Perkins Hall was completed in 1954 and is named after Dr. Eliphaz Perkins (d 1828). Dr. Perkins was an early trustee of Ohio University (1808-1819) as well as the first postmaster, county auditor, and apothecary merchant. The dormitory was originally all male, until it became an international student dorm in the late 60s/early70s. The International Student Center used to be located in the basement of Perkins Hall's sister dorm, Shively Hall. Perkins Hall, along with Read Hall, was built as part of a $6,000,000 university housing project begun in late 1951. They became the fourth and fifth dormitories to be built on the East Green, joining Johnson, Bush, and Biddle. The East green is the oldest green on campus, created in 1948 to house the influx of veterans who enrolled at Ohio University. They were originally housed in barracks-like buildings that flooded when the river rose giving the green the name "Hog Island". The university replaced these buildings with brand new Gregorian style dormitories after they realized Hog Island was insufficient. The project began in 1951 and the first hall to open was Johnson Hall in 1952. It was completed in 1959 with the addition of Lincoln Hall, the 11th building on the green, and was officially dedicated on November 19, 1960. The green holds approximately 2,800 students.
From the guide to the Perkins Hall Council Collection, 1954-1964, (Ohio University)
