It is unclear when the first Residence Hall Association at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) was formed; however, there is mention of such an organization as early as 1950. Although RIT can trace its origins back to the founding of the Rochester Athenaeum in 1829, the modern form of the institution was created in 1891 when the Rochester Athenaeum merged with the newly formed Mechanics Institute (founded 1885). The university started as a way to train individuals for careers in the dominant fields in Rochester, NY's manufacturing industry. As a result, most of the school's first students were local residents. However, as the school began to grow, an increasing number of students came from areas other than the city, creating a need for student housing. Originally, each residence hall had its own Residence Hall Association. Students living in a hall elected representatives to the Association for year-long terms. These elected individuals represented the interests of the students living in the residence hall to RIT's administration, as well as the greater RIT community. Additionally, the group helped plan events and social activities for residents. The individual dormitory groups began to merge so that by the early 1960s there was a Women's Residence Hall Association and a Men's Residence Hall'' Association. According to the Men's Residence Halls' Association's 1966 constitution, the purpose of the organization was: to provide and maintain a system of self-government; to provide social and recreational opportunities for its members; to legislate and maintain such rules as are necessary to provide for the common welfare and protection of members; and to assist in the operation of facilities under the control of the Association. Eventually, these two Residence Hall Associations were merged to form the Residence Halls Association (RHA). The group continued to represent the needs of the university's resident students to RIT's administration and acted as the "residential community government." As of 2011, RHA was still responsible for changes in policies and procedures affecting residence halls, providing services to students, planning programs, and making equipment and facilities available to students at RIT.
From the description of RIT Men's Residence Hall's Association correspondence and publications, 1960-1967. (RIT Library). WorldCat record id: 769357852
