Burning the Maison Mortgage August 29, 1970
The Union Saint-Jean-Baptiste, the largest Franco-American mutual benefit society, celebrating the 70th anniversary of its founding, held a special convention at Assumption in the summer of 1970. A few days prior, the Society made the final payment on its pledge of $316,000 made in 1955 to fund the construction of the La Maison Française building. That building was now debt free. To mark the occasion, the ritual burning of the mortgage was held at the entrance of the building, which served a number of purposes at the time. In the archival photograph (L to R), Father Georges Bissonnette, A.A., then-president of Assumption; Mr. Oliva Viens, a Society member from St. Albans, VT; and J. Henri Goguen of Leominster, national president of the Union Saint-Jean-Baptiste at the time.
In those days, the Maison building consisted of several first-floor classrooms, administrative offices, the Salon, and a 200-seat auditorium with a stage. The library was located on the upper two floors.
-FATHER DONAT LAMOTHE, A.A., ’57 ASSUMPTION COLLEGE ARCHIVIST
