Ogden College Hall; A classroom building dedicated to Robert W. Ogden

Item

Legacies Classification
Memorial Structure
Memorial Type
Named Building
Memorial Context
Enslaver
Title
Ogden College Hall; A classroom building dedicated to Robert W. Ogden
Background and Context
Ogden College Hall broke ground April 5, 2016 and was completed in December 2017 and dedicated on Feb. 19, 2018. Ross Tarrant Architects from Lexington, Kentucky designed the $40 million, 80,000 square foot building in the modern style. The building is four floors with thirty-six science labs, a 300 seat auditorium, and various study lounges for students. At the groundbreaking Dr. Cheryl Stevens, Dean of Ogden College of Science and Engineering, spoke as well as lead architect Sarah Lamere, and student body representative, Davis Ranburger. Also speaking was WKU President Timothy C. Caboni who said, “We’re opening a building today, but this celebration is about the extraordinary teaching and research that will occur in this building for decades to come.” Robert W. Ogden was born in Loudon County Virginia around 1796 and died on November 10, 1873, in Warren County Kentucky. The bulk of his estate was meant for the establishment of a school to provide free education to young men of Warren County. Meant for only White men as Ogden enslaved over 200 persons in Warren County. He was also a supporter of the Confederacy and did not voluntarily free his slaves after the Civil War.
Physical Description
Ogden College Hall is a four story building with 36 science labs. These labs pertain to chemistry, physics, astronomy, biodiversity, biochemistry and materials science. Ogden College Hall, also, houses a 300-seat auditorium. The rest of Ogden is made up of classrooms, student lounges, study areas, storage rooms, stock room, display areas, and advising centers. It is a $40 million building with lots of spaces for students and faculty.
Date created, installed or dedicated
19 February 2018
Historical Period
2000-Present: Confederate Memorialization in the Era of Universities Studying Slavery and the Black Lives Matter Movement
Funded by
House Speaker Pro Tem Jody Richards
Location: Institution, City, State
Western Kentucky University; Bowling Green, Kentucky

Position: 892 (7 views)