The initial ideas and recommendations


In early November 1930, the Caltech Board of Trustees asked the President of the Associated Students to form a committe to submit a plan for organizing life in the Student Houses. Four seniors, three juniors and two sophomores were selected. One of the Sophomores, Walter Scholtz ('33), later joined Blacker. Three, including Scholtz, were given leaves of absense and funding for a three month tour the US and Europe studying the living conditions at the following Universities:
After their return the committee discussed the issues and submitted a report on 27 February 1931. That report was issued as the _Bulletin of the California Institute of Technolgy_, Volume XL, Number 131, "Report on Undergradute Student Houses". In short here are their main recommendations:
Room and board was set at $323.00/year (15 meals/week) or $382.50/year.

The Houses as physically designed

"Architecturally the houses are of Mediterranean design; and, although they form a unified group, each house is a separate unit, with its own dining-room, lounge and library. The bedrooms surround attractive inner courts and are arranged with separate entries for every twelve or fifteen rooms." -_Bulletin of the California Institute of Technology_, Vol XLI, Number 135, "The Student Houses".

The architect for the Student Houses was Gordon B. Kaufmann.

Data collected by Benjamin Smith, Fr '89, grad '94, President Dec 1992-Jan 1994
Email: Ben... This page last updated 03:11, 4 February 1997