Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1938 [PAGE 622]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

620

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

[February u

MEETING O F COMMITTEE O N BUILDINGS A N D G R O U N D S . JANUARY 2 4 . 1 9 3 8

Mr. Adams presented the following report.

On call of the Chairman, a meeting of the Committee on Buildings and Grounds was held at the University beginning a t 2:oo p.m. January 24, 1938, to consider an emergency situation in University Hall. On Friday, January 21, shortly before one o'clock the ceiling in Room 315 (a class-lecture room) of that building collapsed and hundreds of pounds of plaster, metal lath, and timber fell to the floor, wrecking a number of chairs in that room. Fortunately no class was scheduled there at t h a t particular hour so t h a t no one was injured. The Committee received reports from Director Havens of the Physical Plant Department and Professor W. M. Wilson of the College of Engineering (who had inspected the building a t the request of Director Havens), and then inspected the building with Messrs. Havens and Wilson. Later the Committee conferred with President Willard. The Committee found that the collapse of the ceiling in Room 315 was a failure which could not have been foreseen, despite regular inspections of University Hall by the Physical Plant Department t o detect hazards and defects of all kinds. The causes of this failure appear to be due t o first, the type of construction, and second, the drying of the timbers which loosened the nails holding the furring strips t o the joists. T h e entire ceiling (furring strips, metal lath, and plaster) detached itself from the joists and fell in large sections. I t was not a case of merely loose plaster falling. T h e ceilings are of the same type of construction throughout the building and the same failures are likely to occur elsewhere, especially if the ceilings are subjected t o the vibrations caused by hundreds of people occupying the rooms over them. The Committee is of the opinion that any further use of University Hall in its present condition would be hazardous. Pending action by the Board of Trustees it seemed advisable to the Committee t h a t immediate steps be taken t o close the building for classroom and laboratory purposes immediately and to vacate it otherwise as soon as practicable. Therefore, this recommendation was presented by telephone t o t h e members of the Executive Committee of the Board, and this Committee concurred in the recommendation of t h e Committee on Buildings and Grounds. The building has been closed since January 25, except t o the members of t h e faculty who must have access t o their offices in that building and to students who have necessary business therein. These are being admitted by special permits. The Committee on Buildings and Grounds respectfully requests t h a t its action and that of the Executive Committee be confirmed by t h e Board.

H . M. ADAMS, Chairman L o u i s C. MOSCHEL

HAROLD A. POGUE N E L L I E V. F R E E M A N

On motion of Mr. Adams, the action of the Committee on Buildings and Grounds and of the Executive Committee in closing University Hall was approved and confirmed.

MATTERS PRESENTED BY PRESIDENT WILLARD

The Board considered the following matters presented by the President of the University.

UNIVERSITY HALL (1) Following the informal action of the Executive Committee of the Board on January 24, on recommendation of the Committee on Buildings and Grounds, t h a t University Hall be closed, the Physical Plant Department was directed and authorized t o take immediate steps to rehouse classes scheduled in t h a t building for the second semester elsewhere on the campus, and to move the offices and other activities housed in University Hall t o other quarters. In the meantime, the first semester final examinations scheduled in University Hall were rescheduled in other buildings.