Stimson Hall (Pullman, Washington) | residence hall

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Stimson Hall is a residence hall on the Washington State University Campus. It was designed by Rudolph Weaver, the first chairman of the Architecture Department who also designed the current Lewis Alumni Center (then the Beef Barn), Carpenter Hall, Community Hall, McCroskey Hall, the President's House, and Wilson-Short Hall, all of which still still exist on campus. Stimson has been an all-men's dormitory since it was built in 1922, except for a brief period between 1942-1947 when the large numbers of men overseas in World War II meant the dorm could not be filled, and it became a women's dorm. Peculiarly, the women planted flowers in the hall urinals during that time. The dorm is exceptional among WSU residence halls in that it has no Resident Advisers, but rather what are known as Sponsors, who have fewer residents but increased roles in planning events, maintaining strong connections with their residents, and uniquely, hand picking their successors from the upcoming "Sponsors In Training" rather than have RA's assigned to the building. Originally, Sponsors were created in 1947 as "student sponsors" by house mother Ms. Brown to provide in housing assignments and student counseling. Since that time, Sponsors have had a history of providing exceptional leadership and carrying on the traditions and history of the hall despite losing full room and board as a result of funding cuts. Stimson has the highest retention rate of any dorm on campus, and seniors who have lived in the hall their entire undergraduate career are commonplace. The high retention rate relative to other dorms, coupled with Stimson's long history, has generated many unique traditions over the years.
Stimson's House Council has been known as "Montezuma Club" ever since its first meeting in 1924. Since that time, Montezuma Club has clearly defined the roles of its government as the House Council: the resident representatives from individual sections, the Senate, as the non-executive positions who take charge of various community roles, and the Executive Board including the roles of President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. Montezuma Club has worked in conjunction with the sponsors to carry on hall traditions, plan and execute events including the Green M&M dance at the start of each school year and the Stimson Rave during spring semesters.

Stimson Hall's mascot has been the figurehead of the fountain in its courtyard, "Minerva," since 1931. One of the most time-honored traditions became dunking people into the fountain. While at first this debauchery was performed for seemingly any reason including freshmen who received A's on exams, if a resident slept in, or later on, unfortunate women. During the 1940's, Stimsonites began an annual tradition on May 8th in which the men would actually grab women off the mall and dunk them in Minerva, with a rumored 180 women dunked on one of such occasions to chants of "Hooray hooray for the eighth of May!" The College passed legislation to have Minerva drained every eighth of May shortly afterward. Today, dunking is reserved only for important events such as engagements, election to government positions, and most notably, graduation when all graduating hall seniors step into the fountain to mark the end of their journey at the hall.