Named after the chair of the Army and Navy International Committee throughout WWI and of the National War Work Council of the YMCA, the William Sloane House YMCA was founded in 1930 to provide inexpensive lodging and hospitality to members of the armed services. The branch on West 34th Street operated the largest YMCA residential program in the city of New York. Designed by New York architects Cross and Cross, the William Sloane House opened under the direction of long-time executive Arthur E. Hoffmire with 1,595 rooms, the second largest residential YMCA in the United States. In later years, changing demographics and a reduction in the number of servicemen visiting New York forced William Sloane House to provide long-stay accommodations to welfare recipients, college students, and neighborhood residents. A 1972 fire that killed four people was a further blow to its success. Despite a major fund-raising effort in the 1980's, William Sloane House closed in 1993. In 1994, the building was sold and turned into rental apartments geared toward young people new to New York.
From the description of William Sloane House YMCA records, 1930-1988. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 84672996
