Oregon daily emerald., January 28, 1966, Page Seven, Image 7

From this in 1936 . . .
UNIVERSITY HOUSE HIKES use their Informal lounge for many activities.
Here, five girl* gather for a spur-of-the-moment hootenanny.
University House
30 Years of Progress
By MAXINE ELLIOTT
News Editor
Thirty years ago a determined University placement
secretary and a small group of University women stu
dents embarked upon an experiment The placement
secretary was Janet Smith, and that experiment was
University House, the oldest women's co-operative living
unit on campus
Two years earlier, the men's co-op program had been
started at the University. Miss Smith contended that
what would work for men would work for women, too,
and during winter term, 1936, Miss Smith and her
girls rented a rambling old house at 14th and Univer
sity Street. Despite heavy opposition, Miss Smith and
the girls moved in the following term.
A lack of shower facilities forced the girls to bathe
at Gerlinger Hall that first year. Despite this incon
venience, however, ‘Uni’ House won the Burt Brown
Barker scholarship cup for the highest grades on cam
pus. They’ve since retired two such cups—several times
the house GPA has topped 3.00—and the house still
ranks high scholastically.
Activities were an important part of University
House during those formative years. This tradition has
remained, and in 1965, the house won first place in the
All-Campus Sing and their Canoe Fete float won third
place. The WRA participation cup has been in the
house’s possession for the past five years.
It was just as well the SU was built in 1950, neces
sitating the removal of the original building. The
sagging back had been held up by jacks for some time,
and there were still periodic jaunts to Gerlinger Hall
when the shower facilities weren’t working. Members
reported at the time “it was just like heaven” to move
to the new house at 1675 Agate.
The Agate Street house was actually three houses
connected by enclosed breezeways. Since 1963, when
‘Uni’ House moved into Hendricks Hall with several
other co-ops (Miss Smith’s experiment, like Topsy, “just
grew”), the psychology lab has been housed in the
building.
University House was instrumental in incorporating
all the women’s co-ops into Co-Ed Housing. Inc after
World War II. Last spring, Co-Ed Housing authorized
the purchase of the house formerly occupied by Kappa
Alpha Theta at 791 E. 15th. University House moved
in this fall.
Karen Winn, senior from Weston, remembers arriv
ing early at ’Uni’ House in 1962 and finding several
girls busily painting. When she asked where she was
to go, she was told "that’s a good question—we’ve only
been here half an hour ourselves.” It was the same
story this fall when the most-asked question was.
"where’s the best place to buy paint?”
University House's 30th anniversary is being cele
brated Sunday with an open house and reception from
3-5 p.m. All members of the University community,
past and present, are invited to attend.
... To this in 1966
Photos by
Shota -Ushio