture rooms and classrooms there are posture chairs which are pronounced really comfortable by nine out of ten users. Forced ventilation removes one excuse for falling asleep. Dim lights permit the taking of notes when pictures are being shown: at other times ample light without glare lessens eye-strain. Motor-driven blackboards and shades make the lecturer's life easier. An intercommunicating telephone system with seventeen stations saves many steps. In convenience of arrangement and comfort, the building more than fulfills expectations.

The PNE renovation in 2000 was very much in the spirit of the original, to create a 21st century facility, this time, for many of the college's social science departments. Some of the wonders of 1935 have been replaced or updated -- moveable and upholstered desk chairs were substituted for the rigid wooden "posture" chairs; a European HVAC system replaced the forced ventilation of an earlier time; and PCs and the internet are our choice for communication. But the goals of the original Pendleton Hall and today's building remain the same -- to provide Wellesley students, faculty and staff with the best possible environment for teaching, learning and research.

PNE today is the home of five departments -- Anthropology, Economics, Education, Political Science and Sociology. The office of the International Relations major also is located in PNE and many of our faculty are affiliated with other inter-disciplinary programs including Latin American Studies and Peace and Justice Studies.

We invite you to explore this website as well as our building and facilities. Wellesley alumnae will be amazed at the transformation of the building in which they once studied; current students can take advantage of the new facilities -- whether to attend classes, work in one of the research laboratories or enjoy our public spaces; and prospective students can see what the College might offer them.

Welcome to Pendleton East, we look forward to seeing you.