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Coordinates: 37°52′30″N 122°15′26″W 37.875, -122.25722

Cory Hall

• EECS department
• http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu

Overview

• Surprisingly, this building is over fifty years old, making it older than EECS itself, which was created from the double-E department in 1972. The first of the modern-styled buldings on campus, Cory Hall began its life as a general engineering department. Over the years, EE and subsequently EECS grew exponentially, several other engineering buildings went up, and by the present day, this entire building is EECS. For those who do not know, EECS is the undisputed hardest major offered at Berkeley. The first hardest is Computer Science, the second if Engineering, the third is Architecture, the fourth is Molecular and Cellular Biology. EECS is in a class of its own and is therefore not ranked.^[1]
• Of all the large modern boxes, Cory Hall is the least criticized for ugliness. Part of it is due to its out-of-the-way location in the northeast corner of campus, but you do got to give the architect credit. With its tinted windows, smooth white surfacing, and the stylized electrical circuit ornament, Cory has the appearance of a streamlined VLSB. However, step inside and it's a whole different world.^[1]
• The interior layout of Cory is atrocious. Part of it has to do with the building's numerous vertical expansions over time, part of it has to do with the odd trapezoidal site on a steep slope, but in any case the building is a real maze. Worst of all, although all the floors look the same from the outside, they have vastly different floorplans. The location of the restrooms and the elevator are similarly bad. If you use a wheelchair, you are best advised not to take EECS as a good part of Cory is not accessible. Fortunately, a renovation/seismic retrofit is on the planning board.^[1]
• In 1982, a bomb planted by the Unabomber went off in a Cory Hall faculty lounge, injuring a professor. In 1985, a second bomb planted by the same man went off in a Cory computer lab, injuring a student. Cory Hall has the dubious distinction of being the only place hit by the Unabomber twice. After the second time, people using Cory Hall grew more vigilant, and eventually the guy got caught. Warning signs from the era still abound.^[1]
• The Experimental Computing Facility, also known as the XCF, was started in the mid 1980s (I believe 1985) and was given a room in Cory Hall known as the "fishbowl", so named due to its small size. XCF students developed software that played a pivotal role in the development of the Internet, most notably, finding a cure for the Internet Worm computer virus in 1988. The XCF has since moved to Soda Hall.^[1]
• Construction on the adjacent CITRIS building lead to the closure of campus access from the northeast, and traffic was routed through Cory Hall instead, leading to among other things, an increase in sales at IEEE vending machines.^[1]
• Places to Check Out:^[1]
  • 1. Showcases. Cory's hallways are filled with showcases that are a must-see for any geek. Exhibits include the latest electronic gadgets, robots, and stuff from HKN = Eta Kappa Nu, the EECS Student Honor Society. Often contains humourous displays concering EECS life.
    2. HKN Cory Office. Room 290, 2nd floor of Cory Hall (this may or may not be the ground floor depending on where you enter.) Get help on your EE classes.
    3. IEEE Student Branch Laboratory. 2nd floor of Cory Hall near the elevators (this may or may not be the ground floor depending on where you enter.) Food is sold here.
    4. Cory Hall Lounge. 2nd floor of Cory Hall central courtyard. This lounge has 3 parts- a room, a courtyard outside the room, and another room inside the courtyard. The room is for studying, the courtyard for partying, and the room inside the courtyard for foosball, table tennis, and sleep.

Directions to Cory Hall

• To get to campus by car, please see [1].
• Once you get to Oxford Street from University:
  • 1. Take a left (North) onto Oxford
    2. Take a second stoplight right (East) onto Hearst
    3. Follow Hearst along the north side of campus past the stoplight at Euclid Avenue
• Cory Hall is located on the corner of Hearst and Gayley, at the north-east corner of campus. If you enter Cory Hall at one of the Hearst entrances, you will be on the second floor. If you need information or further directions in Cory Hall, contact the EECS receptionist in room 253 (2nd floor) at (510) 642-3214 or e-mail at eeoffice@eecs.
• EECS/Cory Hall Parking Permit Request Form

Links

• Clarence Cory: Electrifying the West

References