History

Oakenwald House is named for the estate owned by Stephen A. Douglas. Douglas donated 10 acres from this estate near what is now at 35th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue as a campus for the first University of Chicago. The first university opened in 1857 and closed in 1886. The alumni of the Old University raised $30,000 toward the creation of the new University of Chicago, and one of the first acts of our Board of Trustees in February 1891 was to recognize the academic degrees of all the living alumni of the Old University, thus making all of them official alumni of our University.

Culture

Oakenwald House has a strong tradition of having a highly active social life. House residents have come together to create a community that balances pursuing academic excellence while enjoying life. Fun might come to die in some places, but not in Oakenwald House, where students balance the College’s rigorous intellectual environment with non-academic engagement on and beyond the campus. Oakenwald is an open and cohesive community, evidenced during our trips downtown and around Chicago, competition in intramural sports with varying degrees of success, and nights cooking and sharing food in the House. Oakenwald House members truly value and embody diversity, perhaps the keyword to understanding Oakenwald's culture of friendliness and care for House residents and guests alike. Our history and our traditions in many ways reflect this important value. Oakenwald residents are proud to incorporate service learning into their Chicago experience.