Still Gym soon might be called Oakland Hall if the NIU chapter of a national honor fraternity is successful in its efforts to honor a former teacher in the engineering and technology department.

Mike Garross, Epsilon Pi Tau vice president, said his organization is working to change the name of Still Gym to Oakland Hall in honor of Milo Oakland, who taught at NIU for 41 years.

EPT is an engineering and technology fraternity with about 30 members on campus, Garross said.

e said the members presented a motion last week calling for the change to Tom Montiegel, Naming of Buildings Committee chairman, after researching both Oakland and the history of Still Gym.

Garross said Still Gym was built in 1926 and was used as a gymnasium from 1928 to 1957, when it was remodeled for use by the engineering department. The building has not been used as a gym for 30 years.

Oakland became the second teacher in the manual arts department (now the department of industrial arts) in 1915. He retired from the university in 1956.

Garross said EPT originally had wanted the name of Still Gym changed to Department of Technology Building. However, he said the Naming of Buildings Committee recommended the group find a person known for outstanding work in the department to be the building’s namesake.

Garross said a petition signed by students who use Still Gym is necessary to take further action. He said the petition, which has about 20 signatures so far, should take one or two weeks to complete.

Montiegel said there is no minimum number of signatures for the petition. “However, the petition should be representative of the department or school requesting the change.”

The Naming of Buildings Committee will go to NIU President John LaTourette with the petition and will make recommendations concerning the change, Montiegel said.