University of Idaho Campus Photographs Collection

History

Renfrew Hall opened in 1964 under the name Physical Sciences Building. It served as a state-of-the-art facility for science education and research during the Cold War. The building responded to national enthusiasm for technological advancement in the Space Age and included modern classrooms and laboratories for training future chemists and physicists. Malcolm Renfrew, who was head of the Department of Physical Sciences at the time, described it as a place where students could “enhance their contemplations of the universe” and address the technical challenges of the era. The university renamed the building in his honor in 1985 to recognize his lasting impact on scientific programs.¹

Design

The Boise architectural firm Dropping, Kelley & Finch designed Renfrew Hall in a Modern style that emphasized efficiency and clarity. The building reflected the university’s postwar shift toward functional and contemporary architecture. Its form and finish represent the International Style through simplified massing, minimal ornamentation, and repeated geometric patterns.²

Physical Description

The building has a reinforced concrete frame supported by a poured concrete foundation. It rises four stories above a basement and includes two large lecture halls that project from the south elevation. The exterior is clad in stretcher bond brick veneer. The flat roof and repetitive concrete panel windows reinforce the building’s International Style. Narrow, vertically oriented window bays with raised concrete surrounds and inset aluminum-framed sashes extend the full height of the north and south facades. The southeast corner contains the main entrance, which sits beneath a shallow gallery with three peaked bays. This entry features aluminum and glass doors with sidelights and transoms. The east and west elevations have no windows and serve as stairwells, contributing to the building’s austere appearance.³

Malcolm Renfrew

Malcolm M. Renfrew (1910–2013) returned to the University of Idaho in 1959 to lead the Department of Physical Sciences and later the Chemistry Department, playing a pivotal role in expanding graduate programs and research capacity. He co-led the development of the polymer Teflon at DuPont before becoming a respected educator at UI, where he inspired students and shaped the chemistry curriculum. The university renamed the Physical Sciences Building Renfrew Hall in his honor in 1985, on his 75th birthday—testament to his lasting academic legacy. His remarkable four-decade career was celebrated on his 100th birthday, when Governor Butch Otter proclaimed “Malcolm M. Renfrew Day,” marking a re-dedication of Renfrew Hall and acknowledging his impact across science, art, and education. UI colleagues remembered him as intellectually curious, deeply supportive of students, and a beloved interdisciplinary presence across campus.⁴

Notes

Images of Renfrew Building