Oberlin College's Hales Gymnasium – Then & Now

I've passed and admired Hales Gymnasium located on W. Lorain Street on the Oberlin College campus many times during my commute over the past few years. But I never knew anything about the building (including its name) until I saw the vintage postcard above.

Before I get into the history, here's the "now" view from yesterday afternoon.

Under construction, 1939

Hales Memorial Gymnasium was dedicated on June 12, 1939 shortly after commencement. The sum of $150,000 was given by George Willard Hales, a former member of the Oberlin College Class of 1900, towards the construction of the gymnasium, in honor of his mother, Lina R. Hales.

The Architecture of Oberlin College website notes, "It was the first modern gymnasium for women at Oberlin, succeeding several makeshift structures that served multiple purposes. 

"Women had been using Crane Pool, adjoining Hales Gym, since it opened in 1931. The 1939 gym was designed by Richard A. Kimball to complement the design of Crane Pool. 

"The Hales Gym Annex, designed by Oberlin graduate Herk Visnapu, opened in 1958. It served the Department of Zoology after the demolition of Wright Zoological Laboratory that year. The bowling lanes were installed in 1963, replacing those in Wilder Hall. The Kettering Hall of Science, opened in 1971, absorbed science uses out of Hales. With the opening of Philips Gymnasium in 1971 and coeducation arrived in physical education, the bulk of the women's program migrated to the new facility. 

"Today Hales Gymnasium offers recreational and physical education opportunities to both men and women. It features a gym with one basketball court used for a variety of group sports and exercise classes. The facility also has classrooms, offices, locker rooms, and showers. The gym's multiuse wood floor accommodates recreational play in basketball, volleyball, badminton, and indoor baseball as well as physical education, yoga, and fitness classes. 

"Hales Annex now houses the Cat in the Cream Coffeehouse that offers space for solo and small ensemble jazz performances that draw appreciative audiences."

Here's another vintage postcard. It's postmarked 1944.

To read an interesting article on the Oberlin Review website by Kayla Kim, managing editor, entitled, "Remembering Hales Gymnasium: The Glory Days," click here.