91¶ÌÊÓƵ

The 91¶ÌÊÓƵ Social Science Building will be renovated after years of petitioning the Utah State Legislature for funding. A groundbreaking ceremony will be held May 9 at 4 p.m. on the east lawn of the Social Science Building.

The university received approval for an allocation of $29.9 million to be spread over two years to renovate the Social Science Building. The building will be named Lindquist Hall in honor of donor John E. Lindquist, who gave $5 million to be put toward renovations in February 2016. The renovated building will have an updated utility system, an additional 13,000 square feet and modern lab space.

College of Social & Behavioral Sciences Dean Frank Harrold estimated that more than 4,000 students use the building every day. “Almost every student on campus experiences the Social Science Building at some point in their education,” Harrold said.

When 91¶ÌÊÓƵ announced the news of the renovations on Facebook, students’ reactions varied. “Finally!” many posted, while others said that they’d be sad to see it change. “It’s got a certain charm,” one said. Alumna Caril Jennings commented on one of the most recognizable quirks of the building — its odd, and often confusing, numbering system: “I always thought it was designed as a maze for students to be studied by social scientists.”

Despite the mixed reactions, the project has been long-awaited by faculty, staff and students alike. Richard Sadler, history professor and former dean of the college, said in 2013, “We need classrooms that will accommodate varied learning styles — not boxes — and faculty need to have good offices.”

Sadler and two other social science faculty members will have been present for the entire lifespan of the current Social Science Building. Anthropology professor Rosemary Conover and political science professor T.R. Reddy were teaching along with Sadler when 91¶ÌÊÓƵ first opened the current Social Science Building in 1973.