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OSU Buildings Histories in the Special Collections and Archives Research Center

Building History

A black and white image of Hudson Hall.

Hudson Hall was temporary student housing purchased to accommodate Oregon State’s rapid post-war enrollment of male veterans. It consisted of housing units that had served as worker housing at the Kaiser shipyards in Vancouver, Washington during World War II. The units were brought to the Oregon State campus in 1946 and 1947, and erected east of Sackett Hall and near the existing primary men's dormitory (Weatherford Hall).

Hudson Hall was comprised of five wings:

  • McNary Hall (Wing 1): Named for Oregon Senator Charles L. McNary. Not to be confused with the current McNary Hall dormitory.
  • Stiner Hall (Wing 2): Named for longtime football coach Lon Stiner.
  • Beard Hall (Wing 3): Named for longtime band director Harry L. Beard.
  • Shangri-la (Wing 4): Originally named Shangri-la in "accordance with the wishes of most of the veterans," Wing 4 was renamed for William A. Finley, OSU’s first president (1865-1872), in 1948. Not to be confused with the current Finley Hall dormitory.
  • Dolan Hall (Wing 5): Named for engineering faculty member and football coach Sam Dolan.

After a costly fire in March of 1953, Hudson Hall was razed and replaced by two new structures, Reed and Heckart Lodges.

General Information

Address

East of Sackett Hall, near the corner of Jefferson Way and 30th

Architect

Unknown

Year Built

ca. 1940s

Renovations

N/A

Square Footage

Unknown

Purpose/Usage

Men's dormitories

Previous Name(s)

N/A

Namesake

Unknown

Historic District

Yes

Blueprints

N/A

Maps

N/A

Photographs

Richard W. Gilkey Photographs, 1947-2005

Buildings Photographic Collection, 1880-2002

Oregon State University Historical Photographs, 1868-1980

Further Archival Information

SCARC: SCARC's holdings include photographs and university records documenting the history of Heckart Lodge.

Oregon Digital: Includes both images and textual materials documenting the history of Heckart Lodge.

 

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