International House Berkeley

"International House is like a ship. It does not belong to New York or Paris or any other great city in any part of the world, but it belongs to all of us who appreciate its purpose . . . Just as now, when we go on an adventure, we do not hamper ourselves with too many trunks and other pieces of baggage, so we do not carry onto this ship our trunks of wornout prejudices and ideas about one another, but come on it free from encumbrances and ready for an adventure in living with folk." — Mrs. Florence Edmonds, 1928 Origins nternational House Berkeley was part of Convinced of the need to find a place where the larger "International House Movement" foreign and U.S. students could live together and founded by Harry Edmonds who, as a young thereby promote international understanding, man working for the Young Men's Christian Edmonds encouraged John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Association in 1909, had to build International House a chance meeting with a in New York City. Funded by Chinese student. Edmonds' Mr. Rockefeller at a cost of casual "Good morning" on $3,000,000, it opened in 1924 the steps of the Columbia as a residence and program University library provoked center which served about 500 the startled response: students. As its first director, "I've been in New York Edmonds saw it as a place three weeks, and you are where people of diverse national the first person who has and cultural backgrounds spoken to me." Moved by – without restrictions as to View of International House and the campus of the this experience, Edmonds color, race, creed or sex – could University of California, Berkeley, circa 1935. investigated the situation of foreign students share the common experience of everyday life; in New York City. Attempting to counter the a place where person-to-person contact would loneliness and isolation of these students, contribute to combatting ignorance, prejudice Edmonds and his wife, Florence, started to have and misunderstanding. teas and Sunday Suppers in their home. By The immediate and exciting success of 1911, this practice led to the development of the International House New York spurred Cosmopolitan College Club. By 1919, the Club Rockefeller to extend the idea. In 1926, Edmonds included over 600 students representing more traveled west to evaluate possible locations for a than 65 countries, and its activities consisted of second International House. Berkeley, California excursions, social events and housing assistance. was selected because the Bay Area was the U.S. I 1

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