IU East Building Developments

Whitewater Hall

The groundbreaking for IU East’s first official building, now called Whitewater Hall, took place on October 3, 1972. Construction of IU East was finished in 1974, and the building was officially occupied starting in December of the same year. Funding for the new campus started in 1969 when Eastern Indiana Community College, Inc., was created by Richmond inhabitants. According to the Indiana University Dedication Week booklet, the college “raised over one million dollars.”

According to a Pal-Item article titled “Dedication and Open House Set for Sunday at IU East”, “[t]he new campus cost about $3 million” (Fasnacht), and the main focus of the building was providing classroom space. Whitewater Hall was later named after the addition of IU East’s second building, Hayes Hall.

The Ryan Rose Garden

The Ryan Rose Garden was dedicated to Indiana University President John W. Ryan and his wife, Mrs. Ryan on June 23, 1978. Mrs. Wanda Hayes suggested the dedication, and funding was provided by the Stanley W. Hayes Foundation and the Star Rose Nursery of West Grove, Pennsylvania. The dedication took place at the same time as the Richmond Area Rose Festival’s rose arranging contest.

Solar Greenhouse

IU East’s solar greenhouse was finished in 1983. The greenhouse was created for IU East botany classes, and the greenhouse was made possible in part by Mr. Dan Stamper’s donation of two separate greenhouses he owned at the time and by William K. Richardson and Richard Mikesell’s research. IU East was forced to seek out other means of funding when one of the donated greenhouses became too expensive to rebuild on campus. Dr. Rosalie Kramer (chairperson of the Division of Science and Technology at IU East) wrote a grant proposal for the greenhouse, and IU East received $50,000 from the United States Department of Energy. IU East had to pay an additional $63,000 to finish the greenhouse, which at its completion was a sixty by twenty foot building. The greenhouse, and the pond that was located in front of it, was eventually removed in 1998 in order to build Springwood Hall.

Hayes Hall

The groundbreaking for Hayes Hall took place on August 8, 1990. At the time, the future building was referred to as the Library and Classroom Building since it would provide extra library space as well as more classrooms, lab rooms, and computer rooms. According to the Groundbreaking Ceremony booklet for Hayes Hall, at the time of the groundbreaking “[f]irst envisioned more than ten years ago, the building has been in the planning stages for over four years.” The architect for this building was R. W. Clinton & Associates, Inc., Richmond.

Hayes Hall, formerly referred to as the Brice E. Hayes Hall, was dedicated on June 12, 1992. Brice’s father, Stanley Hayes, funded Hayes Regional Arboretum in the 1920s, and Brice later allowed the Arboretum to be “open to the public free of charge and provide[sic] free educational and consultation services” (Dedication Ceremony booklet Hayes Hall). Brice was also “a founding member of the Indiana University East Board of Advisors” (Dedication Ceremony booklet Hayes Hall).

Tom Raper Hall

Middlefork Hall, now known as Tom Raper Hall, began construction in 1993 and completed in 1995. Middlefork Hall contained Purdue University Programs up until 2019, and continues to house a computer lab, the Fine Arts Program, classrooms and lab rooms, and faculty offices. According to the Dedication Ceremony booklet for Middlefork Hall, the building was “named after the Middle Fork (now know as the East Fork) of the Whitewater River, which is a major source of water for the city of Richmond.” The architect firm for Middlefork Hall was Schmidt Associated from Indianapolis. The building was renamed to Tom Raper Hall after former Richmond businessman Tom Raper donated $2.17 million to the IU East campus in 2009.

Springwood Hall, IU East’s fourth building, was proposed in 1997 in order to create a space for more classrooms, a tutorial center, a child care center, a physical facilities center, a student activity space, computer access, and a family and wellness center. Springwood Hall is located between Whitewater Hall and Hayes Hall. This location meant that the pond and the greenhouse had to be removed. The architects plan was to have “a quadrangle of four buildings, all around a central plaza, which will become the pivotal point of the campus” (Snowden, 1997). In October of 1997, the total estimated cost for the building’s construction was $7,630,650.76. Construction was planned to begin in 1998, and Springwood Hall was opened on November 10, 1999.

The Danielson Center in Henry County was dedicated on May 21, 1999. Funding for this building came from Danny and Patty Danielson, the Henry County Community Foundation, and Americana Bank. The new building was named after the Danielsons due to their generosity as well as their both being alumni of Indiana University. Danny also “served on the Indiana University board of trustees for 21 years” (Indiana University East Henry County Dedication booklet). The Danielsons were the driving force behind the center, as they wanted to support education, economic vitality, and quality of life in Henry County.

On July 16th, 2018, Indiana University East transferred ownership of the Danielson Center to the New Castle Community School Corporation. The NCCSC will use the Danielson Center for early college programming, high school classes, and IU East will still have access to the center for classes, if needed (IU East Transfers…).

Groundbreaking for the newest building to IU East, the Student Activities & Events Center, took place on November 11, 2014. The building was constructed to make more room for “health, wellness and physical education activities” (Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Student Activities & Events Center booklet). The building opened in 2016.

Sources

Fasnacht, D. (1975, February 20). “Dedication and Open House Set For Sunday At IU East.” Palladium-Item.

Design Development Presentation Book for Classroom/Student Support Services Building. (1997, October 3). IU East Campus Construction (Box 2). Indiana University East Archives, Richmond, IN.

Ryan Rose Garden June (1978). IU East Campus Construction (Box 2). Indiana University East Archives, Richmond, IN.

Solar Greenhouse Dedication. (1983). IU East Campus Construction (Box 2). Indiana University East Archives, Richmond, IN.

Groundbreaking Ceremony for “Library and Classroom Building.” (1990). IU East Campus Construction (Box 2). Indiana University East Archives, Richmond, IN.

Dedication of Hayes Hall. (1992). IU East Campus Construction (Box 2). Indiana University East Archives, Richmond, IN.

Dedication of Middlefork Hall. (1996). IU East Campus Construction (Box 2). Indiana University East Archives, Richmond, IN.

Dedication of IU East Henry County. (1999).  IU East Campus Construction (Box 2). Indiana University East Archives, Richmond, IN.

Indiana University East Dedication Week. (1975, February 16-23). IU East Campus Construction (Box 2). Indiana University East Archives, Richmond, IN.

IU East transfers ownership to Danielson Center to New Castle Community School Corporation. (2018, July 17). IU East Media Relations.

Snowden, J. (Nov. 3, 1997). “New building will meet student needs.” The Pioneer Press, Vol. 27, No. 3.