From Morehouse to Johansen: A Legacy Reimagined

Nearly a century later, Morehouse has undergone a complete transformation. The newly renovated building is now called the Johansen Student Center—a modern space for student organizations to collaborate, practice leadership, engage in discourse, and reimagine the status quo. It’s a space that will serve as the nexus of student life—where Bulldogs come together to create, learn, reflect, and play.

Though the building’s purpose has changed, its legacy of community and connection is as strong as ever.

On May 8, 1931, Drake University President Daniel Morehouse and Howard J. Clark, president of the Drake University Dormitory Association, turned the first shovels of dirt for what would become Morehouse Residence Hall. They were joined by six young women—symbolizing the hall’s purpose to provide a dedicated space for women at a time when their higher education opportunities were still somewhat scarce.

Designed in the Georgian architectural style with brick and Bedford stone, Morehouse was built for $125,000—equivalent to about $2 million today. The three-story building housed 77 women in a mix of single and double rooms, with communal spaces that would become central to student life.

From the beginning, Morehouse was more than just a place to sleep—it was a place to live. The grand Morehouse Ballroom, which could hold 120 students, became a gathering place for young women to share meals, host social events, and partake in campus traditions. Before every sit-down dinner, the students sang a prayer together.

Drake alumna Margaret Drake Cockrum, ED’51, lived in Morehouse when she was a freshman. Now 96 and living in San Diego, Cockrum has fond memories of her year in the dorm.

She was already establishing the work ethic of a typical Bulldog, balancing her classwork with multiple jobs.

“One of my jobs was working at the dorm as a waitress at night,” she said. “All the freshmen girls sat down at the table, and we served them dinner. Now kids would laugh—they wouldn’t believe that.”

It was a different time in many ways. Margaret remembers writing her family to stay in touch since there were no phones. She remembers receiving a letter from her dad sharing that he planned to sell the pigs and would send her $20 for clothes. “That was a lot of money back then—it bought my entire wardrobe!”

While students today may wake up to a cellphone alarm and walk to Starbucks in Olmsted, Margaret remembers waking up to the clip-clop of horse hooves on the pavement, the sound of the milkman arriving to deliver the day’s fresh milk.

She shared that in the 1940s, students rarely went home or even left campus. However, a few brave Bulldogs joined Margaret one sunny day to make a memory—heading over to Riverview Park to ride their first roller coaster.

After her freshman year, Margaret moved out of Morehouse into a University-owned house for upperclassmen, where her older sister Maxine also lived. “We were very close and loved our years together at Drake.”

Over the years, Morehouse played a central role in many memories: some serious, some humorous.

In November 1983, students staged an elaborate prank by planting 13 “For Sale” signs on the front lawn of Morehouse. Campus security didn’t have nearly as much fun as the students did, as the signs had been taken from actual Des Moines properties for sale.

Morehouse also served as a space where students advocated for themselves, learned the power of their voice, and learned how to navigate areas of disagreement.

In 1985, the University was considering converting the first floor of Morehouse into office space. The dorm residents organized an open house to showcase the building’s importance, gathering petitions signed by students and alumni and writing to University officials and local papers advocating for it to remain a residential space. On March 8 that same year, administrators made the decision to retain the residential space.

By the 2020s, the University saw an opportunity to repurpose Morehouse into a modern student hub.

The transformation was made possible by the generosity of many, from Drake alumni to community friends, corporate partners, and more. Among the generous gifts was a history-maker: Drake alumnus Greg Johansen, PH’76, and his wife, Cie, provided $28 million toward the project—marking the largest single-donor contribution in Drake’s history. This generosity enabled the University to complete the transformation debt-free.

The renovations have preserved Morehouse’s architectural charm while reimagining its interior spaces as dynamic places for collaboration and leadership. The Johansen Student Center, which opened in early 2025, provides much-needed study spaces, meeting rooms, and offices for student organizations.

“Space matters when it comes to community,” said Kristin Economos, director of the Donald V. Adams Leadership Institute, in an interview with The Times-Delphic. “It’s really hard to feel a sense of camaraderie and a sense of group identity without having a space to claim for it.”

The center houses the offices of Student Senate, the Student Activities Board, and Fraternity and Sorority Life. The new Fisher-Stelter Hall serves as a venue for guest speakers and student-led programs, while the Lacy Workroom offers a creative workshop for hands-on projects and craft nights.

With its transformation complete, the Johansen Student Center carries on its legacy as a building that welcomes and supports the changing needs of Drake’s student body. From its days as a pioneering residence hall for women to its new role as a hub for student collaboration and leadership, the building will continue to be a cornerstone of the Drake experience.