Micheels Hall is named in honor of William J. Micheels who, between 1961 and 1972, served as president of what was then Stout State College and Stout State University.
During his inaugural address, he pledged to make liberal arts an integral core in the education of Stout students, in keeping with the philosophy of the school's founder, James Huff Stout, who believed in educating "the whole student." He also envisioned an art program that would serve as a bridge on the campus between technology and liberal studies. Today, the College of Arts and Sciences is the largest academic unit on campus, and the department of art and design is the largest in the state.
Micheels Hall links Jarvis Hall and the Applied Arts Building. It houses an art gallery, a general access computer lab and other educational facilities.