atherine ▁D ex ter ▁McC orm ick ▁purchased ▁the ▁property . ▁ ▁McC orm ick ▁was ▁the ▁daughter ▁of ▁Judge ▁Samuel ▁D ex ter ' s ▁son ▁W irt , ▁and ▁had ▁been ▁born ▁in ▁Gordon ▁Hall ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 5 . ▁ ▁She ▁had ▁graduated ▁from ▁the ▁Massachusetts ▁Institute ▁of ▁Technology ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 4 ▁with ▁a ▁B S ▁in ▁Bi ology ; ▁the ▁Institute ' s ▁second ▁woman ▁gradu ate . ▁She ▁then ▁married ▁Stanley ▁McC orm ick , ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁C yrus ▁McC orm ick . ▁ ▁K atherine ▁McC orm ick ▁conducted ▁research ▁in ▁bio chem istry ▁and ▁sch iz op hren ia , ▁was ▁instrument al ▁in ▁ach ieving ▁the ▁rat ification ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁am end ment ▁allowing ▁women ▁to ▁vote , ▁and ▁co - f ounded ▁the ▁League ▁of ▁Women ▁V ot ers . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁she ▁purchased ▁Gordon ▁Hall , ▁McC orm ick ▁was ▁living ▁in ▁California . ▁ ▁She ▁h ired ▁Emil ▁Lor ch , ▁de an ▁emer it us ▁of ▁the ▁College ▁or ▁Architecture ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Michigan , ▁to ▁restore ▁the ▁house , ▁thinking ▁to ▁turn ▁it ▁into ▁a ▁place ▁that ▁could ▁be ▁used ▁by ▁D ex ter ' s ▁women ' s ▁clubs . ▁ ▁Lor ch ▁spent ▁eight ▁years ▁rest oring ▁and ▁ref urb ishing ▁the ▁building , ▁including ▁the ▁removal ▁of ▁the ▁four - story ▁tower ▁built ▁by ▁Mill is ent ▁D ex ter ▁and ▁re building ▁the