It was named in honor the Northern Iowa's third president, Orval Ray Latham.

Following a post-war enrollment boom, the mezzanine level was converted into Stadium Hall, a men's dormitory that opened for the Fall 1947 semester.

This space had housed military personnel during World War II.

Plans announced for the conversion in 1946 called for accommodations for 160 students.

This article about a sports venue in Iowa is a stub.