In approximately 1969-70, undergraduates Judith Goodman ('71) and Gail Hassan ('71) developed a proposal to create university housing specifically for students interested in the arts, as well as decidated performance, practice, and other creative spaces.

[3] The Associate Dean of Students, Ruth Darling,[4] was supportive of the proposal, which asked for 40 housing units, but, if there was sufficient demand, they might use Risley Hall.

Notable residents from after the creation of the Residential College include Matt Ruff,[citation needed] Mia Korf,[10] Jamie Silverstein,[11] Christopher Reeve,[12] Andre Balazs, Madalyn Aslan, Duo Dickinson, Andrew C. Greenberg, David Conte,[13] Jared Emerson-Johnson, Adam Becker, Yoon Ha Lee, Elizabeth Neuffer, and Keith Raywood.

Previous AIRs include Georgia O'Neil, Patrick Gray, Carolina Osorio-Gill, Natalie Tyler, Abraham Burickson, Gregory Halpern, and Brandon Bird.

[14] Many famous people have visited the house for intimate discussions with the Risleyites, such as Anthony Rapp, Christopher Hogwood, John Cleese, who hosted a question and answer session after the showing of his film A Fish Called Wanda,[15] and Samuel R. Delany who continues to collaborate with Risley alumnus Kenneth James.

[citation needed] Room features include balconies, fireplaces, dumbwaiter shafts, secret stairwells, bay windows, embrasures, and turrets.

[18] The hall features a large stained-glass window, portraying English social reformer Elizabeth Fry, U.S. First Lady Abigail Adams, and Scottish polymath Mary Somerville.

[20] The residence has a variety of spaces for students' creative and artistic endeavors, including a theater, music practice rooms, art workshops, a recording studio, a darkroom, and a small library.

On the weekend following Halloween, the "Denton Drama Troupe" (an in-house group) hosts a live performance of the Rocky Horror Picture Show in the Great Hall; this tradition was begun in 1991 by then-resident Paula Berman.

The event included a menu akin to several beloved dishes, snacks, and drinks such as "butter beer" unique to the Harry Potter film, drawing over 200+ guests.