Living on Campus

Living on Campus A

part of the Division of Student Affairs, University Housing is home to more than 8,300 students who live in nine residential communities comprised of 22 residence halls, University Village apartments, and Health Science Campus townhomes as well as four Greek Park houses.

University Housing connects to the university’s mission by providing comfortable, affordable and secure on-campus housing options in residential communities where the academic success and personal growth of residents are encouraged and supported. As a result, research indicates students who live on campus perform better academically than their off-campus peers.

In support of this mission, University Housing employs more than 700 full and part-time employees within three comprehensive units— Administrative Services and Communications, Facilities, and Residential Programs and Services.

As a self-supporting auxiliary, University Housing operates a $50 million budget derived only from student rent and other non-state sources.

University Housing fosters a supportive and challenging inclusive environment through staff selection and training, community programming and contact with staff and students. Residents are part of a community that values and appreciates diversity and where individual rights and differences are recognized and respected.

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Housing History The University of Georgia has a long tradition of a residential campus.

The history of the University of Georgia is intertwined with the residential facilities that are in use today. The individuals for whom the buildings were named played significant roles in the life of the University.

1800s and 1900s In 1801, the first residence hall, Old College (right), was constructed. When Old College was completed in 1806, UGA President Meigs announced, “No finer accommodations for students can be found at any College in the United States.” Modeled after Connecticut Hall at Yale University, Old College is the original living-learning-dining-community on the UGA Campus. Shortly thereafter, New College was also added in 1823 to accommodate the increasing number of students. New College is UGA’s second residence hall, which was destroyed by fire in 1830. However, New College was rebuilt in 1832. Through the years numerous buildings were built as residential structures but later adapted for other purposes.

1900-1936 In 1918, junior and senior women were granted admission to the University of Georgia. The ground-breaking ceremony for the first women’s residence hall took place in May 1919 with construction starting a month later. Finally in June 1920, Soule Hall opened for women students and was called the “New Women’s Building” until April 1923, when it received its present name.

Soule was certainly more than just a dormitory: it contained classrooms, an infirmary, a kitchen and a gymnasium on the first floor that is now a main lounge of the building. A swimming pool was constructed in the basement. The main lounge was on the second floor of the building to

take advantage of the balconies that extended to either side of the building. The second floor had bedrooms on one side and classrooms and laboratories on the other. The entire third floor was devoted to bedrooms, each with a sink, wardrobe, and a press for ironing dresses.

The construction of Soule was financed jointly by the State Legislature and the trustees of the State College of Agriculture. The total cost for construction was $100,000. Despite this generous funding for construction, no funds were allocated for furnishing the building. Consequently, an organization called the “Friends of Higher Education for Women” set up a fund-raising drive to furnish the rooms. Each room was completely furnished

1850 | The first campus live-on requirement is instituted by UGA’s President.

1785 | UGA chartered

1806 | Old College opens 2 | HOUSING.UGA.EDU

1823 | New College opens

1830 | New College burns to the ground—the first building fire in the City of Athens. It is rebuilt two years later.

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for $125. Recognition was given to local chapters of this organization for donating money by having nameplates installed on the doors to each furnished room. The first room that was furnished through this program was named Montezuma, after the women’s club of Montezuma, Georgia, that donated this money.

Soule Hall housed women until 1972 when, despite many protests from students, it was converted to a classroom, office and training center for the Department of Offender Rehabilitation. It was used for this purpose until 1982. After substantial renovations it was reopened as a women’s residence hall. Soule is currently the oldest resi-

Housing’s oldest operating residenrce hall was named after faculty member Dr. Margaret Soule.

dence hall on campus still housing residents. Soule obtained its name from Dr. Soule, who was President of the College of Agriculture for 26 years.

In 1921 and 1923 the center sections of Milledge and Payne Halls respectively were open for men.

It was not until 1939 that the wings were added to each hall to give them their present physical configuration. Milledge Hall as named after John Milledge, a past governor of the State of Georgia, and has housed men since its completion. Milledge Hall was Athens-Clarke County’s gift to the University of Georgia. Milledge Hall is currently home to the Division of Academic Enhancement. Payne Hall, named for Dr. J.H. Payne, a leader in the university’s athletic association, became the male athletic hall, complete with its own private food service in the basement.

1937-1953 In 1937, Mary Lyndon Hall and in 1939 Rutherford Hall opened for women. Mary Lyndon was furnished in 18th Century style with open fireplaces, marble hearths, brass andirons, and candlesticks, in addition to a variety of statuettes that enhanced the living atmosphere. The hall was closed in 1970 for extensive renovation. Reopened in 1973, Mary Lyndon has since been designated as the graduate women’s hall. The hall was named after Mary A. Lyndon, who was the first Dean of Women at the University of Georgia. It is believed that Rutherford Hall was named after Mildred L. Rutherford, who was a noted author and educator in the state normal school system. Even though Mildred had not attended the University of Georgia, her family tree was rooted here. She was the daughter of William Rutherford, a popular University of Georgia mathematics professor. William Rutherford’s father was a member of the first graduating class of the University of Georgia in 1804.

Rutherford and Mary Lyndon Halls became the home for the Navy preflight trainees during the years surrounding World War II. The present quadrangle between the halls was perfect for marching activities and sporting events. Following the war, Rutherford and Mary Lyndon once again opened their doors to female college students, eventually becoming co-ed buildings. Today, Mary Lyndon Hall is home to the UGA French and Spanish language communities and Rutherford is home to the Franklin Residential College.

In 2010, UGA President Michael Adams asked the foundation’s board of directors to consider financing a renovation of Rutherford Hall at an estimated cost of $9 million to $10 million. Some foundation board members resisted, saying the foundation had routinely financed only new construction or land acquisition rather than renovations.

State and local historical preservationists asked UGA to save the historic building as Adams

Mary Lyndon Mary Dorothy Lyndon (1877-1924) was the first female graduate from the University of Georgia. After earning sufficient credit, Lyndon received a Master of Arts degree on June 17, 1914—four years before women were admitted to UGA as regular students. When women were finally admitted as full students during the 1919-1920 school year, Mary Lyndon was nominated by UGA Chancellor David C. Barrow and then elected by the University Board of Trustees to the positions of Associate Professor of Education and Dean of Women.

1863 | The university closes because of the Civil War. Campus buildings are utilized for Confederate soldiers, Union prisoners and civilian refugees.

1863 | The university reopens.

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1902 | Candler Hall is constructed as a male dormitory and is now home to the School of Public and International Affairs.

Left to right: 1) Mary Lyndon was renovated in 2011 to be more ADA-accessible and to update the common spaces, halls and heating and air systems. 2) a postcard circa 1940 shows the hall sitting off Myers Quad. 3) One of the two second-floor parlors as seen with residents circa 1938.

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weighed whether to spend millions to renovate the old building, or spend even more millions and get a new building. Hundreds of people signed a petition asking the university to preserve the building, completed in 1939.

After months of controversy over whether to save Rutherford or tear it down and build a new one, Adams announced in September that the building would be demolished. The cost of renovation would be too great, and a wiser investment would be a new, larger residence hall, he said.

The new Ruthorford opend in fall 2013, housing 261 residents in double rooms with bathrooms.

T.W. Reed was a longtime registrar at UGA. Reed Hall, initially for men only, is named in his honor. project coordinators purposefully preserved architectural elements from the original structure in order to incorporate them into the new building in creative ways—some of original handrailing has even been blended into the landscaping design and the original fireplace mantles were installed in the second-floor parlors.

1950-1960 In the early 1950’s, both Reed and Myers Halls were constructed and occupied by students. Reed Hall first opened its doors in 1953. It was built on the site of Lucus House, an old house used as a residence hall to supplement housing that existed on the upper floors of Memorial Hall. Reed Hall was initially occupied by freshmen men, who obtained the nickname of “pigeons” because they would take advantage of their location and perch on the roof of the building to watch sporting

1923 | Milledge Annex, now known as Payne Hall, opens 1920 | Soule Hall opens to become the first residence hall for women on campus

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events in the stadium. Reed was named after popular “Uncle Tom Reed,” who was registrar of the University for 35 years. Since 1974 both men and women have lived in Reed. Reed Hall underwent a major renovation, which was completed just in time for the fall opening in August 2003.

Myers Hall was constructed simultaneously with Reed and also opened in 1953. It was constructed on what was known as Ag Hill, because of its proximity to the Agriculture building. Myers Hall received substantially more attention in the media than Reed because it was designated as a women’s hall. Consequently, to meet the needs of women students additional facilities not found in Reed Hall were constructed in Myers.

These included a browsing library containing 2,000 volumes, two sun decks, four guest suites, and lounges for men and women. The basement of Myers Hall was a combination of a grill and bookstore. Outside this store the coordinate campus bell was installed in its place of honor. This bell was used to signal the comings and goings of Georgia co-eds on campus.

The two end wings of Myers were designated as housing for freshmen women and the center section was set aside for the occupation by senior and graduate women students. Myers Hall was also home to UGA’s first African-American resident, Charlayne Hunter. In addition, Myers was the last residence hall on campus to get air conditioning during its award-winning renovation in 2003.

Today both men and women occupy Myers.

In 1957, Morris Hall, named after two prominent brothers who were professors at the University, Dr. Sylvanius Morris and Dr. John Morris, was opened for graduate and law students. Numerous volumes of law books were located in the lobby of Morris for use by students until 1981, when they were moved to the law school for inclusion in the new library. Morris has been the site of several important innovations in residence hall living on

1939 | Rutherford Hall opens

1937 | Mary Lyndon Hall opens

The women of Myers Hall JENNY BELL MYERS Myers Hall derived its name from a popular fireball, a beloved woman, Jenny Bell Myers, who was the “iron-fisted” housemother of Soule Hall in the 1930’s. She served the university for over 26 years and at one time served as head of all house directors in Gilmore Hall on the coordinate campus. She was recognized as primary in contributing and developing the social life on the campus, especially for women living in the residence halls. The grill and the bookstore constructed in the basement of Myers Hall were named “Jenny Bell” after Ms. Myers.

“M Day,” March 7, 1953, was the day the women moved from the coordinate campus to Myers Hall. Newspaper accounts of this event refer to the numerous male students who volunteered to use their cars to help the 200 women move from the state normal school coordinate campus to Myers Hall. This was a historic event in the life of the University of Georgia.

CHARLAYNE HUNTER-GAULT Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter had applied to the University of Georgia during the summer of 1959, but were informed that the dormitories were filled to capacity and could not accommodate any more students. The pair renewed their applications each semester thereafter, only to be refused admission on each occasion due to “limited facilities.” After exhausting all administrative appeals, the two applicants brought suit. On January 6, 1961, however, a mere three weeks after the trial’s start, Judge Bootle ordered the university to admit Holmes and Hunter, thereby ending 160 years of segregation at UGA. Hunter and Holmes arrived on the UGA campus on January 9, 1961, to register for classes. The new students were met with taunts and racial epithets. Two days later, after a basketball game, a crowd gathered outside Myers Hall, smashing more than 60 windows with bottles and bricks. The mob was finally dispersed by Athens police armed with tear gas. That night the Georgia State Patrol escorted the students back to their homes in Atlanta, and the University of Georgia suspended both Hunter and Holmes, supposedly for their own safety.

Hunter graduated from UGA in 1963 and accepted her first job as an editorial assistant at the New Yorker magazine in New York City. She also worked as a journalist for the New York Times, PBS’s MacNeil/Lehrer Report, as the chief correspondent in Africa for National Public Radio (NPR) and CNN. In 1985, in celebration of the school’s bicentennial, UGA created the annual Holmes-Hunter Lecture. Hunter-Gault returned to campus to deliver the commencement address in 1988; she was the school’s first black graduation speaker. In 2001 the Academic Building where Hunter-Gault and Holmes first registered for classes at UGA was named the Holmes-Hunter Academic Building to mark the fortieth anniversary of the school’s desegregation.

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this campus. In 1973, it was the first hall to have experimental 24-hour open visitation. The concept proved successful and was implemented in other halls on campus.

The Hill Community The halls which today comprise the Hill Community—Hill, Church, Boggs, Mell and Lipscomb —were completed and occupied in 1961.

Tucker Hall, which now houses the university’s research communications staff, was constructed and opened as a residence hall at the same time.

Tucker continued as a residence hall until 1974 when it was converted to classroom and office use. Hill, Church and Boggs Hall were originally designed to house women. Mell and Lipscomb Halls, separated from these other buildings by

Patrick Mell established the Greek system at UGA, that today comprises nearly 20 percent of students.

Tanyard Creek (nicknamed “the moat,”were designated to house men.

Hill Hall and Hill Community are named after Walter B. Hill, who was chancellor of the University of Georgia for six years. An innovator in the University, he started summer school, the Alumni Society, and the Schools of Pharmacy and Forestry. Chancellor Hill was the first non-minister selected as a Chancellor of the University of Georgia.

Alonza Church held the office of President at the University of Georgia for longer than anyone else—30 years. He served as president through the 1830s and the last two decades preceding the Civil War. He was a strong advocate of classical learning and braved attacks of young, progressive

1953 | Myers and Reed Halls open

professors who were advocating a turn to more scientific emphasis on learning.

Boggs Hall was named after William E. Boggs, who was the Chancellor of the University of Georgia during the birth of intercollegiate athletics on campus. He was also a Presbyterian minister.

Mell Hall was named after Patrick H. Mell, President of the University of Georgia starting in 1878.

He is noted for having established a School of Technology. Andrew A. Lipscomb, the man afterm whom Lipscomb Hall was named, was a Methodist minister and Chancellor of the University of Georgia during the Civil War and the Reconstruction period. He served as chancellor for 14 years.

In the fall of 1967, Mell and Lipscomb Halls were converted from men to women. Lipscomb was turned into a women’s honors hall under the direction of Dr. Louise McBee, who served as associate vice president for Academic Affairs. Requirements for living in this hall included a grade point average of 80 out of 100, junior or senior status, good citizenship, and recommendations from faculty or administrators. If accepted, the student was required to sign an honor code and have parental approval.

In 1974, Mell and Lipscomb Halls were established as living-learning centers, with Lipscomb housing men and Mell housing women. Currently, Hill Hall is the only all-female residence hall in the Hill Comminity. A faculty member once lived there, which was part of the faculty-in-residence program.

Oglethorpe House, a private men’s residence hall, opened in the fall of 1965. In 1968, “O-House” was converted to women due to the need for women’s housing at the university, and in September 1969, the living arrangements were again changed by designating the top four floors for women and the lower five floors for men.

Elaborate changes were made in the physical environment to accommodate the first co-ed hall on campus. Elevators were keyed to different floors;

1963 | Creswell Hall opens

1957 | Morris Hall opens

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1967 | Russell Hall opens 1966 | Brumby Hall opens (right)

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barriers in the stairwells were constructed to separate the men from the women, horns and light signals were keyed to those doors to discourage use of the doors by residents to gain access to the floors of the opposite sex. University Housing purchased Oglethorpe House in 1979 from a private development company.

It has remained a popular co-educational residence hall used to house the Fresman College Summer Experience program. Upon its construction, O-House featured its own swimming pool, which was filled in to accomodate the expansion of Oglethorpe Dining Commons in 2012.

A “GREEN” BUILDING Building 1516 is the first residence hall on UGA’s campus to be LEED certified. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System provides a set of standards for environmentally sustainable construction and maintenance. LEED-certified buildings use key resources more efficiently when compared to other buildings. In addition, LEED-certified buildings have healthier environments, which in turn contribute to higher productivity and improved health and comfort to residents and staff.

Building 1516’s sustainable design features include: • Locations on each floor for students to recycle materials • Healthy, eco-friendly furnishings • Increased levels of fresh air in the building • Environmentally-friendly carpet that nets zero greenhouse gas emissions, meaning any greenhouse gases emitted during the lifecycle of the carpet are offset or balanced by investing in other products that reduce or reverse the impact of those emissions • ENERGY STAR qualified products • Use of only Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood that guarantees wood used in construction was from a well-managed forest • Energy-wise building surfaces including windows and shingles • A high insulation value, thereby reducing energy loss throughout the building • Use of treated graywater (recycled water from showers, sinks and washing machines) for flushing toilets • Bioretention systems located near the building to filter pollutants from and treat storm water runoff • A rainwater catchment system for water recycling • Drought-tolerant landscaping

The high rises In 1963, Creswell Hall, named after Mary E. Creswell, Dean of the School of Home Economics from 1941-49, opened for occupancy by freshmen women. This 1,000-bed residence hall attracted a great deal of interest and publicity as it opened. The damage and vandalism were so great in Creswell that, in 1964, it was changed from housing all freshmen women to housing all classifications of female students.

In 1966, Brumby Hall, named after Ann Wallace Brumby, who served as the second Dean of Women for the University, opened housing 1,000 female students. Brumby Hall was renovated in 2020 to include more common spaces and more bathroom privacy.

Also, in 1967, the original McWhorter Hall opened near Stegeman Coliseum to house male scholarship athletes. This building was named after Bob McWhorter, who was the first All-American football player to have been chosen from UGA. Later in life, McWhorter became the first Georgia Bulldog to be included into the National Football Hall of Fame.

After his college days, Bob McWhorter became

a professor of law at the university and later served as Mayor of Athens.

Russell Hall, opened for men in the fall of 1967, was named for the Russell family, particularly Judge Robert L. Russell of the Georgia Court of Appeals.

Other members of the family are Richard B. Russell, a former Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court; Senator Richard B. Russell, Jr.; and Robert L. Russell, Jr., a Federal Judge. This 1,000-bed residence hall was renovated in 2018 to include more bathroom privacy, in-room temperature control, a large third-floor lounge and a convenience store on the first floor.

East Campus Village More than 30 years passed before a seventh residential community was added to the University of Georgia campus in 2004. The newest community is called East Campus Village. East Campus Village (ECV) is apartment-style living for 1,221 men and women in four residence halls. When ECV opened its doors, the official name for each individual building was a number until names could be determined through monetary donations to the university or through other means. When the original McWhorter Hall was demolished in 2005 to make room for the Coverdell Center Project, the name McWhorter was given to one of the residence halls in ECV. Rooker Hall is named for UGA alumni and philanthropist Jack Rooker. In the fall of 2008, the building formally called “Building 1514” was officially renamed S. Ernest Vandiver Jr. Hall. The building is named for Ernest Vandiver, who gradu-

ated from UGA with a Bachelors degree in Business Administration and law degree. Vandiver served as Governor of Georgia from 1959-1963 and will be remembered for his leadership in keeping UGA open, when other state leaders moved to close the university than to accept racial integration in 1961. In 2014, Building 1512 became Busbee Hall, named after George Busbee, the 77th governor of Georgia (1975 to 1983) and a graduate of the University of Georgia and the University of Georgia School of Law. Building 1516 Opened in fall 2010, Building 1516 provides double and single rooms with private bath accommodations geared toward non-first year, undergraduate students. The new residence hall is intended to be a signature space that will support the academics and personal growth of residents, provide a place where programs, classes and events can be hosted, and most importantly, become a home away from home for 555 students. Located adjacent to East Campus Village, Building 1516 is the fourth residence hall to comprise the Reed Community (currently Morris, Payne and Reed Halls) and is conveniently located near Hugh Hodgson School of Music, Lamar Dodd School of Art, Georgia Museum of Art, Ramsey Student Center for Physical Activities, and the University Health Center. In addition, Building 1516 provides easy access to residential parking as well as multiple bus routes and is a short distance to the Joe Frank Harris (EVC) Dining Commons. n

The rich heritage of the University of Georgia is reflected in its campus communities, which are recognized as one of the outstanding programs in the country. Thank you to all of those who have dedicated themselves to supporting the mission of University Housing.

2013 | Rutherford Hall is razed and reconstructed 2010 | Building 1516 opens

2018 | Russell Hall renovated

2020 | Brumby Hall renovated

2004 | East Campus Village opens 10 | HOUSING.UGA.EDU

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