Originally called Dorm ’73, Holshouser Hall is a much-different residence hall from when it was first constructed.
Located in South Village, Dorm ‘73 cost $2,102,000 to build. Improvements from an eight-week renovation project in 2004 gave the residence hall a more homelike feel for students. Today, Holshouser Hall offers traditional-style doubles and suites with two double-occupancy bedrooms made available to all students. Extensive renovations, completed in 2015, added outdoor patio space, a game room, community activity space, floor lounges, community kitchens and a central laundry facility.
Modernization has transformed the residence hall into a vibrant place where students want to live, said Phil Jones, associate vice chancellor for facilities management. “The exterior changes to the building have also transformed the entire South Village sector of campus.”
In 1975, the University’s Board of Trustees renamed Dorm ’73 in honor of Gov. James Eubert Holshouser Jr., the first Republican governor elected since 1896.
Born Oct. 8, 1934, in Boone, North Carolina, Holshouser graduated from Davidson College in 1956. He earned a law degree from UNC Chapel Hill. In 1961, he married Patricia Hollingsworth. The couple had one daughter, Virginia, who was named for the governor’s mother.
Holshouser was elected the 68th governor of North Carolina in November 1972, and his inauguration was Jan 5, 1973. During his tenure, he established the Governor’s Efficiency Study Commission that recommended 700 cost-saving changes, including five-year license plates, use of compact cars by state agencies and centralized printing services. Holshouser estimated that these changes would save $80 million annually. Other initiatives included an ombudsman and “People’s Days” to permit direct contact with the governor.
At the time, North Carolina governors were limited to a single term. After leaving office, Holshouser returned to practice law. Later, he was elected to the Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina and served on the boards of St. Andrews Presbyterian College in Laurinburg, North Carolina, and his undergraduate alma mater Davidson College.
Prior to being elected governor, Holshouser served four terms in the N.C. legislature. In 1971, he was one of five national winners of the Freedom Guard Award, presented by the U.S. Jaycees; the honor recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions in the fields of religious, civic or government service. He died in June 2013.
The University’s 2015 renovation of Holshouser Hall received the 2016 Star Award from the Construction Professionals Network of North Carolina.
Atkins Library Special Collections contributed to this article.