International House Berkeley

5 So, what made those years "Golden"? Friendships made on shared ski trips to Yosemite; the all-night conversations between British and Indian students who had gone through the pain of Indian independence; the heated discussions of the problem of the Middle East, which resulted in free speech becoming an established principle of the House; the men and women who met at the House and later became husband and wife; the patio talk that often lasted from lunch to the dinner hour; language tables and Council meetings where communication was often louder than it was perfect; the Festivals where students of six different countries danced the tarantella and hundreds of campus and community people came to watch, enjoy, and mingle. So few foreign students had been studying in the U.S. between 1942-46 that to exchange ideas on a friendly international level was new and exciting for everybody. The International House motto "That Brotherhood May Prevail" was taken seriously and considered a personal and individual responsibility. Scores of these "Golden Age" friendships have continued for over seven decades and have encircled the globe. The experience of living at International House influenced many in the way they have lived their lives and viewed the world. THE INTERNATIONAL HOUSE ASSOCIATION T he successes of the Rockefeller-funded I-Houses in New York, Berkeley, Chicago, and Paris produced enthusiastic alumni who began to form groups around the world. November 10th, the International House of New York's anniversary day, had become International House Day, an annual occasion for alumni of the Houses to gather in cities such as Stockholm, Oslo, Mexico City, Peking, Port-au-Prince, and Copenhagen. By 1947, these alumni groups had become part of a large umbrella organization, the International House Association. Berkeley Executive Director Emeritus W. Sheridan Warrick describes the activities of the Association: Founded under leadership that included David Rockefeller, the IHA sought to work toward the brotherhood of man by gaining better knowledge and understanding of the life and culture of all people and to cooperate with the International Houses and other organizations devoted to international understanding and world peace. By 1952, the IHA claimed forty-four chapters in twenty-seven countries. Although IHA chapters around the world continued to be active for some years, escalating costs forced the central organization to terminate its activities in 1961. The International Houses Worldwide organization now carries on this important work of connecting I-Houses throughout the world. THE LATE 1950S I n June 1957, the Berkeley House became the focus of a feature article in Holiday, then a well-known national magazine. Written by an Armenian who had visited I-House, the article captures the magic and warmth of international living at the time: In the evening, I would take my tray to one of the regional tables in the dining room and practice French or German or Spanish. And after dinner, there was always some interesting activity that increased my knowledge of the culture and thinking of other peoples. One night, Scandinavian students put on their school caps, and I sang with them a gay drinking song of Uppsala. Another evening, I watched Japanese perform their coal-miners' dance, then do a hilarious skit about their family mores. On another, I listened to a debate between Americans and representatives of the British Commonwealth: "Resolved, That the United States be allowed to rejoin the Empire," with Americans upholding the affirmative I-House ski trip, 1941 The experience of living at International House influenced many in the way they have lived their lives and viewed the world. –International House board member

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