Steeb Hall
For his nearly 60 years of service to the University, the Board of Trustees officially named this dorm on September 1, 1958, in memory of Carl E. Steeb, University Business Manager and Secretary of the Board of Trustees.
Construction began in June 1959 and was completed for occupancy on December 22, 1960. It was originally an all-men’s dorm.
As an undergraduate, Steeb played on OSU’s first varsity basketball team of 1898. Upon his graduation the following year, he joined the University as an accountant. In 1904 he was appointed Secretary of the Board of Trustees, and in 1909 he added the title of Business Manager to his list of duties. In 1945 he retired from his post as business manager, and he was awarded the title of ‘business manager emeritus.’ He kept his appointment as Secretary of the Board, though, until an illness forced him to leave that post in 1958, shortly before he died.
Steeb played a key role in many University decisions. For instance, he advocated for the first Ohio Union, urged OSU to join the Big Ten Conference, helped organize the Faculty Club, administered the construction of the Stadium Dorms, and established a University Bookstore. His tenure was so long that during his time here, OSU’s student population rose from fewer than 1,000 students to twenty times that number.
In 1946, Ohio State honored Steeb with an honorary degree, a Doctorate of Administration.
A $171 million South Campus dorm renovation project begun in 2011 includes connecting Steeb and Smith halls through an addition, which will add several hundred beds. The project also updates dorm rooms and adds air conditioning.
more information:
John H. Herrick Archives: Steeb Hall
