Oregon State University needed a new dormitory for its male students. It was 1928 and the last legal hurdle was cleared under the leadership efforts of President William Jasper Kerr. The Oregon State Supreme Court handed down a ruling that allowed public universities to build dormitories with their own money. A Corvallis contractor, L.N. Traver, broke ground for the new building on March 20, 1928. Six months later the project was completed and rooms were ready for 344 men. However, that was only the beginning. President Kerr envisioned a much more grandiose complex; his plan, never completed, called for a total of seven men's dormitories forming a quad with an athletic field. The cost to complete the President's vision was estimated at $2,000,000.

Diagram of President Kerr's vision. The quad area and other buildings would have been where the present day Intramural Athletic Field is located across Washington Way from Gill Coliseum.

The newly completed building, however, cost $460,000, including furnishings. The university financed the huge project by means of a bond issue that was retired gradually with usage fees paid by the men who lived in the dorm. Almost 3,000 people visited the new building at an open house held after the Sept. 20 completion date. Visitors included current and future students, parents, faculty and Corvallis residents, all eager to see the finished product. More than a few of the attendees stated they thought the building was one of the greatest single steps in the advancement of the institution in many years.

Every detail was taken into consideration during design and construction. Even the window shade material was scrutinized. The following is an excerpt from a letter sent from Bennes & Herzog, the Portland architectural firm that designed the building:

"Dear Sir,

Enclosed herewith you will please find a sample of window shade. The color is suitable and the material the most durable that can be obtained.

In regard to the balance of the furnishings, we suggest in general to bear in mind the color of the wood finish in the building. For instance, golden oak furniture would be incongruous. Deep, quiet shades of most any color are suitable. This does not necessarily mean that everything should be somber, for insertions of bright spots would obviate this; but we simply wish to caution you against mistakes as that pointed out above."

The sample attached to the letter was a green sage-colored piece of shade material, not something that one would probably find on a color palette today. The dormitory's exterior was cased in red brick with cream colored accents to ensure the overall appearance of the building was complementary to those already on campus. The hall was really five units, each separated from the others by firewalls, creating separate and unique living spaces, although each part of the massive structure was connected by tunnels in basement sections. This allowed equipment and supplies to be moved from unit to unit while maintaining the outward appearance that each section was self-contained

An interesting note on the construction: In addition to Bennes and Herzog, every firm that participated was Oregon based. L.N. Traver of Corvallis was the contractor. Williams and Gibson, Inc. of Portland were the plumbers. Others included: Portland Electric Company, Alaska Plumbing and Heating of Portland, Portland Elevator Company, West Made Desk Company of Portland, Weatherbee-Powers Furniture of Eugene, Columbia Furniture and Fixture of Portland and H. L. Stiff Furniture Company of Salem.

James K. Weatherford, The Orange 1910.

So distinct were the individual units that each was given a name. James K. Weatherford was delighted when his name was given to the central tower portion that soars 120 feet above its basement level. James Weatherford served as a member and often chairman of the OAC and OSC Board of Regents for the entire 38 years that it operated, until it was absorbed by the State Board of Education. He was considered one of the most outstanding defense attorneys in the Pacific Northwest and was known for going to extreme lengths to defend his clients. On one occasion, he went so far as to dismantle a house completely in order to find a bullet, evidence that he needed to clear a client of manslaughter charges.

The other wings of the building honored Austin T. Buxton, Daniel V. Poling, Thomas J. Cauthorn and Curtis L. Hawley. In 1966, however, the Oregon State Board of Education decided that, "Buildings named in honor of people should only be christened with one name." That was when the names of the individual halls that made up the dormitory were dropped and the building became known simply as Weatherford Hall.

Inside the new residence hall were comfortable, homelike study rooms for two, three or four students. Each floor had sleeping rooms separate from study areas, as well as numerous lavatories and shower facilities. In addition to the sleeping and study arrangements, there was a general reception room in the dormitory. This was where young men were encouraged to entertain their women guests. Located in the same area was the office of the manager-hostess, who acted as building manager, chaperone and mother to the men living in the building.

Living expenses, used to pay off the bonds issued during construction, were slightly higher than average compared to other campus residence halls, but were still lower than elsewhere in Corvallis. Room rent for a term was $30 and board for a week was $6, garnering a total of $102 per term or $306 per year. That averaged out to something around $8.50 a week, and while it was higher than the $2.50 a week one paid for residence at other dorms it was well worth the price for the state of the art living arrangements.

Through the years a tradition was born that allowed students to alter their living spaces to suit their individual tastes. Rooms held everything from high bed lofts with staircases to built-in aquariums. Even doors leading into the rooms were painted and decorated as students personalized their living spaces. In some cases departing students sold the priority of their room to an incoming student for the next year.

Weatherford Hall served as a dormitory and focal point for the university for many years, but time was not kind to the stately building. Leaks destroyed plaster in the interior, wiring and plumbing became dated and dangerous, and the building was deemed unsafe. When the dorm closed at the end of the 1993-94 school year, there was talk of plans to refurbish and restore the aging structure. Operating as a student dormitory since 1928 made Weatherford Hall one of the oldest student housing buildings still standing west of the Mississippi.

OSU's historic residence hall has not been sitting idly by as it waits to be reborn. The Corvallis Fire department has used the building to help train firefighters in rescue techniques. The old dorm is dark, and the unused dining hall is littered with tumbled chairs and tables that are merely darker shadows waiting to hinder the unwary. Firefighters crawl on their hands and knees wearing helmets with visors coated black to simulate a smoke filled room. They move toward a high pitched beeping emitted from a unit every firefighter wears. The unit only sounds if the wearer does not move in a specified amount of time. The beeping means a colleague is down and needs help. Corvallis Fire Chief Dan Campbell said this about using the building for training: "This is really nice. It's a big, broad area where we can do a lot of stuff and not worry about knocking into things."

The goal is to keep the building a residence hall and create an integrated learning environment, where students and in some cases teachers will live, study and work together. The cost estimate for the work that needs to be done is approximately $16.5 million, a hefty price tag considering the building was originally constructed for less than half a million. Unlike when Weatherford was built, however, the revenues from new students living in the hall will not meet the financial burden of renovating and operating the facility. Several individuals and organizations have pledged monies to jumpstart the initiative but other ways of funding the project still have to be found. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has already given a $1 million grant to help make the appropriate changes to retrofit the dorm to meet present day earthquake requirements. OSU alumnus Bernie Newcomb, '65, who co-founded E*Trade, has committed $250,000 to the interior renovation. The OSU Student Foundation has pledged $10,000 to renovate the sauna facilities.