▁ 1 9 4 7 , ▁indicating ▁that ▁" the ▁present ▁buildings ▁are ▁sufficient ▁to ▁answer ▁its ▁purposes ▁for ▁the ▁opening ▁and ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁students ▁att ending ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁year ▁or ▁two ." ▁The ▁site ▁was ▁about ▁a ▁mile ▁and ▁a ▁half ▁from ▁T angle wood , ▁home ▁of ▁what ▁was ▁then ▁called ▁the ▁Ber k shire ▁Sym ph onic ▁Festival ; ▁in ▁fact , ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁ven ue ▁for ▁that ▁festival ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 4 ▁and ▁ 1 9 3 5 , ▁the ▁first ▁two ▁years ▁of ▁its ▁existence . ▁ ▁Corporation ▁launched ▁ ▁The ▁enter prise ▁was ▁launched ▁with ▁a ▁$ 4 . 5 ▁million ▁end ow ment ▁from ▁Paul ▁W . ▁M ell on , ▁son ▁of ▁Andrew ▁W . ▁M ell on . ▁M ell on ▁had ▁attended ▁St . ▁John ' s ▁as ▁a ▁fresh man ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 , ▁despite ▁already ▁holding ▁degrees ▁from ▁Y ale ▁and ▁Cla re ▁College , ▁Cambridge , ▁and ▁studied ▁there ▁until ▁ 1 9 4 2 ▁when ▁he ▁left ▁to ▁enter ▁the ▁Army . ▁ ▁A ▁corpor ation ▁was ▁formed , ▁named ▁" L iber al ▁Arts , ▁Inc ." ▁M embers ▁of ▁the ▁corpor ation ▁included ▁Bar r , ▁Buch an an , ▁famous ▁educ ators ▁Mark ▁Van ▁D oren ▁of ▁Columbia ▁University ▁and ▁Mort imer ▁J . ▁Ad ler ▁of ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Chicago , ▁two ▁Pitts field ▁att or ne ys , ▁and ▁a ▁legal ▁secretary . ▁S ass ▁indicates