On YouTube, I was watching a speaker at Dartmouth, and I was smitten with the lectern made from a tree. Can you please tell me about it?
Last updated 09/23/10
The podium used at Commencement and Convocation is known as the "Old Pine Lectern." It is named in honor of Dartmouth's Lone Pine, which was originally called "the Old Pine." (See the Ask Dartmouth question, "What’s the history of Dartmouth’s 'Lone Pine'? What happened to it?" for more details about the College’s famous tree.)
Although the podium is rumored to have been made from the Lone Pine itself, it is not. According to retired College Archivist Kenneth Cramer, the "lectern used by the President at Convocation and Commencement is not made from the Old Pine. The lectern is fashioned from pine and pine bark and has been rebuilt, refurbished or enlarged as needed."
The Lone Pine lives on at Rauner Special Collections Library, however. The College Archives contain a chunk of the tree itself in as well as many objects made from its wood, including picture frames, a letter opener, and a length of chain carved from a single piece.
