Housing E.l.'s G.l.s and Married Students: The Story of Trailers, Barracks, and Apartments at Eastern lllinois University

Abstract

Eastern illinois University's campus was small before the 1940s when compared to its size and buildings of today. It handled students by the hundreds, instead of thousands. Except for the women living in Pemberton Hall, students found their own quarters around Charleston. The administration did not consider housing for married students a priority simply because the number of people who were both married and college students made no significant blip on the radar. Then, as many twentieth century narratives go, World War II changed everything. Providing on-campus housing options for postwar populations became a driving force in the development of Eastern's built environment.