"The measure of a Life is its Service."
~ Sam Houston State University motto
A sentimental piece of Sam Houston State University's unique history has been preserved.
The special stained-glass window, named after the late fourth SHSU president Henry Carr Pritchett, was restored and is currently on display on the second floor of the Lowman Student Center. The Pritchett window was originally located in Old Main, which was one of SHSU'S most prominent buildings.
Sadly, Old Main was burned down in a fire on Feb. 12, 1982, destroying the beautiful the legendary Pritchett window and other works of art. Despite this, the featured quote would live on to become SHSU's official motto.
Frank Parker, former vice president for Student Affairs, came up with the idea of recreating the historic stained-glass window back in 2020 and having it placed in the newly-expanded LSC.
“We want to reconnect with our history,” Parker said. “Obviously, our students today will never have the opportunity to see Old Main, but if they visit the Old Main Memorial site on campus, look at photos of the building and visit the replica window in the LSC, they will hopefully get a good idea of just how majestic Old Main was.”
Parker enlisted the help of director of Student Activities Brandon Cooper, who lead the extensive project. Cooper collaborated with SHSU library associate Barbara Kievit-Mason, Michael Faith and his team at Scottish Stained Glass company to thoroughly research and fabricate the window.
According to Scottish Stained Glass, the Pritchett window recreation was by far one of the most challenging projects they've ever taken on. Because the original window was destroyed by the Old Main fire, the only reference was a picture from a 1964 yearbook.
One of the most difficult challenges was trying to find glass that matched the original, but to no avail. Instead, Scottish Stained Glass found the closest glass possible and had their conservation specialist and glass artist paint over the chosen glass to try to achieve a perfect match.
According to Today@Sam, the stained-glass project took 11 months to complete, using over 2,000 pieces of hand-painted glass that comprised the design. To ensure maximum accuracy, Faith's team went to great lengths.
This was the first time Scottish Stained Glass took on a total replication project, even though they have experience in replicating parts of damaged windows during restoration.
"This entire window replication proved challenging as our team found the comparison set a much higher goal for attaining a perfect match to the original," Scottish Stained Glass said.
A momentous dedication event was held on March 31, 2021 in the LSC to reveal the recreated stained-glass window. Parker and Cooper were joined by university President Alisa White and presidents emeriti, Dana G. Hoyt and James Gaertner for this celebration.
“We are thoroughly pleased with the final product,” Parker said. “The workmanship is absolutely superb, and it looks just like the Old Main stained glass window that I remember. It will certainly be a showpiece for the university.”
Scottish Stained Glass said the replication project was really successful and exceeded all expectations.
"We’re so proud to have been part of this incredible project, helping the university celebrate its wonderful history for generations to come," Scottish Stained Glass said.
To view the restored stained-glass window, stop by the LSC in the expanded part at the end of the hallway, near room 242.
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