Original McGrath Hall
The Residence Hall, as the original McGrath Hall was known, started as a National Youth Administration project and was completed in 1942. Its first occupants were cadets. The south wing of Residence Hall was started in 1952, and the center section that joined the new South Wing with the original structure (North Wing) was built in 1955. Renamed McGrath Hall in 1963, it had a full capacity of 174 students. The building provided dormitory-style living for men for nearly half a century before being razed in 2000.
McGrath Hall honored the memory of Dr. Robert T. McGrath, who served the university from 1930-1954. Dr. McGrath was hired by President William A. Lewis in 1930 as head of the Department of Education at the Kansas State Teachers College at Hays. In this role, Dr. McGrath taught students how to teach crippled children and also served as Director of Teacher Training. The college needed someone with significant public school experience to lead the teacher preparation program, and his background as a teacher and administrator made him well qualified for the position. Dr. McGrath was respected for his work to strengthen the teacher education program for which the college was known. In addition, he helped find employment for students who otherwise could not afford a college education during the 1930s. He retired in 1954 and passed away in 1968.
(The photo of McGrath Hall was retrieved from University Archives, Forsyth Library, Fort Hays State University. Appreciation is extended to David Obermayer for supplying this information.)