The Oregon Stater, Dec. 2002

Weatherford Waits

Historic landmark to be renovated

By Steven Lont

When television networks broadcast college football games, often the producers cut to a camera trained on a campus icon: At Berkeley, it’s the Campanile; at the University of Washington it’s "Red Square" and Suzzallo Library; and at Oregon State — it’s Weatherford Hall.

But for almost a decade now, this landmark has been closed. The leaking pipes, the 1920s wiring, the crumbling roof tiles and the exposed asbestos made the once grand structure unliveable. The closure was to be temporary, only until a comprehensive renovation could be completed. Over the years, there have been several plans to restore her, but no campus organization was able to secure funding for the massive undertaking. Many wondered if Weatherford ever would be restored or if the walls were doomed to eventual demolition.
Today, the wondering and waiting is nearly over.

Thanks to a $4 million gift by Joan and Ken Austin, renovation will begin this spring. The refurbished building will become the home of a pioneering entrepreneurialship program that will offer students intensive training to create and launch their own businesses — many while still in college.

As Weatherford embarks upon a new beginning, it is fitting to look at its past, rich with innovation and independence — the same spirit that the new entrepreneurship program hopes to inspire.

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