Wichita State University is moving forward with plans to demolish Grace Wilkie Hall, one of several buildings slated to disappear as part of the 10-year campus master plan. The idea, administration says, is to unify the campus, improve pedestrian flow, and create more green space.

But by tearing down Grace Wilkie, the university isn’t just removing a low-density structure, it is simply erasing legacy because the hall is not falling apart.

In fact, according to the Facility Condition Index explained in the master plan, the building is in “excellent” condition. That means it is not a financial drain in need of urgent repairs or expensive upgrades. Yet, instead of repurposing it to meet student needs, WSU plans to level it for a lawn.

A lawn.

Sure, green space is nice. In fact, it would be wonderful if the spot were dedicated to native plants and even a sanctuary for endangered monarchs to visit every migration season. That would be a beautiful place for a student to sit by and admire.

Students deserve areas to relax, and Wichita State is right to think about how the campus connects to the Innovation Campus. But it is hard to see the value of bulldozing a sound building named for one of the most important women in the university’s history just to make room for more sidewalks and scenery.

Destroying the hall is not just unnecessary, it’s also erasing history .

Grace Wilkie was not just another name on a plaque or painting on the wall. She was a Wichita native, head of home economics at Fairmount College, Dean of Women for three decades and an advocate who shaped generations of students.

She even volunteered in post-war France, serving communities devastated by conflict before returning to help students at home.

Wilkie retired in 1953 — the same year the hall named in her honor opened as a dormitory. It later became home to student services and offices. In 2017, the university dedicated the building to honor her legacy. Now, less than a decade later, that legacy is scheduled for destruction.

Instead of tearing it down, WSU could use Grace Wilkie Hall in ways that would actually improve student life. For instance, overflow classrooms could be held there. Seeing as she was the Dean of Women for so long, the building could house classes in the humanities.

The building could also be another student lounge area for commuters and residents alike — a place to spend the odd hours between classes when going home is not an option. It could be turned into a student club hub, giving organizations without a permanent space a place to gather and collaborate.

Even something simple like moving the geology library or the museum, which will also be lost in the master plan, would make the building a vibrant, useful space again.

If the campus police department building is already being torn down nearby, why eliminate this one too? Demolition is not just wasteful; it is disruptive to the very heart of campus, right next to the library. The university could save money, reduce construction headaches and honor its own history by re-imagining Grace Wilkie rather than destroying it.

Demolition is not the answer for every older campus building.

Grace Wilkie devoted her life to Wichita State. The least the university could do is treat the building that bears her name with the same respect.