Men's Dormitory - Oregon State University - Corvallis, OR - American Guide Series on Waymarking.com

The MEN'S DORMITORY (1928) includes five residence halls, and is three stories above a basement, with a five-story central tower. An open arch under the tower affords a view of the hills and mountains. Behind the building is a recreational area with cinder track, tennis courts, and practice fields.

The Men’s Dormitory was constructed to accommodate the influx of students at Oregon State University following the end of World War I. Enrollment nearly doubled in the early 1920s, causing a housing shortage.The Men’s Dormitory was originally broken into five independent halls, named Buxton, Poling, Weatherford, Hawley, and Cauthorn, that housed a total of 332 men. Students enjoyed dances held under the arches of the building’s entryway. Many war veterans lived in the Men’s Dormitories after returning from WWII. They called themselves the “Weatherford Warriors,” and held study groups to assist each other in the transition back to University life. In 1957 the five dormitories were renamed Weatherford Hall to honor James K. Weatherford, an OSU alumnus who graduated in 1872 and served on the University’s Board of Regents for 44 years. Though it had been a men’s dormitory for nearly sixty years, it became a co-educational dorm in 1987. The University decided to close the dormitory in 1993 because the building needed major renovation. This incited student protest and a petition to keep the dormitory open for one more year. Weatherford closed in 1994 and most of the building was vacant for many years, with space occasionally opening for workshops and training exercises. Efforts to salvage Weatherford started with a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant in 1997 that enabled a seismic analysis and funded repairs that would halt further deterioration to the building. In 2002, the private donation of $4 million and $14 million in bond funding allowed further renovation that converted the building into the center of OSU’s entrepreneurship program, opening in 2004.

Amazingly, the recreation fields referenced in the WPA guide are still on site, although they've been greatly improved and expanded over the years.