By Melanie Chapman Whitt
MU Summer 2024
Ask any Marshall alum what they remember most about their time on campus, and dorm life will likely come in at the top of the list. A student’s first home away from home. The place where they are grounded while away, focusing on their education. Where new friends are found and memories are made that last a lifetime.
But college campuses are ever-evolving, a life force of change and growth with each new season. This spring, Laidley Hall, one of the oldest buildings on Marshall University’s campus, came down. A sign of time gone by, but also of new things to come.
Built in 1937, the building was named after John Laidley, a local lawyer, member of the Virginia House of Delegates and founding trustee of Marshall Academy. He hosted a meeting at his home with residents from the community of Guyandotte, which was then part of Virginia, and farmers nearby to discuss how to provide better educational facilities for their children. Marshall Academy was born, named after Laidley’s late friend and Chief Justice of the United States, John Marshall.
Shortly after construction of the new dormitory was completed, the historic 1937 flood in Huntington invaded its lower floor. The disaster for the downtown Huntington area prompted the Corps of Engineers to build the Huntington flood wall, which is still in use today.
For decades, Laidley was a girls-only dormitory with a designated “housemother,” with male students living in a similarly constructed dorm named Hodges Hall nearby, separated by a cafeteria the two shared. Hodges Hall was demolished in May 2013. The old cafeteria, known at the time for its murals in the dining hall, eventually became the Community College building, followed by the INTO office building and most recently, the home of the Center for Student Success, the Intercultural Center and the English Language Institute.
Laidley Hall was decommissioned at the end of the 2015-16 academic year, a decision made by the university based on underutilized campus space. In March, 84 years after the building went up, the process began to take it down. The future for that part of campus is yet to be determined, but green space for students will occupy it before any other decisions are made.
Regardless of what happens with the space, memories of those happy times live on in the hearts of those who experienced them. Here are a few.
As an only child, it was an exhilarating experience to be part of such a large group of girls — almost like a slumber party every night! I had a good room for the panty raids. Everyone would run in there and hang out the window. — Charlotte Chapman, freshman ’69
I remember ordering pizza bread from Gino’s pizza truck, getting phone calls from the pay phone in the hallway and the corner room on the second floor where we watched soap operas after class. Guys were only allowed inside during the open house. No pants were allowed in classes or even the cafeteria, except weekends. — Lynn Tincher Ingmire, lived in Laidley in 1964-65
There was support and camaraderie. Laidley had a wonderful orientation, and the front desk knew everyone by their name. It became my home away from home. — Patty Harden Fot, freshman ‘69
