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In recent years, Albion’s main campus has expanded so that it now includes more than 30 major buildings. The College is located in the city of Albion, a community of 9,000 founded in the 1830s along the banks of the scenic Kalamazoo River. The city is located 90 miles west of Detroit and 175 miles east of Chicago on Interstate 94.
The south boundary of the College is bordered by the Kalamazoo River’s east branch. Interstate 94 business route borders the campus on the north, and the downtown shopping area is only a few blocks away.
Albion’s original campus is today known as the Quadrangle, and from it have radiated the many new buildings erected during the past 30 years.
Experience more of the Albion Campus by taking a virtual tour.
Admission Office is located at the Bonta Admission Center, 100 N. Hannah St., one block south of Michigan Avenue. The Admission Office is open weekdays, Saturday mornings and by special appointment. The building is named for long-time dean of admissions Frank Bonta, ‘49.
Alumni Field serves Albion’s varsity and intramural athletic programs for men and women, as well as the Kinesiology Department. The facility includes Sprankle-Sprandel Stadium, Schmidt-Fraser Football Field, Isaac Track, Joranko Baseball Field, Dempsey Softball Field, a varsity soccer field, varsity tennis courts, practice fields and the Beese-Havens Boathouse.
Astronomical Observatory, erected in 1883, houses a large refracting telescope and related equipment. Portions have been remodeled to house the Prentiss M. Brown Honors Program. The building is a State of Michigan registered historical site.
Baldwin Hall Alumni Center, named for Dr. Charles W. Baldwin, a former College trustee, includes the student dining facilities.
Bellemont Manor is the colonial mansion that serves as a conference center, under the supervision of the College’s Office of Dining and Hospitality Services. The mansion offers meeting rooms, lodging and dining facilities. Situated on a five-acre site one-half mile from campus, Bellemont Manor was built by Mr. and Mrs. George Dean in 1927-28 and was donated to Albion College in 1962.
Bobbitt Visual Arts Center, built in 1965, houses the Department of Art and Art History, and includes the Elsie E. Munro, ‘26, Art Gallery and one smaller gallery. It is named for long-time visual arts professor Vernon L. Bobbitt. The Center has studios for painting, sculpture, printmaking and other media. An adjacent ceramics facility was built in 1973.
Dean Hall is a cooperative residence for women. The facility, built in 1937 and located two blocks west of the campus, provides accommodations on a shared-work basis. The cooperative plan results in lower room and board costs than those of some other residence units.
Dickie Hall, a State of Michigan registered historical site, is one of Albion’s oldest buildings. Construction began in 1857, although the facility was not completed until 14 years later. In this structure, the famous song “The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi” was written in the early 1900s. The building is named for Dr. Samuel Dickie, president of the College, 1901-1921. Originally housing the College chapel and offices, Dickie Hall is now incorporated into the Kellogg Center.
Dow Recreation and Wellness Center, located adjacent to Sprankle-Sprandel Stadium, is devoted to educational and recreational purposes, including individual and group sports activities, physical conditioning, and health and wellness programs. The building’s Bernard T. Lomas Fieldhouse contains flexible court space for intramural basketball, volleyball and badminton as well as a 1/9-mile track. Also included in the facility, completed in 1988, are two racquetball courts, training and rehabilitation areas, a classroom, locker rooms and Department of Kinesiology offices. The building was made possible by a gift from the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation. The Fieldhouse is named for Dr. Bernard T. Lomas, president of the College, 1970-1983.
Incorporated into the Dow Center is the Dean Aquatic Center, completed in 1978 and named for W. Clark Dean, ‘21, a long-time Albion College trustee and benefactor. It contains a T-shaped pool, 25 yards by 25 meters. The pool’s diving area has 1- and 3-meter diving boards. In 1999 the Ungrodt Tennis Center, containing four indoor tennis courts, was added at the north end of the Lomas Fieldhouse. The facility is named for Paul W. Ungrodt, Jr., ‘52, a College trustee.
Ferguson Student, Technology, and Administrative Services Building, completed in 2002, houses offices for the president and for five of the College’s administrative divisions: academic affairs, finance and management, information technology, institutional advancement and student affairs. It brings together in one location a broad array of student services, including computing laboratories and instructional technology support. Located on the previous site of the Lottie L. Gassette Memorial Library, the building is named for trustee William C. Ferguson, ‘52, principal donor for the project.
Fraternity Houses were rebuilt in 1966 for all campus fraternal organizations by the College. The six fraternities in the complex are Alpha Tau Omega, Delta Sigma Phi, Delta Tau Delta, Sigma Chi, Sigma Nu and Tau Kappa Epsilon.
Goodrich Chapel with its stately steeple dominates the Albion campus and serves as a landmark to travelers approaching the city. Chapel offices and classrooms house the Music Department. The building was dedicated in 1958 and is named in honor of Dr. F. S. Goodrich, professor of English Bible and a College chaplain for more than half a century. The sanctuary seats more than 1,400 persons.
Held Equestrian Center is a 341-acre facility located a short distance from the main campus. In addition to the Heathman Arena and a modern stable for boarding student-owned horses, it includes an outdoor ring and riding trails set amidst scenic hills and woodlands. Opened in 2004, the center is named for Nancy G. Held, professor and director of the Education Program, emerita.
Herrick Center serves the Theatre Department and has the principal college theatre, as well as a smaller studio theatre. It is named for Michigan industrialist Ray W. Herrick. The structure, located on the west edge of Alumni Field, was completed in 1975.
Kellogg Center, completed in 1996, serves as a meeting ground for the entire campus community. The facility features lounges, meeting rooms, student organization offices, all campus mailboxes, a grill/snack bar, a convenience store, the College Bookstore and the Office of Campus Programs and Organizations. Gerstacker Commons, a multipurpose area located within Kellogg Center, is available for any campus group planning concerts, lectures, dances or other events. The five-level Kellogg Center adjoins and incorporates historic Dickie Hall. The center is named for Kellogg Co. of Battle Creek, donor of the principal gift for the project.
Kresge Gymnasium includes the varsity basketball and volleyball court, along with the Ferguson Dance Studio. Completed in 1925 and totally remodeled in 1988, the building is named in honor of philanthropist Dr. Stanley S. Kresge, ‘23.
Kresge Hall houses classrooms, laboratories and research spaces, primarily for the study of biology and chemistry. Also included is the Ludington Greenhouse. Added to the science complex in 2005, the four-story facility is named for College trustee Bruce A. Kresge, ‘53, and was made possible, in part, by a $4.5-million grant from the Kresge Foundation.
Mudd Learning Center/Stockwell Memorial Library complex houses library collections and services, the Foundation for Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity (FURSCA), and the Academic Skills Center.
The library contains over 350,000 books and non-print items, rare book collections, the College archives, and a collection of United States government documents which Albion receives as a depository library. The historical archives of the West Michigan Conference of the United Methodist Church are also located in the library. A 2011 renovation of the Stockwell Library’s main floor created the Cutler Commons which includes interactive study spaces, a one-stop services area and a café.
Built in 1938, Stockwell Memorial Library is named for Charles F. Stockwell, Albion’s first principal, and is a gift of his daughter, Madelon Stockwell Turner, one of Albion’s early graduates. The Wendell B. Will Faculty Room is on the second floor of the Stockwell building. The Mudd Learning Center, completed in 1980 and connected to Stockwell Library by an enclosed walkway, is named for Seeley G. Mudd, a physician and medical researcher.
Norris Center is a central lecture facility of the four-building science complex and is named for Dr. Louis W. Norris, president of the College, 1960-70. Built in 1969 and completely renovated in 2006, it contains the 340-seat Towsley Lecture Hall, the Mitchell Museum, classrooms and the Dow Analytical Science Laboratory.
Olin Hall, completed in 1983, houses the Departments of Communication Studies, Education, and Psychological Science, as well as the Fritz Shurmur Center for Teacher Development. The three-story facility was built and equipped through a $4.5-million gift from the Olin Foundation. Olin Hall contains a large lecture room, classrooms, seminar rooms and research spaces.
Palenske Hall is another of the four buildings in Albion College’s science complex. Housed in the four-level facility are classrooms, laboratories and research spaces for the study of geology, physics, mathematics and computer science. Built in 1969 and completely renovated in 2005, it is named for Fred C. Palenske.
Putnam Hall includes classrooms, laboratories and research spaces, for the study of chemistry, biology and mathematics. Part of the four-building science complex, it was constructed in 1969 and named for Mark E. Putnam, ‘10. It was completely renovated in 2006.
Robinson Hall, renovated in 1992, houses the Departments of Anthropology/Sociology, Economics/Management, History, and Political Science, as well as the Gerald R. Ford Institute for Leadership in Public Policy and Service and the Carl A. Gerstacker Institute for Business and Management. This structure is located on the site of the original Central Building, which was completed in 1843 but subsequently rebuilt with gifts from the late George O. Robinson.
Sorority Lodges are maintained by five of the six national sororities on campus. Although members do not live in the lodges, they use them for meetings, special dinners, studying and social functions. Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Xi Delta, Delta Gamma, Kappa Alpha Theta, and Kappa Delta maintain lodges. The sixth sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, uses other meeting spaces on campus.
Student Residences include several buildings–Wesley Hall (1925) with its east and west additions (1956), Seaton Hall (1949), Mitchell Towers (1965) and Whitehouse Hall (1963). Wesley Hall was remodeled in 1986, Seaton Hall in 1993 and Mitchell Towers in 2002-03. Seaton Hall is named for Dr. John L. Seaton, president of the College, 1924-1945; Whitehouse Hall for Dr. William W. Whitehouse, president, 1945-1960; and Mitchell Towers for Dr. Peter T. Mitchell, ‘67, president, 1997-2007. All of Albion’s student residences are coeducational with separate sections for men and women. Several homes have been remodeled for special-interest housing, and a limited number of College-owned apartments are also available. The Mae Harrison Karro, ‘31, Residential Village (2001) houses up to 56 students in apartment-style units. The residence was made possible by a gift from Roy Karro in memory of his wife.
Vulgamore Hall, one of the oldest buildings on campus, was erected in 1854. Renovated in 1993, it houses the Departments of English, Modern Languages and Cultures, Philosophy, and Religious Studies. The building was renamed in honor of Dr. Melvin L. Vulgamore, president of the College, 1983-1997.
Whitehouse Nature Center is a 144-acre preserve with scenic nature trails. Located on the Kalamazoo River and adjacent to the campus, it is used both for field instruction in the sciences and for quiet walks and observation. An Interpretive Center was built in 1977 to house a classroom, work space and a place for permanent nature displays. The Nature Center is named for Dr. William W. Whitehouse, president of the College, 1945-1960. For more information, visit the Nature Center Web site at: www.albion.edu/naturecenter/.
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