University Hall (University of Oregon)

University Hall, formerly Deady Hall, is a historic building located in Eugene, Oregon, United States. It was built from 1873 to 1876[2] by W. H. Abrams[3] to a design by architect William W. Piper.[2] It was the University of Oregon's first building, and remained the university's only building for almost ten years after its construction. After the university gained other buildings, it was known simply as the "Old Building", but in 1893 it was renamed "Deady Hall" in honor of Matthew Deady, Oregon's first federal judge. Ironically, Deady believed that state universities were of little use to anybody, and in 1857, during the Oregon Constitutional Convention, Deady moved to strike the section authorizing a university from the Oregon State Constitution. His efforts were initially successful, although by the 1870s a state university had become inevitable, and the building that bears his name was constructed in spite of Deady's earlier objections. In another twist of fate, Deady was first president of the university's Board of Regents.[4]

University Hall, formerly Deady Hall
University Hall (University of Oregon) is located in University of Oregon Campus
University Hall (University of Oregon)
Location on U of O campus
University Hall (University of Oregon) is located in Oregon
University Hall (University of Oregon)
Location in Oregon
University Hall (University of Oregon) is located in the United States
University Hall (University of Oregon)
Location in United States
LocationEugene, Oregon
Coordinates44.04667°N 123.07643°W / 44.04667; -123.07643
Area1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built1873–1876
ArchitectW.W. Piper
Architectural styleItalianate
NRHP reference No.72001082[1]
Added to NRHPApril 11, 1972

University Hall is variously described as simplified Italianate with Second Empire details or simply as Second Empire (though not as elaborate an example as Villard Hall).

This building was listed on National Register of Historic Places in 1972.[1][3] It and nearby Villard Hall were together designated as one National Historic Landmark in 1977.[3][5][6]

At the Oregon Constitutional Convention in 1857, Matthew Deady had advocated for discrimination towards African-Americans, who were not allowed to settle in the new state.[7][8] Because of these views, Deady Hall became a target of an effort to remove his name from the building.[9] On June 10, 2020, UO President Michael Schill sent a letter to the Board of Trustees recommending renaming Deady Hall because of Deady's racist views.[10] On June 24, 2020, the University of Oregon's Board of Trustees announced that the name "Deady" would be removed as the name of the hall until a date when a new name can be chosen. In the interim, the hall will be named "University Hall."[11]

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. UO Libraries. "UO's Architectural Timelines: 19th century". University of Oregon. Retrieved July 20, 2013.
  3. UO Libraries. "The Architecture of the University of Oregon: Deady Hall". University of Oregon. Retrieved July 20, 2013.
  4. Force, Rebecca (2001), "Gambling on Higher Education: A History of the Founding of the University of Oregon", Oregon Historical Quarterly, 102 No. 4 (Winter 2001): 500–508, JSTOR 20615186
  5. "Deady and Villard Halls, University of Oregon". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on April 30, 2008. Retrieved July 5, 2008.
  6. Carolyn Pitts (February 17, 1977). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Deady and Villard Halls, University of Oregon" (pdf). National Park Service. and Accompanying nine images, from 1876 and undated
  7. Flores, Trudy and Sarah Griffith. The Oregon History Project: U.S. District Judge Matthew Deady. Oregon Historical Society. Retrieved on June 20, 2016.
  8. Leeson, Fred. (1998). Rose City Justice: A Legal History of Portland, Oregon. Oregon Historical Society Press. pp. 13-15, 21-26, 47-48, 52.
  9. Johnson, David Alan; Taylor, Quintard; Weisiger, Marsha. "Report on the History of Matthew P. Deady and Frederick S. Dunn" (PDF). University of Oregon. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  10. Schill, Michael (June 10, 2020). "Letter to University of Oregon Board of Trustees, re:RThe Denaming of Deady Hall" (PDF). president.uoregon.edu. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  11. Hubbard, Saul (June 24, 2020). "UO board votes unanimously to seek new name for Deady Hall". Around the O. Retrieved June 30, 2022.


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