Present day Benton Hall once served as the administration building for Oregon Agricultural College. The original Mechanical Hall, which burned down in 1898, is pictured at right.
A group of women students gathered outside Benton Hall. Of the 336 students enrolled at OAC during the 1897/98 academic year, almost half (151) were women. Women have been students at OSU since its establishment in 1868.
Cadet officers posing for portrait below steps of Administration Building (Benton Hall). Uniforms show large chevrons on sleeves and forage caps. The image can be dated before 1899 renovation of Benton Hall (brick facade still visible).