COLUMBUS, Ohio — In 1933, Ohio State University leaders were concerned about declining student numbers because of the Great Depression. A new dormitory was established in the southwest corner of Ohio Stadium for male students who were academically gifted and showed financial need.
What You Need To Know
- In 1933, a new dormitory was established in the southwest corner of Ohio Stadium
- Students were offered lowered housing fees in exchange for housekeeping and food preparation
- It wasn’t until 1975 that women were granted the same opportunity to join the community of scholars underneath the bleachers
Students were offered lowered housing fees in exchange for housekeeping and food preparation—what might be known in modern parlance as work study—and the first class of 75 students were given very basic, windowless units beneath the bleachers.
It was an innovative use of space and means of organizing scholarship students and it caught the attention of the first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, who made a stop in Columbus in the fall of 1938 during a tour of WPA projects.
It wasn’t until 1975 that women were granted the same opportunity to join the community of scholars underneath the bleachers, with a major upgrade in the 1980s expanding the space to house 360 students.
Despite student protests, the stadium dorm was closed in 1999 as part of a large-scale renovation. The community of scholarship students continues with on-campus housing opportunities and an active alumni association.
But no modern building can rival the unique experience of living inside the university’s stadium, as women who once lived there share memories of fun nostalgia.