As one of the first college unions in the United States, this Gothic structure was modeled after Hart House at the University of Toronto and bears the name of a Cornell alumnus whose wife was instructed to use his money "...to make Cornell a more human place." Willard Straight Hall is a vibrant and well-loved student union, considered to be the central spoke of Cornell's wide-reaching campus activities.
Willard Straight Hall (WSH) supports the events and functions of the many units within the Office of the Dean of Students and building services such as:
ATM Machines
Computer Lab
Cornell Cinema
Fraternities, Sororities and Independent Living
Off-Campus Housing
Student Activities
Student Support
At 103,000 square feet and 6 floors, WSH is also home to:
3 meeting room lofts
5th Floor Lounge
Administrative Offices for the Dean of Students
Art Gallery
Dining Facilities (Ivy Room, Okenshields)
International Lounge
Memorial Room
Music/TV Room
North Room (dance studio)
Willard Straight Hall Resource Center services include:
Browsing Library
Lobby Information Desk
Mail Room Services
Ticket Sales
Reserve Space in Willard Straight Hall
History
1901 — Straight graduates from Cornell’s College of Architecture
1918 — Willard Straight dies of pneumonia during WWI in France. His widow, Dorothy Whitney Straight, decides to build a student union in his name.
1925 — Willard Straight Hall opens and is one of the first student unions in the country.
1934 — Beer and ale first served.
1935 — Ivy Room allows women to dine there. Woman originally entered through a separate entrance and could only mingle with men in the Art Gallery.
1943 — Memorial Room and east and west lounges opened to both men and women.
1943 — The Terrace is enclosed to create an Army Mess Hall. This becomes Okenshield’s.
1954 — First television installed in what became Okenshield’s.
1958 — William C. Whitney Foundation awards grant for Willard Straight Hall to purchase art.
1959 — WVBR goes on the air from Willard Straight Hall.
1969 — Willard Straight Hall Takeover of 1969.
1970 — Women work at front desk for the first time since WWII.
1989 — Theater refurbished to become permanent home of Cornell Cinema.
2003 — Ceramics Studio renovated into state-of-the-art facility.
2005 — Fifth floor Game Room renovated to become the 5th Floor Lounge with meeting space, reception space, and room for performance rehearsals.
2007 — CIT Public Computer Lab installed on the first floor near the Cinema.
2007 — Second floor renovated to house the Office of Student Support and Diversity Education.
