Roy G. Cullen Memorial Building
Encyclopedia
The Roy G. Cullen Building (dedicated as Roy Gustav Cullen Memorial Building) is the oldest building on the present-day campus of the University of Houston
. It is believed to be the first building on a campus of higher education in the United States with air conditioning
. Construction for the building began in 1938, and was completed the following year.
From its inception in 1927, the University of Houston did not have a dedicated campus. In 1936, when the university was still located at South Main Baptist Church
, Houston philanthropists Julius Settegast and Ben Taub
donated conjoining pieces of land totaling 110 acres (0.45 km²) to the university. This land was to be used as a permanent campus for the University of Houston.
Although land had been donated to the university, it was not until two years later that the university was able to actually build anything at the location. Hugh Roy Cullen
—a wealthy businessman—and his wife Lillie Cullen donated a combined $335,000 dollars for the first permanent building to be built at the campus. The building was named the "Roy Gustav Cullen Memorial Building" as a memorial to the Cullens' only son who had died in an oil field accident two years earlier. H.R. Cullen would later serve as Chairman of the Board of Regents for the university—and before his death in 1957—had donated over $11 million dollars to the University of Houston.
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
. It is believed to be the first building on a campus of higher education in the United States with air conditioning
Air conditioning
An air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...
. Construction for the building began in 1938, and was completed the following year.
History
South Main Baptist Church
South Main Baptist Church is a Baptist church in Houston, Texas. Located in Houston's midtown area, the church has a long history in the city. The church was named "Church of the Year" by Guideposts Magazine.- History :...
, Houston philanthropists Julius Settegast and Ben Taub
Ben Taub
Ben Taub , philanthropist and medical benefactor, fourth child of Jacob Nathan Taub, was born in 1889 in Houston .His father immigrated from Hungary to the United States in 1882 and became a tobacco wholesaler. Taub grew up in Houston, where he attended Welch Preparatory School. During World War I,...
donated conjoining pieces of land totaling 110 acres (0.45 km²) to the university. This land was to be used as a permanent campus for the University of Houston.
Although land had been donated to the university, it was not until two years later that the university was able to actually build anything at the location. Hugh Roy Cullen
Hugh Roy Cullen
Hugh Roy Cullen was an American industrialist and philanthropist. Cullen was heavily involved in the petroleum industry, was a large supporter of the University of Houston, and longtime chairman of the board of regents for the university...
—a wealthy businessman—and his wife Lillie Cullen donated a combined $335,000 dollars for the first permanent building to be built at the campus. The building was named the "Roy Gustav Cullen Memorial Building" as a memorial to the Cullens' only son who had died in an oil field accident two years earlier. H.R. Cullen would later serve as Chairman of the Board of Regents for the university—and before his death in 1957—had donated over $11 million dollars to the University of Houston.
External links
- Official building profile
- University of Houston Buildings collection at the University of Houston Digital Library