Reuniting at Hoke House
June 17, 2026
By
Claire De Lisle M.B.A. ’21
On Jamestown Road, next to the Office of Undergraduate Admission, is a large white house with black shutters, each decorated with a crescent moon. Most people drive past this building on their way to Confusion Corner without a second glance. For a group of alumni from the Class of 1976, this house — Hoke House — was a special part of their W&M experience.
Jeanne Mershon ’76, Ellen Warren Comstock ’76, P ’05, Arlene Hewitt ’76 and Cathy Wadley ’76 lived in Hoke House during the 1975-1976 school year with six other women: Mary Wilmoth Shaw ’76, Lynn Allison ’76, Brenda Albert Buster ’76, Patti Lewis ’76, Diane Horn ’76 and Betsy Butler Metz ’78 (the only underclassman of the group). Ray Comstock ’76, P ’05, who became Ellen's husband after graduation, was also a frequent visitor.
They didn't know each other before moving in, but they became close friends. During Traditions Weekend, they reunited at Hoke House to see what had changed over the years and reminisce about the good times they spent there.
Cathy Wadley was the resident assistant for Hoke House as well as several other student houses along Jamestown Road. When she arrived from New Jersey to move in, she remembered the house was still being cleaned and no furniture had arrived yet. The entire house had one tiny triangular clothes closet in one bedroom. W&M provided freestanding wardrobes that the women put out on the sun porch. They cheekily renamed the porch the “Jack D. Morgan Memorial Closet,” after the dean for students residence hall life at the time.
“We were put together by chance and couldn’t decide if we were the luckiest seniors — and one sophomore — or the unluckiest to get the rooming lottery numbers we did,” said Wadley. “But it ended up being a really good place to live.”
One of the women made a giant collage of photos of Robert Redford that hung in their living room. They also made a poster with each of their names and photos that was displayed over their couch. They remembered the time they ran over to the Wren yard together because there were cows grazing in front of the Brafferton. They reminisced about Ellen and Ray being inseparable. They all attended their wedding.
Hoke House was built between 1920-1924 and was only used as a student residence for two academic years, 1975-1977. William & Mary purchased it in 1975 from Agnes P. Hoke. In 1977, it became the Russian Studies house, followed by the Budget Office and Office of Institutional Research.
Hoke House is now home to W&M's Office of Internal Audit, which advises departments throughout the university on risk, compliance and operational improvements. Chris Crawford ’07, M.B.A. ’21, chief internal auditor, was delighted to hear about the history of the space from the group and contrast it to his own experience in the co-ed residence halls as a student. His office was once the living room, though the women never used the fireplace (he doesn't, either). His desk is now where the collage of Robert Redford once hung.
“I cannot believe 50 years have gone by since I lived in one of the front bedrooms on the second floor of the Hoke House,” said Mershon. “I have so many memories here and I'm glad we could do this together.”