Humanities Quadrangle & Swensen Tower

The Humanities Quadrangle, originally the Hall of Graduate Studies, opened in 1932 as a Collegiate Gothic complex designed by architect James Gamble Rogers to house Yale’s growing Graduate School. Built on a site previously occupied by workshops, fraternities, and even a wheel factory, the quadrangle featured offices, classrooms, dormitories, and a 200-foot central tower. After more than eight decades of continuous use, Yale launched a major renovation beginning in 2018, supported by a substantial gift that named the building’s signature tower in honor of longtime Yale chief investment officer David Swensen. Delayed slightly by the pandemic, the renewed complex reopened in 2021 as Humanities Quadrangle, now home to 15 humanities departments, over 300 offices, nearly 30 classrooms, and extensive meeting spaces. Today, Humanities Quadrangle and Swensen Tower stand as one of Yale’s most significant academic hubs—a landmark visible from many parts of campus that blends historic Gothic design with the many elements of a modern academic research building.