Blast From The Past: Living in Selby Stadium

Our beloved Selby Stadium, the host for our many sporting events, once used to be the place men called their home at Ohio Wesleyan University. 

In the March 1947 issue of the Ohio Wesleyan Magazine, it was announced that the stadium was now a men’s dormitory. When announced, the article suggested a comparison to a ship.

Photo By Ohio Wesleyan Magazine (March 1947)

“Compactness is the most striking feature of the cabin-like rooms, with their built-in drawers and mirrors and their close-fitting metal desks,” said the article. “[With] bunk rooms with double-decker beds [that] utilize every inch of space.”

The plan for Selby to house students existed for a least a year before this. “Construction continues on men's dorm,” stated an article in The Transcript from June 4, 1946, discussing the plans and technicalities of the dormitory itself. “When completed, the stadium will be ready to furnish dormitories, study rooms, and a cafeteria for approximately 100 OWU male students.” 

The success of the Selby dormitory was nearly immediate with the desire from men at a high in 1960. An article from the May 1960 Transcript titled “Closing of Men’s Club Poses Housing Problem” mentioned. 

“The competition for placement in Selby dorm is already high, with half of the dorm allotted to freshmen and the other half quickly being filled.” 

Bob Holm of Long Island, an eager freshman in 1956, reminisces on living in Selby for a year before moving into his fraternity house. 

“I never visited, I chose Selby because it was the cheapest dorm. If I had visited I may have lived in Thompson or Bashford.”

Holm lived on the East side of Selby, today’s away side, and therefore lived farther from campus than those housed on the West side. Holm reported his biggest complaint was the walking that his lifestyle demanded.

“It was a long walk to the girl's dorm [Stuyvesant] and to my fraternity house on North Sandusky.”

Ultimately, this has a lot to do with why Selby ceased to house students. In October of 2004, The Transcript announced in the article “Selby Stadium Home to More Than Sports Teams”, that part-time coaches were living in Selby. This article mentions why students were no longer given an option to live in Selby.

“OWU stopped using Selby for housing in the early 1970s because it was isolated from the main campus and any food service.”

Are current students missing out on living in the best dorm on campus, by not having the choice to live in Selby Stadium? Holm recollects some of his memories and opinions on the dormitory.

“On gamedays, you could hear the people above you, of course, it was less for me living on the away side of the stadium,” he says. “Looking out the window there was a parking lot and woods, people spread rumors that homeless people lived in those woods but we never saw any.”

Given the opportunity to reflect Holm gives a decisive answer on whether he would have lived in Selby for another year.

“I would not have stayed there, at this time remember 90% of men were in fraternities, it was mostly freshmen in dorms. I pledged my fraternity before I had my first day of classes.”