The Robert A. Welch Hall (abbreviated WEL) is a building located on the
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,07 ...
campus in
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
, United States.
History
Before Welch Hall was constructed, the space was designated for Brackenridge Dormitory (built in 1933 and not to be confused with the second dormitory of the same name).
The original building was designed by Herbert M. Greene - Laroche & Dahl Architects from Dallas, Texas in 1929. September 20, 1929 is the date noted on the original plans. Two more wings were added to this building in 1959 and 1974. The 1959 wing was designed by
Preston M. Geren (architect and engineer) of Fort Worth, Texas. Page Southerland Page of Austin, Texas were the consulting architects and engineers. Wyatt C. Hedrick Architects and Engineers Inc. of Houston Texas designed the 1974 wing. In this year, the Chemistry Building was christened Welch Hall after
Robert A. Welch, whose
foundation
Foundation may refer to:
* Foundation (nonprofit), a type of charitable organization
** Foundation (United States law), a type of charitable organization in the U.S.
** Private foundation, a charitable organization that, while serving a good cause ...
supported basic chemical research in Texas.
In October 1996, the building caught fire from a research project. In response, the university committed $30.2 million to renovate the hall and updated safety equipment, along with retrofit of equipment to meet new safety standards.
References
{{University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin campus