Brennan Hall, a three-unit complex, was constructed as a men's dormitory to accommodate the influx of students the University experienced following World War II. The north unit (Brennan I) was occupied in 1953, followed by the middle and south units (Brennan II and III) in 1962. The complex was named for S. Carnot Brennan who served for 33 years as a member of the Municipal University Board of Regents, one of the longest tenures of any member on the University's local board, which began in 1886 as the Board of Trustees of Fairmount College and continues today as the WSU Board of Trustees. Brennan graduated from Fairmount College in 1917 where he was captain of the football team. He was in the insurance business in Wichita for many years and headed the Social Security Administration in Wichita.

The building ceased to serve as a residence hall after the construction of Shocker Hall in 2014.

At present the middle unit serves as temporary space for offices displaced by renovations, while the north and south units provides office space for the Division of Student Affairs, including the Career Development Center, Upward Bound, Wichita Prep, Kansas Kids @ GEAR UP and Talent Search.