Abraham Lincoln Tower & Justin S. Morrill Tower, also known as The Towers, Morrill Tower or Lincoln Tower are two undergraduate residential houses at The Ohio State University. The Towers are located on the west campus of the Ohio State University across from the Drake Union off the east banks of the Olentangy River. Morrill Tower is to the right of Ohio Stadium on Cannon Drive. The towers are in close proximity of OSU's RPAC (Recreation and Physical Activity Center) and the Wexner Medical Center.
History
Plans for the Towers, by the architectural firm Schooley, Cornelius and Schooley, were approved by the OSU Housing Commission on December 10, 1964. The Towers were dedicated on November 11, 1965, with the groundbreaking ceremony having been held on March 29, 1965. The buildings were not completed until August 1967, but the first ten stories were completed and opened to students for the Autumn Quarter of 1966.
Morrill Tower
Justin S. Morrill Tower was named for Justin S. Morrill. Morrill was a U.S. Representative (and later Senator) from Vermont. Morrill introduced legislation, which would have had states sell public land in order to provide an endowment for a state university, which failed. Morrill reintroduced the bill to Congress in 1861, and this time it passed and was signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln on July 2, 1862. The Land Grant—or Morrill—Act, as the legislation came to be known, provided the means to establish The Ohio State University, and defined its mission. The Morrill Act stated that the proceeds from the sale of state lands was to go into an endowment fund that would enable designated colleges and universities to offer tuition more cheaply because of the federal support. It also stipulated that the designated colleges and universities teach both scientific and classical studies, as well as military training. (The bill was signed in the midst of the Civil War, and few men recruited had any grasp of military strategy or tactics.) It also stipulated that these universities and colleges provide mechanical and agricultural instruction.
Morrill Tower is currently used for: Floor 2 is used as a dining hall and campus store Floor 3 is used as a lobby and the Student Life Office of Housing Administration Floors 4-23 are used for residence hall purposes
In 1978, serial killer and sex offender Jeffrey Dahmer enrolled at The Ohio State University and resided in Morrill Tower. Dahmer resided in Morrill Tower for only one quarter and never officially declared a major before flunking out of the Ohio State University.
In February 1998, a fire broke out on the 5th floor. Students were evacuated; minimal damage occurred. In August 1998, a fire broke out in suite 550 of the tower, resulting in room 553 being completely destroyed.
Lincoln Tower
Abraham Lincoln Tower was named for the nation's 16th president, Abraham Lincoln because he signed the Morrill Act into law in 1862, which established the system of land-grant institutions in the U.S. and thus made the founding of this university possible. Originally constructed as a dormitory, the lower 14 floors were converted in 1975 into office space, while the top nine floors remained student housing.
Lincoln Tower is currently used for: Center for the Study of Student Life Collegiate Recovery Community Service2Facilities Student Advocacy Center Student Health Insurance Student Life Budget and Planning Student Life Facility Management and Logistics Student Life Fiscal Support Services Student Life Human Resources Student Life Office of Student Conduct The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Offices Ohio State Esports Arena
Floors 1-14 of the tower are used for office spaces, while floors 15-23 are used for residence hall student rooms
Residence halls
The rooms in both Lincoln and Morrill are set up very different from other dormitories on campus. Each floor consists of 6 suites, 1 laundry room, 1 resident advisor room, and 3 supply closets. Within each of the suites is a common room, bathroom (that includes three-four sinks, two showers and three restroom stalls), 4 rooms (each of which includes a study connected to a bedroom). Each suite usually have 8-12 students in each; rooms are quads, triples or doubles (with the exception of the suite directly next to the RA room, which has a single room in it). A typical floor is home to 60-70 students.