Jessup Hall originally housed the Departments of Education, Commerce, and English. When the latter moved to the English-Philosophy Building in 1970, President Willard L. Boyd transferred his office from Old Capitol to the more spacious vacated administrative suite, which was a model of Spartan frugality. Today, the building houses the Office of the President, Office of the Vice President, the Provost Office, and Finance and Operations, among other departments.
Walter Jessup
1877 - 1944
Achievements
- One of the University’s most visionary leaders, the eleventh president of the University of Iowa (1916–1934)
- He became professor and dean of Iowa’s School of Education in 1912
- During his 18 years as president, the campus expanded from 42 to 324 acres, the faculty nearly doubled from 273 to about 500, and the student body nearly tripled to 10,000. Within the College of Liberal Arts, several schools emerged: Journalism, Religion, Fine Arts, and Letters
- Jessup presided over the grandest building campaign in University history, including the completion of the Pentacrest buildings and the campus’s westward expansion across the Iowa River
Building Information
Street Address
5 West Jefferson Street
Year built
1924
Additional building information