Twente Hall Memories

Social Welfare Community Memories of Twente Hall

KU School of Social Welfare alumni, faculty, staff, students, community members and friends are invited to share stories from their time in Twente Hall.
Twente Hall in spring with blooming trees

About the Farewell to Twente Hall

The KU School of Social Welfare will move out of Twente Hall, the School's longtime home on the KU Lawrence campus, at the end of the fall 2024 semester. The School will relocate to Green Hall over winter break, moving into the newly renovated third floor of the building.

Read more about the move, future university plans for Twente Hall, and the School of Social Welfare's new home at Green Hall.

As part of the School's goodbye to Twente Hall, we are collecting Twente Hall memories for a crowd-sourced online timeline. Share your memory through our online form. Explore the KU social work community's stories about Twente Hall on this page.

 

Farewell to Twente Hall

Memories from the KU Social Welfare Community

Selected photos and stories shared by KU School of Social Welfare alumni, faculty and staff, friends, students and the community will be posted here. Check this page for updates.

University Daily Kansan article about the dedication of Twente Hall
University Daily Kansan article about the dedication of Twente Hall (1974)

Share Your Memories

Memories from the Social Welfare Community

Reflections of Memories

Twente Hall Memories: Reflecting on 30 years

Professor Emeritus Ed Canda shares memories from three decades serving the School of Social Welfare in Twente Hall.
Lori Messinget

Twente Hall Memories: The orange office

Lori Messinger shares: "When I moved into Twente Hall as the director of the BSW Program, they told me I could pick my paint color. Because they gave me no parameters, I picked an adobe orange."
Pinnacle

Twente Hall Memories: It's about the people

Freda Herrington shares: "My memories of Twente Hall are animated by the relationships I was so fortunate to have with those who studied, taught, researched, and worked within its halls."
Article

Twente Hall Memories: Why the Cold Duck?

Bradford Sheafor shares why a bottle of inexpensive bubbles helped welcome the School of Social Welfare to Twente Hall.
Read all memories
Twente Hall

"My fond memories of the shining Jan Jess, kind Forrest Swall, vibrant Shirley Patterson, and (of course, conducting class on the lawn wearing Birkenstocks) the inimitable Allan Press."

Lucy Allen
Twente Hall

"Professors, friends and colleagues in Twente Hall opened my mind and saved my life."

Kim Stoeber
Twente Hall

"  One of my favorite memories will always be the CRTS Chili Cookoffs. I loved the opportunity to coordinate the logistics - and the day of, the entire third floor smelled so amazing. So many recipes and memories shared - I will miss this event as we quickly approach fall."

Kaleena Erwin

Share Your Memories

Submit your KU Social Welfare memories of Twente Hall – photos or written stories – to add them to our crowd-sourced timeline.
Submit a Twente Hall Memory Submit a Twente Hall Memory

Farewell to Twente Hall Open House

Friday, Oct. 18 | 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. | Twente Hall
Join us for an informal open house to say goodbye to our longtime Lawrence campus home.
RSVP for Open House

History of the KU School of Social Welfare in Twente Hall

The KU School of Social Welfare moved into Twente Hall in 1974. The building – which originally opened in 1932 as Watkins Memorial Hospital – was renamed for Esther E. Twente (1895-1971), a longtime KU social work professor.

KU has offered an accredited Master of Social Work (MSW) degree since 1947, and a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree since 1972. The School launched its doctoral PhD program in 1981 and introduced a Doctor of Social Work (DSW) practice doctorate program in 2023.

In the 50 years since the School of Social Welfare moved into Twente Hall, the School’s programs have grown across the state of Kansas and beyond. KU social work students attend classes in Lawrence, at the KU Edwards Campus in Overland Park, at partnership sites in Pittsburg and Salina, and online through Jayhawk Global. In fall 2023, 563 degree-seeking students were enrolled across all programs (211 – BSW, 322 – MSW, 23 – DSW, 7 – PhD).

More Twente Hall History