Falling By The Wayside, Episode 4 and Epilogue

St. Francis College Students (Courtesy of Featherman University Archives, University of New England)

In this final episode of Falling By The Wayside, Chloe Austin-Roeder, Meredith Bailey, and Jenna Hunt trace the formation of St. Francis College at the site of the old Biddeford town center. The story picks up in a city undergoing dramatic changes. The arrival of French-Canadians in the area searching for work sparked a backlash from longer term residents. In response, Franciscan monks decided to set up a new high school and then, ultimately a college—a challenging undertaking.

Newspaper clipping courtesy Featherman University Archive, University of New England.

Finally, in an epilogue, professors Arthur Anderson and Eric Zuelow recount the final chapter in the Wayside story… an ending that caught the entire team off-guard.

Works Cited

Humes Haney, E. (1989). Shaping A Future: The Founding Of The University Of New England. DUNE. https://dune.une.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1139&context=theses

UNE. (2024). St. Francis College history. University of New England. https://www.une.edu/about/history/st-francis-college

Music: Victor Military Band, “Thanks for the Lobster,” by Chick Story and Jack Caddigan, Victor, 1914, Library of Congress.  Accessed December 1, 2024.