Iowa State University honored 29 years of dedication to the Department of Residence on Friday with the official naming of Charles F. Frederiksen Court, formerly Hawthorn Court.

Approximately 200 people attended the ceremony, including several generations of the Frederiksen family. At the ceremony, Randy Alexander, director of the Department of Residence, recognized both Frederiksen and the “godfather of housing” J.C. Schilletter – for whom Schilletter Village is named – during his opening remarks.

The change, due to postal reasons, is not effective until May 15, said Kate Bruns, communications specialist for the Department of Residence.

Bruns said naming the court after Frederiksen is an appropriate honor due to the area’s significant size.

She said Frederiksen had several major contributions to the university and the Department of Residence, including the building of many facilities and developing more space for housing on campus.

Frederiksen served as the director of the Department of Residence from 1967 to 1996. He said he was surprised when Alexander informed him last December that the university would honor him with the name change.

President Gregory Geoffroy said making the decision to approve changing the name of Hawthorn Court to Frederiksen Court was easy. He said students promoted the new name.

Frederiksen spoke at the ceremony about the time he spent with the Department of Residence.

“I felt strongly as a student when I was here to make larger buildings divided,” Frederiksen said of the house system in residence halls.

“I wanted students to be able to build loyalty to a smaller group, which also allowed for more students to be involved in student government,” he said.

Frederiksen said that at the beginning of his position, enrollment was skyrocketing and new buildings were opening every year, requiring more staff and expansion, but that in the final years, enrollment growth was not as large of a problem.

“It shifted from an environment where there was not an enrollment growth, but managing more static and maybe a declining population,” Frederiksen said.

Virginia Arthur, associate director of the Department of Residence, spoke humbly about Frederiksen.

“He has earned the admiration, respect and awe of people at Iowa State and across the nation,” she said. “He has the ability to create wonderful partnerships.”

Frederiksen said it is hard to express how he feels about being honored is such a way.

“It gives me butterflies to think it is actually happening,” he said. “I have so many people to thank. It’s just neat for my whole family and myself.”