K. K. Legett Hall Centennial

K. K. Legett Hall Centennial. . Built in 1911, Legett Hall is the oldest residence hall on campus and one of two remaining along Military Walk. Named for Judge Kirvin Kade Legett (1857-1926) of Abilene, President of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas Board of Directors from 1907 to 1911, the hall was constructed to alleviate the housing shortage for students. Judge Legett wrote in a letter to Governor Thomas Campbell in 1908, "This is the only institution in the civilized world where a number of its students are forced to live in tents.", Architect Frederick Giesecke designed Legett and Milner Halls, before going on to design Sbisa Hall, the Academic and Chemistry buildings, Hart and Walton residence halls, and Cushing Memorial Library. J.S. Harrison was the contractor for Legett. Built to house 100 students just 35 years after Texas A&M opened, the 50 room residence hall was modern for the time. The exterior boasts little ornamentation beyond the columns on its entranceway and stone-cast balconies at various windows. The hall was renovated in 1942 to match newly constructed residence halls. Minor renovations also occurred in 1966 and 1970., In its 100 years of existence, the hall has not been without controversy. In 1970, the men of Legett formed a "Please Save Legett" committee to prevent the building's demolition. In 1977, a student petition halted plans to turn Legett into office space. A million dollar facelift in 1978 transformed the hall into women-only housing. In 1994, the men of Law and Puryear Halls tried to reclaim Legett as a male residence hall, but the ladies prevailed, and it remained for women only. The basement was renovated to house offices in 2001. In 2005, supporters once again opposed the hall's closing, gathering signatures of all the student residents and student senate passed a resolution in support of saving it. The basement was returned to student living space in 2013., K.K. Legett hall holds much architectural and historical significance to Texas A&M University as the oldest residence hall in continuous service.