Friday, April 17, 2009
A magnificent classical revival building, Strong Hall stands tall between Bailey Hall and Snow Hall. Previously titled the Administration Building in the early 1900s, Strong Hall acquired its current name in 1934 after the death of Chancellor Frank Strong, the University of Kansas’ sixth chancellor.
Sudden growth in the number of enrolled students at the University in the early 1900s sparked the planning and, eventually, the construction of Strong Hall. The University hired Montrose Pallen McArdle, an architect from St. Louis, to design the new addition. After three phases of development, the building was finally completed in 1934.
Strong Hall houses the administrative branches of the University, including the chancellor's office.
The interior of Strong Hall.
Today, Strong Hall functions as the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences administrative base and accommodates many offices, including the Office of Student Financial Aid, the Academic Achievement and Access Center, Graduate Studies Program, University Advising Center, Office of the University Registrar, University Governance and Offices for the Chancellor and Provost, to name a few. Although it houses many offices, Strong Hall also functions as a learning center for students, as it employs the use of multiple rooms for classes. A majority of the Math 002 and 101 classes are taught there, as well as calculus courses. The building also has an auditorium on the third floor, the Raymond Q. Brewster Auditorium, named for the former chemistry professor and department chair.
With benches inside of Strong Hall on either side of the main entrance, students take the opportunity to rest, do last minute studying for exams or even leisurely read to pass the time between classes.
“It’s spacious,” Milica Rastovic, Overland Park senior, said as she put down the book she was reading. “I just like the old architecture, it has a nice courtyard too.”
Rastovic isn’t the only one appreciating all that Strong Hall has to offer. Dan Gentry, Lawrence freshman, said that he liked that the building “seems a little more massive than the others.” For now, Strong Hall will remain a major part of the University and continue to assist students with their advising and other similar needs.
Find information about other campus buildings here.
— — Edited by Kelsey Hayes
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