Historian to Discuss Dr. Samuel Jones and Arnold Print Works at North Adams Library

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The North Adams Public Library will host historian and graphic designer Samuel M. Trudel on Wednesday, May 14, at 6:00 p.m.

Trudel will discuss his recently published two-book series on the history of the Arnold Print Works from 1868 to 1942, focusing on Dr. Samuel M. Jones' ownership (1915-1942).

The presentation will cover Jones' acquisition of the North Adams-based textile manufacturer, the company's survival through the Great Depression, its return to profitability, and its eventual sale to Sprague Electric in 1942 due to World War II. At the time of the sale, Arnold Print Works employed 2,500 people.

Trudel's presentation will include previously unpublished photographs of the company's operations, samples of original Arnold Print Works fabrics, and family photographs and letters.

The event will be held in the 3rd-floor community room of the North Adams Public Library, located at 74 Church Street, North Adams, MA, 01247. It is free and open to the public and is co-hosted with the North Adams Historical Society.

MCLA Graduates Told to Make the World Worthy of Them

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
05:27PM / Saturday, May 16, 2026

Keynote speaker Michael Bobbitt was awarded an honorary doctor of fine arts. He told the graduates to make the world worthy of them. See more photos here.  

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Amsler Campus Center gym erupted in cheers on Saturday as 193 members of class of 2026 turned their tassels.

 

The graduates of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts' 127th commencement were sent off with the charge of "don't stop now" to make the world a better place.  

 

You are Trailblazers, keynote speaker Michael Bobbitt reminded them, and a "trailblazer is not simply someone who walks a path. A trailblazer makes one, but blazing a trail does not happen alone. Every trailblazer is carrying tools made by somebody else. Every trailblazer is guided by stars they did not create. Every trailblazer stands on grounds shaped by ancestors, teachers, workers, neighbors, friends, and strangers."

 

Trailblazing takes communal courage, he said, and they needed to love people, build with people, argue with people, and find the people who make them braver and kinder at the same time.

 

"The future will not be saved by isolated geniuses, it will be saved by networks of people willing to practice courage together. The future belongs not to the loudest, not to the richest, not to the most certain, but to the most adaptive, the most creative, the most courageous, the most willing to learn."

 

Bobbitt was recently named CEO of Opera American after nearly five years leading the Massachusetts Cultural Council. He stressed the importance of art to the graduates, and noted that opera is not the only art form facing challenges in this world. 

 

"Every field is asking, who are we for now? What do we, what value do we create?" he said. "What do we stop pretending is fine. This is not just an arts question, that is a healthcare question, a climate question, a technology question, a community question, a higher education question, a democracy question, a life question. ...