International House Off-Campus
A Moving House, Home to Displaced People, Moved One Last Time Before Being Burned Down.
This is the second location of the International House (or I-House), and its final location as a stand-alone building. The I-House was a living-learning community for international students, third-culture students (students whose parents are from the US but who have grown up abroad), and students who thought of themselves as global citizens. It had several locations in its years of operation.
The I-House maintained a thriving community during its first decade of operation located on campus in the old President’s home (Griffith House) in 1974. However, Executive Board meeting transcripts state that the building was moved off-campus in the Fall of 1984 to make space for the construction of Mabee Hall, a first-year residence hall.
The new location was established along University Avenue in the Spring of 1985. Despite the house being moved off-campus, the accompanying student organization maintained its membership but was renamed “Friends of the International House.”
As the population of international students and third-culture students on campus grew, the I-House functioned as a second home for its residents. The Megaphone details stories from students like Newton Aigbogun, a senior economics major from Nigeria, who greatly appreciated the community created by the house’s residents as he was unable to return home throughout his time at Southwestern due to financial constraints.
Unfortunately, after 2 years of operation off-campus, the building was destroyed by arson in February, 1987. The last mention of the International House in Southwestern media came a few weeks later, in March of 1987, when the Megaphone reported that SU police arrested 2 young people not associated with Southwestern for starting the fire with nothing more than a Bic lighter. While many students at the time suspected it was a deliberate hate crime targeting international students, their motive was never confirmed.
