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News Release

October 18, 2005

Macdonald Hall Turns 101, Celebration Planned

Macdonald Hall, one of the oldest student residences at the University of Guelph, is celebrating its 101st anniversary. A special event is planned for Oct. 22 to mark the occasion.

Current and former Macdonald Hall residents, as well as the entire University community, are invited to attend an afternoon of activities that include a barbecue, face painting, and henna tattooing. Running from noon to 4 p.m., the event is sponsored by the Macdonald Hall Council in collaboration with 11 other residence halls.

Macdonald Hall was established to house women enrolled in Macdonald Institute. Part of the Ontario Agricultural College, the institute was originally set up to teach farmers' daughters about good nutrition, hygiene and home management in the hope that educated young women would help improve the social and economic conditions of rural families.

As part of a modern research university, Macdonald Institute transformed itself into the College of Family and Consumer Studies in 1970, accepted its first male students and developed an international reputation for its programs in child studies, nutrition, marriage and family therapy, hotel and food administration, consumer studies and business administration. In 1998, the college amalgamated with the College of Social Science to create the College of Social and Applied Human Sciences.

Over the years, Macdonald Hall has maintained a strong sense of tradition and remains a landmark on campus. It's the only U of G residence offered exclusively to female students. Currently, some 150 women reside there, representing various colleges across campus.