Reed College Centennial 1911-2011

The architectural firm Doyle, Patterson & Beach created an ambitious campus master plan; Reed broke ground in early 1912 for the two main A.E. Doyle-designed buildings, Eliot Hall and Old Dorm Block. Both opened the same year, along with Doyle’s Power House. The library, science labs, and all classrooms were situated in Eliot; all dorms, commons, and social areas were in Old Dorm Block. More long-term faculty were hired, including Charles Botsford, Kelley Rees, and Harry Beal Torrey; “Herr” Robert Brunner became the first janitor and groundskeeper. The first Campus Day was held in June and featured a tug-of-war between sophomores and the incoming freshmen. Those students who lived off campus and commuted were called day-dodgers; about one-third of the student body lived on campus.