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Davenport Hall

The Agriculture Building, later known as Old Agriculture Building, was dedicated May 21, 1901. The morning dedication session was held at 10am in Morrow Hall, while the afternoon session was held at 2PM in the University Chapel.

The building was renamed in honor of Eugene Davenport on Thursday, April 17, 1947 in a ceremony renaming three of the agriculture buildings. The Old Agriculture Building was renamed to Davenport Hall, while the Women's Building became Bevier Hall and the New Agriculture Building was renamed to Mumford Hall. Davenport was the Vice President of the University of Illinois from 1920 to 1922 and the Dean of the College of Agriculture from 1895 to 1922. His lasting impact on education was recounted by his belief that "every properly educated man is trained both vocationally and liberally the chief distinction of the educated man is after all his ability to view the world from a standpoint broader than his own surroundings".

The building features terra cotta adornments surrounding the building and two massive Ionic columns supporting its grand entrance. Two quotes flank the grand entrance, one by proclaiming Industrial education prepares the way for a millennium of labor. - Turner, and the other The wealth of Illinois is in her soil and her strength lies in its intelligent development - Draper.

By 1950, the building housed the Departments of Agronomy, Animal Nutrition, and Dairy Production, as well as the Regional Soybean Laboratory.

 
 Fast Facts about the Davenport Hall 
 Date Built May 21, 1901 (Dedication)
 Full Name Davenport Hall
 Previous Names Agriculture Building 
 Old Agriculture Building
 
 Full History Davenport Hall History 
 Photo Gallery Davenport Hall Photo Gallery
 On the Map Davenport Hall on the Campus Map 
 Quick Links History Department 
 Geography Department 


Selected Images of the Davenport Hall
  Below is a selection of images of the Davenport Hall. These images may be viewed for personal use only and may NOT be republished in any form. To use one of these images in a U of I presentation or Web or print publication, please click on the "download" link beneath each image to download the image free of charge.


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