Photograph courtesy of The University of Texas at Arlington Photographic Collection, Special Collections, UT Arlington Library.
Ransom Hall, circa 1935
Spring 2011 · Comment ·
In 1919 you could mail a letter for three cents and buy a new car for less than $1,000. And a college on the rise could build a 27,000-square-foot building for $112,500. That’s the sum the Legislature appropriated for the Grubbs Vocational College (now UT Arlington) Administration Building. The three-story structure was described as “lighted by electricity and heated by steam” and “fireproof and modern in every detail.” Renamed for English Professor W.A. Ransom following his death, Ransom Hall is the oldest building on campus. It was renovated again last year and now houses University College, a one-stop shop for academic advising, tutoring, supplemental instruction, and a range of other services that foster student success. But you won’t see 1934 Fords or any other vehicles parked out front today. The street has long since given way to a pedestrian mall.
