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Foellinger Auditorium is a building on the University of Illinois campus. It is the southernmost building on the main quad, and is directly across the quad from the Illini Union. It is one of university’s most recognizable buildings, and has served the university for over one hundred years.

Foellinger Auditorium

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Built	1907
Architect	Clarence H. Blackall
Capacity	2,500 (pre-renovation) 1,936 post renovation
Rededication	To Helene Foellinger in 1983
Current Uses	Classes, public lectures, concerts, student performances
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History of Foellinger

Despite funding shortages, Foellinger Auditorium was constructed in 1907.It was originally dedicated in the honor of Edward MacDowell (a world famous composer), and did not go by Foellinger 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 30,000 square feet, 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 design. Instead of copper, the building has a sheet metal dome, and no backstage was originally included. However, upon the building’s completion and its dedication on November 4th, 1987, it still was capable of holding 2,500 students, totaling more than the entire student body at the time.Patrons of the new auditorium noticed an odd echo during the dedication speeches in the auditorium, and this led physicist to examine the relatively new area of acoustics.

Renovations

Foellinger Auditoirum was renovated in 1937 and 1970. The first renovation included a major seat replacement project, which reduced the seating capacity 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 down Foellinger Auditorium be destroyed. However, thanks to a generous gift from Helene Foellinger, the auditorium was instead built and refinished to Blackall’s original design. Wings and a backstage area were added the sheet metal roof was replaced for 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-Sentinell.  When her father unexpectedly died in 1936, Helene took over the newspaper at the young age of 25.  An early pioneer in the business world for women, Helen increased the readership and profits of the News-Sentinel.  Helen and her mother, Esther, established the Foellinger Foundation in 1958.  The foundation currently distributed 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. Many large introductory classes are held there, and most students will have at least one class, probably more, in Foellinger before graduating. Foellinger is also used for guest speakers, performances, and other events.

Past Speakers

John Phillip Sousa (1909), Jane Addams (1915), Robert Frost (1929), Ravi Shankar (1961), Duke Ellington (1948), Eleanor Roosevelt (1956), R. Buckminster Fuller (1974), Maya Angelou (1996), Bill Gates (2004).

Upcoming Events

Click beleow for a full listing of upcoming events at Foellinger Auditorium.

http://illinois.edu/calendar/Calendar?calId=133

Bibliography

Foellinger Auditorium. 2007. The Board of Trustees at the University of Illinois. October 2, 2008. <http://www.foellinger.uiuc.edu/index.html>

University of Illinois: Campus Tours. Kalev Leetaru. October 2, 2008. <http://uitours.ncsa.uiuc.edu/museumsentertainment/foellinger/>

Helene Foellinger: Pioneer in the Industry. Chelsea Brune. 2008. <http://fwnextweb1.fortwayne.com/ns/projects/175anniv/0707anniv2.php>