Stradley Hall
OSU President Novice Fawcett dedicated Stradley Hall, along with Park and Smith halls, on October 17, 1959. Construction on the then-men’s dorm began in 1957 and was mostly completed by January 1959 at a cost of $1,836,016.56.
Bland Lloyd Stradley came to Ohio State in 1920 as University Examiner, a position he held until 1944, when he was appointed Vice President of Student Relations. A graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University, Stradley had been principal of several high schools, including Canal Winchester, and had served as the assistant educational director at Camp Sherman during the World War I.
As University Examiner, Stradley was responsible for student admissions. From 1937 until 1944, Stradley served as both University Examiner and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. In 1944 he was appointed Vice President of Student Relations, making him responsible for student life on campus. Though he was responsible for discipline, he was well-liked by both students and faculty, receiving honorary memberships in the undergraduate honorary societies, Sphinx and Bucket & Dipper. He was also a member of the Faculty Club, as well as the Torch Club and the Columbus Club, and the Central Ohio Boy Scout Executive Board.
He gave the 1936 Summer Commencement Address and was amongst the first to receive the University’s Distinguished Service Award, in 1952.
Stradley died in 1957 at University Hospital.
A $171 million South Campus dorm renovation project begun in 2011 includes connecting Stradley and Park 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: Stradley Hall
