List of Bowling Green State University buildings
This is a list of buildings owned by Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio, and its regional campuses in Perrysburg and Huron.
Main Campus
Educational Memorabilia Center
Originally was a one-room school in Huron County, Ohio that operated from 1875 to the 1930s. Moved to campus in 1975 to commemorate its 100th year standing. It is used as a museum of educational history. Education students ring its bell as a tradition, which began in 2017. The date plate on the building was originally sourced from a tombstone.University Hall
Originally built in 1915 as the first building on the campus, University Hall cost $150,000 to construct and was intended to be the focal point of the campus, initially housing an administrative offices, auditorium, library, and classrooms, but has also housed a recreation hall, theatre, and the University's first basketball arena. Lucky Fingers, the final play of Lennox Robinson had its world premiere at University Theater on January 19, 1948. Then Senator John F. Kennedy held a speech inside this building, on September 19, 1959, with 1,500 in attendance, and 500 needing to be turned away due to a lack of seating. Joe Biden held a rally in front of this building on November 1, 2008. Until it was renovated in 2017, University Hall housed two theatres, the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Technology, Language and Math laboratories, and many classrooms. In 2016 renovations began and were completed by 2017. The classrooms have been upgraded to enhance active learning. The renovations also earned the building a LEED Gold certification.Williams Hall
The second building to be built on the campus, Williams Hall was built in 1915 and served as the first dormitory on campus, housing mostly female students. In 1964, the entire building was converted for use of the faculty of the Department of History, the Department of Political Science, and the Department of Sociology. At a time, Williams Hall also served as offices for the faculty of the Department of Philosophy, the International Studies Program, and the Social Work Program. Currently, Williams Hall once again houses History, Sociology, and Political Science departments. Williams Hall was named in honor of the first president of the University, Homer B. Williams, in 1917.In 1966 the porch roof was removed from the building due to being in poor shape.
Centrex
Originally built as a general maintenance building in 1915. It was renovated in 1969 to serve as a telecommunications hub, and was named renamed to be the Centrex Building. The GTE backed telephone exchange installed in the building allowed the student telephone operators to handle more calls then the previous switchboard system, up to 6,500 telephone lines by July 1978. In 2016 the building was renovated to include a 1700-ton chiller plant and bus stop.Moseley Hall
Built in 1916 as Science Hall, it was the main science building on campus until 1966. The first floor originally had space for cattle. Afterwards the building housed a variety of offices and the Moseley Museum. In the 1930s the pond behind the building was used by seniors to haze freshmen by dunking them in the water if they were unable to sing the school song. The building was renovated to become an interdisciplinary science center. The renovations earned the building an LEED gold certification.Hanna Hall & The Maurer Center
Originally built to serve as a training school, construction was not finished until 1921 due to World War I. It was renamed to Hanna Hall in 1959 after Myrna Hanna, a member of the Ohio General Assembly who campaigned to turn the Normal colleges into state colleges. In 1996 the Gish Film Theater was opened in the hall, named after Dorothy and Lillian Gish. The film theater was later relocated to the Bowen Thompson Student Union. The building was renamed to the Maurer Center when it began undergoing renovation. The renovation changed the number of classrooms in the building to seven reconfigurable classrooms, as well as the addition of a large atrium.Shatzel Hall
Originally built as a dormitory in 1923, it was renovated in 1939 to add an infirmary and renovated again in 1966 and 1990 to become an academic building. As of 2019 the building houses the Departments of Ethnic Studies, Philosophy, Women's Gender and Sexuality Studies, and World Languages and Cultures.McFall Center
Built in 1927 at a cost of $345,000, originally served as the University's first main library until the construction of Jerome Library in 1967. As an academic library, McFall Center housed over 45,000 volumes of books as well as research space and a seminar room. In 1967, the library was transformed into office space for faculty for the Department of Speech and Psychology as well as the Faculty Senate. McFall Center currently houses the Office of the University President, an assembly room, and the Faculty Senate. The McFall Center is named after Kenneth H. McFall, a former dean of the College of Liberal Arts and was dedicated in 1976.Hayes Hall
Built as a Practical Arts building in 1931 at a cost of almost $250,000. In 1959 it was named after President Rutherford B. Hayes and Lucy Webb Hayes. In 1992 computer services and Computer Science was centralized in this building. The Center for Women and Gender Equity was moved to this building in 2018.Kohl Hall
Built in 1939, it was the first Men's dormitory on campus. It was used as housing for members of the V-12 Navy College Training Program during World War II, and an annex was added to expand capacity in 1964. The hall continues to operate as a Co-Ed residence hall as of 2019.Campus Operations Building
Built in 1946. Hosts various grounds services.Overman Hall
Built in 1951 at a cost of $850,000 to host Physics, Geology, and Math. A seismograph was installed in the basement in 1963. In 1991 renovations on the building were completed following a mercury spill that took two months to clean up. A newer seismic station was installed in 1999. The building currently hosts the Center for Photochemical Sciences.Prout Chapel
Built in 1951 at a cost of $76,112 for use as a place of worship and for ceremonies. As of 2019 the chapel primarily serves as a wedding venue. Has a small memorial plaque to the students who died in WWI and WWII. Hosts a portion of the annual Winter Wheat writing festival.Founders Hall
Originally built as a men's dormitory in 1957 for 2.753 million dollars, a now closed non-alcoholic nightclub was added in 1988. In 1993 the residence hall was renovated to use electronic personal entry devices instead of keys. As of 2019 it serves as a co-ed Residence Hall and Honors College.Bowen Thompson Student Union
Built at a cost of $2.75 million in 1958 to serve as a student union and renovated in 2002. Then United States Ambassador to the United Nations, George H. W. Bush, gave a speech to 100 people in the Grand Ballroom on March 2, 1972, where he discussed Chinese representation in the United Nations. The event was shortly followed by a speech in the Ballroom by minor presidential candidate Pat Paulsen on March 8, 1972, which resulted in a full house.Ray Bradbury held a speech in the grand ballroom on April 19, 1982.
Kuhlin Center
Built as South Hall in 1959 at a cost of $774,000 for use as a general academic building. In 2016 renovations were completed to form the Michael & Sara Kuhlin Center to house Journalism and Media departments, as well as studios for WBGU (FM) and WFAL Falcon Radio. The renovations earned the building an LEED gold rating in part due to improvements in water usage, and a reflective roof to mitigate the urban heat island effect.Conklin Hall
Originally constructed in 1960 as a men's residence quadrangle where different governing policies such as self-governance of students could be tested. The hall was named after Arch B. Conklin, a former dean of students. As of 2019 only the north portion of the quadrangle remains, and is in use as a co-ed residence hall.Slater Family Ice Arena
The dual rink Ice Arena was built in 1960 at a cost of $1.8 million. In 2006 solar panels were installed on the roof. Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton used this arena to practice early in his life. In 2016, $2 million was given for renovations, and the arena was renamed after the Slater Family.Memorial Hall
Built in 1960 at a cost of $1.2 million, the name Memorial Hall was chosen to honor those who lost their lives in war. From 1963 to 2011 it was the primary basketball venue of the university. Aerosmith performed here on October 12, 1974. President Gerald Ford held a rally here in 1976. President Ronald Reagan held a campaign rally here on September 26, 1984 with an attendance of 4,000. Sarah Palin held a 5,500 person rally at Anderson Arena on October 29, 2008. Gavin DeGraw, Michelle Branch, and Red Wanting Blue performed here in the 2010 centennial concert.McDonald Hall
Built as a women's Residence Hall in 1962, it was named after former university president Ralph W. McDonald and his wife Athleen T, McDonald. The hall is the namesake of early webcomic Mac Hall from when its artist Ian McConville was living there. As of 2019, the hall operates as a Co-Ed residence hall. In Summer of 2023, it closed for renovations where it reopened in Fall of 2024.Fine Arts Building
Built in 1962 at a cost of $409,000, in 1992 it was expanded into a complex to centralize fine arts on campus. In 1991 Dr. Hiroko Nakamoto sponsored the creation of a Japanese tea ceremony room in the building. On October 8, 1992, a $9.8 million addition that added additional space and modernized equipment. The Complex hosts a number of galleries. Contains a glass artwork "A Flow of Color" by Dominick Labino. The building facilities include computer labs a video production studio, a photography studio, a sculpture studio with crane and sandblasting facilities, a jewelry studio with facilities for soldering, metal-forming, aluminum anodization and copper electroplating, A glass studio with hot and cold shops, a ceramics studio with eight kilns, Printmaking studios with facilities for Intaglio, lithography, and a darkroom, A drawing studio, A painting studio, and the Center for Advanced Visualization and Education.Administration Building
As the student population increased during the 1940s and 1950s, the administration population also boomed calling for the need of new office spaces. This need was relieved with the construction of the $1 million, ten-story Administration Building in 1963. The seventh floor of the building housed the first university computer in 1963, an IBM 1620. Most of the administrative offices were moved into the Administration Building after its completion including the offices of the President, Bursar, Housing, Admissions, Registrar, Academic Deans, Provost, and Dean of Students. The Administration Building currently houses the offices of the Bursar, Registration, and the College of Arts and Sciences, among others. The building was set to be demolished by the year 2017 and have its offices be moved to new locations to better serve the students. However this course of action had been postponed, and it would not be until 2021 when demolition work was confirmed. Demolition began in November 2021.Tucker Center for Telecommunications
Built at a cost of $400,000 in 1965 and soon became host to WBGU-TV which moved from South Hall. The center was expanded in 1995 at a cost of $1.4 million to increase office space and add equipment to digitize their analog tapes.Kreischer Complex
Built at a cost of $6.5 million in 1966, in 1971 it offered the first Co-Ed residence hall on campus. As of 2019, the building operates as a 4 co-ed residence halls, a convenience store, and the Sundial food court.Doyt Perry Stadium
The Doyt Perry Stadium was built in 1966 to replace the 1937 stadium at a cost of $3.9 million, and extensively remodeled in 1997 at a cost of $2 million. On June 1, 1975, the Poe Ditch Music Festival was held here featuring a performance by Richie Havens and Montrose, and a weather canceled performance by Johnny Winter and Golden Earring. The Sebo center was built on the north end zone in 2007 and turned the stadium into a horseshoe shape.Jerome Library
Jerome Library was built in 1967 to replace the McFall center as the main library on campus at a cost of $4.5 million. The library exterior contains two murals by Don Drumm. By 1990, fading in the murals had become an issue.Education Building
Built in 1967 at a cost of $1.8 million to house College of Education and Human Development Facilities. Houses the Technology & Resource Center, a facility dedicated to educational technology such as craft machines, 3D printers, and mobile computers.Health and Human Services
Built in 1967 at a cost of $1 million to replace the 1942 era clinic in Johnson Hall. It was renovated to improve services in 199 and 2010. It was renovated again in 2013 to move the majority of medical services to the then new Falcon Health Center. As of 2019, the building houses the Hearing and Speech Clinic as well as the College of Health and Human Services.Life Sciences Building
Built at a cost of $4.5 million and dedicated on February 23, 1968 with a speech by Paul Sears. Also that year, the Moseley museum was moved to this building. The building houses the BGSU Herpetarium, which was started in 1997. In 2002, a lab in the building received upgrades for studying polar ice cores. The building also houses a marine laboratory with over 40 aquariums. The aquarium houses a snowflake eel, striped bamboo catsharks, zebrafish, catfish, clownfish, and a coral husbandry program. The building houses the Ohio Attorney General Center for the Future of Forensic Science.Wooster Street Center
Built in 1969 as the University Lutheran Chapel by the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. After the church closed, the building was purchased by the University in October 2003 to house the Elsewhere theater. The center also housed the Student Legal Services law firm as of 2019.In May 2020 the building was demolished, with a university official citing issues with the foundation and roof as factors in the decision to demolish the building.
Psychology Building
Built in 1969 at a cost of $2.8 million to host psychology laboratories and classrooms. The fifth floor is used to study behavioral neuroscience using radiological, biochemical, histological, and electrophysical methods.McLeod Hall
A 113,000 sq ft building built in 1970 at a cost of $7.2 million to house Mathematics and Computer Science departments, as well as university computer systems. In 1976 a glass sculpture of an Icosahedron made by Dominick Labino was installed. In 2018 a Digital forensics lab began construction on the third floor of the building.Offenhauer Towers
A Residence Hall built in 1971 at a cost of $9.4 million. In 1991 Dr. Hiroko Nakamoto sponsored the creation of a Japanese family room with a tokonoma on the 11th floor of the west tower. The 11th floor of the west tower was renovated in 2023 to feature pod style living. As of 2019 the towers house over 800 students.Central Hall
Built in 1972 as the Business Administration Building at a cost of $2.3 million to centralize the College of Business. An annex was added in 1988 at a cost of $3.5 million. Hosts the Paul J Hooker Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, which promotes entrepreneurship in the region. In 2020 the building was renamed to Central Hall due to the College of Business moving to the Maurer Center, and parts of the then new School of Nursing were consolidated on its second and third floors.Technology Building
Built in 1973 at a cost of $2.2 million as the Industrial Education & Technology Building. In the 1970's the roof of the building housed an experimental windmill.The Stephen and Deborah Harris / RIXAN Robotics Laboratory houses 10 Mitsubishi SCARA industrial robots. Other facilities include a CAD laboratory, a 3D Printing laboratory, a computer engineering laboratory, and a machine shop.
Mileti Alumni Center
Built in 1976 at a cost of almost $1 million and named after Nick Mileti.Moore Musical Arts Center
Built in 1979 at a cost of $9 million. Hosts the 822 seat proscenium Kobacker Hall, the 231 seat Bryan recital hall, recording studios, and over 70 practice rooms. The center houses the College of Musical Arts.Mark Peskanov performed at Bryan Recital Hall with a Kiesewetter Stradivarius on December 9, 1981.
Cellist Yo-Yo Ma performed in the 1980-1981 festival series, then returned on January 19, 2000 to play with pianist Kathryn Stott performed at Kobacker Hall. Dane Cook performed at Kobacker Hall in 2004 to a sold-out show.
On March 16, 2010 the band Over the Rhine performed here in collaboration with University Activities Organization and CRU to raise money in support of the relief efforts for the 2010 Haiti earthquake.