Bursley Hall

BURSLEY HALL
The North Campus Residence Hall that wasn't.

By Neal McLain

WCBN Volunteer 1953-67

In 1956 University Housing announced plans to construct a new residence hall building on North Campus.  At first It was called North Quadrangle, and later renamed Bursley Hall.

       This building wasn't either of the two North Campus buildings known by those names today.  The 1956 building was designed for a projected capacity of 4800 residents (2400 men and 2400 women).  The buildings known by those names today have much smaller capacities: 450 at North Quad and 1270 at Bursley.

Bursley Hall.  Architect's model, 1956.

       When WCBN's Board of Directors received word of the new building it sprang into action.  The Board, still attached to the idea of separate studios connected as a network, advocated construction of studio space in the new building.

      Led by Eric Warden, Chairman of WCBN's Board, we presented a series of detailed proposals for studio facilities ― or at least for the allocation of a designated space for a future studio.  

      In the words of the Preamble to the First Proposal:   

     These proposals may or may not have been successful, but in the end the effort was for naught.  In 1963 University Housing canceled plans for the building.  The only tangible evidence of our efforts is the collection of proposals.    

     In retrospect, I sometimes wonder why we were so convinced that a fourth studio was necessary.  As subsequent events have shown, a single studio, centrally located In the Student Activities Building, can provide the service far more reliably and likely at lower cost.