Located directly outside the front steps of Catt Hall lay the Plaza of Heroines.  These bricks honor women who have impacted society and have become role models for people through the years including Oprah Winfrey, Eleanor Roosevelt and Barbara Mack. One large stone belongs to Carrie Chapman Catt, one of the leaders of the women’s suffrage movement and a alumna of Iowa State College (before becoming Iowa State University). 

Named after Carrie Chapman Catt, Catt Hall was renovated in 1995 and renamed to Catt Hall. Built in 1893. the original name of the building was Agriculture Hall and housed agriculture, horticulture and  the veterinary sciences departments. 

The structure of the building was designed by Josselyn and Taylor of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The original building was built to allow one to drive a team of horses in, unload horticultural supplies into the basement and drive out the other side. 

In 1922, the name was changed to Botany Hall when the department of Botany took residence inside and when botany moved to Bessey Hall 1968, the building stayed with the name Old Botany. Although talks of demolishing Old Botany occurred plans were changed to restore the building and give it the name Catt Hall. 

There was some criticism from civil rights groups for Catt’s comment, “White supremacy will be strengthened, not weakened, by women’s suffrage,” while trying to win support for women’s suffrage in the southern states. Some activist groups called on Iowa State to change the name but no change was made.

Today, Catt Hall houses the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences administrative offices, the department of philosophy and religious studies, as well as the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics. This center helps women with their Ready to Run Iowa, which is a group of workshops held every two years to help teach women how to run for any kind of political office and also by offering students the chance of showing leadership when it comes to politics, public service and women’s issues.