The History of Summerour Hall

Summerour Hall has a long, interesting history. It was named after Benjamin Summerour, a long-time board member at Southern and major contributor to the school, and his wife, Gradye, who graduated from, and also served at, the Southern Training School. The Summerour family has actively supported the school throughout its history and were instrumental in a complete redesign of the building that was finished in summer 2014.

A grade school and later an academy were once located on the site where Summerour is now standing. Since then, Summerour Hall has undergone a significant restoration, with only a few areas still evident from the original design.
At first, Summerour Hall housed the Home Economics Department. After home economics, behavioral science and education moved into the building.

Summerour Hall is now home to two undergraduate programs in teacher education and psychology as well as graduate programs in counseling and education. Fourteen full-time professors, many adjunct professors, and three full-time and one part-time staff maintain active, rigorous programs. The majority of professors have terminal degrees, offering a broad base of expertise in their respective disciplines.