Lynn Building

Tucked between Xavier Residence Hall and Hunthausen Hall at Seattle University sits the Lynn Building. Or rather, the building formerly known as the Lynn Building. It’s a squat, yellow, villa-style structure, easily missed by hurried students. This unassuming building holds a fascinating, if somewhat forgotten, history. The Lynn Building, now cryptically named “The 1103 Building” after its street address, once housed the School of Nursing and a haven for commuter students known as the Lynn Collegium, now the Commuter Link. Its story is intertwined with a generous benefactor, Gene E. Lynn, whose contributions significantly shaped Seattle University’s social justice mission. Lynn, a member of the Board of Regents and later the Board of Trustees, played a pivotal role in transforming a former funeral home, Johnson & Sons, into a vital part of the university. In 1979, Seattle U purchased the funeral home. Lynn’s company, Careage, invested a substantial $450,000 (about $1.5 million today) to renovate the building for the School of Nursing. This marked the beginning of Lynn’s philanthropy. He established a $1 million interest-free loan program for nursing students committed to working in rural areas. Later, through Careage, Lynn opened the Bessie Burton Sullivan Skilled Nursing Residence (Chardin Hall), named after the then-university president’s mother. Bessie Burton Sullivan, or BBS, served the community and provided clinical practice for nursing students for nearly two decades. Dr. Matriotti, who taught a Poverty in America course, had his students volunteer at BBS, offering them a valuable experience in understanding the vulnerabilities of the elderly. He described BBS as a state-of-the-art facility, a comfortable and caring environment for its residents. In 2007, the university closed BBS, citing high maintenance costs and the need for more student housing. The closure displaced over 130 residents and resulted in job losses for over 200 employees. This decision strained the relationship between Lynn and the university. The School of Nursing moved to the Garrand building in 1994, but the Lynn Building name remained. In 2006, the building found a new purpose, becoming home to the Communications Department. In 2015, Gene Lynn requested the removal of his name from the building, the reasons for which remain undisclosed. The university complied, leaving the building with its current address-based name. While the name change may seem to erase a part of its history, the Lynn Building, or The 1103 Building, continues to serve the Seattle University community, carrying the quiet echoes of its past.