 Kerr was Oregon State's longest serving president, holding the office from 1907 until 1932 when he became the first chancellor of what is now the Oregon University System.In May 1960, the then Oregon State College was advanced $19,000 by the federal government to plan for a new $2.17 million building.The new building was designed by architects Hamlin & Martin, and the cost rose to $2.4 million by the time the school accepted bids on the project in April 1962.