Alumni House (1906)

The building that served most recently as the Alumni House was constructed in 1906 as a home for the Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds. Funds for this building project, $6,800, came from a statewide millage tax whose proceeds were required to be used only for constructing buildings. The 36 by 42 foot building is located north of Lang Hall near West 23rd Street and across the street from the UNI Bookstore.

The first superintendent to live in the house was James E. Robinson, who also designed it. Robinson occupied the house from 1907 until he retired in 1931. His successor, E. E. Cole, lived in the house from 1931 until 1953. Cole paid a rent of $50 per month.

Home management house and second house with lawn and trees — Home Management House, Undated, UNI Photograph Collection, BUI Box 12, Folder 1, RG 23, University Archives, Rod Library, University of Northern Iowa.

Home management house with snow — Home Management House, Undated, UNI Photograph Collection, BUI Box 12, Folder 1, RG 23, University Archives, Rod Library, University of Northern Iowa.

Home management house with garage and dog — Home Management House, 1974, UNI Photograph Collection, BUI Box 12, Folder 1, RG 23, University Archives, Rod Library, University of Northern Iowa.

In 1953, after Cole moved into his own residence, the Superintendent's House was remodeled for use by the Department of Home Economics. They used the building from 1953 to 1984 as the Home Economics Laboratory. Students registered for a course entitled "Home Management House" and lived in the house for part of a semester. During this time, the building came to be called the Home Management House, after the course name.

In a 1977 Northern Iowan article, Professor Barbara Pershing, then director of the House, described the program as a laboratory for future vocational home economics teachers. Three to 8 women lived in the house for nine weeks and shared housekeeping responsibilities. In November 1984, a closing sale was held to clear the furnishings from the home and prepare it for upcoming renovations.

In May 1985, after renovations were completed, the Office of Development and the UNI Foundation moved into the building, which was then renamed the Development House. Those two offices remained in the building until spring 1994 when they moved to the Commons.

After renovations and life safety improvements to the building, UNI's International Services became the new resident of the house. On October 1, 1997, International Services, along with the Admissions Office, held an open house to celebrate their new center, appropriately named the International Services Center.

Two women pouring milk in home management house dining room — Women inside Home Management House, 1981, UNI Photograph Collection, BUI Box 12, Folder 1, RG 23, University Archives, Rod Library, University of Northern Iowa.

In 2005, International Services moved out of the building, and the Office of Alumni Relations and the UNI Alumni Association moved into what was then known as the Alumni House. The front porch of the building, which had fallen into a bad state of repair, was replaced, and the lower level was redecorated with new furniture, blinds, and carpet.

According to Associate Director of Alumni Relations Amy Mohr, the Office of Alumni Relations and the Alumni Association are "responsible for maintaining alumni contact information for the university and offering programs and services to students, alumni, and members of the Alumni Association that help connect them to the life of the university." The Connecting Alumni to Students (CATS) group and TC (The Cat) also found a home in the Alumni House. Again, according to Mohr, the CATS group serves as the "traditions keepers of UNI, coordinates our student outreach, and serves as the host for all alumni events on campus."

The building was most recently used as a call center for Alumni Relations, until the center moved to an accessible space on campus in fall 2022.

Originally compiled by Library Assistant Susan Basye, April 1998; modified by University Archivist Gerald L. Peterson; photos updated and citations added by Student Assistant Nicholas Steffens, October 29, 2021; updated by Jaycie Vos, Feb 2023; edited by Graduate Intern Marcea Seible, April 2025; updated by Library Assistant Hannah Bernhard, January 2026.