Despite Schaeffer’s untimely death, a construction fire, and conflicts between the architects and contractors, the doors to Schaeffer Hall opened on January 23, 1902, providing a permanent and modern home for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), which was then known as the Collegiate Department. The College has called Schaeffer Hall home ever since, and the building underwent a complete renovation in 1999, marking a century since construction began on the original building. Today the building houses the College of Arts and Sciences, History Department, Political Science Department, Statistics and Actuarial Science Department, classrooms and faculty spaces.
Charles A. Schaeffer
1843 - 1898
Achievements
- Charles A. Schaeffer served as the University of Iowa's seventh president (1887-1898)
- Completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Pennsylvania in 1861 at the age of 17
- Following service in the Union Army, he attended the Lawrence Scientific School of Harvard University and in 1869 earned his Doctor of Philosophy degree at the University of Göettingen
- Faculty member at Cornell University
- First UI president “who sensed what a modern university would be” and developed a comprehensive building program. Included in his plan was the idea for the current layout of the Pentacrest
Building Information
Street Address
20 East Washington Street
Year built
1902
Additional building information