**For Immediate Release** Franklin Hall Placed on State Historic List -released by OPSU Campus Communications 02-15-06 Goodwell, OK - On Jan. 31, Preservation Oklahoma announced that Franklin Hall on the Oklahoma Panhandle State campus was placed on the Oklahoma Most Endangered Historic Places List for 2006. Preservation Oklahoma and the State Historic Preservation Office sponsor the list, which serves as a sample of the thousands of Oklahoma landmarks that deserve attention. Franklin Hall, built in 1910, is the oldest building on campus, but it is currently not in use. A sturdy cement block building, it was completed through a joint effort of the citizens of Goodwell, the nearby communities and the school. Area residents donated money, labor, and furnishings to the project. The building originally housed 23 dorm rooms plus an apartment each for the university president and the dorm’s faculty supervisor and a dining room. Although originally called the Girls’ Dormitory or The Dormitory, it became the boys’ dorm when the girls’ dorm Earle Hall was built in 1914. In 1924, the Boys’ Dorm was named Franklin Hall in honor of “Grandpa” Franklin, the father of Rev. Sam Franklin and Professor A. W. Franklin. Grandpa Franklin was well known for holding prayer meetings with the young men living in the dorm. Franklin Hall was used as a residential facility until the spring of 2004. Preservation Oklahoma announces the Most Endangered Historic Places List each year to inform Oklahomans about the challenges historic places face. It is also a tool to help raise awareness and rally resources to save an endangered site. By being on the list, OPSU could obtain grant funding for an architect for the restoration of Franklin Hall, a first step in preserving an important piece of Panhandle history. -30-