There was talk of moving Francis Hall in 1922. "What is going to be the fate of Francis Hall, second oldest building on the agricultural college campus? This is the question now confronting the Board of Administration as the time draws near for the beginning of work on the new Agricultural Building." The original plan called for the building of new Agricultural Building on the site of Francis Hall (The Weekly Spectrum, Feb. 3, 1922, p. 1). It was later decided "that moving Francis Hall to a new location to make room for the new Agricultural Building soon to be erected was far too expensive." The Board of Administration and College authorities rejected all bids submitted and adopted a new site for the proposed building, which would still carry out the plans of the landscape design chosen by the authorities in 1921 and permit Francis Hall to remain at its site (The Weekly Spectrum, April 7, 1922, p. 1).
Many pranks and stunts were played at Francis Hall. President Shepperd (NDAC President, 1929-1937) told of their bedding down a two-month-old calf in the dormitory bathroom for Matron Mrs. M.F. Holderman to discover. Shepperd never learned "how the beast got in there." Pranks aplenty were played on the domestic science women. "Try as we might it seemed impossible to catch the young rascals," Shepperd wrote. The crowning achievement, Shepperd later decided, was when Art Fowler and Lee Greene's class stole a roasted turkey from the oven and got away without being caught. "I have seen many daredevil deeds perpetrated by students, but that of stealing a roasted turkey hot from the oven while the cook's back was turned leads all others which have come to my notice," he wrote ("Wrecking Of Francis Hall At NDSU Is Unique In State," The Sunday Fargo Forum, p. B1, Sept. 19, 1961).
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University Archives, 701-231-8914 Published by the University Archives, NDSU Last Updated: 8/27/04 |