A retrospective on the University of Michigan's East Quadrangle residence hall
The University of Michigan recently unveiled a fully upgraded East Quadrangle residence hall— the product of a yearlong $116 million renovation.
Seventy-three years ago, U-M opened East Quad as a male-only residence hall to expand the school's then limited housing options. The cost to construct the original dorm was less than one-third of East Quad's $3.3 million furniture budget in the recent renovation.
In this edition of Michigan Memories, AnnArbor.com chronicled the history of East Quad by going all the way back to the early 1940s, when East Quad was used to house the U.S. military during World War II.
U-M Bentley Historical Library
Construction on East Quad began in 1939. The building cost $1 million to erect, according to records from the U-M Bentley Historical Library. The federal government's Public Works Program provided a federal grant for 45 percent of the cost, according to the Bentley archive.
East Quad was originally opened as a men's dormitory. During World War II, the dorm was used to house military and ROTC students.
The above print, taken in the early 1940s, shows half of a four-man room in East Quadrangle. The room belonged to students who were also in the military. It's clean because it was ready for inspection. In 1946, East Quad began housing civilians again, according to the Bentley archive.
Photo courtesy of U-M Alumni Association
When first built, East Quad had a capacity for about 410 students. Today it has 329 double rooms and 192 single rooms, providing housing to 856 students.
Notice how the dorm room above — pictured in the 1940s — boasts a typewriter in lieu of a Macbook Pro.
Photo courtesy of U-M housing
After the renovation, East Quad's bathrooms have intricate tile work and spacious showers with changing areas. Clearly, the East Quad bathroom pictured above in a 1943 photo shows the dorm's amenities were not always so nice. In fact, housing staff said that as recently as last year students complained about how oddly low the shower heads were.
Photo courtesy of U-M Housing
East Quad's cafeteria is pictured in this 1943 photo. Instead of long tables, diners in East Quad now eat in a restaurant-style setting. The dining hall has also gone trayless.
Courtesy of the U-M Alumni Association
Seven years after East Quad's initial construction the U-shaped south section was built to meet a growing demand for student housing. The addition cost $2.3 million, according to U-M records.
Bentley Historical Library
The finished south entrance of East Quad is pictured above in this 1950 photo. The addition increased the dormitory's capacity to 924, although the actual number of students living in East Quad at that time was 1,480, according to a U-M archive.
Photo courtesy of U-M Alumni Association
An East Quad study lounge is pictured in this 1950s photo. In 1952, East Quad became a co-ed residence hall.
Photo courtesy of U-M Alumni Association
The entryway of East Quad is pictured in this photo, taken during the 1950s.
Ann Arbor News
The Halfway Inn was a diner — U-M's very own greasy spoon of sorts — that operated in the basement of East Quad until it closed in 2010.
Ann Arbor News
The Halfway Inn transformed into the Halfass music club on weekend nights and was a popular music scene on campus. The venue is captured above in February 2006 by an Ann Arbor News photographer.
Kellie Woodhouse covers higher education for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at kelliewoodhouse@annarbor.com or 734-623-4602 and follow her on twitter.
Comments
thescoop
Fri, Aug 30, 2013 : 3:04 p.m.
Why no mention of the gender-inclusive floor...aptly named GILE since it seems to be hidden from parents? Why not draw attention to a floor area designated for students who are still working out which gender they might be and their special bathroom accommodations?
Xgojim
Sun, Aug 25, 2013 : 11:12 a.m.
Very nice recap of East Quad history. I lived there in Greene House "only" 50 years ago (seems like yesterday) in 63-64 school year. In fact, my move-in date was probably almost exactly 50 years ago as I write this. Here's another vote against the coed comment. I remember no women. In fact, I do not recall a house mother either. I believe that my year was the first year of what was called the "Pilot Project" which was the beginning of the experiment for a Residential College. We were assigned a fabulous faculty member (Harlon Lane, I believe) who did not live there but was a frequent visitor. I can only marvel the personal time he sacrificed for us. Otherwise, rooms were pretty spartan, so to speak, and the community bathroom was a unique experience for me though no particular problem that I recall. Our dorm floor had a live-in upper classman or grad student to supervise. It all worked well!
Stephen Rosenblum
Tue, Aug 20, 2013 : 2:34 a.m.
It's pretty ridiculous that this article about the history of East Quad doesn't even mention the Residential College which has been housed there since its inception in 1967 and has been synonymous with the place for 46 years. The creation of the RC led to a major reconfiguration of East Quad into a dynamic living/learning community with classrooms, a performance center, gallery space, and academic offices. You mention the Halfway Inn but not the RC? Very strange reporting indeed.
Stuart Brown
Mon, Aug 19, 2013 : 3:23 a.m.
With the original $1 million in 1939 and $2.3 million in 1946, according to the BLS this should equal $44.36 million today. This of course, contrasts with $116 million to simply rehab the place today! Why so much? UofM spends more per bed to rehab an old dorm than commercial businesses spend to build luxury student housing on campus.
Stuart Brown
Fri, Aug 23, 2013 : 7:51 a.m.
So, the luxury apartments don't have the same amenities?
blue85
Wed, Aug 21, 2013 : 3:38 a.m.
Possible reasons for the change: 1) Fire and safety codes have changed; security systems have changed; 2) the facility supports academic programming; 3) the internet didn't exist back then, and I'd guess the building is now wired; 4) the building now has A/C, hence new HVAC systems; 5) the student load has changed which suggests not just higher loading but more deterioration under that loading..... "When first built, East Quad had a capacity for about 410 students. Today it has 329 double rooms and 192 single rooms, providing housing to 856 students."
Seasoned Cit
Mon, Aug 19, 2013 : 2:28 a.m.
I think your date for becoming coed is about 20 years off. I lived there in the early 60's and the only females were our housemothers..it became coed after it was remodeled for the Residential College that was supposed to be built along the river on the way to north campus...but when the funds for such couldn't be raised, East Quad was designated for the Residential College.
JuliaAnnArb
Mon, Aug 19, 2013 : 1:56 a.m.
Anyone else think that instead of UM-wide reunions they should hold East Quad reunions? It would be really cool to chat with people who lived there in different eras and meet up with old friends.
Jeff Renner
Sun, Aug 18, 2013 : 4:16 p.m.
A few more thoughts that wouldn't fit before - The electrical system was inadequate for much more than lights and a radio and a portable record player, so each floor had a couple of irons and ironing boards, this being before the days of permanent pressed clothing. On Saturday nights, there'd be a line for the irons. Occasionally someone would illicitly pop popcorn and occasionally blow a circuit. The smell would give the miscreant away unless he did it near an open window. There were no TVs in rooms. Women were not allowed on the floors except for two "open-opens" a semester. These would be on a Saturday evening, probably between 7:00 PM and 11:00 PM or so (women having a midnight curfew). If you had a woman in your room, the door had to be left ajar, so you'd hang a loosened tie on the outside doorknob to alert people to stay out. There was a "four on the floor" rule, meaning that you and your date had to keep your feet on the floor. I can't imagine how this was supposed to be enforced. If your roommate had a date and you didn't, you hung out in the lounge or the TV room.
MRunner73
Sun, Aug 18, 2013 : 9:38 p.m.
I guess we would not even be considered living in the modern era. More like the stone age for geezers like us.
Tim Hornton
Sun, Aug 18, 2013 : 7:41 p.m.
That's why back seats of cars were so popular back in the day. Good ole days
Jeff Renner
Sun, Aug 18, 2013 : 4:15 p.m.
A few more thoughts about EQ. I lived in Hayden House in the south half from 1964-66. Unlike the north half and West Quad, it was built in the shape of an H without an enclosed courtyard. We were told that this was because it had been built around a house whose owner refused to sell. Apparently, the U did not have the right of eminent domain then. The men's dorms then had weekly maid service, although the women did not, the rationale apparently being that we men needed a woman to look after us. Our maid was a lovely lady who had worked there since the days of WWII. She said that in earlier years, there had been daily maid service! She cleaned the room and, if we pulled off the bottom sheet of the bed, she would remake it, but only with one clean sheet, moving the top sheet to the bottom. New "centrex" phones had been installed in each room only a year or two earlier, and each floor still had several phone booths with pay phones for making outgoing long distance calls. They were miserably hot with the door shut.
MRunner73
Sun, Aug 18, 2013 : 9:36 p.m.
Good stuff, JR. My time was early in the next decade from yours. I do not recall maid service in West Quad. Things did not change much but the dorms were pretty much all co-ed. My wing had the males while the other wing on the same floor had the females. How times have changed, now with the numerous high rise complexes going up and the University spending boat loads of money to up grade most of the Central Campus dorms. At least they all will be in the 21st century. I wouldn't trade my time for today's standards.
MMB95
Sun, Aug 18, 2013 : 6:16 p.m.
I also lived in Hayden (for 2 years) but was a student in the 90's. Like the article mentions, the shower heads were definitely a bit low. You can imagine how awkward this made things for a male friend of mine who was 6'8! Also, it was annoying because all of the bathrooms were obviously intended for men as they all had urinals (or at least our women's bathroom did). Plus, our bathroom only had 2 stalls and 2 showers for our whole hall! There was always a line for the showers in the morning. We couldn't control the heat in our rooms, so had to have a fan going year round. The nicest thing was that in my second year, my roommate and I got a room that was formerly a triple. So we had extra space AND an extra closet!
Jeff Renner
Sun, Aug 18, 2013 : 3:51 p.m.
Great photos. I agree with Barzoom - just as I remember when I lived there 1964-66. But, "In 1952, East Quad became a co-ed residence hall" is in error, unless it was temporary. The only women living there when I did were the eight house mothers. Each house had a middle-aged or older unmarried woman who lived in a nice first floor apartment and whose presence encouraged a degree of decorum.
Barzoom
Sun, Aug 18, 2013 : 12:39 p.m.
The old photos are exactly as I remember when I lived there as a freshman in 1966.
trespass
Sun, Aug 18, 2013 : 11:50 a.m.
The first men's dormitory was the West Quad, which opened in 1939. There was a little bit of subterfuge, involving Michigamua. Walter "Basketmaker" Rea was a Michigamua alum and Dean of Students. He brought Michigamua a message from the University President that he would like them to work on raising money for a men's dormitory. Michigamua members help put on the 1937 Michigras celebration as a fundraiser for the men's dormitory. The University president thanked the students in the Michigras program for this student initiated project. The UM administration, to this day, is not above a little propaganda.