Aston Hall Centennial

100 Years as a Hall of Residence for Millikin Women

"Students Can Board Themselves"

When the Decatur College & Industrial School of the James Millikin University first opened its doors to students in September 1903, the over 500 students who showed up that first day lived somewhere off-campus. There were no residence halls when Millikin began and students who didn't already reside locally were encouraged to "locate in private families or in clubs," like the YMCA. (see below, from the first Bulletin course catalog)

"University to Have Dormitory"

Millikin University completed three academic years and was entering its fourth in the fall of 1906 when the following announcement appeared in the student newspaper, The Decaturian.

As the article stated, James Millikin and his wife Anna joined architect B. S. Brooks in touring other University and college dormitories to get ideas. The tours and discussion the three had resulted in the sketch below.

With construction underway as the 1906-1907 academic year was coming to a close, the Bulletin catalog for the next academic year went out with hopes of attracting student boarders to the new Woman's Hall.

"Between Thirty and Forty Girls Have Rooms"

As the 1907-1908 academic year began in the Fall of 1907, the Woman's Hall was opened for female students and the Millikin University campus entered its fifth year with its first student residents.

According to the original roll book for 1907-08, thirthy-eight students were listed with an address of Woman's Hall. Most of the students were either Freshman at Millikin University or were enrolled in the Academy, Millikin's preparatory high school that was part of Millikin from its beginnings until the 1920s. (Those listed below as "Special" were not in a degree or certificate program and were only enrolled in specific courses, usually in the Fine Arts or Music Departments)

Ruth Bicknell (Senior)            Grace Bottrell (Academy)

Lucile Logan (Freshman)         Ruth McMennamy (Academy)

Anna New (Freshman)                     Marie Scott (Academy)

Ruth Stevens (Junior)            Pearl Tippett (Freshman)

Mabel Williams (Freshman)

From the beginning of the school in 1903, there had been male and female students and plenty of tales of courting, even Millikin marriages. The opening of a Woman's dormitory meant some of that courting would move onto the campus, and this was not lost on the students who wrote for the Dec back in 1907. The September 1907 article above also pointed out that Messers Shumway and Bricker were the first "gentlemen callers," to a dorm in Millikin history.

"A Thoroughly Womanly Woman"

With the opening of a woman's dorm came the need for a Dean of Women to supervise it. Lucy Valentine was hired from the University of Minnesota.

"With the Permission of the Dean..."

With women residents came the need for a set of rules. The earliest pamphlets on the dormitory contained a description of the facilities, floor plans, rates, and of course, rules for residents. The twenty-one rules for original Woman's Hall residents were as follows:

1. The hours for meals are: Week Days: Breakfast 7:00am, Luncheon 12:30pm, Dinner 6:00pm. Sundays: Breakfast 8:00am, Dinner 1:30pm, Tea 5:30pm.

2. Except in cases of serious or protracted sickness, a charge of ten cents each will made for meals sent to student’s rooms. In such cases trays must be taken to rooms and returned to the kitchen only by the housekeeper at the direction of the Dean.

3. Permission must be obtained from the Dean before taking a guest to a meal.  A charge of 25 cents for each meal will be made.

4. All students unless absent as provided in other regulations, will be expected to be in the Hall not later than 7:30pm

5. All students going out for the evening must ask permission of the Dean and have the chaperon or escort approved.  Students must also register time of departure and destination and, on returning, the time of arrival.

6. Soft slippers should be worn after 7:30pm

7. Study hours are from 8:00am-Noon; 1:30-4:30pm; and 7:30-10pm.  At these hours students are expected to study in their own rooms and to assist in keeping the house quiet.

8. Students will not be permitted to entertain student guests in their rooms during study-hours.

9. Bathtubs must not be used during study-hours

10. With the permission of the Dean, students may receive callers on Saturday and Sunday evenings.  Such guests are expected to leave at ten.

11. Students cannot entertain guest in their rooms over night without the permission of the Dean.  Other rooms will be furnished if practicable, for which a charge of 25 cents will be made.

12. Students must turn the lights out on leaving their rooms.  All lights must be out at 10:30pm

13. College functions close not later than 10:30pm, the time for annual functions being extended one hour.  Residents of the Hall are expected to return immediately at the close of such functions.

14. No inflammable cleaning fluids may be used nor cooking done in any of the students’ rooms.

15. Washing of clothing in the bathrooms is not allowed.  With the permission of the Dean, washing may be done in the laundry.

16. Tacks and pins must not be driven into the wall, or woodwork; picture moulding is provided for hanging wall decorations.

17. Students will be responsible for daily care of their own rooms.  In addition each room will be thoroughly cleaned by the housekeeper with the vacuum cleaner once each month.

18. The telephone may be used by students with reasonable frequency.  They will not be called to the telephone during meal or study hours except in cases of urgent need.

19. Students will be expected to pay for all damages which may occur in their rooms.

20. The institution will not be responsible for money or valuables which are left exposed in rooms.

21. At all times and in all parts of the building residents will be expected to observe quiet and decorum, and every effort should be made to protect the rights of fellow students.

Above:  From 1908 pamphlet page 2


Above: First and Second Floor original floor plan

"Four Hundred Guests Gathered..."

Although the Woman's Hall had opened to students in the fall of 1907, it was not officially dedicated until November 12th, 1908 at a ceremony attended by 400 guests, including the Millikins.

Above: original invitation to attend the dedication

"The 'Woman's Hall' is No More"

Although it apparently had been intended from the beginning, the Woman's Hall did not take on the name Aston Hall until December of 1909. Aston was Anna B. Millikin's maiden name.

James Millikin had died in March of 1909.

Above: Anna B. Aston Millikin

"Moving Aston Hall Girls to Fraternity Houses"

In early 1943, the United States called up all of its military reserves to fight in World War II, many of them young men studying at colleges and universities like Millikin. As the Millikin campus saw its male student population dwindle to nearly nothing, the campus prepared for an influx of Army Air Corps cadets who would be coming through Millikin as part of their training. Millikin, like many college campuses across the country, had been selected as a site for a College Training Detachment to help train the huge influx of reserves that had just been called up (for more info on the 78th CTD, see the Millikin During World War II exhibit

Above: from The Decaturian 12 February 1943 page 1

In 1943, Aston Hall was still the only residence hall on campus and so when it became official that the Army was coming, plans were made to move the women of Aston into the Fraternity houses near campus. Most of the houses had been nearly vacated by the call-up of reserves in January, so the remaining male residents prepared to find other accommodations.

Above: The Decaturian 26 February 1943 page 1

At the last minute, and after many of the women were completely packed, the move was called off, and the first group of Army cadets arrived in March and were housed in the Old Gym until wooden barracks could be erected on campus. As the article below states, it was not exactly a smooth transition to settle back into rooms.

Above: The Decaturian 5 March 1943 page 1 Above: The Decaturian 5 March 1943 page 3-4

"A New Woman's Dorm"

As Aston Hall completed a half-century of housing Millikin women, plans were made to add a new Women's dorm just to the south of Aston Hall. The two would then be connected and when the newer one was completed, Aston would undergo renovations.

Above: from the 1908 Millidek page 43, showing the open area south of Aston Hall (right)

This photo (above), taken in 1957 from the south porch of Aston shows the area south, looking out across the Wabash tracks toward the corner of Oakland and West Main St.

The new Woman's Dorm, Walker Hall, would connect to Aston Hall right at this porch, which was removed.

One of the iconic architectural features of Millikin, the south porch entrance to Aston Hall, was lost when the new Woman's Dorm was added in 1960.

Above: From the 1910s, the south porch of Aston Hall Above: From the 1909 Millidek page 86, women on the south porch

Ground-breaking and construction went as scheduled, and Walker Hall, as the new Women's Hall, was named in honor of Ruth Walker (a long-time director of housing).  It opened in the Fall of 1961.

Above: Students watch from the south porch as the ground is prepared Above: The foundation of Walker Hall and the south porch already removed Above: Walker Hall under construction

Aston Hall Interiors

Above: The parlor room in the 1930s Above: The lounge in the 1980sAbove: Resident room in Aston Hall (1935 Herald & Review photo) Above: Aston Hall room of the 1940s Above: Aston Hall room of the 1950sAbove: Aston Hall Room of the 1960sAbove: Aston Hall room of the 1980s

Aston Hall Exteriors

Above: Original view from SE looking at the south porch (from 1909 Millidek page 83) Above: Undated image from Northeast showing Walker and Blackburn to the far left Above: 1960s overhead of Southwest corner of Aston, shows SUB at left Above: View from the West, shows front of Mueller and SUB buildings in foreground (1960s) Above: From the Northeast in the 1960s, shows Blacburn-Walker-Aston (left-right)Above: Winter view from Northeast (used as Christmas card in 1986)Above: Another 1980s view from the Northeast with corner of Mills in foreground right Above: Undated students outside AstonAbove: Undated student in Aston window Above: A view from the fire escape

Aston Remodeling

Above: Undated image of summer paint crew Above: 1992 image of work crew

This Exhibit was researched and developed using source materials found within the Millikin University Archives & Special Collections.

This page created Jan 18, 2008 by Todd Rudat Last Modified on Feb 26, 2008 Copyright: Millikin University Board of Trustees