Brief History
The need for a men’s dormitory was reported in the First Biennial Report of the North Dakota Agricultural College to the Governor of North Dakota (1891-92, p. 24). The Second Biennial Report (1893-94, p. 55) reported that the legislature of 1893 appropriated $17,000 for the building of the dormitory. In this report the building was described as a "well arranged, roomy and attractive building, having twenty-eight sleeping and study rooms en suite for fifty-six students, a large dining room with a seating capacity for seventy, fine reception and working rooms for the department of domestic economy, closets, bathrooms, etc., all heated by steam and lighted by electricity." (Second Biennial Report of the North Dakota Agricultural College to the Governor of North Dakota, 1893-94, p. 6). Francis Hall (1893) was the second building built on the North Dakota Agricultural College campus. Originally called “The Dormitory," it was, in 1898, named in honor of O.W. Francis, a former President of the Board of Directors of the College. With ever increasing enrollment, it became necessary to Francis Hall into classrooms and laboratories in 1899.

The next dormitory was one for “young ladies, but off-campus "The following is found in the 1909-1910 North Dakota Agricultural College Catalog. “Young Ladies Dormitory. The College has taken direct control of the Beals Dormitory Building situated on 12th Ave. North , which has been thoroughly renovated and modernized. As remodeled, it accommodates about fifty young ladies. It is very convenient to the college grounds and the entire management of the place will be in charge of the head of the Department of Domestic Science, who will reside in the building. This arrangement is expected to greatly improve the social and student life of the young ladies of the college." (p.35)

In 1909 the State Legislature approved the construction of a women's building on campus, allocating over $85,000 between 1908-10 for the construction of Ceres Hall. The Spectrum reported a few minor changes made to the original plans. The principal one of which was the enlargement of the northwest wing, the lower floor of which was the kitchen so that it would be three stories high instead of two as originally planned, thus making all the buildings three stories high. In addition to the above change, the east wing of the building was enlarged as to admit a gymnasium above the third story. The large dining room occupied the greater part of the lower floor of the east wing, the lower floor of the west wing was given over to domestic science, and the rest of the floor occupied by kitchens, laundry, hallway, reception room, and cloak rooms. (The Weekly Spectrum, April 13, 1909, p. 8).

As per Residence Life’s website (2003), “the mission of the Department of Residence Life is to create, maintain and support a living-learning environment that facilitates student learning, supports the academic mission of the University, encourages individual student growth, development, responsibility and fosters community.”

Scope and Content
This artificially created series contains print material dealing with residence life on the NDSU campus. The bulk of the material, collected by the University Archives, provides information on residence accommodations, costs, and options from the 1960s to present.


(See Also: NDSU Buildings Print Material, NDSU Photography Collection, and Student Handbooks finding aids)

BOX 1

1 Finding Aid

2 Ceres Hall and Sorority House regulations – September 1935
3 Rooming House Regulations – c.1930s
4 Register of Approved Rooming Houses – n.d.
5 Correspondence – High Rise Halls [Thompson & Sevrinson Halls] – 1967-1968
6 Surplus bed sale - 1977
7 Residence Hall staff positions – notice – 1979-1980
8 Information sheets – residents affected by October 2000 fire in F-Court; letter – opening of F Court – December 2002
9 Residence Hall Living Brochures - c.1965; c.1969; 1972-73; 1974; 1975; c.1976
10 Residence Hall Living Brochures - c. 1980s; 1986; 1991; 1992; 1994; 1995; 1996; 1997; 1999
10a Residence Hall Living Brochures - 2001, 2002, 2003, 2003-2004
11 Residence Hall Handbooks - 1988; c. mid 1980s; 1990, 1991
12 Hall checkout information – 1986, n.d.
13 Living-Learning Program Brochures - c.1990s; 1996; 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001
14 Residence Hall Contracts – 1982-1983, 1992-1993; 1994-1995, 2001-2002
15 Expenses – 1999, 2000, 2001

16 Single Student Apartment Brochures - c.1980s; 1994; 1996; 1999, 2001
17 Single Student Apartment Contracts - 1998; 1997; c.1996

18 Graduate Student Housing Brochure - 1998; 1999
19 Graduate Housing Contract - 1998

20 Married Student Housing Brochures - c. 1969-1970 (2); c.1970s
21 Family Student Housing Brochures - 1989; 1993; 1995; 1996; 1999
22 Family Student Housing Check-out Information - 1997; 1992; 1995
23 Married Student Housing Hits and Information - 1979-1980
24 Family Student Housing Application - nd

25 Summer Conference Housing Brochures - c.1975 (2); 1977; 1987; 1990;
1991; 1992; 1995; 1998, 2003
26 Temporary Housing Brochures - 1982; 1985; 1989; 1993
27 Personal Security Brochures - 1993; 1994
28 Room Personalization Guidelines - c.1980s; 1990 (2); 1995; 1996; 1997; 1998; 1999, 2000-2001, 2001-2002, 2002-2003, 2003-2004

BOX 2

1 NDSU Handbook/Calendar - 1994-1995;
2 NDSU Handbook/Calendar – 1996-1997
3 NDSU Handbook/Calendar - 1997-1998
4 NDSU Calendar/Handbook - 1999-2000 (University Archives Photos featured)
5 NDSU Calendar/Handbook - 2000-2001 (University Archives Photos featured)
6 NDSU Calendar/Handbook – 2001-2002

BOX 3

1 NDSU Calendar/Handbook – 2002-2003
2 NDSU Calendar/Handbook – 2003-2004
3 NDSU Calendar/Handbook – 2004-2005

4 Room and Board Payment Schedule - 1991-1992; 1996
5 Residence Life Receipt Form - 1995
6 Housing Folder
7 Hall Director Positions - brochure - 1999
8 Memo - Re: Resource Guide for RAs and Peer Mentors - 1996
9 Be An RA Program - Memo - Re: RA/Peer Mentor Recruitment - 1997; Be an RA Pamphlet - 1988; Be an RA Information Packet - Application, description of duties, and timetables of job selection - 1991-1992
10 Inter-Residence Hall Council - 1986
11 Newspaper Articles - “Crunch at NDSU”, The Sunday Forum. April19, 1970; “Clean as a whistle is the rule at SU Laundry”, c. 1976; “Residence life focuses on first-year experience”, The Spectrum. Aug. 30, 1996.
12 Housing Brochure - The Graver Inn - 1977; 1978
13 Residence Life Reunion - 1996
14 Cable TV channel guides - 1996; 1997; 1998; 2001, 2002
15 Residence Life - Area Map - 1998
16 Letter - Re: Adopt-a-Faculty Social - 1997; Faculty Greeter Program – 1998, 2000, 2001; 2002; components of Faculty-in-Residence program - 2001
17 Memo - Re: Dine with the Faculty of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences - 1996
18 Flyer - Trick or Treating Bison Style - 1998
19 Flyer - Dates to Remember - nd
20 The Bison Bulletin - 1999 (Department of Residence Life)
21 Making Connections - 1999 (Faculty-in-Residence Newsletter)
22 The Student Life Signature Programs - brochure - July, 1997
23 Voice Mail/Bison Line - 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003
24 Card with picture of High Rises – 2002
25 “In Residence” Newsletter – March 2004


9/99, rev. 2/02, 11/03, 12/04

univarchives@www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu University Archives, 701-231-8914 Published by the University Archives, NDSU Last Updated: 5/19/04