Since 2021, the UO has opened three residence halls: Unthank (standing on what was Humpy Lumpy Lawn), Yasui Hall, and a yet-to-be-named New Residence Hall. These state-of-the-art student housing structures offer dining options, a new Student Welcome Center, and a combined capacity for around 1,800 students. And in 2026, the transformative project will add a green space that is about 20 percent larger than Humpy Lumpy Lawn was. It’s a new era for on-campus living and the footprint of the campus.  

As the Duck community prepares to bid farewell to Hamilton, UO alumni are reflecting on the memories that made living in Hamilton Hall meaningful, like rooming with a stranger turned best friend, finding a sense of belonging on campus, and even meeting their future spouse. Living on campus, particularly as a first-year student, can serve as a launch pad for a Duck’s UO experience—and Hamilton Hall served as the backdrop for that transition into college life for many.  

Looking back: the history of Hamilton Hall 

The Hamilton Hall complex was built in 1960 and 1961, opening its doors to students for the first time in 1962. The residence hall was named for Judge James W. Hamilton, a member of the Board of Regents and board president from 1913 to 1925. By the time construction was fully completed, the building consisted of ten separate rectangular units, each named for a former UO faculty member: William P. Boynton, PhD ’37; Julia Burgess;  Timothy P. Cloran; George Collier; Marion F. McClain, Lilian Ella Tingle; Mary Spiller; Edwin C. Robbins; DeNorval Unthank, Jr., BArch ’52 (architecture); and Mary Watson.

A year after Hamilton Hall opened, the Bean Complex also opened its doors in 1963, creating more housing options for a growing student population. 

Located at the corner of Agate Street and 13th Avenue, Hamilton Hall offered community lounges throughout the building and music practice rooms in the basement, favorite hangout spots for many students who lived there. The UO's Oregana yearbooks call attention to communities that gathered and lived within the complex—like graduate student men in Spiller in 1965—as well as resident traditions such as carving pumpkins to donate to pediatric units at local hospitals.  

Reminiscing on Hamilton memories 

As the university moves forward with the Hamilton Walton Transformation Project and prepares for Hamilton’s demolition, the UO Alumni Association took to social media asking alumni to share their favorite memories tied to Hamilton Hall. With more than 200 social media comments and story submissions, UO alumni had no shortage of nostalgia for the residence hall. We thank everyone who took the time to share their stories and photos.  

A Hamilton love story: Lydia (Emfinger) Fields, BA ’05 (education studies) and Dylan Fields

“To say that McClain Hall in Hamilton has had a significant impact on my life would be an understatement. In the fall of 2001, I (Lydia) met a long-haired, puka shell wearing boy from Maryland. He was on the second floor. I was on the fourth. When our RAs organized a beach overnight for our dorm, we became best friends. Seven years later, we were married on that same beach.  

We moved to the East Coast shortly after, but every time we returned to the West Coast, we made a special stop in Eugene to snap a photo in front of McClain Hall and relive those early years together.  

On August 19, 2024, twenty-three years after we met, that long-haired boy from Maryland and I welcomed Claire McClain Fields into our lives, our long-awaited first baby. It seemed only fitting that we include the place that holds such a special place in our lives as part of her namesake.  

We were so excited to bring Claire back to Eugene this summer and take a picture in front of the McClain Hall sign with her. We were shattered to see the dorm surrounded by construction netting and the McClain sign taken down, but also incredibly grateful that the building was still standing so that we could snap one final picture."  

Making a home in Hamilton: Michael Koopman, BA ’04 (theatre arts)

“I made friends with these three girls Missy, Traci, and Nicole the first week of school as freshmen in the year 2000 and we were pretty much inseparable. I spent all my days in their dorm room watching The Bodyguard from their beds elevated on top of cinder blocks while Nicole made authentic Hawaiian food in a hot pot that was probably against the rules.  

We dined at Grab ‘n Go and Hammy’s on the regular, hung out on the lawn, and played hacky sack. We watched TRL and Passions every day and listened to MP3s of our favorite SNL skits. This was the first year the dorms had ethernet, so you could download a song on Napster within seconds; that blew our minds!  

We ran around in the creepy basement. I snuck up on Traci while she was doing laundry and almost gave her a heart attack. The dorms were teeny tiny, the beds were smaller than a single, we were basically living in a closet . . . There was something about having to all be in such close quarters and being independent for the first time that made us all bond even more. We loved it in Hamilton. Every time I’m in Eugene, I have to drive by to look at it. It was one of the best years of my life. I’m still very close with these girls 25 years later, and we’re sad to see the building go!” 

Becoming Hamilton “heroes”: Kevin Dobyns, BS ’16 (business administration)

“When I first got the notification that I’d be living in Hamilton-Robbins, I was excited. Everyone knew it was one of the nicer dorms on campus—definitely cozier than Bean next door (sorry, Bean), though not as modern or fancy as Global Scholars Hall or the Living Learning Center. It felt like the perfect place to kick off my college experience; [it was] exactly what I was hoping for.

My roommate Ryan and I (room 301 Robbins, 2012) already knew each other from high school, so we came prepared. We set the tone right away by buying a big flat screen TV that covered most of our window. Our room was the first one at the top of the stairs, so people naturally stopped by—and we quickly became known as the guys with the huge TV. Instant icebreaker. Our room turned into the go-to spot for Ducks’ football and basketball games, late-night movie binges, and video games that stretched into the early mornings.

Life in Hamilton-Robbins was never dull. Nights were filled with laughter, endless rounds of Mario Party, and the ritual of watching out the window for our Dough Co. delivery driver. The dorm was where many of us forged friendships, inside jokes, and the little traditions that defined those years. I remember the guys on our floor all doing ‘Movember’ together—looking ridiculous as we shaved side-by-side in the bathroom, proudly showing off our patchy mustaches.

Another memory that still makes me laugh is the time I printed out a Batman logo and taped it above the ‘Robbins Hall’ sign, briefly renaming us ‘Batman & Robbins.’ It didn’t last long, but it was classic lighthearted Robbins mischief.

Hamilton-Robbins gave me the dorm experience I’d always hoped for—a mix of fun, community, and a little harmless trouble. And being right above the Grab ’n Go didn’t hurt either—perfect for using dining points on Ben & Jerry’s or other late-night dorm room staples.  

As the building comes down, I’ll remember it fondly as the place where so many stories and friendships began. I'm sad to see it go, but the memories of that place will live on for many years to come, and the new memories forged in whatever replaces Hamilton will be remarkable and profound in their own ways. Hamilton-Robbins, thanks for being the perfect home for that wild freshman year.” 

Finding family in Hamilton-Tingle: Catie Briggs, BA ’09 (electronic media production, film studies)

“In 2005–2006, a remarkable group of people lived in Tingle. Many (and I mean A LOT) of us are still friends today, something that is really unique.

I met my now husband, Sam Briggs, that year while he lived on the third floor and I lived on the fourth floor. My window looked right at the big tree. We didn't start dating until a year later, but we got to know each other in that building, and the way he tells the story, he first noticed me in the big room on the first floor and thought I was so beautiful. Our wedding colors were green and yellow, and our DJ even played the Oregon fight song. Now we have two wonderful kids, Heidi, 6, and Ben, 8, who are growing up Ducks fans! 

I met my best friend and maid of honor, Kim, who lived on the second floor that year. We are such big Ducks fans we even went to the first men's basketball game at Matthew Knight Arena back in 2011 together. I met another lifelong friend, also named Sam, who lived on the third floor and ended up marrying a woman who is now another best friend. There's also James; my husband and I were in his wedding. I could go on and on with our friends who we are still connected to today.  

Honestly, I don't know anyone else who had the same dorm experience as us or who has kept in touch with so many people from the ‘Tingle Days.’  It was special, and sure we don't always talk with everyone, but we keep tabs on each other through various friend groups.  

A couple of years ago, a few of us with families went over and took photos in front of Tingle with our kids so they knew where we all met . . . It was pretty cool and special. We are bringing up the next generation of Ducks fans and it's wonderful to get to share with them some of those memories. We will miss Tingle and Hamilton, but at least have some pictures to remember it by. And maybe our kids will go there and meet some pretty cool people in their dorms as well. Who knows?”