About Deady Hall
Historic Architecture, Architecture, Interesting Places, Other Buildings And Structures
Deady Hall is a historic building located in Eugene, Oregon, United States. It was built from 1873 to 1876 by W. H. Abrams to a design by architect William W. Piper. It was the University of Oregon's first building, and remained the university's only building for almost ten years after its construction. After the university gained other buildings, it was known simply as the "Old Building", but in 1893 it was renamed "Deady Hall" in honor of Matthew Deady, Oregon's first federal judge. Ironically, Deady believed that state universities were of little use to anybody, and in 1857, during the Oregon Constitutional Convention, Deady moved to strike the section authorizing a university from the Oregon State Constitution. His efforts were initially successful, although by the 1870s a state university had become inevitable, and the building that bears his name was constructed in spite of Deady's earlier objections. In another twist of fate, Deady was first president of the university's Board of Regents.
