By Justin Kroll, Laura Misjak and Amy Oprean
The State News

Cast a glance at any building, observatory or garden anywhere and there's history. MSU is no exception, and with about 7,000 new students passing through campus in the fall of recent years, the university's life story continues to grow.

Every hairline crack on the sidewalk, every chip out of a building's brick facade has a story behind it. This week, The State News delves into the past of some of MSU's most widely used buildings to uncover their history and the people behind their names.

Wells Hall

The first two Wells halls were homes away from home for students — literally. The early residence halls were ill-fated though; the first Wells burned to the ground in 1905. The second Wells building was destroyed in 1966 to make room for an expanding library. But that was just destiny for the 250,000-square-foot monstrosity that's branded Wells Hall today.

Hezekiah G. Wells could be called the savior of State for his influence during MSU's inception. When the plan for the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, now MSU, came through the state's government, legislators wanted to make it an addition to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. But the judge and lawyer from Kalamazoo took a stand, convincing lawmakers to make the agricultural college its own entity, and hence the living, breathing, Michigan State University, as it is known today, was born.

Holmes Hall

If Wells was the savior of the university, John C. Holmes could be considered the father of MSU. In the mid-1800s, Holmes, a Detroit businessman and horticulturist, urged the Michigan Legislature to bring into being a distinct college of agriculture in Michigan, and without his urging, funds might never have been set aside to create the university in 1855.

Holmes Hall was created in the early 1960s, when MSU hit the 20,000 mark with their undergraduate student population. By the end of the '60s, 30,000 undergraduates scurried across campus.

C. Kurt Dewhurst, who co-wrote "MSU Campus — Buildings, Places, Spaces" said in an e-mail that the growth was because of the "baby boom."

"It was directly related to … the largest population shift due to post-World War II children coming of age and the growing opportunities (and) importance for higher education," he said. "MSU has always been a place dedicated to 'access' … especially for those who are first-generation college students."

The student boom meant the university needed more cost-efficient housing. The idea of East Complex was created, and Holmes Hall was one of the new "living-learning" dormitories built during that time, which are residence halls that also house classrooms. They are supposed to create more of a small college feeling at a major university, Dewhurst said.

Wonders Hall

When it comes to sticking out, Wonders Hall would not be a likely candidate.

Linda Stanford, an associate provost of academic services and one of the authors of the book, "MSU Campus — Buildings, Places, Spaces," said Wonders was established in 1963 and has a similar architectural design to dorms such as McDonel and Wilson halls.

"The dorm was designed by Ralph Calder, the same architect who designed McDonel Hall," Stanford said. "The hall also has an identical look to student living around campus, with things like a kiva and study lounge."

South Complex dormitories are different from other buildings on campus because each hall is named after two people, rather than one, and Wonders is no exception.

Stanford said the dorm was named after Wallace Wonders and his wife Kora, who were university donors. Wallace Wonders graduated from MSU in 1902 with a bachelor's degree. Wonders later went on to become a real estate and claims adjuster.

Berkey Hall

The home for social science, Berkey Hall, which was built in 1947, is named for William H. Berkey. With the help of Berkey, MSU obtained low-interest loans that helped pay for buildings that would accommodate rising student numbers at the end of World War II.

Berkey was a member and also a chairperson in the 1940s of the State Board of Agriculture, which is now the MSU Board of Trustees, Stanford said.

Abbot Hall

Theophilus C. Abbot, an English professor who was also the third president of MSU from 1862 to 1884, bestows his name to Abbot Hall, which first opened in 1939.

Stanford said Abbot was one of the first people to think of MSU as a public resource.

"People already thought of the MSU campus as a farm," Stanford said. "In the 1880s, he began talking about campus as a college park."

Abbot encouraged people to think of campus as a place to reflect, engage in social activity and study outside with nature, in the way that campus is used today, Stanford said.

Abbot Hall originally was the name of a 60-student men's dormitory built in 1888 near where the Music Practice Building now stands. With the growing number of women attending MSU — the first woman graduated in 1879 — the hall became a female dormitory that was a "laboratory for cooking, sewing and calisthenics" in the 1890s, according to the book Stanford co-wrote.

Emmons Hall

Lloyd C. Emmons, a former math and statistics professor at MSU, lends his name to the Brody Complex's southeastern-most hall.

The former director of the MSU Museum was also dean of the liberal arts college.

Stanford said the hall was built in 1955 and has similar construction to Butterfield Hall, which is also in Brody Complex.

Emmons is commonly known for the relief sculpture of Aries, a Zodiac astrology sign, which is attached to the building's brick facade. The relief was designed by Doris Hall and Kalman Kubinyi in 1956.

North and South Kedzie halls

For many students, walking to Kedzie Hall means another 9:10 a.m. ISS class or an hour and half lecture on art history. Actually, both North and South Kedzie halls host courses ranging from biology to geography.

What many students might not anticipate about Kedzie is the antique air that graces north hall and the cobalt blue tiling that circles the entrance's rotunda.

Built in 1927, North Kedzie Hall, originally deemed "Kedzie Chemical Laboratory," was created to replace outdated chemistry facilities.

Robert Clark Kedzie, a chemistry professor at MSU from 1863 until 1902, is responsible for the hall's name. Kedzie was a member of the first University of Michigan Medical School graduating class of 1851 and went on to become a surgeon during the Civil War. The "outstanding teacher" had three sons, all of whom became chemistry professors. Frank, his youngest, taught at MSU and was later became president of the university from 1915-1921.

Gilchrist Hall

Once completely dominated by women, the residence halls of West Circle Complex are each named after a prominent woman who has left a legacy at the university.

Maude Gilchrist's leadership was her benefaction to the university. The teacher guided the Women's Department as its dean in 1901 and led the College of Home Economics from 1909 until 1913. She also helped start the education program by instructing "History of Education," the first recognized course in education taught at MSU.

Gilchrist Hall, built in 1948, now sits where the former president's house once was and is notable for its former dining room — now a study and gathering area — deemed the "Pub."