Willard Straight Hall

Ithaca, United States

Exterior only

Visible from the street; the inside is private.

Opening hours: Mo-Su 07:00-23:00

From OpenStreetMap — confirm before travelling

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Willard Straight Hall is the student union at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, designed by William Adams Delano of the firm Delano & Aldrich in Gothic Revival style and completed in November 1925. Built from local "llenroc" bluestone after 20 months of construction, the hall was conceived as a memorial to Willard Dickerman Straight and funded by his widow, Dorothy Payne Whitney Straight, to enrich student life. From its opening, it has housed social, cultural, and recreational spaces governed by a student-led board. The building became historically significant in April 1969 when African-American students staged a major protest there during a period of racial tension, an event that prompted substantial institutional reforms including the creation of the University Senate, changes to the Board of Trustees, a new judicial system, and the founding of the Africana Studies and Research Center. The hall continues to serve as a central hub for student activities, encompassing dining, performance and meeting spaces, and offices for student organizations.