▁University , ▁and ▁currently ▁houses ▁under grad uate ▁students ▁from ▁Columbia ▁College ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁Fu ▁Foundation ▁School ▁of ▁Engineering ▁and ▁App lied ▁Science . ▁It ▁opened ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 5 ▁as ▁" L iving ston ▁Hall " ▁after ▁Robert ▁Living ston , ▁a ▁Found ing ▁Father ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁al umn us ▁of ▁King ' s ▁College , ▁Columbia ' s ▁prede cess or , ▁but ▁its ▁name ▁was ▁changed ▁after ▁Ira ▁D . ▁Wal lach ▁don ated ▁approximately ▁$ 2 ▁million ▁towards ▁its ▁renov ation . ▁This ▁gave ▁rise ▁to ▁the ▁jo ke , ▁" L iving ston ▁signed ▁the ▁Dec laration ▁of ▁Independ ence , ▁Wal lach ▁signed ▁a ▁check ." ▁( Al though ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁committee ▁of ▁the ▁Cont inental ▁Congress ▁that ▁draft ed ▁the ▁Dec laration , ▁Living ston ▁did ▁not ▁actually ▁sign ▁the ▁historic ▁document .) ▁ ▁The ▁building ▁was ▁home , ▁among ▁others , ▁to ▁Bh im ra o ▁Ram ji ▁Am bed kar , ▁an ▁Indian ▁jur ist , ▁political ▁leader , ▁phil os opher , ▁anth rop ologist , ▁historian , ▁or ator , ▁pro l ific ▁writer , ▁econom ist , ▁scholar , ▁editor , ▁a ▁revolution ary ▁and ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁found ing ▁f athers ▁of ▁independent ▁India . ▁Am bed kar ▁received ▁a ▁Bar oda ▁State ▁Sch olar ship ▁of ▁ 1 1 . 5 0 ▁British ▁pounds ▁per ▁month ▁for ▁three ▁years ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 3 ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁Polit ics