A Shift in Purpose

Sketches from 1957 of a proposed University-Community Center placed between McMillan Hall and the Women's Building.

McMillan Hall's purpose slowly began to shift over the 1940s and 1950s. In 1943, with America involved in World War II, McMillan Hall was converted into housing for Army engineers. Soon after, as construction of residence halls on the South 40 began in the 1950s, McMillan Hall's purpose shifted from housing to providing space for classes and departments. By 1960, McMillan Hall was an important part of the University's academics, with spaces like the former women's gymnasium converted into a room for the university's first computer: the Univac (Department of Anthropology).

Demonstrating this changing purpose, a University-Community Center connecting McMillan Hall and the Women's Building was proposed in the late 1950s, to provide an informal space for students and professors to socialize. Although it does not seem like this project was ever completed, the project plans signify a change in the conception of McMillan Hall from a living space to an academic hub ("Washington University Magazine").