A History of Scholarship Halls at the University of Kansas
The University of Kansas (KU) has a rich history of providing affordable housing options for students through its scholarship halls. These halls, designed to foster a cooperative living environment, have played a significant role in making education accessible to students with financial needs. Residents contribute to the upkeep of the halls through cooking and cleaning duties, reducing costs and creating a strong sense of community.
Early Housing Challenges at KU
In the early years of KU, there were no university-owned dormitories. Students had to find housing in Lawrence rooming houses or private residences. This situation was particularly challenging for women students, who faced opposition from boardinghouse owners and others concerned about their well-being.
The Emergence of Scholarship Halls
To address the growing need for affordable housing, the university began to establish scholarship halls. These halls provided an economical place to live, with residents sharing responsibilities to cut costs. Students were selected based on need, scholarship, and character.
Douthart and Grace Pearson Halls
Douthart Hall was the fourth women's scholarship hall and the ninth overall in the system. It was built on the site of Carruth Hall, the former residence of chancellors. Douthart Hall was funded by a donation from the Douthart and Chronister families of Kansas City. Grace Pearson Hall, named in honor of J.R. Pearson's mother, was built as a reverse copy of Douthart Hall, situated between Douthart and the KU Faculty Club. J.R. Pearson and his wife, Gertrude Sellards Pearson, generously donated funds for various residence halls at the University of Kansas.
Sellards Scholarship Hall
Sellards is a women's scholarship hall that houses around 50 residents. The residents of Sellards organize several events throughout the year, including their annual "International Dinner," which has a different country theme each year. Sellards has a large kitchen, dining room, and living area. The hall also has an academic resource center with computers and study aids.
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Jolliffe Hall: A Case Study
Jolliffe Hall provides a detailed example of the evolution and eventual fate of some scholarship halls at KU. Originally constructed in 1925 as a privately financed University Club for male faculty members, the building later became home to the Acacia fraternity.
The Jolliffe Donation
Orlando Jolliffe, an aging man who had retired by the spring of 1941, donated $50,000 to the KU Endowment Association to help build a new men's residence hall. The initial plan was to construct a three-story hall east of Templin Hall. However, the attack on Pearl Harbor and the subsequent entry of the United States into World War II led to a diversion of structural steel to wartime construction needs.
Acquisition and Transformation
Instead of building a new hall, the university used Jolliffe's donation to purchase two existing properties. One of these was the Acacia fraternity house at 1505 Ohio Street, which was renamed Jolliffe Hall in 1942. Due to the wartime exodus of male students, Jolliffe Hall was designated a women's residence hall from 1943 to 1950.
Life in Jolliffe Hall
Life in Jolliffe Hall during its time as a women's residence had its unique aspects. Residents recall morning marches by electrical engineering students, sunbathing sessions on the flat rooftop (often resulting in sunburn), and a bitterly cold communal sleeping porch. The women were supervised by a housemother and assigned tasks such as cleaning, dishwashing, and cooking. Pranks and gags were also a part of the experience.
From September 1950, Jolliffe Hall was converted back into a men's residence. Residents remember the building's exterior being painted an unappealing shade of lime green. Despite the less-than-ideal conditions, the hall fostered a strong sense of community and academic achievement.
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Traditions and Challenges
Jolliffe Hall had its own traditions, including the role of the "call boy" who would wake up students for early classes. The housemother played a key role in maintaining order and teaching good manners. Social activities, such as mixers with women's scholarship halls, were also organized.
However, Jolliffe Hall faced challenges, including its physical condition and maintenance costs. By the early 1990s, the building was in poor condition, with fire code violations and a roach infestation.
Demolition
Citing prohibitive maintenance costs, the university closed Jolliffe Hall as a student residence at the end of the spring 1969 semester. After being used for other purposes for 22 years, the University decided to demolish Jolliffe Hall in 1992. The razing of the building was completed in December 1993.
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