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Class of 1912: Dining/ Dormitory Life

Dining/ Dormitory Life

If the Class of 1912 could see the campus housing of the Class of 2016, they would be impressed by the level of comfort and luxury and perhaps just a little jealous.The Commons have study areas, laundry rooms, kitchen facilities, central air, and some residences even have music rooms. Back in 1908, male students didn't have many options when it came to on campus housing and female students had even fewer. Men could reside in one of the two-story cottages on West Side Row that packed in 16 students per cottage or Kissam Hall, which was built to house up to 200 students. Female students didn't have access to on campus housing. They either lived at home or in local boarding houses.

Check out the Vanderbilt University Dormitories pamphlet below to see what kinds of amenities dormitory life offered to the Class of 1912.

Resources

Vanderbilt University Dormitories, ca. 1908-1912.

Vanderbilt University dormitories, ca. 1908-1912.  Campus housing was only provided for male students.  Female students lived at home or in local boarding houses.

Courtesy of Vanderbilt University Special Collections & University Archives

Kissam Hall Dining Room and Student Waiters, ca. 1909

Kissam Hall Dining Room and Student Waiters, ca. 1909.

Image Courtesy of Vanderbilt University Special Collections & University Archives


 

Resources

West Side Row

West Side Row.  The six two-story cottages (Alpha, Belleview, Cumberland, Delphi, Euclid, and Franklin) in West Side Row were Vanderbilt's first dormitories, built a decade after the university opened. Each cottage was designed with four double rooms on each floor.  Five of the six original cottages still stand.  Belleview now houses NPHC Sororities; Cumberland is the home of Delta Gamma; and Franklin houses the Margart Cuninggim Women's Center.  Alpha was removed in 1966 during the construction of Carmichael Towers East.  The other cottages are residential.

Image courtesy of Vanderbilt University Special Collections & Archives

Better Menu for Kissam!

Better Menu for Kissam!

The Hustler, October 1, 1908

Resources

Kissam Hall, ca. 1910

Kissam Hall, ca. 1910.  Kissam Hall, erected with a donation from William Kissam Vanderbilt, was the main campus dormitory.  There were accomodations for approximately 200 students, and Kissam Hall also included a dining facility.

Image Courtesy of Vanderbilt University Special Collections & University Archives

A Meal at Kissam, 1911

A Meal at Kissam, 1911.

Image Courtesy of Vanderbilt University Special Collections & University Archives

 Cartoon Commentary

Cartoon Commentary on the Dining Habits of Wesley Hall Residents (Theological Students) and Kissam Hall Residents, 1910.

Image Courtesy of Vanderbilt University Special Collections & University Archives