Calderon Hall

The classroom where future leaders are taught

This article examines the history behind Calderon Hall from its role as an art room up to its use as a classroom for ROTC

In 1966 Treadaway Hall was built as a space the Marianist brothers could use on the St. Mary’s University campus. Although it was on university grounds, the entirety of Treadaway belonged to the Marianist brothers, and the school did not actually own it. The lower levels included a lab, a foundry, and an art room. The art room would later become Calderon Hall. Eventually, the brothers realized they didn’t need Treadaway anymore since they were no longer receiving as many brothers as they were in previous years so they sold the building to St. Mary’s in 1978.

St. Mary’s University is also home to a Reserve Officer Training Corps program which is a part of the US Army and commissions cadets as 2nd Lieutenants upon graduation. At the time, the ROTC commissioned only Field Artillery officers and even had a pair of Howitzer artillery pieces on campus that they would occasionally take to Camp Bullis to practice shooting with.

The ROTC had previously occupied a smaller building that was close to Treadaway nearby to where the glass garden house is today. This building was called Seng Hall and was named after Colonel Seng who was one of the professors of military science for St. Mary’s. However, once the school was in possession of Treadaway, Seng Hall was torn down and they allowed the ROTC to move into part of the lower levels of Treadaway giving them an equipment area, instructor offices, and a classroom.. The Treadaway classroom was named in honor of a former cadet, Orlando B. Calderon, who was tragically killed during his senior year at St. Mary’s.

Orlando Calderon was an avid supporter of the Rattler Battalion’s Marian Guard Drill Team and would often accompany them wherever they performed. One night in the December of 1968, while coming back home from an event in Houston, Calderon was killed in a single vehicle accident. In order to honor his memory the Rattler Battalion decided to name the classroom after him as well as present an annual award to a high performing senior cadet that holds his name as well.

Nowadays, Calderon Hall still acts as the main classroom for ROTC cadets and a picture of him accompanied by a small printout about him accompanies it. Near the Professor of Military Science’s office, there is a sword representing the Orlando B. Calderon award along with a list of all its awardees.

Images

Audio

Early Use of Calderon Hall
Brother Jim Jaeckle, a Marianist brother at St. Mary's, discusses the early use of Calderon Hall as an art room. ~ Source: Interview of Brother Jim by Pierre Gutierrez. ~ Date: March 21, 2019
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Map

Next to the Treadaway Hall flagpole