Get to know our award winning campus.
Diehl Statue & Burrow Hall
Most students begin their Rhodes College journey at Burrow Hall. Once the campus library, Burrow now houses multiple administrative departments including: Admission, Career Services, Study Abroad, Rhodes Express, and many others. There are some interesting hidden spots in Burrow that students use as study spaces or as meeting venues.
Standing in front of Burrow Hall facing the west, is the statue of Dr. Charles Diehl. The former president of the college was responsible for relocating the college from Clarksville, TN to its current campus in Memphis in 1925. Each year at Commencement, graduates and their families gather around the Diehl Statue to celebrate the momentous occasion.
Southwestern Hall
Southwestern Hall is home to our English and our Foreign Languages departments. As the oldest building on campus, it holds a lot of value when it comes to some of Rhodes' longest-running traditions. The name Southwestern was decided upon in a tribute to the college's former name, Southwestern at Memphis. On the second floor and dating back to the early 1930s, the Hall of Fame honors a handful of graduated seniors each year who have significantly impacted the Rhodes community.
Southwestern Hall is also home to the Rhodes seal, which symbolizes the Rhodes Honor Code on campus. Elaborating on the significance of the Rhodes Honor Code, Demi Shamsi-Basha '22 says, "Students and professors take this seriously! People will leave their belongings out on library tables or in classrooms because they know that no one will try to take it. Professors will even give take-home exams sometimes, because they know that students will do so with academic integrity and while keeping the Honor Code in mind! It truly does create a sense of community and trust."
Frazier Jelke Science Center
The Frazier-Jelke Science Center is one of the largest buildings on campus, and is home to our Biology department. Located entirely underground, FJ connects to most other buildings around the Academic Quad. This allows researchers to move their experiments from one place to another without exposing them to the outdoors. Students are able to take advantage of multiple lab spaces and are actively participating in research with their professors.
Paul Barret, Jr. Library
Standing tall at the center of campus is the Paul Barret, Jr. Library. Opened in 2005, the library features group study rooms, areas for peer-tutoring and writing assistance, computer laboratories, the Digital Media Lab and Media Center. The Middle Ground is a 24-hour study space situated within the Barret Library, offering a space for social gathering, studying, group collaboration, and much more. "The Middle Ground is one of my favorite places to study. There are plenty of snacks and coffee to fuel late-night study sessions, and there are often bake sales going on held by various student organizations!" says Demi Shamsi-Basha '22.
One of the most beautiful room on campus, the Star Room, sits on the second floor of the building and is the crown jewel of the library. As Ryan Crump '22 describes, "This is one of my favorite rooms on campus. The leather chairs next to the huge stained glass windows are a great spot to study and write papers, but the star-painted ceiling is what really brings it all together."
Robertson Hall
Robertson Hall was opened in 2017, and is the newest building on campus. This new, state of the art, science building houses Biology and Chemistry classrooms and lab spaces. The substantial increase in lab spaces has allowed professors to give their students greater opportunities in research and academic classes. The building has also opened up many new locations for study spaces, available to all Rhodes students. One of the most notable aspects of Robertson are the large windows that not only provide great views of the campus but allow natural light to shine through. Robertson Hall is directly connected to the Frazier-Jelke Science Center, which promotes additional collaboration between all students interested in the natural sciences.
Bryan Campus Life Center
The Bryan Campus Life Center houses just about everything an active student on campus might need. The Center encompasses a performance gymnasium, a three-court multiuse gymnasium, racquetball and squash courts, a state of the art fitness room, an indoor jogging track and accommodations for student social events, lectures and other campus occasions.
The Lynx Lair can also be found in the BCLC, which is an additional dining option on campus. The Lair offers various food options every day like sushi, burgers, salmon bowls, and more. Beyond just providing food, the Lair is also used for various campus events and live music performances.
Catherine Burrow Refectory
The Refectory, or as students affectionately know it, "The Rat," is the main dining option on campus. Legend has it, the Refectory staff created a basketball team and called themselves the Rat Pack, and the name has stuck around ever since. It houses an all-you-can-eat buffet-style dining option with a pizza station, green zone, home-style grill and full dessert bar, just to name a few stations. Whether you come with a group of friends or alone, it's not hard to find yourself eating with a bigger group than you walked in with by the end of your meal.
Ellet Quad
As a residential, liberal arts college, Rhodes seeks to ensure that every student feels at home on campus. Dormitories offer a variety of living arrangements from single and double rooms to suites of eight rooms. Student Resident Assistants ensure that all students living in their hall are taken care of and supported. "As an RA, I can attest that there is bountiful support for students in their first year and beyond," says Amanda Byerman '22. "Every single person on campus involved in ResLife wants our students to be as happy and healthy as possible, a goal which is accomplished particularly through community-building events (think game nights, cupcake decorating contests, movie showings, crafting parties, and more!)."
Rhodes students enjoy living in a dynamic environment within a short walk of all campus activities. Reflecting on her experience in her first year dormitory, Gabby Dagan '23 states, "Some of the students who lived in the quad with me became some of my closest friends, and others were in my classes. It was great seeing faces I knew in my first semester and second semester classes."