East Green Hall Namesakes
Biddle Hall : Bryan Hall : Bush Hall : Gamertsfelder Hall : Jefferson Hall : Johnson Hall : Lincoln Hall
Perkins Hall : Read Hall : Shively Hall : Tiffin Hall : Voigt Hall : Washington Hall
Biddle Hall
Est. 1954
Thomas R. Biddle was an 1891 graduate of Ohio University and served on the board of trustees from 1900 to 1951. Biddle’s professional career started in the medical field where he practiced general medicine for 10 years and then moved to work in the coal-mining and banking industries. Biddle was an Ohio delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1928, when Herbert Hoover was nominated for President of the United States.
Bryan Hall
Est. 1948
Elmer B. Bryan served as Ohio University’s eleventh president from 1921 until his death in 1934. Under President Bryan, Ohio University’s enrollment grew and the University began to gain national attention.
The hall was originally built to house over 160 female students to alleviate the housing crunch in the post-World War II educational boom. A large and iconic set of steps connects Bryan Hall to the lower part of East Green.
Bush Hall
Est. 1954
Frederick W. Bush was an 1892 graduate of Ohio University. After graduating, Bush remained in Athens and became the manager and editor of the Athens Messenger newspaper for more than 30 years. He was recognized as one of the most successful newspaper publishers in the Midwest. Bush served on the Ohio University board of trustees from 1922 to 1929.
Gamertsfelder Hall
Est. 1956
Walter S. Gamertsfelder was Ohio University’s thirteenth president serving from 1943 to 1945. Prior to being appointed president, Gamertsfelder was a professor of ethics and served as the dean of both the Graduate College and the College of Arts and Sciences. After leaving the presidency, Gamertsfelder returned to his position as dean. Gamertsfelder was highly respected by the Ohio University community and board of trustees, and upon his retirement in 1951, he was awarded the first-ever title of trustee professor.
Jefferson Hall
Est. 1956
Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the United States, serving from 1801 to 1809. Jefferson served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and governor of the state of Virginia. He also drafted and signed the U.S. Declaration of Independence.
Originally designed to house all female students, Jefferson Hall also housed one of the dining halls for East Green. In 1960, Jefferson Hall received national recognition for interior design. Undergoing a full renovation in 2016, the classic feel enjoyed in the original hall was replicated throughout the building, but with modern features.
Johnson Hall
Est. 1952
An Ohio University alumnus, Arthur C. Johnson served 36 years as a member of the board of trustees from 1914 to 1950. Johnson had a successful, 50-year career in journalism. He was president of the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society. Notably, Johnson was a founder of the Columbus Zoo and Zoological Society.
Johnson Hall was the first permanent residence hall built on East Green during the building project to replace temporary student housing.
Lincoln Hall
Est. 1959
Abraham Lincoln was the sixteenth president of the United States, serving from 1861 to 1865. He was self-educated and brought to the office personal integrity, intelligence, and humanity. He guided the nation through its most perilous period and made a lasting impact in shaping the office of the president. The year of 1959 marked the sesquicentennial of Lincoln’s birth year.
Lincoln Hall was the birthplace of Ohio University’s first Bobcat mascot costume. An all-male hall at the time, the residents of Lincoln design and had the mascot outfit constructed. The new mascot debuted at Homecoming 1960.
Perkins Hall
Est. 1963
Eliphaz Perkins served as the first treasure of Ohio University, held a seat of the board of trustees, and hosted the first trustees meeting in his home. Perkins came to Athens in 1800 as the first physician in Athens County. Claiming many firsts, Perkins was the first postmaster, county auditor and apothecary merchant of Athens.
Beginning the 1970s and for many years after, Perkins Hall was one of the international halls on campus. Domestic and international students chose to live here to gain unique cultural and social experiences.
Read Hall
Est. 1954
Daniel Read was a renowned educator and alumnus of Ohio University’s class of 1824. During his professional years at the University, Read served as a professor of ancient languages, Latin and political economy. For a brief time, Read also served as University's vice president.
Read Hall was completed on the 150th anniversary of Ohio University and rededicated on the University’s 175th anniversary in 1979.
Shively Hall
Est. 1956
Earl C. Shively, a 1921 graduate of Ohio University, went on to earn his law degree from the Ohio State University and practiced law in the Columbus area. He served as a captain during World War I and as an interpreter at the Paris Peace Conference. In 1946, Shively successfully lobbied for an unprecedented $70,000 in new library books for Ohio University.
Tiffin Hall
Est. 1955
Edward Tiffin served as the state of Ohio's first governor from 1803 to 1807. Originally from England, Tiffin moved to the United States in 1783 and settled in Virginia where he established a medical practice. By 1789, Tiffin had moved to the city of Chillicothe, the future capital of the state of Ohio. Committing his career to public service, Tiffin served as the Northwest Territory's Court of Common Pleas chief clerk, as a territory legislator, and as president of the Ohio Constitutional Convention of 1802. Governor Tiffin oversaw the first meeting of the Ohio University board of trustees.
Voigt Hall
Est. 1954
Irma E. Voigt was Ohio University’s first dean of women, serving from 1913 to 1949. Voigt was educated at Illinois State Normal University and earned her doctorate degree at the University of Illinois in 1913. She was well known for her leadership on campus and in professional organizations such as the Y.W.C.A., Mortar Board, Panhellenic Council, Red Cross, American Association of University Women, National Association of Deans of Women, Oyo Literary Society, and Campus Religious Council. At her home, 35 Park Place, Voigt held weekly “fireside chats” with students for decades.
Since its opening, Voigt Hall has housed only female students and continues to be the only all-female hall to this day.
Washington Hall
Est. 1954
Washington Hall was named in honor of the United States of America's first president, George Washington. A strong believer in the effort to colonize the Ohio territory, Washington also personally endorsed Rufus Putnam’s request to found Ohio University.