Howell Residence Hall, KSU Marietta

Constructed in 1966, Howell Hall originally took the name Dormitory Number Two as it was the second dorm to be built on campus. At the time, the Marietta campus of Kennesaw State was under Georgia Tech’s jurisdiction and called the Southern Technical Institute. The dorm originally received $1.1 million for construction and originally housed about 300 students. This dorm was able to take students away from the townhomes that were roach-infested at the time. In 1977, the university changed the dorms name to the now-known Howell Hall to honor Georgia Tech engineering professor Roger S. Howell who aided the institution with advice and national accreditation. The dormitory was recently renovated in 2021 to add new bathrooms and a student lounge on the first floor.

Originally planned for construction in the Fall of 1961 and completed in 1966, Howell Residence originally held the name Dormitory number two as it was the second residence hall constructed on the Marietta Campus of the Southern Technical Institute (Now Kennesaw State University) after the now named Norton Hall. The dorm originally housed 300 students to aid Norton Halls original 180 residency spots. These dorms were seen as essential to the university, as at the time many students were living in the Marietta townhomes that were accredited to being roach infested. The dormitory budget given by the Board of Regents to the school was, “considerably less than school official had hoped for.” With only $1.9 million offered for both Norton Hall and Howell Residence combined. When students moved in by 1966, the university had been on the Marietta campus for six years now, and the housing issue was still problematic with new rising admissions.

The timing of the completion of construction was impeccable, as Marietta Housing authorities would shut down that very same year, leaving students destitute without the dormitories. Over the coming years as the Southern Technical Institution aimed to direct their goals towards being a four-year university, enrollment dropped. By 1969, “Enrollments had declined over 10%, and high school counselors were vocal and unanimous about their inability to promote Southern Tech” This was caused by the Institution possessing only two-year degrees. While this lowered the morale of the president and director, it eased the strain of the overbooked Howell Residency, which held more space than Norton. Southern Tech would be admitted as a four-year institution a year later in 1970.

In 1977, Dormitory Number Two would officially have its name changed to the Howell Residency Hall. The hall would be named after Roger S. Howell, who was the Director of the Engineering Extension Division at Georgia Tech in the early 1950’s. Howell was crucial to Southern Tech’s initial success as he joined a committee of the Engineers Council for Professional Agency in touring the campus and inspecting both its infrastructure, faculty, record keeping, and resources to give pointers and aid in improving the Institution. This also gave Southern Tech some National accreditation in large part due to Howells words after inspection. This name change was hinted at in an earlier school newspaper named The Engineering Technician from 1967 that claimed, “Dormitory number two and the other buildings on campus will all eventually be dedicated but it may be some time before the dedications will be possible.” after Dormitory Number One had its name changed to Norton Hall.

As of today, Howell Hall underwent recent renovation in 2021. The building contains its traditional five floors, with upgraded interior and added square footage placing it at 57,722 square feet. The addition of a spacious lounge on the first floor and improved communal bathrooms on each floor give the dormitory an improved quality as well. There is an average of thirty-seven units per floor now, giving a total of 185 units that can fit two residents each. The original fitting space of 300 students has been added by seventy since new renovations in order to make space for both the lounge and to provide more space for rooms that students live in Howell Hall. Howell Residency Hall continues to serve the same purpose as originally intended in 1966, giving it now fifty-seven years of student living.

Bennett, Richard A.. Southern Polytechnic State University The History . Competition and Transition: Surviving the 1960's and 1970's, ser. 1, vol. 1, no. 182 - 85. Published 1997. KSU Archives.

Buckholts, Wade. "Dorm No. 1 Now Norton." The Engineering Technician (Marietta) September 26th, 1967. 20 ed, 1 sec, 1-1.

Editors, Southern Technical Institute. "ECPD Inspection Committee Makes Careful Check of STI." The Technician (Chamblee) February 11th, 1953. 5 ed, 6 sec, 1-2.

Editors, Southern Technical Institute. "Board of Regents Give Approval For Dormitory." The Technician (Marietta) March 11th, 1963. 15 ed, 7 sec, 1-1.

Editors, KSU. Howell Hall - Housing and Residence Life, Kennesaw State University. 2023. Accessed May 18th, 2023. https://www.kennesaw.edu/housing/living-options/howell-hall.php.

Johnson, Lawrence V.. 1961- Fall Quarter. The History and Development of Southern Tech, ser. KSU Archives, vol. 1, no. 113 - 14. Published November 18th, 1966. KSU Archives.