Emporia State’s new residence hall will be named for its pioneering 14th president. The name Schallenkamp Hall was announced today during the Founders’ Day celebration that marks 155 years of excellence for the public university.
“Naming the hall after Dr. Kay Schallenkamp is a tribute to her outstanding service and commitment to our students,” said Allison Garrett, president of Emporia State. “She served Emporia State as a leader of vision, integrity and mentoring who placed student success at the center of the university’s mission.”
Schallenkamp served as ESU president from 1997 to 2006, the first woman hired by the Kansas Board of Regents to lead a public university in the state. Her nine-year tenure saw enrollment stabilize, creation of the presidential scholarship program and improved brand recognition with the introduction of the Power E. Other accomplishments include building a student recreation center and the Shepherd Music Center addition to Beach Music Hall.
The former president said she was overwhelmed when she was told the news.
“As you think about the people who have buildings named for them on campus — William Allen White, John King, John Visser — to even think I might be in their company is unbelievable,” Schallenkamp said. “It’s amazing to have that legacy, a lifetime connection to the campus that both Ken and I love so much.”
Schallenkamp Hall is scheduled to open in fall 2019 with a capacity of more than 300 beds and blended living and learning environments. Faculty in the arts and performing arts provided input on the design of the new building, which will be directly across Market Street from both King and Beach halls, which house the departments of music, art and theater.
The celebration was a fitting part of the Founders’ Day celebration when Emporia State pays tribute to the foresight of those Kansans who established the Kansas State Normal School in 1863. The school held its first day of class on Feb. 15, 1865, with 18 teacher education students meeting for classes on the second floor of the district’s local school house.