The hall was part of a student housing expansion plan which included new adjacent dormitories Smith Hall and Wheaton Hall (now Trinity Hall). Jackson Hall was financed through the federal Housing and Home Finance Agency with adjacent dormitories Jackson Hall and Wheaton Hall constructed at the same time.

Jackson Hall. Photo Credit: Cheryl Cape

Construction began in 1964 and the dormitory was ready for occupancy in Fall 1966. Smith Hall opened with single rooms and multi-student suites.

All three of these dormitories were named for past Trinity presidents, Jackson being named in honor of Rev. Abner Jackson, who served from 1867-1874.

In 1992, Jackson Hall received a designation as the “Science Dorm,” housing students majoring in the sciences. The designation of dorms for “Program Groups” was an initiative of the Office of Residential Life for alternative living arrangements, primarily at the request of students and faculty. The dorm's proximity to the Science Quad was one of the prime reason for choosing the location.

Trinity College in the Twentieth Century (2000) by Peter & Anne Knapp, pp. 255-256.

Trinity College in the Twentieth Century (2000) by Peter & Anne Knapp, p. 315.

Trinity Reporter (Winter 1992), p. 8.