Balch Hall

Last updated
Balch Hall
Cornell Balch Halls Exterior.jpg
Stairway Balch Hall.JPG
Stairway in Balch Courtyard
Balch Hall, Cornell.jpg
Balch Hall after snowfall

Balch Hall is the only remaining all-female residence hall on the North Campus of Cornell University. Originally, Balch Hall consisted of four eighty-student halls, hence the more former name the Balch Halls, which has fallen out of use. Balch Hall is open only to female freshman and is divided into sections, known as units, each with a Residential Advisor who helps the new students acclimate themselves with the campus. Prior to the 2021-2024 renovations, the building was known for its old fashioned design as each room has a personal sink, or shares a sink with one other room.

Contents

History

Balch history
Balch hall 1948 postcard.jpg
1948 postcard
Balch Hall 2023 renovation.jpg
2023 renovation

Background

In 1920, Cornell founded a committee to research the feasibility of constructing a new women's dormitory to meet the needs of the growing community. In 1922, Frederick L. Ackerman submitted a basic plot for the construction of a dormitory on North Campus and, with approval of the university's Architectural Advisory Board, began seeking donors with the promise that Cornell would pay for up to half of the building's construction. In 1928, the university accepted the $1,650,000 donation of Allen C. Balch 1889 and Janet Balch, a graduate student from 1886 to 1888. When Balch opened in September 1929, it became the third female residential college at Cornell, after Sage College and Risley Hall.

According to legend, Janet Balch insisted that her husband donate the money for the dormitory after attending an event at Allen's fraternity, Alpha Delta Phi. The story goes that Mrs. Balch was offended by the behavior of the undergraduate brothers at an Alpha Delta Phi function. She insisted that her husband should not donate further funds to the fraternity and instead build a dormitory dedicated to the welfare of female students. [1] To this day, as the Balches requested, the dormitory has remained an all-female dormitory.

Opening

When Balch opened in 1929, it was considered one of the most lavish dormitories in the world. [2] The building was intended to provide "gracious living" and to "exemplify the highest traditions of American Womanhood," according to then-president Livingston Farrand. [2] Balch consisted of four distinct units, each with its own dining room. [2] Each of the four halls were decorated differently in "Early American, Georgian, English Jacobean, and modern Gramercy Park". [3]

Women wore skirts, high heels, and hose to meals, and men were not allowed above the ground floor. [2] Dining meals were served at individual tables by waitresses, [4] and residents enjoyed maid and laundry service. [2]

The 1960s

The 1960s saw the end of "gracious living." The social rules around clothing and became more relaxed, maid and laundry service ended, and the lavish, expensive furnishings were replaced with standard dorm furniture. [2]

A two-year renovation in the early 1960s converted the four Balch dorms into two units, and introduced TV and study lounges. [5] The four dining rooms were reduced to two, then one, with cafeteria style service instead of sit-down dining with waitresses. [4] [2] [5] The remaining dining hall was known as "Coop 2000", and served low-calorie, natural foods. [2]

At the end of Spring 2000 semester, the dining hall was closed and converted into a student center, cafe, and lecture hall known as the Carol Tatkon Center. [6] [7] [8] In 2021 the center moved to the Robert Purcell Community Center. [9]

2021-2024: Renovation

Balch Hall began undergoing a "full-gut renovation" starting in 2021. [10] [11] While the exterior will be preserved, all windows will be replaced, bathroom fixtures upgraded, four new elevators installed, and other improvements for accessibility. [10] [11] Rooms will be reorganized, with some interior walls removed, and capacity will be increased from 436 to 470 beds. [10] [11] Old-fashioned "sink rooms" will be removed. [10] [11] Balch is expected to reopen in time for the fall 2024 semester. [11] [10] However, only North Balch Hall will open for the fall 2024 semester, while South Balch will still be under renovation until the fall 2025 semester. [12]

Notable resident

Ruth Bader Ginsburg lived in Balch Hall during her sophomore and senior years as an undergraduate member of the class of 1954. [13] A new residence hall at Cornell was named in Ginsburg's honor in 2022. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hobart and William Smith Colleges</span> Private liberal arts colleges in Geneva, New York, U.S.

Hobart and William Smith Colleges are private liberal arts colleges in Geneva, New York. They trace their origins to Geneva Academy established in 1797. Students can choose from 45 majors and 68 minors with degrees in Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Master of Arts in Teaching, Master of Science in Management, and Master of Arts in Higher Education Leadership.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fitchburg State University</span> Public university in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, U.S.

Fitchburg State University is a public university in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. It has 3,421 undergraduate and 1,238 graduate/continuing education students, for a total student body enrollment of 4,659. The university offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in 25 academic disciplines. The main campus, the McKay Campus School, and athletic fields occupy 79 acres (320,000 m2) in the city of Fitchburg; the biological study fields occupy 120 acres (490,000 m2) in the neighboring towns of Lancaster, Leominster, and Lunenburg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keene State College</span> Public college in Keene, New Hampshire, U.S.

Keene State College is a public liberal arts college in Keene, New Hampshire. It is part of the University System of New Hampshire. Founded in 1909 as a teacher's college, Keene State College had 3,104 students enrolled for credit as of fall 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clara Dickson Hall</span>

Clara Dickson Hall is a residence hall located on the North Campus of Cornell University. For many years it was the largest dormitory on North Campus, housing over 460 students, until construction of Ginsburg Hall and Ganędagǫ Hall in 2022. Clara Dickson is also home to the Multicultural Living Learning Unit, or "McLLU".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Cornell University</span> History of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York

The history of Cornell University begins when its two founders, Andrew Dickson White of Syracuse and Ezra Cornell of Ithaca, met in the New York State Senate in January 1864. Together, they established Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, in 1865. The university was initially funded by Ezra Cornell's $400,000 endowment and by New York's 989,920-acre (4,006.1 km2) allotment of the Morrill Land Grant Act of 1862.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sage Hall</span> Building in New York, United States

Sage Hall was built in 1875 at Cornell University's Ithaca, New York campus. Originally designed as a residential building, it currently houses the Johnson Graduate School of Management.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boston University Housing System</span> Housing system for Boston University

The Boston University housing system is the 2nd-largest of any private university in the United States, with 76% of the undergraduate population living on campus. On-campus housing at BU is an unusually diverse melange, ranging from individual 19th-century brownstone town houses and apartment buildings acquired by the school to large-scale high-rises built in the 60s and 2000s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cornell West Campus</span> Residential section of Cornell University

West Campus is a residential section of Cornell University main campus in Ithaca, New York. It is bounded roughly by Fall Creek gorge to the north, West Avenue and Libe Slope to the east, Cascadilla gorge and the Ithaca City Cemetery to the south, and University Avenue and Lake Street to the west. It now primarily houses transfer students, second year students, and upperclassmen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cornell North Campus</span> Residential section of Cornell University

North Campus is a mostly residential section of Cornell University's main campus in Ithaca, New York. It includes the neighborhoods located north of Fall Creek. All freshmen are housed on North Campus as part of Cornell's common first-year experience and residential initiatives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buckman Hall (Gainesville, Florida)</span> United States historic place

Buckman Hall is a historic building located in Murphree Area on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It was designed by architect William A. Edwards in the Collegiate Gothic style and opened in 1906 as one of the two original buildings on the University of Florida's Gainesville campus along with nearby Thomas Hall. It once was a multi-purpose facility but has been used exclusively as a student dormitory since the 1940s.

The University of Kentucky offers a variety of choices to students. The choices range from a number of dining options, residence halls, and athletic facilities to student organizations, religious groups, Greek-letter organizations, and intramural competitions/campus recreation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Housing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology</span> Undergraduate and graduate dormitories

At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), students are housed in eleven undergraduate dorms and nine graduate dorms. All undergraduate students are required to live in an MIT residence during their first year of study. Undergraduate dorms are usually divided into suites or floors, and usually have Graduate Resident Assistants (GRA), graduate students living among the undergraduates who help support student morale and social activities. Many MIT undergraduate dorms are known for their distinctive student cultures and traditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cornell University</span> Private university in Ithaca, New York

Cornell University is a private Ivy League land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. The university was founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White. Since its founding, Cornell has been a co-educational and nonsectarian institution. As of fall 2023, the student body included over 16,000 undergraduate and 10,000 graduate students from all 50 U.S. states and 130 countries.

Washington University in St. Louis has varied programs and events for students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boston University West Campus</span> Overview of Boston Universitys West Campus and the buildings within it.

West Campus is an area in the westernmost part of Boston University's Charles River campus in Boston, Massachusetts. The area taken up by West Campus takes up most of the footprint of the former grandstand of Braves Field, whose right field pavilion grandstand is currently used as the primary grandstand for Nickerson Field. The former footprint of the stadium also includes the Case Physical Education Center, whose buildings and adjacent tennis courts take up most of the left field pavilion grandstand area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Housing at Georgetown University</span> Aspect of Georgetown University residential life

Housing at Georgetown University consists of 13 residence halls at the main campus and a law center campus. Housing on Georgetown's main campus is divided between "halls," usually more traditional dormitories, and "villages", usually less traditional apartment complexes. In addition, Georgetown operates many townhouses in the Georgetown neighborhood, usually for second, third, and fourth-year students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ogden Hall (Miami University)</span> Residential Hall, Dining Hall in Miami University

Ogden Hall is a hall of residence of Miami University. Construction started in 1923, funded by a donation from Laura Ogden Whaling. The building was renovated and extended in 1999. Originally it was a residence for male students, but now serves as a dining hall and residence for both male and female students.

References

  1. ↑ "Alpha Delt - Alpha Delt Hall of Fame".
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Roubik, Linda (13 April 1979). "A Golden Anniversary for Balch Hall". Ithaca, New York: The Cornell Daily Sun. pp. 12–13. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  3. ↑ Cornell Alumni News. October 3, 1929.{{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. 1 2 "Dorms Begin Buffet Style Meal System". Ithaca, New York: The Cornell Daily Sun. 8 February 1960. p. 12. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  5. 1 2 Pasachoff, Alice (25 May 1960). "University Plans Alteration of Dining Services in Balch". Ithaca, New York: The Cornell Daily Sun. p. 3. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  6. ↑ "The Residential Initiative". Archived from the original on 2006-09-23. Retrieved 2006-08-23.
  7. ↑ "Cornell University, Tatkon Center, Balch Hall". SchoolDesigns. Endeavor Business Media. Archived from the original on 18 December 2023. Retrieved 18 December 2023. Completion date: 9/2003 .... The Tatkon Center now occupies a large part of the first floor, which previously was a dining hall.
  8. ↑ "Tatkon Center for New Students". Student & Campus Life. Cornell University. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  9. ↑ "Cornell Families". Facebook. 27 August 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2023. Come meet the Tatkon team in their new space on the first floor of RPCC!
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Esterl, Katherine. "A Brand-New Balch: University to Renovate Historic Women's Dorm". Ithaca, New York: The Cornell Daily Sun. Archived from the original on 17 December 2023. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Crandall, Brian (21 March 2023). "Gallery: See what's under construction at Cornell this spring". Ithaca, New York: The Ithaca Voice. Archived from the original on 17 December 2023. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  12. ↑ "Balch Hall | Student & Campus Life | Cornell University". scl.cornell.edu. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  13. ↑ Earle, Corey Ryan (22 September 2020). "Here's where Ruth Bader Ginsburg '54 lived as a Cornell undergraduate". Twitter / X. Retrieved 17 December 2023. First-Year: Clara Dickson Hall 4564; Sophomore: Balch Hall 2517; Junior: 435 Wyckoff Ave (Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority); Senior: Balch Hall 2269
  14. ↑ Cefola, Marisa. "Similar to Last Year, New North Campus Dorms Provide Luxury But Social Isolation". The Cornell Daily Sun. Retrieved 18 December 2023.

42°27′12.02″N76°28′46.87″W / 42.4533389°N 76.4796861°W / 42.4533389; -76.4796861

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.