NRHH History

In 1964, the National Association of College and University Residence Halls (NACURH), Inc. fled by Jim Tschechtelin, began investigating possibilities for potential revenue sources and grants. Grants were found, but there were two requirements: a central NACURH office had to be established, and the member schools needed more services rendered. Thus, on April 25, 1964, at the University of Denver during the annual NACURH Conference the National Residence Hall Honorary was created as an answer to the second requirement.

During the preliminary organization, the National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH) focused on the incorporation of old into new. Campuses with existing honorary organizations were contacted and coordinated into the NRHH structure. The preservation of chapter identity was primary, as it was incorporated into the NRHH structure, and as each campus is aware of its own individual needs. The primary focus of each chapter became the recognition of the residence hall leaders on its campus. This helped sustain a consistent membership in on-campus organizations, as well as, on the regional and national levels within NACURH.

NRHH grew exponentially from 1977 to 1987 seeing booms in chapter creation and affiliation. Pins and certificates were produced to recognize the members of the honorary and the hard work they put into their chapters and their community. Regional Recruiter (now called Associate Directors) positions on regional boards were also established. Many awards were created including Program, National Communications Coordinator, Advisor, Student, and Resident Assistant Of The Month Awards as well as the NRHH Outstanding Chapter of the Year.

Today, well over 200 chapters are affiliated with the honorary through the NACURH. NRHH has become more intertwined into the NACURH Corporate Structure by the addition of the NACURH Associate for NRHH (NAN) to the NACURH Executive Team and its continuance to be the organization's major source of recognition. Activities of the chapters vary from campus to campus, creating service and recognition opportunities through Of The Month awards, service hour tracking, and award bids to highlight the outstanding work of the honorary across the organization.

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 NRHH saw great challenges maintaining chapters across the country. While some institutions were able to maintain an active chapter many saw temporary or permanent closure of chapters. As we continue to move through and out of the pandemic NRHH is striving to rebuild the chapters lost and bolster the chapters that struggled while listening to the chapters that stayed strong to share ideas and success stories for others.

Nearing its 60th-anniversary NRHH is now gearing up to develop new strategic plans and to celebrate all of the service and recognition that our outstanding students create.