GOODBYE, OLD FRIEND

Henry Hall residents remember longtime dormitory

If the walls of Henry Hall (aka New Dorm) could talk, they would share over 50 years’ worth of stories that might make former residents laugh, cry—and maybe even blush a little. Before the sun set on Henry Hall for one last time, a farewell celebration was held on April 20 for alumni and members of the Panther community to gather and reminisce.

Moments of shock and awe

Henry Hall residents shared a collection of experiences that could be best described as unforgettable.

“One memory that stands out is standing on the balcony and watching the ‘streakers’ run down the street,” said Shelly Fulford Wilson ’76.

George Wheelock ’75 said the occasional hijinks in the hall kept former Dean of Students John Love very busy during the evening.

Dr. George Henry gives remarks about his father Waights G. Henry Jr. and his impact on the college (lead photo) at the Henry Hall farewell celebration in April.

“One night, some fraternity brothers found a billy goat and brought him over to a fellow’s room,” he said. “Another instance involved some guys moving the Coke machine into the elevator. Dean Love not only kept us in line but would also go to bat for us if he thought it would make a difference.”

Julie Clifton Watson ’76, M’09 recalled one alarming event that occurred while she stayed at ‘New Dorm’ in the summer of 1975.

“My roommate and I woke up in the middle of the night to screams, police cars and ambulances, all in front of the residence hall," she said. "Found out the young woman had delivered her baby, by herself in the room below us! Scary but memorable!”

The ‘mothers’ of Henry Hall

Josh Wilson ’02, said one of his favorite Henry Hall memories was during the ’96 Summer Olympics with his mom, Mary, who was a Resident Director for the dormitory.

“My mom and I took care of the South African Olympic team while they were in Georgia,” he said. “It was cool to host real Olympic athletes.”

Wilson said he was fortunate to grow up at Henry Dorm.

“My mom lived there for over 15 years as the Resident Director/Dorm Mom,” he said. “I will cherish all our walks around campus to go to dinner and the basketball game. She was a mother to thousands over the years and absolutely loved her time living at Henry Hall.”

Cody Furse ’12, who served as one of Mary Wilson’s Resident Advisors, said she was the epitome of the Southern lady.

President Susanna Baxter and First Gentleman Mark Huffman show off their ’70s attire.

“She enjoyed spending time with college kids,” he said. “She had her funny quirks, and depended on the RAs, but that, in its own way, was endearing for me.” One memory that stands out to Furse is Wilson’s description of ‘The Bouncer.’

“In the 2009-2010 academic year, there was someone who would bounce a ball at all hours of the night and she couldn’t ever determine who was doing it,” he said. “I heard about this person often. It is a great memory because I was the mystery bouncer,

and I never told her.”

Wheelock said Alvira Hitchcock, who was a house mother at the residence hall, was responsible for keeping order amid chaos.

Former residents Lisa Bonner Tunstall ’84 (left) and Laura Hardy Hodge ’85 beam with joy as they look at the location of their former rooms.

Board Chair Kathy McCollum ’81, M’17 (left) and Lori Medlock Anderson ’83 are all smiles at the Henry Hall farewell celebration.

“She was a saint,” he said.

A campus oasis

Riley Hammett ’22, who was a Resident Advisor at Henry Hall, said a great vantage point on campus was the dormitory’s rooftop.

“The access to get on the top of the building is locked to all students for safety, but a group of RAs and I had the chance to sneak a peak of the rooftop,” she said. “After a long hard day of Resident Advisor training, we enjoyed the best bird’s eye view of campus.”

Ben MacMinn ’13, a former Resident Advisor, said one of the best aspects of Henry Hall was the balconies on both sides of the building that overlooked the campus.

“Henry Hall was more than just a place of residence,” he said. “It was my sanctuary, my haven, and my home. The memories I made there will stay with me forever.”

Henry Hall: Then and Now

Henry Hall was built in 1970. The five-story co-ed building had air conditioning, carpeted bedrooms, phone jacks and a master antenna going to each room.

In 1980, LC named the residential building after Dr. Waights G. Henry Jr., who served as president of the college from 1948-1978 and as chancellor from

1978 until his death in 1989.

The facility housed generations of students until its closure in 2021.

Alumni reunite for a photo at their old stomping grounds. Pictured from left to right are Lori Medlock Anderson ’83, Mary Leslie Hardy ’93, Laura Hardy Hodge ’85, Cathy Cooper Rumble ’84, Merry Maxwell Stewart ’83, Sharon McCord Alford ’84, Marla Phillips Chambless ’85, Lisa Bonner Tunstall ’84, Betsy Strickland Johnston ’82, Anne Worden Ellington ’82 and Elizabeth Langford Parker ’84.

The college, which is in the process of updating its master plan, has been working with an architectural firm to assess the existing condition and functionality of facilities, including Henry Hall. After a thorough examination, it was decided that the 50-year residence hall would be slated for removal this summer.

“Unfortunately, Henry Hall could no longer be adapted for the future needs of our growing student population,” said Dr. John Head, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Experience. “The building’s renovation, including new electrical, water and HVAC systems, would have cost nearly the amount of a new structure.”

Various options are being discussed for the area, but in the immediate future it will be used as a green space. The college’s master planning process will identify what will best serve the future residential needs of an expanding student population.

WHAT’S NEXT?

With Henry Hall leaving its home on the Hill this summer, a common question posed is, “What takes its place?” The honest answer is, “Stay tuned.”

The college began a master planning process in fall 2022, a review that examined every facility on campus with an eye toward future needs. The removal of some residence

hall capacity clearly puts student housing high on the list of concerns, and several options are being considered.

The Sizemore Group, consultants for the master plan, made an initial report to the Board of Trustees in April. While the recommendations are wide-ranging, planners are honing in on the campus’s historic

dormitories for first attention. Needed updates to restrooms and related projects in Boatwright, Hawkes and Pitts residence halls are rising to the top of priority lists.

Once those upgrades—and the necessary fundraising—are complete, attention will shift to adding housing capacity on the Hill.