How Steel House Started
Steel House is named after Ethel K. Steel, who served as a member of the board of regents at the University of Idaho from 1933 to 1946, and was a leader in the movement to provide cooperative residence halls at the University. Steel House, one of the oldest women’s cooperatives in the country, replaced Ridenbaugh Hall (now a music practice facility) on April 11, 1953. Ethel Steel’s desire was for residents to learn responsibilities of caring for a home in exchange for lower living rates. She established scholarships for the residents and initially gifted several items to the house, including a silver service set.
Run through the University of Idaho dormitory system, students at the U of I had several living options. Steel House and Targhee Hall (formerly the Campus Club) were designed to provide the community feel that the regular dorm options could not provide. Students in these halls agreed to run their houses by hiring cooks, managing the kitchens themselves, and doing all the cleaning duties. This often saved residents $1,000 per year in living expenses. Steel House and Targhee often attracted students of financial need; therefore, providing financially challenged students a means of attending the University of Idaho.
Steel House was managed from 1953 to 2007 by University of Idaho Residences, with fees paid directly to the institution. Residents elected members to oversee meal planning, food preparation and service, janitorial duties, and often, financial responsibilities for the cooperative. Each member took their turn working in the kitchen, food service, and keeping their cooperative home clean. By hiring their own cook, doing their own janitorial chores, and purchasing supplies, residents of Steel House were able to keep costs low. Living in Steel House was often the least expensive means of attending the University of Idaho. Steel women essentially provided themselves with a solid scholarship!
Initially, the Women of Steel were served by a house mother. Later, the residents were provided a Resident Assistant (RA) through the housing office. She lived with the women, keeping order in the house and providing contact with University Residences. The RA was generally an upperclassman or graduate student.
Steel House functioned much like a sorority in that women lived together under the same roof. That’s where the similarity stopped. To become part of Steel House, women signed up through the housing office to be a resident. There was no need to pledge the house and no social activities were required of the residents. The officers at any given time made all the difference in the variety of activities Steel House residents chose each semester. Although they mixed frequently with sororities and fraternities on campus, Steel Houses sister group was the men’s cooperative, Targhee Hall.
The main purpose of the original facility Ridenbaugh Hall, and then Ethel Steel House, was to provide an affordable living environment for female students while they attended the University of Idaho. Because of the endowments set up by Ethel K. Steel, and then a group of residents in 1996, several scholarships were available to any student who met the requirements of the specific scholarship. By the time the original building on Blake Street closed in 2007, residents could gain additional financial assistance by choosing to hold certain offices and then applying for scholarships. It became feasible that a resident of Steel House could almost live for free in the house if she could keep her grades up, making her eligible for scholarships, and then holding the office of Kitchen Manager, Kitchen Planner, Janitorial Manager, or Treasurer.
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