Meredith

Come enjoy a picnic on the huge front lawn or rest on the Adirondack chairs along the front porch of Meredith Hall. Not to be confused with our sister hall, Meredith South, the original Meredith Hall was built in 1952. Situated along Martin Jischke Drive, between First and Third Streets, Meredith Hall is an all-female hall named after the "Queen of American Agriculture" and Purdue's female member of its Board of Trustees, Virginia Claypool Meredith.

What's It Like To Live At Meredith?

Meredith Hall is home to 620 women and is non-air conditioned, although the common areas do have central A/C so there is always a place to cool off when you need to. Meredith Hall was originally known as "X" hall because it was built in the shape of an "X." Inside, you'll find numerous study and community areas, a baby grand piano and unique dining options downstairs: Sushi Boss and 1Bowl (all available with your meal swipes!).

A Legacy of Leadership

Carrying on the legacy and spirit of our hall namesake, the women of Meredith go on to obtain competitive jobs and win awards during their time at Purdue. Virginia Claypool Meredith was known for her staunch support and vigilant advocacy of farmers and farm life, along with home economics. At the age of 21 she married Henry Clay Meredith, who later became president of the Indiana Agricultural Board. When her husband died 10 years later, Mrs. Meredith assumed full responsibility of the business. For 40 years, she proceeded to buy and sell purebred cattle, hold public sales that commanded more than average prices, and discover from her accurate labor and utilization records what the farmer needed. Putting those discoveries into practice for the good of agriculture all over the country and particularly in her own state of Indiana was her lifelong service. In 1921, the governor appointed her to serve as trustee of Purdue University.

Her “success has made her one of the best-known business women of the West” at a time when “in many places such a thing as a woman stock-breeder has never been heard of.”

Indianapolis News article (dated 1900) on Virginia Meredith retrieved from the Indiana Historical Bureau

Meredith Hall Room Photos

Room Types

Meredith Standard Layout Floor Plan illustration

DIMENSIONS 

  • Width: 9'-8"
  • Length: 17"
  • Closet
    • Width: 3'-5"
    • Depth: 2'-6"

Please note: Illustrations are approximate, please contact the hall for details regarding your specific room.

FEATURES 

  • 2 Desks with chairs
  • 2 Beds or Lofted Beds with standard mattresses: 77 inches long x 36 inches wide x 7 inches tall (or long mattress: 89” x 36” x 7” - must be 6’4” or taller to request, filled on first come, first serve basis. Usually limited to 15-20 per hall)
  • 2 Dressers
  • 1 Desk light for each desk
  • 2 Towel bars
  • Bookshelf
  • 2 Cork bulletin boards
  • Cable TV connection
  • Network connection
  • Curtains
  • Waste basket
  • Mop sink room (one per floor)

Meredith Hall