Iowa State Center

Overview

Iowa State Center is located just southeast of Iowa State University's central campus in Ames, Iowa. The Iowa State Center is a complex of cultural and athletic venues. The Center consists of:

* Hilton Coliseum
* Stephens Auditorium
* Fisher Theater
* Scheman Building
* Jack Trice Stadium

James Hilton (1899-1982), the 10th president of ISU, proposed the construction of an educational, cultural and athletic complex to faculty in 1954. In 1958 the ISU Foundation was formed with the primary goal of raising funds for the construction of the Iowa State Center. The ISU Foundation still exists and is currently working on raising 800 million in donations to be used in all aspects of the University.

The state did not appropriate any funds for the construction of the Iowa State Center. The first donation for the center was two dollars from anonymous donor, the second donation was one million dollars from C.Y. Stephens. The center is located on 76 acres that used to be university agricultural fields and is ran by 40 full-time employees.

Hilton Coliseum

Hilton Coliseum was named after Dr. James H. Hilton. Dr. Hilton was the president of Iowa State University who presented the idea for the Iowa State Center. Hilton Coliseum was completed in 1971 at a cost of $8.1 million. Hilton Coliseum can seat approximately 14,000 for athletic events and 15,000 for concerts. The first event in Hilton was an agriculture conference, first athletic event was a men’s basketball game between Iowa State and Arizona in which ISU won.

tephens Auditorium

Stephens Auditorium was named after Clifford Y. Stephens for his contribution to the auditorium. Construction started in 1965 and was completed in 1969 with a cost of $4.9 million. The New York Philharmonic Orchestra presented the opening concerts during a week long festival. The 2,747 seat auditorium was named Building of the Century by the American Institute of Architects, Iowa Chapter in 2004.

Fisher Theater

Fisher Theater was named for J.W. Fisher of Marshalltown, Iowa. J.W. Fisher was a major contributor to the university and the Iowa State Center. Fisher Theater was completed in 1974 at a cost of $900,000. The theater seats 454 and is mainly used by Iowa State student theater and dance groups.

cheman Building

Scheman Building was named for Carl Scheman who was an ISU alumnus and a major contributor to the Iowa State Center. It was completed in 1975 at a cost $5.3 million and hosts small and large conferences, board meetings, pre-performance dinners, wedding receptions and much more.

The Scheman Building is also the site of the Brunnier Art Museum. It is the state's only accredited museum emphasizing a decorative arts collection, and one of the nation’s few museums located within a performing arts and conference complex.

Jack Trice Stadium

Jack Trice Stadium was completed in 1975 after two years of construction. The stadium was originally name Cyclone Stadium, but it's name was changed in 1997 to honor the schools first African-American athlete and the only ISU athlete to die from injuries suffered while competing in an athletic event, Jack Trice. The first game played in the stadium was a Cyclone victory over Air Force in September 1975. The Stadium is primarily used for NCAA college football, but has also been used for concerts.

References

* ISU Foundation [http://www.foundation.iastate.edu/site/PageServer]
* Iowa State Center, About the Center [http://www.center.iastate.edu/newsite/about/about.asp]
* ISU Athletics, Facilities [http://www.cyclones.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=10700&KEY=&ATCLID=512012&SPID=4256&SPSID=46691]

External links