There is a generational gap between the names of new and old residence halls.

The old ones – they have historical names such as Francis Scott Key and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis Halls. Or they took on the names of the old D.C. apartment buildings or hotels they were converted from, such as The Schenley and Guthridge Hall.

The new ones – well, they sound more like retirement homes.

When the University undertakes a big construction project to build a new residence hall, it picks out a snazzy new name for the building: Ivory Tower and the Potomac House, a freshman dorm opening in fall 2006, are the two most recent examples.

“A lot of names are created by the University executive staff,” said Seth Weinshel, director of University Campus Housing. “The president has a lot of say in it.” He added that top University officials will whittle a list of potential names down to a few for President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg to decide which one he likes best.

And then there’s New Hall.

It might be the dorm of choice for many students, but it certainly wasn’t the name of choice for administrators.

University officials didn’t intend for “New Hall” to stick-it was supposed to be a temporary name for the residence hall that opened in fall 1996. The word is that the University was waiting for a big donor (a namesake) who never came. The GW Historical Almanac compiled by the University Archives still lists New Hall as “yet to be named.”

“The University is always trying to solicit donors for the endowment,” Weinshel said. “It’s an ongoing push of the University all the time.”

So, why not name the new residence halls after big-time donors? Are there none to be found?

“I don’t think there is any particular reason,” said Margie Shepard, associate vice president of Advancement for school programs. “It’s an opportunity waiting to be completed.”

In order to have your name on a building, be prepared to shell out some serious cash.

“I’d say it is a very significant gift one would expect to have their name on a building – above the $1 million threshold and probably multimillion,” Shepard said. Ric and Dawn Duqu?s, the namesakes of the new School of Business building, made a $5 million gift to the University.

Shepard said the new residence halls could “absolutely” be renamed if a donor came along, adding that the University and the students prefer a building’s name to have a GW connection.

Until then, Ivory Tower and the Potomac House it is.

– Caitlin Carroll