Welch Hall (University of Texas at Austin)

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Welch Hall
Welch Hall UT Austin Texas 2024.jpg
The 24th Street entrance to Welch Hall
Welch Hall (University of Texas at Austin)
General information
Town or city Austin, Texas
CountryUnited States
Coordinates 30°17′12″N97°44′16″W / 30.2868°N 97.7377°W / 30.2868; -97.7377

The Robert A. Welch Hall (abbreviated WEL) is a building located on the University of Texas at Austin campus in Austin, Texas, United States. [1]

History

Before Welch Hall was constructed, the space was designated for Brackenridge Dormitory (built in 1933 and not to be confused with the second dormitory of the same name). [2]

The original building was designed by Herbert M. Greene - Laroche & Dahl Architects from Dallas, Texas in 1929. September 20, 1929 is the date noted on the original plans. Two more wings were added to this building in 1959 and 1974. The 1959 wing was designed by Preston M. Geren (architect and engineer) of Fort Worth, Texas. Page Southerland Page of Austin, Texas were the consulting architects and engineers. Wyatt C. Hedrick Architects and Engineers Inc. of Houston Texas designed the 1974 wing. In this year, the Chemistry Building was christened Welch Hall after Robert A. Welch, whose foundation supported basic chemical research in Texas. [3]

In October 1996, the building caught fire from a research project. In response, the university committed $30.2 million to renovate the hall and updated safety equipment, along with retrofit of equipment to meet new safety standards. [4]

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References

  1. "Robert A. Welch Hall – WEL". University of Texas. Retrieved March 26, 2011.
  2. Hall, Erin (2005). University Of Texas At Austin: Austin, Texas. College Prowler. p. 62. ISBN   9781596581852 . Retrieved March 26, 2011.
  3. "6 Things You Never Knew about Welch Hall". University of Texas at Austin. 2015-03-09. Retrieved 2019-08-24.
  4. "Audits finds UT slow to improve safety in labs". The Victoria Advocate . Victoria, Texas. February 1, 1998. Retrieved March 26, 2011.