Schneider Hall, today a modern academic building supporting the College of Arts and Sciences at Norwich University, was originally constructed in 1960 as Webb Hall. After a comprehensive renovation completed around 2019, it now features contemporary classrooms and faculty offices under its new name honoring President Emeritus Richard W. Schneider. The building houses key departments such as the Department of Global Humanities, and sits at the very heart of campus academic life.
History
At the time of its construction, Webb Hall was the crown jewel of Norwich’s academic facilities—boasting 21 classrooms (including a Modern Languages “electronic laboratory”), three seminar rooms, faculty offices, and an auditorium. It was named posthumously for J. Watson Webb, a longtime trustee who made the lead gift toward the $630,000 cost of construction.
An officer in World War I, Webb was a three-time world-champion polo player and big-game hunter. He also served in the Vermont State Legislature and, with his wife, co-founded the Shelburne Museum, where his stately residence remains the centerpiece of the museum grounds.
Dole Auditorium, located within Schneider Hall, is named for Professor Charles Dole (NU 1869), who served Norwich in many capacities—including acting president, vice president, commandant, secretary of the faculty, and professor of history and rhetoric. He later led the Dole, Brill & Black Slate Company and represented Northfield in the Vermont Legislature.