New South is a traditional style residence hall for freshman and spans 149,167 square feet. After the USSR successfully launched Sputnik in 1957, the United States federal government became eager to promote and invest in higher education. With substantial federal assistance, the University was able to finance the new dorm, breaking ground in September of 1958.
Design and Name
In order to receive the necessary federal funding, Walden and Madden were required to design a “no frills” building with modern architecture. The dorm opened in September 1959 with the first floor cafeteria opening a few months later in December 1959.
New South’s name comes from both its position on campus as the University’s southernmost building as well as an effort to revive the memory of a former building, Old South. Old South previously stood on the south side of the Quadrangle from 1789-1903, before it was replaced by Ryan Hall.1
Minor Renovations (1960s-1970s)
Over the years, New South received several minor renovations. In 1965, the University renovated a corner of the dining hall, converting the space into offices for the Vice President for Planning & Physical Plant and his staff.2 In 1967, the University was forced to repair the New South lobby in the aftermath of a gas explosion. The building’s gas pipe fractured, tearing a twelve foot void between the false ceiling of the New South foyer and the floors of the rooms directly above. A twenty-five foot section of plaster collapsed and pulled in the supporting beams around the entrance way to the west end. 3In the winter of 1972, the University used a surplus from the previous year’s food budget to refurbish the New South dining hall, spending $53,000 on new tables, chairs, carpeting, and dividers.4 In the late 1970s, then architect of the University, Dean Price, developed plans to make New South more architecturally compatible with the other buildings on campus. However, the Fine Arts Commission rejected Price's plan, arguing that "New South has become part of the historic skyline Georgetown."
Major Renovations (2000s-2010s)
In 2003, the University closed the New South dining hall after the Leo J. O’Donovan Dining Hall opened next door. While the University debated how to fill the newly vacated space, it renovated the New South dorms in the summer of 2004 for an estimated $21 million. There were no major structural changes, but the dorm received fresh paint and new carpeting, the elevators relocated inside the lobby, bathrooms were gutted and received new showers, sinks, and toilets, and the loading dock outside the building’s main entrance was replaced with a landscaped courtyard.5 That fall, the University reopened the former New South dining hall area, now named “Deep South,” for interim use. Deep South included a large lounge space as well as a free meeting room for campus groups, two new dance floors, surround sound systems, and new restrooms.6
In 2013, the University finalized plans to transform Deep South into a student center. That spring, Deep South closed and construction began. The Healey Family Student Center opened in September 2014 and includes a great room, with two fireplaces and a dais for events and performances, along with twelve study rooms, three larger conference rooms, four music practice rooms, each equipped with a piano, and two dance studios for use by student groups.7
Famous residents of New South include current University president John J. DeGioia, who lived in New South as a student, resident assistant, and later hall director, as well as Jack the Bulldog, the University’s beloved mascot.8
- 1Francis X. Ballman, "New South Hall," Building Outlines Campus Buildings, 1789 – 1995, Father Lawrence Hurley Memorial Edition, Francis X. Ballmann and the Division of Facilities, 1995, p. 75.
- 2“Planning VP Collins To Get New Offices in New South Dorm.” The Hoya. 10 Feb. 1966, p. 1.
- 3Norman Roger. “Legal Dispute Foreseen in New South Explosion.” The Hoya. 2 Nov. 1967, p. 1, 13.
- 4Larry Peters. “Cafeteria Remodeling Set for Christmas.” The Hoya. 19 Nov. 1971, p. 9.
- 5Robert Heberle Vidhya Murugesan. “New South Receives Facelift.” The Hoya. 27 Aug. 2004.
- 6Robert Heberle. “‘Deep South’ Space Officially Opened.” The Hoya. 6 Feb. 2004.
- 7Ian Tice. “HFSC Opens; Pub, Hilltoss Under Construction.” The Hoya. 5 Sept. 2014.
- 8Esha Chhabra. “New South Dorm Formally Rededicated.” The Hoya. 9 Nov. 2004
