What’s in a name? If the question is asked about any of Ohio State’s 28 residence halls, the answer is plenty.

From the time the first residence halls opened, the board of trustees has consistently approved building names which reflect the university’s rich history. With construction of four graduate residence halls slated to begin in the near future, the university will begin the task of choosing names for the buildings, a duty not faced since the naming of Lincoln and Morrill Towers.

Most students go to bed at night without giving a thought to the events which lead to the names of their humble surroundings. According to Steve Kremer, assistant vice president for Student Affairs, naming a building is a process rich in honor and respect.

“Residence halls at Ohio State have a really wonderful set of names that honor former students, faculty, administration, and trustees,” he said. “I am particularly fond of the naming of the low-rise buildings on north campus after Ohio State graduates who died in World War II.”

The buildings Kremer speaks of include Halloran House, which was named in honor of William I. Halloran, a Navy ensign who perished in the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor; he was the first man from Ohio State killed in connection to World War II.

OSU honored three more former students killed at Pearl Harbor by naming buildings after them: Blackburn House is named after John Thomas Blackburn, Haverfield House after James W. Haverfield and Scott House for Robert R. Scott.

Other dorm names honoring Ohio State men killed while on active duty in World War II include Nosker House, named for Major William C. Nosker, killed over Italy in 1944. Houck House is named for two brothers, Ernest and Edwin R. Houck, one a Naval flight instructor killed in a New York plane crash, the other a lieutenant shot down over Vienna in 1944.

Ohio State did not limit its commemorative naming to alumni and students killed in the second world war. Barrett House is the namesake of the first OSU casualty from World War I, Thomas W. Barrett, who was killed when his plane crashed over France, and Norton House honors Frederick W. Norton, another World War I casualty. The university also honored the first former OSU student to die in the Korean War by naming Archer House after John F. Archer.

According to Kremer, naming a residence hall after a particular person does not require that person died in a war, despite the fact the university boasts nine residence halls honoring fallen servicemen who attended OSU.

“There are many different things considered in the naming process,” he said. “The name could honor someone who has substantially contributed to the university either in service or with financial resources.”

The university has in the past chosen to name a few of the residence halls after women who made strides within the university structure.

Both strictly women’s residence halls when they were built in 1955, Paterson Hall was named for the first female appointed to the board of trustees, Alma Wacker Paterson, and Bradley Hall honors gifted former fine arts department member Carolyn Bradley. Siebert Hall, another women’s residence halls when it opened a few years later, is named for Annie Siebert, the first woman to receive a Master’s degree at OSU.

“I heard this was originally a women’s dorm,” said Adam Strader, a sophomore in electrical and computer engineering as well as a second year resident of Siebert Hall. “I figured it was named after a (female) dean or something.”

Other residence halls are named for various people who have contributed to Ohio State’s history in various ways. Smith Hall was fittingly named after Howard Dwight Smith, the university’s architect between 1929 and 1956; he was responsible designs of many campus buildings, including the William Oxley Thompson Library and St. John Arena, as well as the award-winning design of Ohio Stadium.

Drackett Tower is named for Hugh Drackett, a Cincinnati man who served as chairman of the OSU Development Fund and was partly responsible funding the vast number of residence halls built under his tutelage.

Park Hall, Stadley Hall, and Steeb Hall were each named for former members of OSU administrative bodies.

Lincoln and Morrill Towers drew their names from a broader history. Lincoln Tower was named in honor of the United States president who in 1862 signed into law the Land-Grant College Plan. Morrill Tower commemorates Justin S. Morrill, a Vermont senator who worked tirelessly to get the law enacted by Congress.

OSU again has the chance to bestow names upon four graduate residence halls slated to be built on 10th Avenue. Kremer said no formal timetable has been established for naming the buildings, and no names have been suggested or considered yet. He said the final decision will be made by the Board of Trustees or group to which they give authority.

“I think that the naming of buildings is a very important process, and the university takes considerable and thoughtful care in making these types of decisions,” he said.

In light of the recent trend of allowing corporate sponsorship to dictate the names of buildings, such as the Schottenstein Center, Kremer said it is not out of the question for the board of trustees to sell the rights to naming the residence halls.

“To my knowledge, there are no corporations interested,” Kremer said. “Consideration (of that) would be up to the university.”

Bill Hall, vice president for Student Affairs, does not believe a corporate sponsorship would fit with past university statutes when naming a residence hall.

“Certainly, you don’t want to dismiss anything, but that’s not what we’re pursuing at this point in time,” he said. “That’s not traditionally how the residential units have been named.”

Mike Daniels, a doctoral candidate in Linguistics and secretary of the Council of Graduate Students, would not be opposed to corporate sponsorship as long as it was justified.

“I think it is a dangerous trend; if you go too far, pretty soon every classroom has its own name,” he said. “If they’re giving us the money, then they’re entitled to some sort of recognition in return. That’s only fair.”

The only current graduate residence hall, Jones Graduate Tower, named for Lawrence D. Jones, former secretary of the university faculty.