O'Shaughnessy Hall
O'Shaughnessy Hall, a residence hall in the President's Quad, is home to 355 residents. Construction started in 1965 and was completed in the Fall of 1966. The building was dedicated on May 30, 1968. Cost of construction was included in a $4,500,000 bond issue for Lee, O'Shaughnessy, and Johnson Halls.
Louis O'Shaughnessy
Louis O'Shaughnessy
O'Shaughnessy Hall is named for Louis O'Shaughnessy. He served as a faculty member at the University for 36 years (1918-1954). O'Shaughnessy taught mathematics classes and surveying, but was initially in the civil engineering department. In 1921, he officially became a member of the mathematics faculty as professor of applied mathematics, but at the same time he was professor of applied mechanics and experimental engineering. He served as head of the applied mechanics department, now engineering science and mechanics, from 1930 to 1948. He served as chair of the Graduate Committee from 1923 to 1936 and then as director of Graduate Studies from 1936 to 1949. He was renowned for his memory. "The boys claimed that O'Shaughnessy remembered all the logarithms and didn't have to look them up," according to Lyle Kinnear, author of The First 100 Years: A History of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. "He just closed his eyes and could give the answer without looking." He served the Athletic Council for 25 years, was inducted into several honorary fraternities, and spent years heading freshman orientation week.
Louis O'Shaughnessy
References: "Heroes and Heroines Set in Stone," by Su Clauson-Wicker and Netta Smith, in the fall 1995 issue of Virginia Tech Magazine. University Archives of Virginia Tech, Historical Data Book, Section 6.5.
Address: Washington Street (Lower Quad) | Map Grid: N-6
Originally Built: 1966 | Abbreviation: OSHA