As you step into Higgins Hall for Innovation and Human-Centered Design, you are greeted by an intimate entryway. Two options stand before you, a stairwell or an elevator. Step into either and you’ll be transported to one of three floors transformed from the former LeClaire Hall, a structure housing physical education facilities originally opened in 1917, to a hub of collaboration and creativity.
The lower level where the swimming pool once resided now features office spaces, an augmented and virtual reality teaching lab, and observation rooms for social work students to practice their counseling skills. It’s a place where students are challenged to ask tough questions and take a deep dive into their education. Pieces of the original pool remain intact – including the original pool deck and pillars, and markers indicating the depth of the pool – serving as a reminder of what came before and offering parallels to the journey students will embark on at St. Ambrose.
History is deeply embedded in the design of the first floor. There, the original basketball court of LeClaire Gym is preserved throughout the numerous office spaces and stunning room 133. The 72-person classroom is the building’s showcase. Here history melds with innovation. The famous banked track is suspended above a beautiful classroom created as a flexible digital space for large-group learning. The streaming capability in 133 supports a hybrid learning platform allowing students to join a class virtually. TV monitors support casting – projecting content from a laptop – so students can work in small groups on coursework and projects. The different types of seating – from high-top tables to standard tables and chairs – accommodate different types of learning; furthermore, all of the furniture is mobile allowing for various classroom setups. The room’s versatility encourages greater teamwork and collaboration. Additionally, the room preserves the gym’s original scoreboard, serving as a reminder of the dynamics necessary to foster a work ethic rooted in community; a mindset that puts people at the center of everything Ambrosians strive to achieve.
Finally, as you enter the second floor, you are immersed in the St. Ambrose values outlined on the back wall of a common space. Standing here, you can peer into room 133 through the floor-to-ceiling window that further showcases the original banked track. Now, you can truly admire the drastic 45-degree angle athletes once endured in a test of physical and mental fortitude. The banked track continues throughout each classroom on the second floor – though laid flat in these spaces to create an even floor space. These classrooms offer scenic views of campus and modern setups for project-based learning. Rather than traditional front-facing seating, these rooms are designed with chairs around all sides of the tables; TV monitors can be found throughout the classroom; and the podiums are on wheels. These setups encourage a joint learning process, a step away from lecture-based learning. Here, students are encouraged to join in the learning process teaching them to think creatively and instilling a love of lifelong learning.
We invite you to journey through the history of the university’s second-oldest building. Then, explore the building as it is today through our immersive video.
The history of Leclaire/Higgins Hall
- January 1917 - LeClaire Hall is dedicated. The cost for the building and equipment was over $115,000. It was named after Antoine LeClaire, one of Davenport’s founders.
- February 1917 - LeClaire Pool opens for use making it the oldest underground swimming pool this side of the Mississippi.
- April 1917 - Three weeks after the US entered WWI, the first regular drill was held in LeClaire Gymnasium. They practiced marching and saluting and used the gym’s shooting range. Drills were held four times a week.
- Summer 1938 - LeClaire Pool opens to the general public.
- April 1965 - LeClaire Gymnasium is used as a Red Cross administration center where victims of the Flood of 1965 could come and register for assistance.
- 1983 - Lee Lohman Arena opens. Most fitness activities move out of LeClaire Hall.
- 1987 - St. Ambrose Physical Plant Department moves its operations to LeClaire Hall.
- Fall 2007 - LeClaire Pool closes due to safety concerns.
- 2015 - St. Ambrose Physical Plant Department moves out of LeClaire Hall.
- October 2021 - A groundbreaking is held for the construction of Higgins Hall for Innovation and Human-Centered Design. The project is made possible through the generosity of Tom Higgins ‘67.
- December 2023 - Renovations of the historic LeClaire Hall are complete. The building opens as Higgins Hall for Innovation and Human-Centered Design home of the Institute for Person-Centered Care, School of Social Work, and the Master of Public Health program.
- April 2024 - A dedication is held to mark the completed renovation of the building.