View of Mather Hall from the Gates Quad. Photo credit: Public Art CT

Mather Hall is a multipurpose building that houses several campus amenities and activities, including a variety of dining options for students. It is located at the top of the Gates Quad between Hamlin Hall and Elton Hall. The building is two stories tall and made of brick, matching the styles of the dormitories it was built between.

Planning for the building began in the late 1950s after a strong desire by the College to have a student center. Funding for the construction was a part of the “Program of Progress” campaign started under President Jacobs. The campaign's general goal was to raise money for the College in order to build new campus facilities. The main donors for Mather's construction were alumni, trustees, parents, and various Hartford organizations. Around $5 million was raised, and the groundbreaking ceremony was held in November 1958. The ceremony happened to fall on Parents' weekend, which was particularly fitting given that the amount parents ended up donating for the project totaled over $274,000, or about 9% more than their goal of $250,000. Construction was completed in 1960.

Mather Hall in the early 1960s. Photo credit: Trinity College Alumni Magazine

The original center housed the dining hall, post office, book store, snack bar, student lockers and game rooms, as well as offices for student organizations like the Senate, the Tripod, and the Ivy. The upper level consisted of large assembly rooms. It was described as the “focal point of student activity” on Trinity's campus. By the mid-1960s, the originally promised bowling alleys had opened.

For many years, Mather Hall was just referred to as “the Student Center.” In 1960, the completed building was formally dedicated to William Gwinn Mather (Class of 1877) at a dedication ceremony held on October 22. During the dedication, President Jacobs spoke highly of William Mather, who had been a generous benefactor of the College and had served as a Trustee for 42 years. Jacobs stated that William Gwinn Mather Hall would not have been possible without Mather's donations throughout the decades; naming the center after him served as a tribute nine years after Mather's death.

The Trinity College Handbook, 1969-1970.

Trinity College Bulletin, 1962-1963 (Catalogue Issue).

The Trinity College Handbook, 1960-1961.

Trinity College Alumni Magazine, November 1960.

The Trinity Tripod, 10/22/1960.

Trinity College Bulletin, November 1958.

Trinity College Bulletin, 1956 (Report of the President).