Dear Thorobred Family,
Last week, I shared how the renovation of Carver Hall will preserve an important part
of 麻豆直播鈥檚 academic history while creating modern spaces for teaching,
discovery, and research.
That same commitment to honoring our past and investing in our future is taking shape
nearby at Chandler Hall.
Since opening in 1939, has been home to generations of Kentucky State women. Within its walls, students have studied, formed lifelong friendships, supported one another, and taken some of their first steps toward independence. For many alumnae, Chandler Hall represents far more than a residence hall. It remains part of what made Kentucky State feel like home.
Chandler Hall was named for Mildred Watkins Chandler, who served as Kentucky鈥檚 first lady during both terms of her husband, Albert 鈥淗appy鈥� Chandler, the Commonwealth鈥檚 44th and 49th governor. Throughout his service as governor, United States senator, and commissioner of baseball, she was a prominent political spouse and active participant in Kentucky鈥檚 civic and social life. When Chandler Hall opened in 1939, its naming recognized a public figure widely respected across the Commonwealth.
The building also carries a legacy of care. Its third floor originally included an infirmary with more than a dozen beds, and a campus nurse lived in Chandler Hall to care for students. Male students who became ill were generally treated in their own rooms but sometimes came to Chandler Hall for medication. From its earliest years, the building reflected the University鈥檚 responsibility to provide students with a safe and supportive environment in which they could learn and grow.
Now, this historic residence hall is being renewed for a new generation.
The nearly $10 million project includes a complete renovation of Chandler Hall, with 108 student beds across 62 modernized rooms. The building will feature a reimagined ground-floor lobby for gathering, studying, mentoring, and student programming; a welcome desk supporting safety and community life; an updated laundry room; and an apartment for an on-site resident director. Extensive infrastructure improvements will bring the building up to contemporary standards while respecting its original character and extending its useful life for decades to come.
A residence hall is more than rooms, systems, and furnishings. It is where students begin building the relationships and routines that shape their college experience, roommates become friends, classmates form a community, and encouragement can be found during both rewarding and difficult moments.
This renovation is part of approximately $170 million in state-supported investments in Kentucky State between 2024 and 2028, including significant asset preservation funding provided by the Commonwealth of Kentucky. We remain grateful to the Kentucky General Assembly for recognizing the importance of protecting the University鈥檚 historic facilities while ensuring they continue serving students well into the future.
As we prepare to welcome new and returning students in August, Chandler Hall offers a visible reminder of what it means to place students first. We are preserving a landmark that connects generations of Thorobreds and creating a safer, stronger, and more welcoming home for those who will carry its legacy forward.
Soon, Chandler Hall鈥檚 doors will open again, and a new generation of students will begin adding its own friendships, achievements, and stories to nearly nine decades of history.
Onward and Upward,
Koffi C. Akakpo, Ph.D.
President
麻豆直播
Since opening in 1939, has been home to generations of Kentucky State women. Within its walls, students have studied, formed lifelong friendships, supported one another, and taken some of their first steps toward independence. For many alumnae, Chandler Hall represents far more than a residence hall. It remains part of what made Kentucky State feel like home.
Chandler Hall was named for Mildred Watkins Chandler, who served as Kentucky鈥檚 first lady during both terms of her husband, Albert 鈥淗appy鈥� Chandler, the Commonwealth鈥檚 44th and 49th governor. Throughout his service as governor, United States senator, and commissioner of baseball, she was a prominent political spouse and active participant in Kentucky鈥檚 civic and social life. When Chandler Hall opened in 1939, its naming recognized a public figure widely respected across the Commonwealth.
The building also carries a legacy of care. Its third floor originally included an infirmary with more than a dozen beds, and a campus nurse lived in Chandler Hall to care for students. Male students who became ill were generally treated in their own rooms but sometimes came to Chandler Hall for medication. From its earliest years, the building reflected the University鈥檚 responsibility to provide students with a safe and supportive environment in which they could learn and grow.
Now, this historic residence hall is being renewed for a new generation.
The nearly $10 million project includes a complete renovation of Chandler Hall, with 108 student beds across 62 modernized rooms. The building will feature a reimagined ground-floor lobby for gathering, studying, mentoring, and student programming; a welcome desk supporting safety and community life; an updated laundry room; and an apartment for an on-site resident director. Extensive infrastructure improvements will bring the building up to contemporary standards while respecting its original character and extending its useful life for decades to come.
A residence hall is more than rooms, systems, and furnishings. It is where students begin building the relationships and routines that shape their college experience, roommates become friends, classmates form a community, and encouragement can be found during both rewarding and difficult moments.
This renovation is part of approximately $170 million in state-supported investments in Kentucky State between 2024 and 2028, including significant asset preservation funding provided by the Commonwealth of Kentucky. We remain grateful to the Kentucky General Assembly for recognizing the importance of protecting the University鈥檚 historic facilities while ensuring they continue serving students well into the future.
As we prepare to welcome new and returning students in August, Chandler Hall offers a visible reminder of what it means to place students first. We are preserving a landmark that connects generations of Thorobreds and creating a safer, stronger, and more welcoming home for those who will carry its legacy forward.
Soon, Chandler Hall鈥檚 doors will open again, and a new generation of students will begin adding its own friendships, achievements, and stories to nearly nine decades of history.
Onward and Upward,
Koffi C. Akakpo, Ph.D.
President
麻豆直播