Cowles House
Encyclopedia
Alice B. Cowles House is a structure on the campus of Michigan State University
. It is the oldest extant building on MSU's campus, though only the foundation and two exterior walls remain from the original 1857 construction.
Originally built to house faculty before the founding of what is now East Lansing
, Number 7's earliest residents were presidents Joseph R. Williams
and T. C. Abbot
. When a new president's house was built at Faculty Row Number 1 (no longer standing), Number 7 became the residence of the Professor of Botany; William J. Beal
and his family lived here for 39 years. As East Lansing grew and professors moved away from Faculty Row, the house served several purposes over the years, including offices for the Education Department and as a women's dormitory
.
It has been the official president's residence since 1941, beginning with President John A. Hannah
, who had the house extensively remodeled to suit this purpose. A 1950 renovation funded by alumnus Frederick Cowles Jenison resulted in the house being named for Jenison's mother, Alice B. Cowles. (Jenison's grandfather, Albert Cowles, had been a student in the school's first class and had helped haul the bricks during the original construction.)
After Hannah at least two presidents have chosen not to live in the house: Walter Adams
during his 1969 administration, and (since 2005) current President Lou Anna Simon
. Both of these presidents preferred to remain in their East Lansing homes, and instead used Cowles House primarily for formal entertaining and other official university functions.
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
. It is the oldest extant building on MSU's campus, though only the foundation and two exterior walls remain from the original 1857 construction.
Originally built to house faculty before the founding of what is now East Lansing
East Lansing, Michigan
East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located directly east of Lansing, Michigan, the state's capital. Most of the city is within Ingham County, though a small portion lies in Clinton County. The population was 48,579 at the time of the 2010 census, an increase from...
, Number 7's earliest residents were presidents Joseph R. Williams
Joseph R. Williams
Joseph Rickelson Williams was an American politician and the first president for the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first Land-Grant Institution to be established in the United States and now one of the largest universities in the United States, Michigan State University.-Early...
and T. C. Abbot
Theophilus C. Abbot
Theophilus Capen Abbot was president of State Agricultural College from 1862 to 1885...
. When a new president's house was built at Faculty Row Number 1 (no longer standing), Number 7 became the residence of the Professor of Botany; William J. Beal
William J. Beal
William James Beal was an American botanist.-Biography:Beal was born in Adrian, Michigan, to William and Rachel Beal, and he married Hannah Proud in 1863. He attended the University of Michigan, which gave him an A.B. degree in 1859 and an A.M. degree in 1862; he also received an S.B. degree...
and his family lived here for 39 years. As East Lansing grew and professors moved away from Faculty Row, the house served several purposes over the years, including offices for the Education Department and as a women's dormitory
Dormitory
A dormitory, often shortened to dorm, in the United States is a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people, often boarding school, college or university students...
.
It has been the official president's residence since 1941, beginning with President John A. Hannah
John A. Hannah
John Alfred Hannah was president of Michigan State College for 28 years, making him the longest serving of MSU's presidents. He is credited with transforming the school from a little-known, regional agricultural college into a large national research institution...
, who had the house extensively remodeled to suit this purpose. A 1950 renovation funded by alumnus Frederick Cowles Jenison resulted in the house being named for Jenison's mother, Alice B. Cowles. (Jenison's grandfather, Albert Cowles, had been a student in the school's first class and had helped haul the bricks during the original construction.)
After Hannah at least two presidents have chosen not to live in the house: Walter Adams
Walter Adams (economist)
Walter Adams was an American economist and college professor. He served as the 13th President of Michigan State University and served as an expert witness before 36 congressional committees.-Early life:...
during his 1969 administration, and (since 2005) current President Lou Anna Simon
Lou Anna Simon
Lou Anna Kimsey Simon is the 20th and current president of Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. Simon is chair of the Big Ten's Council of Presidents/Chancellors.-Education:...
. Both of these presidents preferred to remain in their East Lansing homes, and instead used Cowles House primarily for formal entertaining and other official university functions.