University Archives -- Campus Buildings


*Campus Buildings*

	Siskiyou Hall
Siskiyou Hall	Constructed at a cost of $520,000, the building was designed to include an auto shop, machine ship, electronics shop, printing ship, offices and classrooms. Originally the facility, completed in 1957, was named the Applied Arts and Science building and housed the Industrial Arts Department and Engineering Department, among others. Dedication ceremonies for the 23,000 square foot building took place on April 12, 1958. After the Langdon Hall engineering building was constructed in 1968, the Engineering Department moved out of the Applied Arts and Science building and the building was remodeled. In the 1960s, the building was known as the Industry and Technology Building. Siskiyou Hall became the new name of the building in April of 1972, shortly after the Langdon Hall was completed.
	Selvester's Cafe
Selvester's Cafe	After a fire burned down surplus army barracks that had been used as a temporary cafeteria, a permanent eating facility was designed. Construction took eleven months and began on April 24, 1956 by contractors Crocker-Tandy of Richmond for a cost of $343,000. The building was constructed on the site of the 1889 heating and pump house. The cafeteria's modern design was the first time a structure had departed from the brick style of the original campus buildings. Plans included space on one side of the building so that an addition could be built if a larger building was needed in the future. Located on the side of the creek, the 9,300 square foot building was designed to include outdoor space, which was accomplished with the use of patios and many windows. Included in the 200 seat capacity facility were "ultra modern" equipment, snack bar, and seating. In the early 1980s, the facility was remodeled. The cafeteria was named the John Selvester Café-By-The-Creek in honor of the manager of the Associated Students Food Services. From 1957 to his death in 1972, John Selvester managed food services for the university. He also managed he Associated Students for a time. The name of the building reflected the nickname of the cafeteria.
	Glenn Hall
Glenn Hall	This building started as the Business and Social Science facility and was completed in 1958. Classes first used the facility in January of 1959. At a cost of just over 848,000 dollars, the building's design included offices, classrooms, and conference rooms. Architectural firm Rockwise and Watson designed the building that totaled more than 41,000 square feet. Originally, three departments used Glenn Hall. Home economics, a department that no longer exists at Chico State, was housed on the first floor. The second story housed the social science department, and the business department used the third story. The social science department moved out of the building when Butte Hall was completed in 1972. Presently the business department makes use of the building. In 1972, the building was named Glenn Hall, after Glenn County.
	Bell Memorial Union
Bell Memorial Union. Photo courtesy of CSU, Chico IMC	In May of 1967, construction began on the 42,000 square foot BMU. The 1.9 million dollar building was designed by architect Don Hatch, AIA of San Francisco and included a bookstore, food service area, and various meeting rooms. Contractor James E. Roberts of Oakland completed the building in 1969. The most unique aspect of this student center was that the faculty and students had a major role in planning the building. Student fees and a Housing Urban Development loan financed construction costs. Since the beginning, the BMU has been run by the associated students. Remodeling construction on the BMU began in December 1998. The new construction added over 81,000 square feet of space, which included more conference rooms, a game room, and a 1,000 seat auditorium. The new 133,000 square foot building held its grand opening September 6, 2001. Dedication ceremonies for the Hugh M. Bell Memorial Union took place on September 27, 1969. Bell became a faculty member of the psychology department in 1928. Before his retirement in 1967, Bell served as Dean of Student Personnel, chair of the Deans of Students in the California State Colleges and an advisor. During his career, Bell published over one hundred articles and developed the Adjustment Inventory that was published by Stanford University Press. In 1966, Chico State honored Bell with the Distinguished Teaching award and, in 1967, Bell received a Fullbright Distinguished Lectureship at the University of Exeter in Exeter, England. Bell was instrumental in planning and funding the BMU, as he looked at the building as a place for students to gather and share ideas. The BMU was dedicated to Bell a year after his death.
	Lassen and Shasta Halls
Lassen Hall. Photo courtesy of CSU, Chico IMC	During the 1950s, there was a statewide effort to increase student housing for the growing student population after World War II. Lassen and Shasta Halls were completed in 1959 as part of the development of more state owned student housing. At a cost of 1.2 million dollars, the dormitories were funded by state appropriations and the sale of bonds. A state architect designed the two buildings. Originally, Lassen housed women and Shasta housed men, for a total of 200 students in each hall. With no dining services located inside the building, Sylvester's Cafeteria and later the dining facilities in Whitney Hall served the students.
	Alva P. Taylor Hall
Taylor Hall	Using a state architect, the humanities building was designed to house classrooms, an art studio, a ceramic studio, and an art gallery. Barrett Construction Company, the general contractor, used a new type of construction technique for this project. Slabs of concrete were poured and set on the ground and then hoisted into place by a crane. The experimental construction technique on this 31,000 square foot building was not used in many other projects around the state. Completed in 1961, the humanities building cost $833,000. The building was dedicated in honor of humanities professor, Alva Taylor, on November 22, 1968. Taylor Hall was remolded in the mid 1990s. Alva Park Taylor became a faculty member of the English Department in 1929. During his long career that lasted until 1953, he headed the English Department, chaired the Division of the Humanities, and then the Language Arts Division. Taylor was a Shakespearean scholar, and attended festivals around the world. He also made and played Elizabethan musical instruments. After retirement, Taylor and his wife moved to England, where Taylor stayed until his death in 1962. A mural was painted on the side of Taylor Hall in 1980. Finished in six months time, with paints donated from the Art Department, the mural depicts the façade of a building crumbling to expose the inside structure. Painted by John Pugh, with the help of some fellow art students, the mural was part of an art project for college credit. Positioned on the busy corner of Salem and First Streets, Pugh's work has gained lots of attention. Pugh went on to become a successful muralist, painting on buildings in such places as downtown Sacramento.

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Written and compiled by Mary Ellen Bailey
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