- City:
- Slippery Rock, PA
- Site Type:
- Education and Health, Colleges and Universities
- New Deal Agencies:
- Public Works Funding, Public Works Administration (PWA)
- Started:
- 1937
- Completed:
- 1939
Description
Then known as the State Teachers College, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania benefited during the Great Depression from a large construction project enabled by the federal Public Works Administration (PWA). The PWA provided a $372,222 grant for the project, whose final cost was $1,123,981. Construction occurred between December 1937 and July 1939. (PWA Docket No. [W]1828.)
Six buildings were constructed on the campus, including a science library. The present status of these structures is unknown to Living New Deal.
The buildings were constructed as part of a multi-million dollar program to improve Pennsylvania’s teachers colleges. The General State Authority approved $842,000 in funding for Slippery Rock State Teachers College under this program and the Public Works Administration granted an additional $372,000. The buildings were designed by W.G. Eckles and Robert A. Eckles of W.G. Eckles & Company. Spence Brothers of Saginaw Michigan were awarded the general construction contract. The ground breaking ceremony for the buildings was January 19, 1938 with construction continuing into 1939. Among the buildings constructed were the President’s Residence, a women’s dormitory (now North Hall Welcome Center), a library (now Maltby Center) a science hall (now the Strain Safety Building) and a high school (currently part of the McKay Education Building). All five of these structures are still in use.
Source notes
National Archives: Record Group 135: Public Works Administration; Projects Control Division; Entry 52: Indices to Non-Federal Projects; Report No. 5: Status of All Completed Non-Federal Allotted Projects, page 36.
"Public Works Administration", a Google Fusion Table by LaDale Winling, edited on March 15, 2011.
https://www.google.com/fusiontables/DataSource?dsrcid=578234
“Dr. Miller Announces New Campus Buildings” The Rocket (Slippery Rock, PA) 22 May 1937 page 1 https://cdm17189.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/srurocket/id/10478/rec/1695
“$860,000 Building Project Launched; Plans Outlined” The Rocket (Slippery Rock, PA) 6 Oct 1937 pages 1 and 8 https://cdm17189.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/srurocket/id/11346/rec/1693
“Work To Begin on Science Building, High School, Library, President’s Home; Bids Will Be Opened On December 14” The Rocket (Slippery Rock, PA) 24 Nov 1937 page 1 https://cdm17189.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/srurocket/id/10797/rec/1690
“Break Ground Today For Five New Buildings; Ceremonies Launch Million Dollar Project” The Rocket (Slippery Rock, PA) 19 Jan 1938 page 1 https://cdm17189.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/srurocket/id/10963/rec/1688
“Architect” The Rocket (Slippery Rock, PA) 19 Jan 1938 page 4 https://cdm17189.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/srurocket/id/10962/rec/1688
“North Hall Bids Total $521,594; Award Contracts” The Rocket (Slippery Rock, PA) 23 Mar 1938 pages 1 and 5 https://cdm17189.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/srurocket/id/11339/rec/1684
“Klonower Praises Building Program” The Clarion Call (Clarion, PA) 19 Nov 1938 page 1 https://archive.org/details/CLARION_CALL_1930-1939_v7-9/page/n208/mode/1up?view=theater
“State Teachers Colleges In Keen Competition With Private Schools” Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph, 14 Apr 1938 page 15
Slippery Rock campus map https://rockpride.sru.edu/map/?v=2
Note; the Rocket and Clarion Call are both student newspapers for Slippery Rock University and Clarion University (now Pennsylvania Western University – Clarion) respectively
Site originally submitted by Evan Kalish on November 29, 2014.
Additional contributions by Andrew Gallentine.
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