Charles Medbury Hall and Oreon E. Scott Memorial Chapel

In 1945, Drake University President Henry Dodd Harmon hired the firm Saarinen, Swanson and Saarinen to complete a campus master plan that eventually include, among other buildings, three new dormitories, two new science buildings and a dining hall. The firm worked on construction of the buildings from 1947 to 1955. The final two buildings constructed were Charles Medbury Hall and Oreon E. Scott Memorial Chapel. Medbury Hall was used to house classrooms, faculty offices and a library for the Drake University Divinity School. The adjoining Scott Chapel was used in conjunction with the purpose of the Divinity School, but also was intended to serve the religious needs for the entire student body.

Charles Medbury Hall is a two-story rectangular building with a reinforced concrete frame. The main entrance is on the south side of the building, with another small entry door on the second floor of the west side, accessed by a floating stair above the retaining wall, which helps separate the space of Medbury Hall and Scott Chapel with the surrounding buildings on campus. East and west facades are covered in red brick, while north and south facades are curtain walls. The main entry is off center, making the building asymmetrical both inside and out.
Scott Chapel has one entrance, directly across the entrance to Medbury Hall. The two entrances are joined by a slate walkway with a metal canopy above. Scott Chapel compliments Medbury Hall, as it is a perfectly symmetrical, circular building. The exterior is finished in red brick pattern, while the interior walls are furnishings are oak. A central skylight brings the only light into the space and lights up the altar below, a simple circular marble slab.

Medbury Hall and Scott Chapel sit approximately in the center of campus, signifying the role that religion played in the lives of students in the early 1950s. hile Medbury Hall’s use has changed to become the home to other academic programs, the layout of the two buildings serve to anchor the university’s commitment to provide a well rounded education both academically and spiritually.

The Saarinen firm chose red brick exteriors for all of the buildings built under their master plan. This choice gives these modern structures a similar color to the existing buildings on campus, making them all feel integrated, but each building with their own unique style, especially with regard to the landscape. The choice of materials for Medbury Hall and Scott Chapel have held up well given the intense winters of the Midwest and mostly maintenance is required for their continued success on campus.

Since the closure of the Divinity School in 1968, the university has sought to establish itself in a more secularized educational setting. The slight change in uses for both buildings reflects this drive. While Medbury Hall still houses the religion department, it also houses the philosophy and Honors departments, making it a space for research and contemplation of many disciplines, not simply a religious institution with a specific affiliation. In much the same way, Scott Chapel is now a space for students of all faiths to gather and use the space to suit their needs. Scott Chapel epitomizes Saarinen’s vision for all of the buildings in his master plan. Each unifies the simplicity of space with industrial qualities.

The 1945 Drake University campus plan originally intended the design of classical buildings much like the University of Virginia, by Thomas Jefferson. Drake’s Board of Trustees, however, challenged this notion of what a University should look like. The University wanted to appear established, but trustees believed that with the vision a modern architect, the same effect could be achieved, and it would also show that the university was looking towards the future.