Gibson Hall: A Cornerstone of Tulane University's History
Gibson Hall stands as a defining structure on Tulane University's uptown campus, both physically and historically. Completed in 1894, it was the first building erected on the new campus and has since served as a central point for administration and classroom activities. Its location facing St. Charles Avenue establishes the campus's outer edge and defines the quadrangle behind it.
Early Days and Architectural Influences
Tulane University's origins trace back to the Medical College of Louisiana, founded in 1834. It later became the University of Louisiana in 1847. The institution's trajectory changed significantly after Paul Tulane's endowment in 1884, which led to it being renamed Tulane University.
In 1891, the university acquired a long, narrow strip of land extending inland from St. Charles Avenue, marking the beginning of construction on the new campus. The architectural firm of Harrod and Andry, and later Andry and Bendernagel, won a design competition with their proposal for rusticated stone buildings. These designs were heavily influenced by the renowned American architect H.H. Richardson, whose work was widely admired in the 1890s. This Richardsonian Romanesque style is evident in several of the early buildings, including Gibson Hall.
A Building Named for a Complex Figure
Gibson Hall was named after Randall Lee Gibson, a Confederate general and senator from Louisiana. Gibson was known for his support of higher education and contributed to the university's founding, serving as the first president of the University Board of Administrators. However, his legacy is complex due to his Confederate past.
Randall Lee Gibson's background includes his father, Tobias Gibson, Esq., who owned sugar plantations with 148 slaves in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana. While there were claims about the African ancestry of Gideon Gibson, Randall Lee Gibson's great-grandfather, DNA analysis of a male descendant of Senator Randall Lee Gibson has indicated the absence of the senator's African ancestry, although "some ancestry" from Portugal.
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Gibson Hall and the Law School
The Law Department of the University of Louisiana, which opened its doors on December 6, 1847, initially resided in Judge Thomas Howard McCaleb's courtroom in the Customhouse on Canal Street. After occupying several downtown locations, the Law Department was allocated space in Gibson Hall on the uptown campus in 1906. For approximately 22 years, it shared the building with other academic departments.
By 1927, the overcrowding in Gibson Hall had become a significant issue. The University Board of Administrators responded by ordering the construction of a "modern stone fireproof building" to house the Law College. In 1928, the Law College moved into a three-story Indiana limestone annex to the New Science Building, which was later named Dinwiddie Hall in 1936, honoring the University's outgoing President, Albert Bledsoe Dinwiddie.
The last entering class to begin their law school journey in Gibson Hall was the class of 1929. One notable member of this class was a future influential and revered federal judge, considered the most illustrious graduate in the history of Tulane Law School.
The Law School's eventual relocation from Joseph Merrick Jones Hall to John Giffen Weinmann Hall mirrors the earlier situation in Gibson Hall, where the growing needs of the Law School necessitated a larger space.
The Architectural Context of the Early Campus
Gibson Hall is one of four buildings around the quadrangle built in a similar style and with similar materials. Other notable buildings from this early period include:
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- Tilton Memorial Hall: Constructed in 1901 (with an extension in 1906), this building served as the university's library. It features a richly decorated triple-arched entrance, carved portraits of its benefactors on the facade, and Tiffany windows illuminating the stairs in the entrance lobby. The building was named after Frederick W. Tilton, a supporter of the Confederacy, and the donation for its construction was made by his widow, Caroline Tilton.
- Richardson Memorial Building: Built in 1908, this brick and limestone building was originally constructed for the School of Medicine and now houses the School of Architecture. It, along with the Richardson Building, was named in memory of Tobias Gibson Richardson, dean of medicine at the University of Louisiana.
- F. Edward Hebert Hall and the Richardson Building: Both established in 1894, these buildings were among the first to be constructed on the new campus. The Richardson Building originally housed the university’s chemistry laboratories.
Later Developments on Campus
As the university expanded, new buildings were added in various styles. In the 1920s, the campus expanded across Freret Street. Later additions included the Merryl and Sam Israel Jr.
Across Freret Street, the campus architecture becomes more modern, with buildings from the 1920s to the 1940s interspersed with those from the 1950s onward. Notable examples include the Lavin Bernick Center, a modernist expansion of the University Center, and several dormitories reflecting the architectural trends of their respective eras.
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