Merced Hall (Later Mary Park Hall), 1981
About This Item
Completed in 1960 and designed by university architect Anson Boyd, Merced Hall originally served as San Francisco State’s men’s residence hall. As student life evolved, so did the building: in 1968, Merced Hall became the first dormitory on campus to go co-ed, reflecting shifting attitudes toward community and campus living. By 1981—when this photograph was taken—the hall was renamed Mary Park Hall, honoring the cherished custodian known as “Mother Mary,” whose steady care and compassion shaped the daily life of its residents for decades. Today, Mary Park Hall remains the only building in the California State University system named after a staff member, continuing its long legacy as a home for students.
- Identifier
- TP-ATA-0598
- Date
- 1981
- Context
Built in 1960, Mary Park Hall was originally named Merced Hall. Designed by the University architect Anson Boyd, Merced Hall was initially the men's dormitory. In 1968, it became the first dorm on campus to go co-ed. In 1981, Merced Hall was renamed Mary Park Hall on April 29, 1981, after the retirement of the beloved custodian known as Mother Mary," who took care of the building and its residents for many years. Mary Park is the only building in the California State University to be named after a staff member and still serves as a residence hall today.
Credits: Some descriptions were developed with the assistance of ChatGPT, an AI language model by OpenAI.
- Geographic Coverage
- San Francisco, CA
- Temporal Coverage
- 1980s
- Type
- Still Image
- Format
- 35mm Slide
- Source
- San Francisco State University Archives
- Rights
- Public
- Views
- 202