Reuniting at Hoke House
Alumni reminisce about their former residence
June 22, 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 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 bedrooms had very small closets, including one tiny triangular-shaped closet to be shared by two students. They cheekily renamed the sun room the “Jack D. Morgan Memorial Closet,” after the dean of students for residence hall life at the time, who had suggested using the sun room as a closet for the entire house. W&M ended up providing freestanding wardrobes for each bedroom.
“Ellen and I had a high rooming lottery number, yet we were still able to get a room in Hoke House. Every senior woman had a chance to live there,” said Arlene. “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 the fireplace. They remembered enjoying special amenities of living in a newly acquired house, like air conditioning and a full kitchen with dishwasher and garbage disposal, as well as improvising in the absence of typical dorm features (like the time Cathy conducted a fire drill by banging a wooden spoon on a metal pot). 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.”