Located just west of Bizzell Memorial Library, near the corner of Elm and Brooks streets, Ellison Hall was completed in 1928, and was built to house the first University of Oklahoma infirmary. Originally named Hygeia Hall after the Greek goddess of health and well-being, the building was renamed in honor of Dr. Gayfree Ellison in the early 1930s. Dr. Ellison served as the Director of Student Health from 1920 until his death in 1932. Ellison Hall was equipped with examination and treatment rooms on the first floor, hospital rooms on the second floor and operating rooms on the third floor.

Ellison Hall became the official home of the University of Oklahoma Student Association in October of 1971. The building housed the individual offices for the student body president and vice-president, as well as for the leaders of the undergraduate student congress and the graduate student senate. Other student organizations had offices in the building as well.

Upon completion of the Conoco-Phillips Student Leadership Wing in the Oklahoma Memorial Union in 2000, all student offices moved out of Ellison Hall. Work commenced on renovating Ellison Hall to serve as home to the College of Arts and Sciences.

When work was completed in September of 2002, Ellison Hall once again became a vital part of campus. The Cal Hobson Student Services Center is located on the first floor and the second floor houses two interdisciplinary academic programs (Native American Studies and African and African-American Studies) as well as the college technology staff. The dean’s office and administrative staff are located on the third floor. There are conference rooms on all three floors, two of which are equipped for teleconferencing.

The beautiful Arts and Sciences Plaza between Ellison Hall and Bizzell Memorial Library provides visitors with a pleasant outdoor area with tables, chairs and a fountain. It is a popular spot for students to gather, relax and study.

Arts and Sciences Plaza