VSU’s Everlasting Dorm welcomes back its first occupant after 70 years

The Everlasting Dormitory of Visayas State University once again stood as a witness to history as Mrs. Nancy Smith-Gray of California returned to the place she called home for three formative years, transforming her cherished childhood memories into a meaningful homecoming that bridged generations of Viscans.

Mrs. Gray is the daughter of Prof. Warner Smith, a professor from Stanford University who served as an exchange professor at the then Baybay National Agricultural School (BNAS). Among his notable contributions was the construction of the campus water wheel, a landmark innovation during his time.

In 1956, the Smith family became the first occupants of the Everlasting Dormitory, then known as the Smith Dormitory. Prof. Smith was regarded as one of the institution’s early pillars, whose innovations helped shape what is now Visayas State University.

Among the three buildings constructed to accommodate American professors assigned to the university were dorms that remain familiar to Viscans until today. The Staffords (later succeeded by the Lees) first resided in what is now known as Calachuchi Dormitory, the Bryans in Cattleya Dormitory, and finally, their fellow faculty family, the Smiths, in Everlasting Ladies' Dormitory.

During their stay in Baybay, Mrs. Gray’s mother also taught school on Sundays, embedding the family further into the community they would eventually leave. Gray recalls life to be full, rooted, and simple. 

The Smith family left Baybay in 1959 and the Philippines in 1966. Yet, as Mrs. Gray compared old photographs with the present-day structure, it became clear that time had not erased her connection to the place. Clearly, the Philippines never left her.

“There are those who say children aged three or four do not yet form or remember memories, I think otherwise. Remembering has been my greatest blessing.” Mrs. Gray recounted.

Throughout the visit, she recalled details–both large and small. And while specific dates surrounding the building’s early history remain uncertain, the emotional clarity of her memories were unmistakable.

Students who met Mrs. Gray described the encounter as more than a simple historical visit, for them it was a moment of shared reflection. "Grabe no? Nice gyud diay kaayo ang history sa Everlasting no?" (“Amazing isn’t it? Everlasting really does have an amazing history.”) the occupants disclosed, thanking Mrs. Gray for the friendship and for entrusting them with pieces of her childhood.

As our campus landscapes continue to evolve, this visit serves as a reminder that institutions are not only built with infrastructure, but with lives once lived inside them.

To Mrs. Gray, Everlasting Dormitory is beyond just an infrastructure that has now been renamed. It is quite frankly, proof that even after decades and distance, a home does endure.

Standing there, and being able to witness it felt exactly what this place was eventually named to be. Some things truly are everlasting.

The Return Journey, a Fulfilled Dream 

VSU Lower Campus around the 1950s. (Photo: Mrs. Nancy Smith-Gray)

Mrs. Gray and her husband have long shared a love for cruising the world together. On one of their voyages, they met a crew member of the Viking Rinda (River Cruise) named  Mr. Allan Ong, who happened to be a Filipino, a native of Tanauan, Leyte, Philippines. This was an  encounter that would later rekindle her connection to the place she once called home.

They first met in 2013 in an unexpected yet memorable conversation which quietly set plans in motion. From then on, the idea of returning began to take shape, growing even more compelling when Mrs. Gray learned that a relative of Mr. Ong was an alumna of VSU, deepening her renewed connection to the university. 

Had it not been for the warm hospitality of Mr. Ong’s family, Mrs. Gray’s long-planned visit might never have become a reality.

Mrs. Gray brought more than just herself to VSU. She also shared a collection of old photographs taken and preserved by her father, treasures that the university can now fully cherish. 

Engr. Jeffrey Lloyd Cagande, Director of Alumni and Community Relations, along with Dr. Jose L. Bacusmo, former VSU President and now City Councilor of Baybay City, Leyte, graciously facilitated the visit.

Seventy years may have passed, names may have changed, and walls may have weathered time–but the heart of Everlasting Dormitory remains the same: a keeper of beautiful memories, a cradle of beginnings, and a quiet witness to lives that continue to go beyond generations.

In Mrs. Gray’s return, the University was reminded that its true legacy is not only etched in landmarks like the water wheel or preserved in photographs carefully carried across oceans, but in the enduring human connections that refuse to fade.

Her homecoming was more than a nostalgic visit. It was a living testament that Visayas State University is not merely a place that one passes through, but a home that is capable of imprinting itself deeply and permanently on those who have lived in it, even temporarily. 

Indeed, VSU will always be a #ProudViscan's home away from home.

This article is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) No. 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth; SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities; SDG 15: Life on Land, and; SDG 17: Partnership for the Goals.

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