Buildings Honoring Women
Voorhies Hall, 1965.
Voorhies Hall was the first resident hall built for women. After groundbreaking in 1945, thanks to the generosity of Mrs. Emma Denie Voorhies, the dedication of the building took place on April 10, 1948. The Williams Prayer Room, an intimate chapel in Voorhies Hall, was dedicated on April 10, 1948 and given in memory of John Whorton and Anna Fletcher Williams by their children Sallie P. and Susan Fletcher Williams.
Hyde Hall, 1957.
The Catherine Burrow Refectory is the main dining facility on campus. It was dedicated in 1957 in honor of the late Mrs. A.K. Burrow. Margaret Ruffin Hyde Hall is part of the Burrow Refectory and was dedicated in 1993 in Honor if this alumna of the Class of 1934, benefactor and College trustee.
Townsend Hall, 1968.
Townsend Hall was dedicated in 1961 in honor of Margaret Huxtable Townsend, the first woman on the school’s faculty. As a professor of Sociology, Margaret Townsend taught from 1918 to 1954. She also served as the first Dean of Women from 1925, when the College moved to Memphis, until 1952.
Trezevant Hall, 1962.
Trezevant Hall was dedicated on Nov 16, 1966 as a Women’s residence hall. It was given to the school by Edward H. Little, retired board and Chairman of Colgate-Palmolive Corporation, in memory of his Memphis born wife, Suzanne Trezevant Little.
Gymnasium, 1961.
A gift of $125,000 from the Joseph R. Hyde family in 1961 provided funds for the Ruth Sherman Hyde Memorial Gymnasium for Women, which was dedicated in 1971 in honor of the Hyde family.
Williford Hall, 2005.
Williford Hall was dedicated on April 23, 1980 in honor of Anne Marie Caskey Williford, who graduated from the college in 1952, and later became the Dean of Students from 1975 until her death in 1979. The building was constructed in 1969 as a residence hall for women.
Gooch Hall, 2003.
Gooch Hall adjoins Palmer Hall and the Richard Halliburton Tower. It was dedicated on October 22, 1981 in memory of Boyce Alexander Gooch and Cecil Milton Gooch, who bequeathed $2 million to the school in 1980 – the largest single gift to date. The C.M. Gooch Foundation was created to offer scholarships to students at Rhodes.
