Alfred C. Emery Building

Alfred C. Emery, ninth president of the University, was elected to this position after 24 years of career commitment to the University as Professor of Law, Acting Dean of the College of Law on three occasions, Academic Vice President and Provost of the University. After he had returned to full-time teaching, Dr. Emery was recalled to the administration to serve as president when President Fletcher was appointed Director of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. President Emery accepted the assignment for a two-year period, 1971-1973, to allow time for a national presidential search. At the end of the two years, Dr. Emery returned again to his full-time professorship in the College of Law.

This building was one of the first three to be completed on the University’s permanent East bench campus. Although construction was still in process, the facility was opened to normal school classes in October, 1901. The building was known at that time as the Normal Building. During the 1919-20 school year, classes in vocations other than teaching began to be held here and the building became known as the Industrial Education Building. This name was retained until 1949, when home economics classes took over most of the building and it was called Home Economics. In ceremonies sponsored by the Alumni Association on May 19, 1980, it was officially named the Alfred C. Emery Building, in honor of the University’s ninth president.