WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., March 30, 2020 — Rogers Hall was built in 1958 by well-known architect Fredric Farris and at the time cost nearly $875,000, which is around $7 million in today’s money. Originally an all-women’s dormitory, Rogers was built to solve overcrowding problems in Shaw Hall where there were three to four women rooming together in rooms that were only meant to accommodate two.
Listed on the National Registrar of Historic Places, Shaw Hall was opened in 1919 and is now restored and remodeled to create offices, meeting rooms and suites used as an administrative building and Enrollment Services Center.
According to The Trumpet archives, upon completion of the four-story residence hall, Rogers consisted of 111 rooms, enough to house 200 women (two per room), two lounges and community bathrooms on each floor, and kitchenettes for student use. During this time, the ground floor of Rogers became a new home for the university’s dining hall and seated nearly 350 people.
Throughout the past 62 years, Rogers has been updated several times to accommodate the ever-growing West Liberty University community. The hall is still home to West Liberty University’s dining services, known as The Marketplace, but the dining area has been renovated since the completion of the building in 1959. According to Executive Director of Housing and Student Services Marcella Snyder, “Renovations were done in the lobby of Rogers in 2008 to create a central office for the Housing and Resident Life staff and solve the issue of having housing offices scattered throughout the campus.”
Other notable changes occurred in terms of who lived in Rogers. In the Fall of 2014, the hall became co-ed by floor due to the temporary closing of Boyd Hall. Prior to this, Rogers only housed first-year female students. Then, in the Fall of 2016, Rogers itself was closed to make building repairs and reopened in the Fall of 2017. Still co-ed by floor, the hall made another change by beginning to offer designated private rooms instead of having two residents per room, and since has remained this way.
Rogers Hall sits close to the center of campus, and considering it is home to both the Marketplace and the Housing Office, many students and staff go in, walk by, or at the very least drive by this building every day.
As you are passing by Rogers, a name mentioned many times throughout this article, have you ever thought about who it is named after and why? If so, you are not alone. Interestingly enough, not many staff nor students actually know who this “Rogers” person is.
Two students, one senior and one freshman, were asked if they knew who Rogers Hall was named after, and if they didn’t know, would they guess a man or a woman? Senior marketing major, Derek Haddox responded, “I don’t know who Rogers is named after, based on the name though, I’d have to say a man.” Britt Falcone, freshman zoo science student answered very similarly saying, “I also am not sure who the building is named after, but I am going to guess and say it’s named after a man.”
Rogers Hall is actually named after a woman named Clara West Rogers, who was the Dean of Women for West Liberty State College from 1937 to 1952. Executive Director of Alumni Relations Ron Witt said, “Clara Rogers is quite the mystery woman. Unfortunately, we do not know much about her besides that she was the Dean of Women, and that a residence hall was named in her honor.”
According to the Ohio County Public Library archives, Rogers was born in 1887 in Bellefontaine, Ohio where she was raised by her parents, John and Eleanor West. Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wooster University in Ohio, she went on to marry her husband, George Rogers, on Sept. 11, 1912. In the next 10 years that followed, they had 5 children—two sons and three daughters. Moving to Wheeling, Clara and George lived the American dream for many years. George became a lawyer with his degree from Harvard University, and Clara was involved in the community, being one of the first founders of Wheeling Country Day School.
Unfortunately, when the stock market crashed in 1929, it affected many families throughout America, including the Rogers.
Jeanne Finstein, a local historian, played Clara in the first-person during Wheeling’s Greenwood Cemetery Tour on June 22, 2014. Having to complete research to learn about Clara’s life, Finstein shared, “It may have been around the time of the Great Depression that, unknown to Clara, George began borrowing money from estates. In 1935, he was indicted on 10 counts of embezzlement, amounting to over $76,000, which is more than $1 million in today’s money.”
Due to this, the Rogers lost everything they had and declared bankruptcy. Even though Clara’s husband’s “scheme” was a huge setback, she still went on to make a prominent name for herself and was hired in the late 1930s to be a housemother in one of West Liberty State College dorms.
In 1937, Mrs. Rogers was promoted by West Liberty’s president at the time, Paul Elbin, to the position of Dean of Women and remained in this position until she retired in 1952.
The decision to name the women’s dormitory hall that was built in 1958 in honor of Clara Rogers was made by President Paul Elbin.
According to Dr. Norman Moyes, West Liberty alumnus and retired journalism professor, “President Elbin hired Clara and they were very close. Generally, President Elbin didn’t keep many people on staff for more than a couple years, unless they were excellent, and Clara was excellent. This is one of the many reasons he named the women’s dormitory in her honor, and for that I am thankful.”
During Mrs. Rogers time here at West Liberty, she was loved by many. Dr. Moyes described Mrs. Rogers saying, “Everybody knew her, and everybody looked up to her. I don’t know a soul who would have anything bad to say about Clara. She was so kind, caring, and wanted what was best for the students.”
In October of 1959, an honorary dinner was held in the newly completed Rogers Hall dining room. Taking place to both honor Clara Rogers and the completion of the new women’s dormitory, it was recognized how the residence hall expanded West Liberty’s horizons both in terms of student housing and dining.
It seems that Clara Rogers made a very positive impact on West Liberty, and everyone admired her for her hard work and dedication to the betterment of students. She passed away on January 28, 1972, and rests next to her husband at the Greenwood Cemetery in Wheeling.