Exploring the Laura Lee Blanton Student Services Building and Blanton Hall at SMU

Southern Methodist University (SMU) is a leading institution located in Dallas, Texas. It is renowned for its commitment to academic excellence and integrated experiential learning opportunities. Among the numerous buildings and locations on the SMU campus, the Laura Lee Blanton Student Services Building and Blanton Hall stand out as vital hubs for student life and administrative services. This article delves into the details of these two important structures, exploring their history, features, and significance to the SMU community.

The Laura Lee Blanton Student Services Building

The Laura Lee Blanton Student Services Building is a 63,000 square-foot facility located on the west side of Airline Road near SMU Boulevard. It is known as a "One Stop Shop" where students can take care of administrative issues. The building is named in honor of Laura Lee Blanton. “She had a very staggering love for this school,” Jack Blanton said of his late wife in an interview before the building's dedication.

Dedication to Student Services

At the dedication ceremonies, Mr. Blanton recalled how vital Mrs. Blanton considered the treatment and handling of students. “It was very important to her, the treatment and handling of students,” Mr. Blanton said. “This building is a way to honor someone extremely special,” he added. Mrs. Gerald J. Ford, chairman of SMU’s Board of Trustees, recalled Mrs. Blanton’s dedication to the school in her speech. Mr. Ford noted, “Laura Lee Blanton was the paradigm of a trustee.”

Architectural Significance

As home to one of the country’s finest collections of Collegiate Georgian architecture, Southern Methodist University wanted a student services and visitor center that would stand out at the primary eastern campus entrance, while staying true to the school’s Collegiate Georgian tradition. OMNIPLAN designers sent members of their team to Massachusetts and Virginia to study the historic examples of this style there. Based on conversations with the client and OMNIPLAN’s in-depth research, the architects developed a stately design with a grand entrance, facing toward the school’s eastern portal, to serve campus visitors, and an additional westward entrance for convenient student access. To minimize exterior maintenance requirements, OMNIPLAN substituted durable modern materials for traditional wooden accents. The Blanton Building at SMU faces a new gateway to the campus from the most traveled entrance off of Interstate-75.

Division of Enrollment Services

The Division of Enrollment Services at SMU is led by the Vice Provost for Enrollment Management, Dr. Wes Waggoner. It includes the Office of Undergraduate Admission, Office of Student Financial Services, Office of the University Registrar, and International Student & Scholar Services.

Visiting Hours and Parking

The visiting hours for Blanton Student Services Building are most likely the same as other locations on the Southern Methodist University (SMU) campus. For visitors without an SMU Parking Permit, SMU provides several options to either purchase a temporary parking permit or use the park and pay machines or Parkmobile meter locations through campus.

Blanton Hall

Blanton Hall was built in the early 1980s and was renovated in 2011. Reopened in Fall 2012, this five-story building houses approximately 675 residents in suite-style.

Suite-Style Living

Blanton Hall offers suite-style living, consisting of two adjoining double and/or triple rooms connected by a bathroom. Each residential floor consists of four wings housing 4 Resident Assistants within each wing.

Amenities

Blanton Hall is also home to the Plaza at Blanton dining hall and the Student Health Center.

Room Layouts

The room layout shown represents a general building floor plan.

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Single Room

A desk and bed are included in a Single Room in Blanton Hall. The bathroom in a Single Room in Blanton Hall includes a shower.

Double Room

One side of a double room in Blanton Hall includes a bed and desk decorated by a student. The bathroom to a Blanton Double Room as seen from one of the connecting rooms.

Triple Room

A Triple in Blanton Hall showcasing a bunk bed and desk. A student’s desk and mini fridge in a Blanton Hall Triple.

Blanton Residents and Non-Residents

Blanton Residents and Non-Residents can reserve space in Blanton through STABLE.

Additional Campus Buildings at SMU

To provide a broader context of the campus environment, it is worth noting other significant buildings at SMU:

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Carr Collins, Jr. Hall: Home of the Department of Political Science and the John Goodwin Tower Center for Political Studies, Collins Hall was originally known as Lawyers Inn and was a residence for law students. In 1992, as a result of a gift from the Collins family of Dallas, the building was repurposed as a classroom and office building and renamed in honor of Carr Collins, Jr., brother of former Congressman James M. Collins.
Dallas Hall: Dallas Hall and what is today called Clements Hall were the only two permanent buildings on the SMU campus when the University opened in the fall of 1915. Originally conceived by Robert S. Hyer, SMU’s first president, Dallas Hall housed all classrooms and laboratories, a library, a snack bar, a post office and faculty and administrative offices. Today, Dallas Hall houses the English Department, the William P. Clements Department of History, the William P. Clements Center for Southwest Studies, and the offices of the Dean of Dedman College. Named in honor of the Dallas citizens whose contributions funded the building, Dallas Hall also serves as a symbol of the close relationship the University shares with the city. For 100 years, SMU's elegant first building has served as a symbol of the University, a standard of its classic collegiate Georgian style, home to intellectual discourse for generations of students and center of SMU’s liberal arts tradition, now Dedman College.
Clements Hall: Originally it was named the Women’s Building and served as the residence for female students. In the fall of 1926, it became the men’s dormitory and was renamed Atkins Hall. Over 40 years later the facility was renovated again to serve academic purposes. It was renamed in honor of former Texas Governor William P. Clements, whose generosity funded the renovation in recognition of SMU's 50th anniversary.
Dedman Life Sciences Building: Built in 2001 and named after businessman Robert H. Dedman Sr. and his wife, Nancy McMillan Dedman, the Dedman Life Sciences Building is the newest facility in Dedman College and is located in the Science Quad.
Expressway Tower: In 2006, SMU expanded beyond University Park and Highland Park into the City of Dallas, east of North Central Expressway. Expressway Tower is located in the heart of the new East Campus and is its most notable building, standing 15 stories high.
Fondren Science Building: Part of Dedman College's Science Quad, this building is home to both the Physics and Chemistry Departments as well as teaching laboratories for the Departments of Biological Sciences and Earth Sciences. Constructed in 1950, Fondren was larger than any other building on campus at the time and had the added benefit of being air-conditioned. In the clock tower is a two-octave carillon with 25 bells, the largest of which weighs four tons.
Heroy Hall: Another addition to the Science Quad and attached to Fondren Science Building, Heroy Hall hosts the Roy M. Huffington Department of Earth Sciences, the Institute for the Study of Earth and Man, and the Statistical Science, Anthropology, and Sociology departments. Heroy Hall was named after Reverend Newman Lounsberry Heroy, father of William B. Heroy, Jr.
Hyer Hall: This 1926 structure, named in honor of SMU's first president Robert S. Hyer, was originally designed to house the sciences-Physics on the first floor, Biology on the second and Geology on the third. Relocating these departments from Dallas Hall greatly reduced the crowded conditions in that building.
Umphrey Lee Center: Built in 1955 and named in honor of SMU's fourth president and then chancellor, the Umphrey Lee Center was originally utilized as a student center. It currently houses the Economics Department, which offers some of Dedman College's most popular degree programs, and the Richard B.

The Blanton Museum of Art

While not directly part of the Blanton Student Services Building or Blanton Hall, the Blanton Museum of Art at UT is also a significant cultural and educational resource. More than 12,000 UT students from over 80 departments and colleges visit the Blanton each year.

Educational Opportunities

UT Faculty can request a guided visit with a museum educator that fits course goals and helps build interdisciplinary skills. All visits require at least two weeks advance notice. Area college or university faculty not affiliated with UT can request a guided or self-guided visit for up to 40 students, also requiring two weeks advance notice.

Visual Resources

Download images from UT Libraries Visual Resources Collection (VRC) for education and research. Access images from the Blanton’s collection by selecting “University of Texas - Art and Art History Visual Resources Collection.” Search by artist, titles, and keywords.

Collection and Themes

The Blanton’s collection includes more than 18,000 works on paper. Curatorial and education teams have developed comprehensive checklists of artworks based on a variety of themes, including community building, environment, human identity, war and conflict, and development.

Public Study Center

Make an appointment for classes to visit artworks in this public study center.

Work-Study and Fellowships

The Blanton offers several work-study positions as well as endowed fellowships for graduate and doctoral students.

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