TEMPORARY BUILDINGS "C" THRU "S"

Late in 1946, at the same time that negotiations were in progress to acquire war surplus buildings for Pammel Court, plans were also developed to obtain similar structures for academic use. Fifteen of these were allocated the letter designations “C” through “S”. (There was no “I” or “Q”.) All were set up on the campus in 1947.

Buildings “C” and “D”:

These were one-story frame barracks buildings used as classrooms, laboratories and offices. They were located south of Marston Hall and were removed just before construction of Pearson Hall was started in September 1960.

Buildings “E”, “F”, “G” & “H”:

These four buildings were two-story frame barracks buildings. Building “H”, the largest of the group, was erected close to and parallel with the west front of Beardshear Hall and was connected to it by an enclosed passageway. The other three had their long dimensions running east and west and were a short distance from and perpendicular to Building “H” and Beardshear Hall. They all started as classroom facilities. In 1957 Building “E” was remodeled to provide conference rooms. It became the quarters for the art department in 1962.

By 1965 Building “H” had become the headquarters for the Counseling Service and the Center for Industrial Research occupied Building “E”.

Building “G” was razed in 1973 and Building “H” in 1975. In the fall of 1978 the Music Department moved into Building “F” as temporary headquarters until the new Music Building becomes ready for occupancy in 1980.

Building “J”:

This two story frame building was originally used for engineering classrooms and laboratories. In 1960 it was in part used for the “Art Shed”. Later it became a drafting room for the architecture department. It was located just south of the Engineering Annex. Building “J” was razed in 1979.

Building “K”:

This building was located in what is now the parking lot on the east side of the Nuclear Engineering Laboratory. It was used primarily for electrical engineering classrooms, and later housed the WOI-TV art department. In 1962 it became the office for the contractor building Sweeney Hall addition. It was razed in 1967.

Building “L”:

This was a one-story frame T-shaped building made by combining two barracks units. It stood at the west end of what is today’s Computer Science building. Originally used for classrooms and a study hall it was remodeled in 1948 and became headquarters for Child Development. In 1962 it was used by economics, sociology and engineering. It was razed in 1968 to make space for Computer Science.

Building “M”:

Another of the two-story frame barracks buildings, this one stood east of the north wing of Physics Hall. First planned for the Biology department it was used for Geology Department classes and laboratories for many years before it was razed in 1972 when Science Addition #2 was finished.

Building “N”:

This was erected west of the original Library, where the second addition now stands. It was taken down in 1968 before that addition was started. It was first used as a reading room and classroom. Later it housed statistical research space, some faculty offices and offices for the Iowa State Foundation.

Building “O”:

This, too, was a two-story barracks building. It was erected between Davidson and Gilman Halls and originally used by the chemistry department. More recently it housed Applied Art until that department moved to the College of Design. Part of the building is still occupied by Industrial Education.

Building “P”:

A frame building, two stories, this barracks structure was considered from the time of its erection as a facility for Food Processing. It was located just north of what was then the Poultry Laboratory, and east of what is today the northeast wing of Agronomy Hall. When Food Processing moved to the Food Technology Laboratory in 1962 Building “P” was used by the Agronomy department. For a few years prior to 1973 the second floor was used for a Physical Plant shop. Building “P” was razed in 1979.

Building “R”:

A quonset type building was the first of the temporary buildings erected outside of Pammel Court. It was located to the southeast of Snedecor Hall for the expanding needs of the Statistical Laboratory. It remained in that capacity until it was razed, along with Buildings “S” and “L” when construction of Computer Science was about to begin.

Building “S”:

Erected immediately south of Building “R” this one-story building was also used by the Statistical Laboratory. It was razed in 1968.

Student demonstrations were not uncommon in the late sixties, but one held in 1959 justifies mention as one of the most unusual. The Iowa State Daily for April 18 of that year included a story about it:

A large group of Iowa State students yesterday afternoon staged a protest against the removal of the temporary buildings from the campus.

The students demonstrated after the announcement yesterday morning by officials of the Board that the “buildings will probably be razed sometime about 1975.” The chairman stated that as soon as the announcement was made, Iowa State students held a mass demonstration in front of Building “M”.

The article went on to say that “the Board has received many telegrams from alumni, also protesting the removal of the buildings.” The president of the “Student Chapter of the Society for the Prevention of Razing of Historical Iowa Landmarks” then was quoted in a resume of the history of the buildings wherein he stated they had been Union barracks during the Civil War.

The one story is the only reference found to the “society” or its protests.