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Building Name
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Pierce Hall
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Description
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Pierce Hall replaced Boone Hall as the central administrative headquarters for the university when it was constructed in 1948. Pierce Hall was completed in 1948 as part of President John M. Munson's building campaign. Munson, oversaw the building of 13 buildings on campus during his tenure from 1933-1948. Pierce was among the last buildings to be completed before Munson left the presidency in 1948. Pierce Hall was dedicated as part of the centennial celebrations of the Normal College in 1949. Even the name fit with this retrospective theme. Pierce Hall commemorates John D. Pierce who counted among his accomplishments, being the first State Superintendent of Public Instruction (1836-1841). The design of Pierce Hall was a modern interpretation of the Old Main Building. Though very different in design, the building retained certain nostalgic features including the large bell tower that dominates the facade. The residents of Ypsilanti donated money to construct the 120-foot tower, in the tradition of Old Main. In June 1950 the school installed the Alumni Memorial Chimes, donated by the alumni and dedicated to those who died in World War II.
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Namesake Biography
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John Davis Pierce was born in Chesterfield, Massachusetts on February 18, 1797. He received eight weeks of education per year in Worchester, Massachusetts, and in December of 1817, he began studying under Rev. Enoch Pond in Worchester, making preparation for college. In September of 1818, Pierce entered Brown University and graduated in 1822, teaching three months per year, and became principal of Wrentham Academy in Massachusetts in 1823. After graduation, he spent a year a Princeton Theological Seminary, and was then licensed by the Congregational Association in 1824. After becoming ordained, he became the pastor of a church in Oneida county, New York, from 1825-1829. Rev. Pierce moved again in 1830, becoming the principal of an academy in Goshen, Connecticut. Pierce arrived in Marshall, Michigan in July of 1831, and worked as a missionary, he remained here until 1836. He was appointed Superintendent of Public Instruction of Michigan and held this position for the next five years, and was the first to fill such an office in any state. In this office, he organized the public school system and devised plans for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and as part of his plan for the state, called for the founding of a Normal School for the training of teachers. Once his appointment was completed, Pierce went back to the ministry, and in 1847, he was elected to the State Legislature from Calhoun County, Michigan, where he sponsored a resolution for Michigan delegates to Congress to oppose introduction of slavery into the territories. By 1850, he was elected a member of the convention for framing a new constitution for the state of Michigan. The Michigan State Normal School was established in 1849, and is now Eastern Michigan University. In 1852 he delivered the leading address at the opening of the "Normal School." A man of many attainments, he has always been considered to be the guiding light for Eastern Michigan University. Shortly after the Normal School opened, Rev. Pierce moved to Ypsilanti and remained here for the next thirty years. Rev. Pierce returned to Massachusetts, where he died on 5 April 1882.
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Building Namesake
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John D. Pierce, first State Superintendent of Instruction
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Year Constructed
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1948
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Date Dedicated
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19 May 1949
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Building Functions
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Student Services, Registration and Accounting
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John D. Pierce Hall
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Architect
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R.S. Gerganoff, Ypsilanti, MI
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Original Cost
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$1,419,267
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Architectural Style
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Modern
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Square Footage
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62,218
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Rights
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This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. In addition, no permission is required from the rights-holder(s) for educational uses. For other uses, you need to obtain permission from the owner, Eastern Michigan University Archives (lib_archives@emich.edu).
