Gatke Hall, University building at Willamette University, Salem, US

Gatke Hall is a two-story building with sandstone exterior walls constructed using a combination of brick and steel framing techniques. The interior houses specialized exercise science laboratories, faculty research offices, and information technology department workspaces.

Built as Salem's post office in 1903, the entire structure was moved on rollers to the Willamette campus in 1938 over a six-month period. From 1939 to 1967 it housed the law school, marked by the installation of a Lady Justice statue from the county courthouse in 1952.

The hall is named after Robert Moulton Gatke, Willamette's first political science professor, who taught at the university for 53 years. The Lady Justice statue placed here in 1952 came from the Marion County Courthouse. Since 1986 the building has held administrative offices, and around 1990 the basement became a sculpture studio.

The building is generally accessible when visiting campus, though interior access may be limited without university affiliation. Plan your visit during regular campus hours and check with the main office if you wish to explore the interior spaces.

Gatke Hall stands on the spot of the Oregon Institute's original three-story building, which burned down in 1871. The 1938 move placed the former post office exactly where that earlier structure had stood, linking the campus's oldest history to a building brought from downtown Salem.