The Beginning of McMillan Hall

A memoriam for Eliza McMillan, published in the 1916 edition of The Hatchet, details her contributions to the school, including funding McMillan Hall.

McMillan Hall, opened in 1907, was named after William P. McMillan. Mr. McMillan established the Missouri Car and Foundry Company, which later merged into William K. Bixby’s American Car & Foundry Company ("Danforth Campus Buildings"; Schaefer). When Mrs. Eliza McMillan donated to the university for the construction of McMillan Hall in honor of her late husband, William K. Bixby spread the mortar on the cornerstone of the building, breaking the ground for construction on October 20, 1906 (Department of Anthropology).

Funded by Mrs. Eliza McMillan, McMillan Hall originally served as the first women's dorm in Washington University. Over time, the spaces have been repurposed from living facilities to academic needs. Today, the building houses the Anthropology department, although the original design is still discernable (Department of Anthropology).