The Radford House was purchased by the Board of Regents in 1946. The home had been owned by Mr. and Mrs. Frank W. Radford who had only owned the house since 1935. Mr. Radford was at the time the president of the Radford Company, the prominent sash and door company that is still an integral part of the community. In addition to his business responsibilities, Radford also served as the local regent from Oshkosh from 1946 to 1950, during which time he worked hard to raise salaries for faculty members.

The property, built in 1871 by E.W. Tilton, was adjacent to the Pollock House, and like that home was used as a women’s dormitory. The Pollock House and the Radford House together accommodated 48 women and offered facilities for social activities. The Radford House annually hosted a year-end picnic for students and faculty held on its spacious back lawn. In 1950, the Radford House was divided in two and moved to locations north of campus. In its place, the College built two new dormitories, Webster Hall and Radford Hall, the latter dedicated to the home’s previous owner.