Merica Hall

Merica Hall, a building on University of Wyoming's campus that houses a random assortment of hoteling spaces and official offices, used to be the very first women’s dormitory on campus. Originally called Women’s Hall--until it was renamed after UW’s president Charles Merica--the building itself only came about after parents of the women attending UW demanded campus housing for their daughters, leading architect William Dubois to design the building we know today. However, controversy surrounded its construction, as the red brick they used stuck out like a sore thumb among the otherwise sandstone buildings on campus. It was eventually painted over in pink to better match the rest of the university. 

During its early years as a women’s dorm, Merica Hall housed a rich and vibrant community of women that reached farther than just its halls. Over the years, the building has held many different identities, like a room dedicated to Nellie Taylor Ross and partial housing space for the military during WWll. Finally, in 1943 Merica Hall officially ceased being a dormitory and was converted into the School of Pharmacy six years later. This lasted until 1969 when a new pharmacy program was constructed elsewhere on campus. Today, although the building sits as an afterthought on UWyo’s campus, its rich history and significance to the women of Wyoming live on.

Contributed by Hilde Ball