Olin Hall
Olin Hall (built 1975)
Originally submitted by: Larissa Wurm, Drake University, Nov 29, 2010
The Opening of Olin Hall
Olin Hall held its ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 9th, 1975. The Olin Foundation, Inc. of New York City donated $3,263,000 to Drake University to build a new biological sciences building, along with another $281,620 to purchase and install equipment for the building. This donation was the largest single grant in the history of the university[1][2].
Dr. Charles Lilley Horn (Olin Foundation President) and Dr. Wilbur C. Miller (University President) made the announcement of the grant May 20, 1973, Dr. Horn saying “I have known Drake and some of its people from my early days in Iowa. In addition, the Foundation has admired the University’s ability to maintain a position of educational leadership in a time of adverse condition for higher education. We are extremely pleased to present this building to Drake University”[2].
Dr. Miller, in response to the grant, said “We are deeply grateful to the Olin Foundation for enabling Drake to achieve this step in the development of its science complex. Drake continues to offer outstanding programs in biology and pre-medicine. The facilities needed to support these programs have long been outgrown" [2].
Construction and Design
The floor plan for the building, designed by Grover Dimond & Associates from St. Pau
- 4 floors (including a basement level, so it matched the height of the other building on campus)
- 14 labs for research in microbiology, physiology, ecology, embryology, comparative anatomy, and genetics
- 34 offices for faculty and grad students
- 2 lecture halls, one holding 250 students, the other 100
The main entry plaza to the building is formed by the roof of the lecture hall[2] [3].
Who was involved? [4] o Gordon Edberg (Grover Dimond and Ellerbe, Inc.) – designer o Ellerbe, Inc. – architectural administration o Donald Chapman (Grover Dimond and Ellerbe, Inc.) – structural engineer o Built by Vawter & Walter Inc. o Capital City Electric Company – electrical o Stroh Corporation - mechanical
Some Hall Information
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Before the hall was constructed, 6 other buildings were used for biology. The construction of the hall helped students become more efficient and the faculty were able to develop a better relationship with the students. The hall gave students access to microscopes, animal cages, refrigerators, freezers, incubators, ovens, and other scientific equipment. Instead of the building being made of brick it is made of pre-cast concrete veneer. The building will give space in Harvey Ingham and the College of Pharmacy for the other science classes [2]. In 1981, the psychology department moved into Olin Hall, its classes originally being held in Illinois, Meredith, Medbury, and Harvey Ingham. Upon moving to Olin, however, the department lost their clinic and interview rooms. They also converted some of the biology labs into psychology labs (one would be turned into a human behavior lab, the other an animal behavior research lab). Pigeon cages were bought, costing the school $7,334 instead of the predicted price of $3,000. For the move, Olin had some renovations done to accommodate both departments [5][6].
In 1985 the nursing division moved into Olin Hall as well [7].
In 2006, Olin Hall was renovated again, adding glass windows to the front of the building.
