Two people occupy a room in Ross Hall

Description:	Two people occupy a room in Ross Hall, the first residence hall on Butler Universitys Fairview campus, which was originally known as the Mens Residence Hall. One person smokes a pipe while studying at the desk, while the other person is sleeping. The architectural firm McGuire and Shook designed the L-shaped limestone building to continue the theme of the other main buildings on campus including Jordan Hall and Atherton Union. The Carl M. Geupel Construction Company served as the general contractor and the final cost of the four story building (basement and three above-ground levels) was approximately $1 million, with an additional $100,000 spent on furnishings. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on April 1, 1953, and the cornerstone ceremony took place on September 30, 1953. Opening on September 12, 1954, the building could house approximately 280 male students. Although students were already living in the dorm, a public open house was held on Sunday, October 10, 1954, so others could view the new building. Originally, the rooms were filled with custom burn and scratch proof furniture designed by the commercial department of L. S. Ayres and Company and manufactured by the Sligh-Lowry Company. Each double room contained two beds, a nightstand, a dresser, a double desk, a lounge chair, and two lamps. The drapes, rugs, chair coverings, lamps, and bedspreads in each room incorporated one of eight different color schemes: medium blue, spring green, coral, tan, ivory, beige, gunmetal, and chartreuse. According to the Fall 1954 issue of The Butler Alumnus, Beauty as well as sturdiness has been incorporated in the furnishings of the residence hall. The rooms are of the lounge type-beds fold into couches when not in use. Head-boards on the beds serve double duty also, for during the daytime hours pillows and spreads are stored inside them (p. 4). In 1962, construction began on an addition to the residence hall in order to house approximately 250 additional students. Designed by McGuire, Shook, Compton, Richey and Associates (name changed from McGuire and Shook in 1958), the construction of the two additional wings on the west and south sides of the building began in March 1962, and they opened in September 1963. When University President M. O. Ross retired in 1962, the board of directors passed a resolution to rename the building after Ross, who served as president from 1942 to 1962. The name of the building was officially changed to Ross Residence Hall in 1963.
Origin:	1954
Created By:	Cale, Bill
Source:	http://palni.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/BldgsGrnds/id/2663
Collection:	Butler University Buildings and Grounds Collection
Rights:	http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/
Copyright:	In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
Geography:	Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, 39.836075, -86.169659 39.836075 -86.169659
Subjects:	Dormitories Chairs Desks Lamps Books Tobacco pipes Beds Pillows Clocks and watches Draperies Butler University--Buildings College buildings Butler University--History Indianapolis (Ind.)--History People Ross Residence Hall Mens Residence Hall Fairview campus

Further information on this record can be found at its source.