Benton Hall (1967)
As the 1960s progressed and Baby Boomers were seeking higher education, St. Cloud State’s physical campus continued to grow quickly, especially student housing. Benton Student Residence was a shift – instead of a high-rise facility to house students, the complex provided apartment-style living and was St. Cloud State’s first co-ed dormitory.
According to an October 6, 1966, press release, men and women who were live in the complex were to be “selected on the basis of scholastic ability and maturity,” living in eight apartment-style units. In each unit, four students were to share a central bathroom, two bedrooms, and a living-study room.
Benton Hall, 1967-1968
Need and Construction
The three-story Benton Hall complex was built in two phases. The first phase, to house 200 students, opened in the fall of 1967 and built south and west of Ervin House. Located north of Ervin House, Phase II opened in the fall of 1968 to house 100 students.
Designed by architects Jackson-Hahn Associates, the $740,000 project went out for bid in the summer of 1966. Those awarded contracts were Wahl Construction Company (general), Erickson Electric (electrical), and Knapp Plumbing and Heating (mechanical). Benton Hall was financed through reserve bonds issued by the Minnesota State College board to be paid for through student rental fees.
According to an August 25, 1967, press release, plans were underway for a $400,000 addition to begin shortly. Designed by architects Jackson-Hahn Associates, contracts were awarded to the Conlon Construction Company (general), Sporleders Plumbing and Heating (mechanical), and Erickson Electric (electrical). The addition opened in time for the 1968 fall term.
Name
On April 1, 1967, the Minnesota state college board named the complex “Benton Student Residence.” Benton Hall was the second campus building to be named after a Minnesota county the city of St. Cloud resides (the others are Stearns and Sherburne). The county itself was named in honor of Thomas Benton, a US Senator from Missouri who served from 1821 to 1854.
Originally, another name was suggested for Benton Hall. At the January 11, 1966, Minnesota state college board meeting, St. Cloud State proposed to name to be the “Charlotte M. Knudson Student Residence” – and the resolution was tabled for unknown reasons. An 1897 graduate of St. Cloud State, Knudson served as a faculty member from 1913 to 1937. She passed away in 1953.
Dedication
Along with Stearns Hall and Sherburne Hall, Benton Hall was dedicated on April 11, 1969.
Closure
Benton Hall closed after the 2017 spring semester.
The blueprints for both phases of Benton Hall as it looked when it opened in 1967 and 1968 are available.
Benton Hall, architect's drawing, exterior, 1966
Residential hall complex, April 1977
Additional sources:
- Press release, October 6, 1966
- Press release, August 25, 1967