Williams Hall

Many buildings have come and gone throughout the history of Oklahoma State University (originally called Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College), but none as beautiful—or as sorely missed—as Williams Hall. Created at the start of the twentieth century, Williams Hall was among the first buildings on campus. It is remembered for its fantastic, Gothic-inspired architecture.

After studying in Europe, Joseph Pierre Foucart of Guthrie came to the Oklahoma prairie and began to transform the landscape. Perhaps inspired by his education in Europe, Foucart helped develop a new style called Prairie Gothic. He wanted to bring fantastical Gothic-inspired architecture to the dusty plains of Oklahoma.

It took Foucart a year to complete the Library Building and fully realize his vision. According to one account, Foucart spent that year living in a tent beside the construction site. In 1900, the building was completed.

The original function of the building was to house the college's ever-growing collection of books. However, the building had multiple uses in addition to its function as a library. The building held classes for many subjects including biology, English, speech and zoology. The blueprints below show designated spaces for a sewing parlor, office and dining room in addition to the large assembly room.

As time progressed, Williams Hall became less usable and in desperate need of renovation. Almost everyone had abandoned the building except for the Performing Arts students who often practiced there. 

Williams Hall, which had served so many purposes during its tenure, was falling out of use.

It soon became apparent that the once majestic Williams Hall was no longer as safe or functional as it used to be.

Dr. Daniel Kroll, who served as the College of Arts and Sciences director of curricular affairs, once admitted that the building was "leaky and rat-infested," making teaching in Williams Hall a nightmare. Soon, the basement and attic floors were condemned. Although beloved, Williams Hall was no longer safe and would have to be demolished.

In response to the news that Williams Hall was coming down, some students protested, including a group of four architecture students who started a campaign to try to save Williams Hall. Originally, they protested the removal of the building. But, when they discovered the lack of support and disinterest among the student body to protect and preserve Williams Hall, the students instead protested the general apathy among students.

Alas, the building was a fire hazard and beyond repair. In 1969, 69 years after its completion, Williams Hall was demolished. Its windows shattered, its turrets fell and the unique building was no more. With the building gone, there was space for new classrooms, buildings and the Seretean Center for the Performing Arts.

Although Williams Hall is gone, it lives on in the memories of alumni. 

This project utilized information and images gathered from various OSU Student Newspapers, the OSU Alumni Magazines, and the OSU Photograph Collections. All of these materials are available through the Oklahoma State University Archives. 

For many alumni, memories of their college years include countless scenes from Williams Hall. For some, it is remembered as the Library Building, where World War I veterans loitered on the lawn, sharing war stories and watching girls walk by. Others have memories of local school children playing football and baseball on both sides of the building. More still remember the building as a place of learning and study, where they could go to class and visit their professors. Although the building no longer stands, it is a dominating figure in countless old campus photographs and the memories of those lucky enough to have seen it.