Mary Lyndon Hall

Mary Lyndon Hall (www.housing.uga.edu/site/

housing_residence_marylyndonhall)

Mary Lyndon Hall was built in 1937 as the second dormitory to house females at the University of Georgia, with the construction of Soule Hall in 1920 being the first. Mary Lyndon Hall was built on UGA’s south campus near Soule Hall, and it was designed using a “homey”18th-century style. This style, also referred to as Georgian Revival, was achieved by interior details such as open fireplaces, marble hearths, candlesticks, and statuettes in the common areas and exterior details such as an elaborate entryway, white trim, multiple chimneys, and a rectangular, two-story shape (Wilson 86). This Georgian Revival style of Mary Lyndon Hall made it a lavish and enhanced-living dormitory for females at UGA. Since its initial construction, Mary Lyndon Hall has only been updated one time in 2011. This infrastructure update included ADA accessibility features and new plumbing, fire, heating, and air systems. The initial architecture and interior design of Mary Lyndon Hall remains the same to this day.

Mary Lyndon Day Program (Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library)

Mary Lyndon Hall is named after Mary Dorothy Lyndon, the first woman to receive a degree from the University of Georgia. Mary Lyndon received her master’s degree in education from UGA in 1914, although women were not admitted to UGA as regular students until 1918. Prior to 1918, women could take summer academic credits to achieve a degree. Mary Lyndon took advantage of this offering, making her the first woman to receive a degree from UGA. Lyndon later joined the faculty of the School of Education and served as the first Dean of Women at UGA. Lyndon died of pneumonia in 1924, and 12 years later, this dormitory was named in her honor. Pictured on the program to the left, UGA even held a dedication ceremony for Lyndon entitled “Mary Lyndon Day” on the 50th anniversary of her master’s degree achievement.