In return, their cost of living is lower than if they lived in a residence hall — they save up to $1,600 per year. Because of the halls’ popularity, residents must meet some scholarly requirements. Prospective residents must write two essays. Residents read the essays, and incoming residents are placed in halls based on their preferences and assigned scores of their essays. To stay on, residents must pass at least 28 credit hours in the fall and spring semesters and maintain at least a 2.5 GPA (residents average a 3.3 GPA).
A memorable experience
“Scholarship hall students develop a deep and lifelong affection for the university,” Margaret Battenfeld Hashinger, who funded Battenfeld Hall, said in 1974. It’s still true. Schol hall residents join a genuine community, and it can be life-changing. “For me, the scholarship halls are more than just a place to live — they are a family tradition,” said Stephen “Sai” Folmsbee, the first president of Krehbiel Hall. The experience has led to growth of the scholarship hall community — several of the newer halls were funded by alumni of older scholarship halls who wanted to contribute to the community that had made their time at KU so exceptional. KU’s first Iranian student, K.K. Amini, lived in Battenfeld Hall in the mid-1940s and met his wife, Margaret, when she wrote a story about him for The University Daily Kansan. Years later, the couple funded K.K. Amini Scholarship Hall.
From two, now twelve
“All I can say is, this is my American dream,” K.K. said at the dedication of the hall. The couple also funded Margaret Amini Hall, an architectural twin of the first. Annette and Roger Rieger, alumni of Douthart and Battenfeld, funded Rieger Hall in memory of Roger’s late brother Dennis. And when Karl Krehbiel funded Krehbiel Hall in honor of his parents, he explained, “I had a great experience living in Stephenson Scholarship Hall when I was a student.” The nearly 600 residents of the schol halls hear about the halls’ history every year. They honor their halls’ namesakes in various ways. The women of Douthart Hall call themselves “Douthartians,” and residents of Stephenson Hall, named for Lyle Stephenson, call themselves “Lylemen.” Battenfeld Hall residents award scholarships each year to residents who display notable leadership or contribute in outstanding ways to the hall. When Elizabeth Watkins funded the first scholarship hall, she wasn’t entirely sure of the idea. The experiment has turned out well, and continues with good result. “The scholarship halls are one of KU’s greatest gems,” Robertson said. “Some schools may have only one, and here it’s a whole community that is very rich in tradition.” Archival photographs from Spencer Research Library, KU Libraries
The long history of scholarship halls is built on generous private gifts, starting with two from Elizabeth Miller Watkins. She funded Watkins Scholarship Hall in 1926 and Miller Scholarship Hall in 1937, the first two halls of their kind in the country. Watkins was instrumental in the design and operation of this new type of housing. The scholarship hall community has since grown to 12, six for men and six for women. The halls, the years they opened, and the donors whose gifts made them possible:
Watkins Scholarship Hall, 1926
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Battenfeld, 1940, men; Jesse and Margaret Battenfeld, in memory of their son, John. Sellards, 1952, women; Pearson, 1952, men; and Grace Pearson, 1955, men; J.R. and Gertrude Sellards Pearson, a 1901 KU alumna. Stephenson, 1952, men; partly funded by Grace
Stephenson, in honor of her husband, Lyle Stephenson. Douthart, 1954, women; Burt Chronister, in memory of his wife, Ava Douthart Chronister, a 1901 graduate, and her sister Lela Douthart, an 1899 alumna. K.K. Amini, 1992, men; K.K. and Margaret Amini. Margaret Amini, 2000, women; K.K. and Margaret Amini. Dennis E. Rieger, 2005, women; Annette and Roger Rieger, in honor of Roger’s brother. Floyd H. and Kathryn Krehbiel, 2008, men; Karl Krehbiel, in honor of his parents. He gave an additional $400,000 to establish a hall maintenance fund, as Watkins had done with the first two scholarship halls. Crawford Community Center, 2007, not a residence but a convenient place for all scholarship hall residents to study or hold meetings. Originally the home of KU Professor Reginald Strait and his wife, Juanita. She bequeathed it to KU Endowment, and Tom and Jann Rudkin funded its renovation; it’s named for Jann’s mother.