1 minute read
A Piece of History
Nancy (Murdoch), ..’58 & the Rev. Eldred Englerth, ’41; Rachel (Englerth) Fay, ’81, and Alison (Englerth) Harries, ’79
Nancy (Murdoch) Englerth, ..’58, and her daughter, Rachel (Englerth) Fay, ’81, recently donated a family heirloom rich in UND history back to the University of North Dakota.
Advertisement
Rev. Eldred Murdoch, '41, purchased the historic desk in the early '50s.
“I remember when Alison and I helped to carry this enormous and very heavy two-piece article of furniture out of Merrifield Hall in 1973 or 1974,” Rachel said. “It has been in my mother’s possession ever since.”
It was Nancy’s wish to gift the desk back to the University from which it came. And we thank her for sharing this rich piece of history. ///
— By Alyssa Konickson, ’06
UND’s current President Andy Armacost is pictured with a desk that once belonged to the first president of UND, William Blackburn, who served UND from 1884-85, in front of Merrifield Hall and the Eternal Flame. When Blackburn sat behind it, it was housed in Old Main, the first building on campus and the current site of UND’s iconic Eternal Flame, and the desk was later moved to Merrifield Hall.
Photo by Sam Melquist
