Foellinger Auditorium
Encyclopedia
Foellinger Auditorium is a building located on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
campus in Urbana, Illinois
. It is the southernmost building on the main quad, and is directly across the quad from the Illini Union
. Its sheer size and its dome shape make it one university’s most recognizable buildings, and it has served the university for over one hundred years. It is the university's largest lecture hall, and also often hosts public lectures, concerts, and students performances. Since the Auditorium's initial construction in 1907, it has undergone many changes, including two renovations and a rededication in honor of Helene Foellinger.
(a world famous composer), and did not obtain the Foellinger moniker until later in its history. It was designed by Clarence H. Blackall, a University of Illinois graduate of the class of 1877. Blackall was a specialist in theater design, with many other theaters to his name including the Wilbur and Colonial theaters in Boston.
Blackall’s original plan was for an auditorium that would cover 30000 square feet (2,787.1 m²), have a copper dome, and 2,500 seats. Although $200,000 was requested for the building’s construction, the State Legislature only allocated $100,000 to the project and Blackall had to scale back his original design. Instead of copper, the building was built with a sheet metal dome, and no backstage was originally included. However, despite some deviations from Blackall's original plan, upon the building’s completion and its two day dedication on November 4th and 5th, 1907, it still was capable of holding 2,500 students, more than the entire student body at the time. Patrons of the new auditorium noticed an odd echo during the dedication speeches and this led the university's physicists to examine the relatively new area of acoustics.
from 2,500 to 1,936 seats (the current capacity). The renovation also added dressing rooms and the ceiling was lowered to help eliminate the echo. In 1970 many campus planners were suggesting the now worn out Auditorium be destroyed. However, thanks to a gift from Helene Foellinger, the auditorium was instead renovated again, built and refinished to Blackall’s original design. Wings and a backstage area were added and the sheet metal roof was replaced with a copper one.
which can be accessed on the UIUC website.
John Phillip Sousa (1909),
Jane Addams
(1915),
Robert Frost
(1929),
Duke Ellington
(1948),
Eleanor Roosevelt
(1956),
Ravi Shankar
(1961),
R. Buckminster Fuller (1974),
Maya Angelou
(1996),
Bill Gates
(2004) ,
Mohammed Yunus (2010).
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
campus in Urbana, Illinois
Urbana, Illinois
Urbana is the county seat of Champaign County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 41,250. Urbana is the tenth-most populous city in Illinois outside of the Chicago metropolitan area....
. It is the southernmost building on the main quad, and is directly across the quad from the Illini Union
Illini Union
The Illini Union is a student union at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It is located just east of the intersection of Green and Wright Streets....
. Its sheer size and its dome shape make it one university’s most recognizable buildings, and it has served the university for over one hundred years. It is the university's largest lecture hall, and also often hosts public lectures, concerts, and students performances. Since the Auditorium's initial construction in 1907, it has undergone many changes, including two renovations and a rededication in honor of Helene Foellinger.
History of Foellinger Auditorium
Despite funding shortages, construction of what was originally called simply "the Auditorium" began and ended in 1907. It was originally dedicated in the honor of Edward MacDowellEdward MacDowell
Edward Alexander MacDowell was an American composer and pianist of the Romantic period. He was best known for his second piano concerto and his piano suites "Woodland Sketches", "Sea Pieces", and "New England Idylls". "Woodland Sketches" includes his most popular short piece, "To a Wild Rose"...
(a world famous composer), and did not obtain the Foellinger moniker until later in its history. It was designed by Clarence H. Blackall, a University of Illinois graduate of the class of 1877. Blackall was a specialist in theater design, with many other theaters to his name including the Wilbur and Colonial theaters in Boston.
Blackall’s original plan was for an auditorium that would cover 30000 square feet (2,787.1 m²), have a copper dome, and 2,500 seats. Although $200,000 was requested for the building’s construction, the State Legislature only allocated $100,000 to the project and Blackall had to scale back his original design. Instead of copper, the building was built with a sheet metal dome, and no backstage was originally included. However, despite some deviations from Blackall's original plan, upon the building’s completion and its two day dedication on November 4th and 5th, 1907, it still was capable of holding 2,500 students, more than the entire student body at the time. Patrons of the new auditorium noticed an odd echo during the dedication speeches and this led the university's physicists to examine the relatively new area of acoustics.
Renovations
The Auditoirum was renovated in 1937 and 1970. The first renovation in 1937 included a major seat replacement project, which reduced the seating capacitySeating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
from 2,500 to 1,936 seats (the current capacity). The renovation also added dressing rooms and the ceiling was lowered to help eliminate the echo. In 1970 many campus planners were suggesting the now worn out Auditorium be destroyed. However, thanks to a gift from Helene Foellinger, the auditorium was instead renovated again, built and refinished to Blackall’s original design. Wings and a backstage area were added and the sheet metal roof was replaced with a copper one.
Brief History of Helene Foellinger
Helene Foellinger was born in Fort Wayne Indiana and was South Side High School’s valedictorian for the class of 1928. She graduated from the University of Illinois in 1933 with a degree in math. Upon graduating, Helene worked for her father’s newspaper, the News-Sentinel. When her father unexpectedly died in 1936, Helene took over the newspaper at the young age of 25. An early pioneer for women in the business world, Helen increased the readership and profits of the News-Sentinel. Helen and her mother, Esther, established the Foellinger Foundation in 1958. The foundation currently distributes about $8 million annually to worthy causes, and focuses on helping children and families.Current Uses
Foellinger Auditorium is currently used as a large lecture hall, mainly for Economics. Foellinger is also used for guest speakers, performances, and other events. Not many are aware of the fact that the auditorium has a camera atop it...which captures live video of the Main QuadUIUC Main Campus
The Main Quadrangle at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign comprises the main campus of the university. It is a major quadrangle surrounded by buildings of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and is the center of campus activities....
which can be accessed on the UIUC website.
Past Speakers
Foellinger Auditorium has had the honor of hosting many distinguished guest speakers throughout its history. What follows is a very brief list of speakers who have graced Foellinger Auditorium with their presence over the years.John Phillip Sousa (1909),
Jane Addams
Jane Addams
Jane Addams was a pioneer settlement worker, founder of Hull House in Chicago, public philosopher, sociologist, author, and leader in woman suffrage and world peace...
(1915),
Robert Frost
Robert Frost
Robert Lee Frost was an American poet. He is highly regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech. His work frequently employed settings from rural life in New England in the early twentieth century, using them to examine complex social and...
(1929),
Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
(1948),
Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945. She supported the New Deal policies of her husband, distant cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and became an advocate for civil rights. After her husband's death in 1945, Roosevelt continued to be an international...
(1956),
Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar , often referred to by the title Pandit, is an Indian musician and composer who plays the plucked string instrument sitar. He has been described as the best known contemporary Indian musician by Hans Neuhoff in Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart.Shankar was born in Varanasi and spent...
(1961),
R. Buckminster Fuller (1974),
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou is an American author and poet who has been called "America's most visible black female autobiographer" by scholar Joanne M. Braxton. She is best known for her series of six autobiographical volumes, which focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first and most highly...
(1996),
Bill Gates
Bill Gates
William Henry "Bill" Gates III is an American business magnate, investor, philanthropist, and author. Gates is the former CEO and current chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen...
(2004) ,
Mohammed Yunus (2010).