Who Were Our Buildings?

CAYUGA HALL, ONEIDA HALL, ONONDAGA HALL and SENECA HALL: Residence halls named for four of the five confederated tribes (Five Nations) comprising the Iroquois Confederacy. This Native American Indian culture influenced our fledgling country’s ideas about democracy, government structure, the rights of individuals and public good. The four buildings were opened between 1967 and 1970.

COOPER DINING HALL and COOPER FITNESS CENTER: James Fenimore Cooper (1789-1851), America’s famous 19th century novelist, lived in Oswego in 1808 and 1809 as a young naval ensign stationed on Lake Ontario. Later, Lake Ontario and the Oswego River appeared as settings in some of his work, such as The Pathfinder and The Last of the Mohicans. Cooper Dining Hall was opened in 1967.

CULKIN HALL: Francis D. Culkin, member of the Bar, County Judge and Congressman from 1928-1943. Served in the Spanish American War. Culkin Hall was opened in 1967.

FUNNELLE HALL: Amanda Funnelle entered the inaugural class of the Oswego Normal Training School in 1862. Returned in Oswego State to become head of the newly established Kindergarten Department, 1888-1911. Funnelle Hall was opened in 1965.

HART HALL: Isabelle Kingsbury Hart, class of 1907, geography teacher, Dean of Women and first executive secretary of the Alumni Association. A pioneer in the use of visual aids in teaching. Hart Hall was opened in 1963.

HEWITT UNION: Jesse Merle Hewitt (1898-1918), Oswego’s first student to die in World War I. He was just 20 years old and had worked in the Industrial Arts Department. Hewitt Union was opened in 1967.

JOHNSON HALL: Harold B. Johnson (1880-1949), Editor and President of the Watertown Daily Times, Chairman of Board of Visitors (now College Council), who helped gain college status for the Oswego State Normal School and who was the guiding force in the work of the State Dormitory Authority. Johnson Hall was opened in 1958.

KING HALL: Carol King, popular young Associate Dean of Students, who died of cancer in 1959. Under her guidance several student organizations grew into effective programs for promoting student leadership. King Hall was in use by the college in 1970.

LAKER HALL: Oswego's athletic teams are known as the "Lakers." The men's health, physical education and recreation building is called Laker Hall in honor of the teams that are headquartered there. Laker Hall was opened in 1968.

LANIGAN HALL: James Lanigan, Chairman of the College Council; executive of Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation; President, New York State School Board Association. Lanigan Hall was opened in 1967.

LEE HALL: Dr. Mary V. Lee, alumna, physician and influential member of the faculty, 1874-1892, who taught zoology, physiology and physical culture. During the time she was on staff, more students entered the field of medicine than any other non-educational field. Lee Hall was opened in 1958.

LITTLEPAGE DINING HALL: The Littlepage Manuscripts was a trilogy of novels (1845-1846) by James Fenimore Cooper about three generations of the Littlepage family. Littlepage Dining Hall was opened in 1968.

LONIS HALL: Ernest J. Lonis (1878-1954), class of 1905, State Legislator and member of the Board of Visitors, who helped to facilitate the transition from Normal School to degree-granting college.

MACKIN COMPLEX: Marion Mackin, member of the College Council; civic leader; executive secretary of the Red Cross during World War II; chairman local Housing Authority. The Mackin Complex was opened in 1951.

MAHAR HALL: Marion E. Mahar, engaging teacher of social studies at the college from ca. 1931 to 1952. Helped organize "Live in America" classes for refugees held at the Emergency Refugee Shelter at Fort Ontario, 1944-1946. Mahar Hall was opened in 1966.

MARANO CAMPUS CENTER: Lorraine and Nick Marano, prosperous agricultural and retail business owners. Mr. Marano had a career in banking and held a seat on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Mrs. Marano had degrees from Glassboro State College and Drexel University and worked as a high school librarian. The Campus Center was opened in 2007. The center was renamed in the summer of 2014.

MORELAND HALL: James E. Moreland, popular faculty member, 1936-1951, who taught English and American Literature. Served as advisor to the freshman class. Moreland Hall was opened in 1951.

PARK HALL: Joseph C. Park, Director of Manual Training, 1902-1908; Director of Industrial Arts, which he helped to establish, 1908-1940. Park Hall was opened in 1933.

PATHFINDER DINING HALL: The Pathfinder, 1840, a historical novel by James Fenimore Cooper set in the Lake Ontario region, is one of the “Leatherstocking Tales.” Pathfinder Hall was opened in 1967.

PENFIELD LIBRARY: Lida S. Penfield (1873-1956), Chairman of English Department. An authority on local history, she wrote Stories of Old Oswego, and she helped inaugurate the Torchlight Ceremony in 1936. Penfield Library was opened in 1968.

PIEZ HALL: Richard K. Piez, faculty member, 1893-1937. Selected by Sheldon to lead his innovative manual training program, which developed a national reputation. Also a great teacher of drawing, psychology and history of education. Piez Hall was dedicated in 1962. Piez Hall was absorbed within the Richard S. Shineman Center for Science, Engineering and Innovation.

POUCHER HALL: Isaac B. Poucher, second principal of the State Normal School, 1897-1913, and his wife, Matilda Cooper Poucher, outstanding teacher of language and methods, 1861-1886. Poucher Hall was dedicated in 1963.

RICE CREEK FIELD STATION: Rice Creek, on which the field station is located, is named for Asa Rice, the first settler in the town of Oswego (near the college campus, three miles west of the city of Oswego) who came from Connecticut in 1797. Rice Creek Field Station was opened in 1966.

RICH HALL: Grace Ellingwood Rich, class of 1895, whose work in art teaching and whose character influenced the architect of the building, her brother, Lorimar Rich. Rich Hall was dedicated in 1961.

RIGGS HALL: James G. Riggs, third principal of the Oswego State Normal School, 1913-1933. The cornerstone for this new Industrial Arts building was laid by Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1930. Dr. Riggs started the first regular summer school and had maple trees planted along Washington Boulevard in 1919, each named for a student who had died in World War I. Riggs Hall was opened in 1960.

ROMNEY FIELD HOUSE: Golden Romney, head of Department of Health and Physical Education, 1930s-1940s. He helped construct the skating rink and supervised a lodge by the lake used for student recreation. Romney Field House was opened in 1962.

SCALES HALL: Caroline L.G. Scales, alumna, a master teacher of history, English Literature, composition and rhetoric, 1884-1926. Preceptor at the Welland Dormitory for Women, 1887-1906. Scales Hall was dedicated in 1961.

SHELDON HALL: The first school building on this site, dedicated in 1914. Renamed in the centennial year, 1961, for Edward Austin Sheldon (1823-1897), founder of our school. A pioneer of educational methods, Sheldon won national and international recognition for the Oswego Normal School. Sheldon Hall was dedicated in 1913.

RICHARD S. SHINEMAN CENTER FOR SCIENCE, ENGINEERING AND INNOVATION: Dr. Richard S. Shineman, faculty member from 1962 to 1988, was one of the founders and first chair of the chemistry department. The Richard S. Shineman Center for Science and Engineering and Innovation was opened in the fall of 2013.

SNYGG HALL: Donald Snygg, professor and chairman, Department of Psychology, 1937-1967. Named University Professor, October 1, 1966. An author and authority in the field of phenomenological psychology. Snygg Hall opened in 1968. Snygg Hall was razed (2013-2014) after the completion of the Richard S. Shineman Center for Science, Engineering and Innovation.

SWETMAN HALL: Ralph W. Swetman, fourth principal of the Oswego Normal School, 1933-1947. He worked to upgrade the faculty in order to change from a State Normal School to Oswego State Teachers College in 1938. Swetman Hall was opened in 1963. Swetman Hall was absorbed by the Campus Center in 2007.

TYLER HALL: James Gale Tyler (1855-1931), marine painter who was born in Oswego where he lived until he was fifteen, at which time he moved to New York City where he made his career. Tyler Hall was opened in 1968. Closed in May 2014 to receive major upgrades adn reopened for classes in fall 2016. 

THE VILLAGE: The Village townhouses, located west of Glimmerglass Lagoon, provide on-campus housing for juniors and seniors. The Village opened in 2010.

WALKER HEALTH CENTER: Dr. Mary Edwards Walker (1832-1919), Oswego's pioneering doctor who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for her service in the Civil War and who fought for women's rights and dress reform. Walker Health Center was opened in 1965.

WATERBURY HALL: Edwin M. Waterbury (1884-1953), editor and publisher of The Oswego Palladium-Times and chairman of the Board of Visitors (now the College Council). Helped develop the school into a degree-granting college. Waterbury Hall was opened in 1960.

WATERMAN THEATRE: Charlotte Waterman, head of the Music Department, 1911-1933; first Dean of Women, 1933. Started the Glee Club in 1914.

WILBER HALL: Gordon Wilber, Director of Industrial Arts, 1940-1947. Authored Industrial Arts in General Education, one of the most widely used textbooks in the country in its time. Wilber Hall was opened in 1964.

 

Ver. 1 prepared in 1986 by Dr. Coy Ludwig to accompany an exhibit to celebrate the 125th anniversary of SUNY Oswego, Ver.2 08.25.2014/nj, Ver. 3 02.04.2019/kjm