Opening in 1900 as the Montana State School of Mines, Montana Tech began with only one building, Main Hall, holding 21 students and offering two degrees: mining engineering and electrical engineering. It continued to grow and, in 1928 Francis A. Thomson became president of the school. He considered the campus the "
ugliest campus of any educational institution" in any of the continents". In one respect, for him and the school the Great Depression turned out to be a serendipitous event in that he was able to have extensive landscaping done on the campus, as well as the construction of this large residence hall.
Then known as the Montana [State] School of Mines, the PWA granted $320,000 for the construction of a new dormitory.
The school’s website explains: “Construction of the Residence Hall began in 1935 with an appropriation grant from the Federal Emergency Relief Administration of Public Works. It was open for use during the 1935-1936 academic year. The main structure has four floors each with a student lounge. In addition, there are two wings, each with one floor. It was originally designed to house 110 students.”
From Living New Deal
MONTANA TECH CAMPUS RESIDENCE HALLS
The Montana School of Mines continued to grow even during the lean years of the Great Depression. One of the challenges facing early students was locating living quarters within a reasonable distance of the school. Credit for the building of this H-shaped residence hall goes to Francis A. Thomson, president of the school during the 1930s, who organized and saw to completion this phase of campus improvement. An appropriation from the Federal Emergency Relief Administration of Public Works (PWA) made construction possible. The residence hail was one of only nine Montana buildings constructed with PWA assistance. Completed in 1935, the brick and terra cotta-trimmed building features a main hall with two entirely separate wings occupied by the Theta Tau and Sigma Rho fraternities. The hall originally provided accommodations for 110 students as well as apartments for the house mother, proctor, instructors and guests.
From the NRHP plaque at the building