Indiana University Auditorium

Built during President Herman B Wells' tenure, the Auditorium was funded in 1938 by the Indiana General Assembly, a grant from the federal government, and with student fees and was dedicated in 1941.

In the first season the Metropolitan Opera Company performed Aida, which was the first time that the internationally renowned opera troupe gave a performance at a college or university campus. Paul H. Krauss, III, was hired in 1941 to serve as the Auditorium's first manager.

From the description of Indiana University Auditorium Manager's records, 1941-1946. (Indiana University). WorldCat record id: 50916809

The Auditorium was funded in 1938 by the Indiana General Assembly, a grant from the Federal Government, and with student fees. The building is constructed in the style of Modernized Collegiate Gothic with an exterior made of Indiana limestone, much like many of the other buildings on the IU campus. Upon construction, it was the largest building on campus.

The Indiana University Auditorium was dedicated on March 22, 1941, with a five- day dedication ceremony that included speeches by Indiana University President, Herman B Wells; Governor of the State of Indiana, Henry F. Schricker; and others. Over 26,800 people attended the five-day event, which also included a production of the play "There Shall Be No Night" starring nationally renowned performers, Alfred Lunt, Lynn Fontanne, and Montgomery Clift. In the first season the Metropolitan Opera Company performed the play "Aida" at the Auditorium, which was the first time that the internationally renowned opera troupe gave a performance at a college or on a university campus.

Once open the Auditorium was able to seat 4,000 people while the adjoining "Little Theater" seats approximately 400. Besides the "Little Theater", the building contains classrooms, workshops, the offices of the Division of Speech (now the Department of Theatre and Drama), and a practice room for the University band. Many of the musicians, actors and actresses, as well as speakers who have performed at the Auditorium throughout the years praise it for its great acoustics and subtle use of indirect lighting. Also housed in the Auditorium is the famous "Roosevelt Organ" which was built in 1889 for the Chicago Auditorium and later donated to the university by William H. Barnes in 1943.

Upon entering the building from the prominent west entrance, visitors first experience the "Hall of Murals" which are Thomas Hart Benton's murals portraying Indiana's history. These murals pay homage to Indiana's social history and diverse citizenry. Today controversy surrounds the mural depicting a group of Ku Klux Klan members gathered around a burning cross.

The Auditorium has had many well organized and entertaining productions throughout the years. In 2000,the Benton murals were restored, and the Indiana University Auditorium was re-dedicated.

Two influential individuals in the Auditorium's history were Paul H. Krauss III, who was the Auditorium's first manager, and Ward G. (W.G.) Biddle, who was a very active Secretary of the Auditorium's Board of Trustees as well as Chairman of the Dedication Committee.

Paul Krauss attended Butler University and later organized the Colony Opera Guild in New York, serving as its general manager. He was hired on Feb. 24, 1941 to be the Auditorium's first manager.

From the guide to the Indiana University Auditorium - Manager's records, 1941-1946, (Indiana University Office of University Archives and Records Management http://www.libraries.iub.edu/archives)