Honors Returns Home to Sadler Hall

The Renovated Sadler Hall Opens New Academic Spaces at TCU

By Texas Christian University

January 31^st, 2023

When the Honors Program was founded in 1962, we called M.E. Sadler Hall home. Over 60 years later, The John V. Roach Honors College is returning to its roots in a renovated space.

Humble Beginnings

Sally Bohon worked as the assistant to the director of the Honors Program from 1976 to 1995. “Honors was then housed in three rooms, created from a classroom on the second floor of Sadler Hall,” she recalls in the TCU Press book, “Honors at TCU: Celebrating Fifty Years of Achievement.” “There was a small director’s office, a reception area where I worked and where students lounged, and a conference room for colloquia classes and committee meetings. And here we lived, planned, plotted, studied and grew as a family. I loved every minute of it, particularly my strong relationship with the students.”

Sally Bohon working in the Honors Program office, circa late 1980s. Photo courtesy of "Honors at TCU: Celebrating Fifty Years of Achievement."

Then Vs. Now

Through the years, Honors grew, transitioning from a program to an official college at TCU in 2009. In 2010, the Honors College moved from Sadler Hall into Scharbauer Hall. From then until 2020, Sadler served as the main administrative building. Sadler’s renovation followed the completion and move of administration offices to The Harrison, bringing administrative departments together into a single location and returning valuable square footage to academic use.

The Honors College utilizes roughly 15,000 square feet, about a quarter of the building. The Marion Day Mullins Foyer of Sadler features a new double-level entry that brings light into the lobby and visually connects the second and third floors.

Judy and Paul Andrews Honors Lounge

Off the foyer, you will find the Judy and Paul Andrews Honors Lounge. Filled with modular furniture, TV monitors and a private team room, the Andrews Lounge will serve as a study space for TCU students and a special programming space for the Honors College. The Judy and Paul Andrews Honors Lounge was given in honor of Judy E. Andrews and the late Paul E. Andrews, Jr. by The Roach Foundation, Incorporated. The Andrews made transformative gifts, including the naming gift for the John V. Roach Honors College in honor of their friend, John Roach.

“The newly renovated Sadler Hall is designed with student engagement in mind. Multiple study areas exist and are placed near faculty offices, classrooms and administrative spaces,” said Dean Ron Pitcock. “The hope is that Sadler will be a connection point for building community—a space where students, faculty and staff will all experience the joy of spontaneous meetings and unplanned interactions. I am excited to see the building come to life and watch students collaborate in these spaces.”

Honors Hub

The third floor of the building is where Honors staff members reside. When Dean Pitcock joined the Honors College in 2008, he taught and officed on this floor. The large table where so many colloquia were taught and where Honors faculty met occupied the physical space of what is now the dean’s office.

“Bright, airy and open—these are the words I hear most when people tour the newly renovated Sadler. Gone are the long hallways with closed doors. The beautiful, tall windows—as well as the light they spill throughout the the building—are more visible and inviting. The addition of two mobility ramps to the front of the building and one inside the lobby makes Sadler more accessible,” Dean Pitcock stated. “The team responsible for this renovation created a building that both honors Sadler Hall’s legacy at TCU and looks forward to its new role as a major academic hub and learning space at the center of TCU’s campus.”

The building is designed to promote collaboration and innovation with 17 classrooms, multiple study spaces and many meeting areas.

Neal Honors Conference Room

The Neal Honors Conference Room, located on the third floor of Sadler, is named in honor of Dr. Valerie S. Neal, ’71. Dr. Neal was an early graduate of the Honors Program at TCU completing her degree with University Honors, summa cum laude. She is curator emerita of the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. She joined the museum in 1989 after a 25-year career with NASA. We celebrate Dr. Neal and her support of the Honors College at TCU with this named space.

Collaborative Classrooms

The fourth floor is home to the Honors faculty offices, and one of the most unique classrooms on campus can be found here. The Discovery Space creates a classroom environment that supports discussion-based, collaborative learning. In addition, it's connected the office of Wendi Sierra, Ph.D. As a professor of game studies, she teaches courses like “Video Games and Representation,” “Video Game History” and “Worldbuilding.” The technology in the space provides students access to the games and new media objects they are critically analyzing, while the layout and furniture encourage conversation and dialogue.

“I can't wait to see how students use the space and to explore games and technology in an environment designed for discussion,” Sierra shared. “The concept for the space's layout and furniture was workshopped with students in my 'Video Games and Representation' course in spring 2021, and the final design is remarkably similar to what they proposed. It's exciting to work in a space that was designed for and with my students.”

Leading On for the Future

Classes will begin in Sadler Hall starting in spring 2023. We could not be more excited for Honors to return home in TCU’s 150th year and for the next generation of Honors students to Lead On in this space.