This week, the world paused to reflect on the historic events of a September five years ago. As regular readers of my column know, I passionately believe that remembrance and knowledge of the past is valuable. The past teaches us why the present is the way it is, and it helps us to better understand the future. Knowledge of history can educate, enrich and inspire. As we pay tribute to the more than 40 Cornellian victims of the 9/11 tragedy this week, it is fitting to bring to mind the physical memorials on campus to others who spent time on The Hill. Memorials to Cornell’s fallen in wars are prominent on campus (the West Campus War Memorial and Anabel Taylor Hall, to name a few), so this column will focus solely on those who perished in peacetime.

Sage Chapel, in particular, harbors a plethora of memorials to Cornell administration, faculty, alumni and donors. One of the most beautiful and solemn locations on campus is the crypt in the northwest corner. This memorial mausoleum was constructed in 1883 and holds the remains of more than ten people, including the founders, Cornell and White, and their families, as well as benefactors John and Jennie McGraw. The tablet on the outer north wall of the mausoleum was dedicated by then-governor Grover Cleveland at the 1883 commencement. The stained glass windows in the small room serve as reminders of those who helped build Cornell and great universities elsewhere, including Elihu Yale and John Harvard.

Also in Sage Chapel are countless windows dedicated to the memories of Cornell community members. Two windows on the south wall recall a tragedy forgotten by many on campus today. In December 1906, the colossal Fiske-McGraw mansion was utterly destroyed by fire. Built by Jennie McGraw but unfinished upon her death, the mansion was located west of the Johnson Art Museum, approximately where the current Chi Psi house sits today. The brothers of Chi Psi had purchased the mansion in 1896 after McGraw’s death. In the early morning on a cold December 7, a closet of cleaning rags caught fire at the base of the elevator shaft, allowing the fire to quickly spread to all three floors. As the flames engulfed the building, the students heroically struggled to rescue their sleeping housemates. Due to the intense winds that night and the difficulty firemen had in reaching the location, the house was completely demolished. Two students never escaped the house, two perished from burns and three local firefighters were killed by a falling wall.

One of the most recent additions to Sage Chapel is the window dedicated to three civil rights workers. In 1964, Michael Schwerner ’61, Andrew Goodman (the son of two Cornellians) and James Chaney traveled to Mississippi as part of a voter registration drive sponsored by the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). After vanishing in June, the bodies of the three were found in August, murdered by members of the Ku Klux Klan. The story was adapted for the movie Mississippi Burning in 1988. The Sage Chapel window was dedicated in 1991, and recently returned to national attention with the 2005 conviction of the man who ordered the deaths of the three civil rights workers.

Many of the smaller memorials around campus frequently go unnoticed. Noted professor Goldwin Smith donated the bench currently outside of Goldwin Smith Hall emblazoned with the motto: “Above All Nations is Humanity.” The common phrase is attributed to Smith and has appeared throughout the world, even as the motto of the University of Hawaii. The bench, given in 1871, was irreparably damaged in 1988, but an exact replica was returned to the Arts Quad in 2000. It remains a testament to Smith’s teachings and Cornell’s place as a “transnational” university.

Perhaps the most often seen memorial on campus is not dedicated to the memory of people, but to that of trees. The small tombstone in front of Stimson Hall along East Avenue is labeled “Ostrander Elms,” reminding Cornellians daily of the gift by a poor farmer in Cornell’s earliest years. The farmer was very interested in helping the fledging university, but had little to give except elm trees from his farm. President Andrew Dickson White gladly accepted the kind offer and the beautiful elm trees lined East Avenue for many generations before perishing due to Dutch Elm disease. The generous nature of Mr. Ostrander is perhaps what makes this memorial one of the most important for Cornellians to remember. His eagerness to give to a cause that he supported with a practical, meaningful and lasting gift is an admirable attitude that should inspire future Cornellians.

Memorial services on event anniversaries are not the only times that we should remember our history. As you traverse campus between classes, take time to observe the objects dedicated to Cornellians of the past. Spend a quiet afternoon reading the plaques and windows in Sage Chapel. Think about whose bench you might be sitting on. The buildings, benches, markers and other memorials placed throughout campus by thoughtful classmates, students and friends serve as reminders of the noble deeds and accomplishments of our predecessors. Remember that Ezra Cornell isn’t just a statue, Goldwin Smith is more than simply a building and Ostrander is not just a row of trees. They were people as well.

Corey Earle is a senior in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He can be contacted at cre8@cornell.edu. Walking Backwards appears alternate Wednesdays.