History of Liggett/Koenig
Liggett House
| The first Liggett Hall, erected in 1901 on the Danforth Campus, was renamed and dedicated as the former Prince Hall in 1961, when the “Liggett" name was transferred to a multi-story residence hall on the South 40. In 2006 this name was again transferred to the newly constructed John E. Liggett House, part of the Liggett/Koenig Residential College. |
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In the late 1890s, as the University was preparing to move from the downtown campus to the Danforth Campus, a men's dormitory was one priority of the trustees and chancellor for the new campus. Board President Robert S. Brookings approached a number of donors to raise money for each of the projected buildings. He was able to persuade Elizabeth J. (Calbreath) Liggett (widow of John E. Liggett), to provide $100,000 for a dormitory in memory of her husband. |
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The cornerstone was laid on June 15, 1901, and it was used by the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Company during the 1904 World’s Fair. The architecture firm was Cope & Stewardson of Philadelphia, represented by James P. Jamieson. The general contractor was Bright Construction Company. These companies worked together on other early campus buildings. It was occupied by the University in February 1905. John E. Liggett was born in St. Louis on June 11, 1826. He attended the public school of the city and pursued advanced studies at the Kemper College Grammar School. In 1844, he began work with Foulks & Shaw tobacco manufacturers. In 1878 this business was incorporated as Liggett & Myers Tobacco Manufacturing Company. |
Koenig House
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The Koenig name was originally attached to one of the first structures built on the South 40, a men's residence hall that was open for occupancy for the 1959 fall semester, and which was formally dedicated on April 28, 1962. The architects were Hellmuth, Obata, and Kassabaum, and the general contractor was the I.E. Millstone Construction Company. This building was replaced in 2005 with a completely modern facility, the Edwin C. Koenig House, which is part of the Liggett/Koenig Residential College. |
| Edwin C. Koenig joined the St. Louis Yacht Club at the age of 15, the youngest member at the time. He later climbed the ranks to the position of Commodore of the Club. He promoted river carnivals and regattas, such as the 1909 parade of more than 600 boats down a six-mile stretch of the Mississippi, involving just about every conceivable kind of boat, in honor of the 100th anniversary of the incorporation of the Town of St. Louis. Koenig set a number of boating records and sponsored many St. Louis-to-New Orleans races. He later operated pleasure excursions on the Mississippi. In his will, he left $325,000 to Washington University, Saint Louis University, and a couple of hospitals. |