By BRIAN TYNES

Staff Writer

To some students, the residence halls are brick structures where they must live for nine months each year, but to others they are monuments to historic figures.

Dickie Crawford, dean of student life and auxiliary services, said Tech was established to be a residential institution, meaning Tech has the ability to house students. He also said housing students on-campus allows the university to provide them with more.

"Coming to college is not just an educational experience," Crawford said. "We work with different departments to enhance students' intellectual, spiritual and social needs."

"We work to develop the education of students from more than an academic standpoint."

Josh Williams, a 2004 history graduate, researched all campus buildings for the Department of Special Collections, Manuscripts and Archives located on the fourth floor of Prescott Memorial Library.

Williams' researched the buildings during 2003 using back issues of The Tech Talk as well as various university collections, including presidential papers. The information that follows has been taken from William's research.

The first residence hall was two stories and was constructed for women in 1898.

In 1947, it was named Hale Hall after W.B. Hale, an associate professor of psychology and education for 29 years.

A three-story north wing was added to Hale Hall in 1902. A three-story south wing was added in 1904.

"Old" Harper Hall was constructed in 1910 on the location of present-day Harper Hall and was named after Jean Maud Harper in 1940. Harper was the dean of women and professor of English and psychology from 1920-29.

Originally, the residence hall was named Richardson Hall after President E.S. Richardson, but in 1940 a law was adopted stating that buildings could not be named after living persons.

The law was passed after Gov. Richard Leche was convicted of corruption charges and sentenced to federal prison. Another name change also occurred: Leche Hall was renamed for J.E. Keeny, Tech's sixth president.

Because of the completion of "Old" Harper Hall as a women's residence, Hale Hall was converted into a men's residence hall.

Thatcher Hall, named after George O. Thatcher in 1947, was constructed at the northeast corner of Hale Hall as a men's residence hall in 1930. Before 1947, Thatcher Hall was known as the Engineers' Hall.

Three new dorm's were completed in 1939: Aswell Hall, a women's residence hall named after President James B. Aswell; Robinson Hall, a men's residence hall named after President W.C. Robinson and the National Youth Administration Agriculture Dorm at Tech farm as part of the New Deal Era, to house agriculture students.

Married student housing was first constructed at Tech Farm in 1946 and was mostly inhabited by World War II veterans and their families.

New married student housing was completed in 1967 to replace the old buildings.

Adams Hall, a residence hall for senior women, was completed in 1950 and was named after Iva M. Adams, a member of the Tech Executive Committee.

Two men's residence halls were completed in 1951 and were named in 1952 after Richardson and University President Claybrook Cottingham.

By 1958 four more residence halls were constructed.

Two of the residence halls were for men and they were Jenkins, named for E. S. Jenkins, a professor of history, and McFarland, named for R. A. McFarland, former head of the department of civil engineering.

Both Jenkins and McFarland Halls are still standing, but neither is used as a residence hall.

Dudley Hall, named for Minnie Caylor Dudley, Tech dormitory matron from 1906-20, and Pearce, named for Ruby B. Pearce, a former registrar, were residence halls for women.

From 1961-68 seven new residence halls were dedicated.

Graham, Harper and Kidd Halls were completed for women, and Mitchell, Hutcheson, Caruthers and Neilson Halls were completed for men.

John P. Graham, a professor of music who authored the Alma Mater, and Stella B. Kidd, a Tech music instructor for 32 years, had new women's residence halls named in their honor.

William Leroy Mitchell, a dean of the school of engineering and a professor of engineering; James L. Hutcheson, university registrar from 1923-26; John D. Caruthers, a Shreveport business man and Tech alumnus; and Patrick Douglas Neilson, head of physics department from 1928-49, were honored with the naming of men's dorm's after them.

Peggy Carter, university archivist, said Williams' research is valuable because it allows her easy access to all the buildings history.

"It is very important to have [Williams' research] as a publication because of the school's alumni," Carter said.

Tech has been evolving to better meet the student's needs.

Crawford said, "We're heading in the direction to continue housing students and educating them outside the classroom."