Year Built: 1961, 1991 (Confer)

Purpose: Academic Building

 

Vickner Hall was dedicated to the Gustavus campus in 1961.  The new 16,000 square foot building was named after Edwin J. Vickner, whose family had contributed to the college for over half a century with gifts totaling in more that $330,000.  After the death of Edwin J. Vickner, his wife Bertha Almen Vickner presented funds for financing the $250,000 new language hall, which was to house nine classrooms, seventeen offices, a language laboratory, and a seminar room.

    The Vickner Hall addition, as Confer Hall was originally, was dedicated October 27th, 1991.  It was named Confer Hall after Ogden P. Confer who served as chair of the board of trustees at Gustavus for a time until his death.  The addition to Vickner came about due to strong growth in language study and emphasis of writing skills at Gustavus.  They anticipated that the new classrooms would allow the college to use older classrooms in different buildings for other purposes on campus, which you can now see in the student union building.  Confer Hall became home to the Foreign Language, Scandinavian Studies, and English and writing programs on campus.