WESTERNS FORGOTTEN DORMITORY Next time you walk past College Hall, take a moment to imagine it as a residence hall. Designed by Bebb & Jones architects, College Hall opened in the fall of 1947 as the Men’s Residence Hall, aka MRH. Until then, the only other on-campus housing was in Edens Hall, a dormitory for women. Featuring variegated red brick, four stories and a tile roof, the MRH consisted of double rooms, two lounges, a dining room, and Mrs. McGregor—a housemother who had her own apartment on the first floor. As the building was taking shape in March ’47, the W.W. Collegian reported, “The residence hall will be equipped to accommodate 80 men. With a luxurious lounge and dining room, the hall will be modern in every respect. From the outside, the appearance of the building does not resemble a residence hall; it looks more like a lovely fraternity building.” Western underwent a growth spurt between the mid ‘50s and late ‘60s, during which 12 more residence halls were built. The MRH did a gender switch in the early ‘60s, becoming the Women’s Residence Hall (WRH) for a couple years. By the late ‘60s, the building was converted to the academic building we now know as College Hall. College Hall is now home sweet home to Extended Education and the Honors Program. Photos courtesy of Western Washington University Libraries Special Collections.
Posted on: Thu, 23 Oct 2014 18:28:32 +0000
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