William L. White Auditorium

William L. White Auditorium
White Auditorium
Location 111 E. 6th Ave., Emporia, Kansas 66801 USA
Coordinates 38°24′19″N 96°11′01″W / 38.4053°N 96.1835°WCoordinates: 38°24′19″N 96°11′01″W / 38.4053°N 96.1835°W
Owner The City of Emporia
Operator The City of Emporia
Capacity 5,000
Surface Grade 1, one-inch thick, northern hardwood maple
Construction
Broke ground 1940
Opened 1941
Tenants
Emporia State men's & women's basketball
Emporia State women's volleyball
KSHSAA (basketball – March)

William L. White Auditorium, commonly known as White Auditorium, is a 5,000 seat multi-purpose arena in Emporia, Kansas, that houses the Emporia State University men and women's basketball NCAA teams, as well as the women's NCAA Volleyball team. Throughout NCAA Division II programs, White Auditorium is regarded as one of the premier basketball arenas in the nation.[1]

HIstory

White Auditorium underwent its initial construction in December 1938. Although this initial phase only built the basement and foundation of the auditorium, it helped to pave the way for the next phases of construction. By April 1939, virtually all of the steel and brick work was complete on the new civic center. The outside pillars were filled in with appropriate concrete and all that remained was interior work. One year later, in May 1940, the William Lindsay White Auditorium was ready to be opened for the public.[2]

On May 6, 1940, the auditorium was dedicated and opened. Emporia threw a five day celebration which was appropriately called the Fiestaval (a phrase coined just for this event from the words FIESTA and festiVal). Although church services and formal dedications took place the first two days of this Fiestaval, by May 7, the auditorium was completed.[2]

The auditorium was pitted with a three show line up. The shows included the "Kansas Cavalcade" which was a 1000 performer act that told a mammoth epic of the west; from Kansas' involvement in the Civil War, to early Kansas Indian days, to even local monuments like the induction of Emporia's College. The fanfare carried on for another procession called "Three Cheers". This was a musical comedy starring Bobby Pope and his orchestra. The finale included the Fiestaval Grand Ball which bared host to Duke Ellington and his famous orchestra to bring the auditorium to life with style.[2]

Since 1940, the facility has been the host of the Emporia State Hornets men's basketball games, 1974 for the Emporia State Lady Hornets basketball games. When the volleyball program was established in 1973, it began playing their home games at White Auditorium. The building has also hosted a KSHSAA State High School basketball play-off tournament continually since 1955, with the exception of a three year drought in 1991, 1992, & 1993. The Lyon County League Basketball Tournament is the longest continuously running High School tournament in the Nation.[2]

Upgrades

The 71 year old facility was upgraded during the fall of 2008 with a new scoreboard and video board as well as a new color scheme on the arena floor and the throughout the entire building. The approximately $270,000 improvement project was funded with City of Emporia general fund and Convention and Visitors Bureau money, along with contributions from ESU, the Walter S. and Evan C. Jones Trust, Emporia Sports Promotions, Inc., and Sunflower Gymnastics.[1]

John Decker, former ESU graphic artist, created the color scheme, decorative striping and lettering design which gives the arena its bright new look. The auditorium’s inch-thick maple floor was sanded and refinished as well. Mounted on the south wall of the arena, the video board displays everything from player photos and statistics to game action from the floor. In the summer of 1999, the auditorium floor was replaced for the first time since 1940, using a Grade 1, one-inch thick, northern hardwood maple. The graphic design incorporates Emporia State’s new logo and the finish brings out the natural beauty of the wood. Manufacturers are calling the White Auditorium playing surface “the best in the state of Kansas.” Not only does the structure house the city’s municipal offices, but it has served as the home of Hornet basketball since 1940.[1]

White Auditorium also has served as the performing arts center for many of the top performers in the entertainment business. Sports fans visiting ESU athletic events will benefit from the recently resurfaced and redesigned hardwood floor. The surface, designed by Shawn Honea and selected by a group of University and community leaders, was constructed by Wich-craft IMS, using a revolutionary Hilliard waterborne two-part apoxy. During the 1994-95 men’s and women’s basketball season, the Auditorium was renovated and bleacher seating was added to the south end of the court, expanding the seating capacity from 3,700 to 5,000.[1]

ESU rents the auditorium on a year-to-year basis, saving the State of Kansas millions of dollars in tax funds annually. The University also uses the facility for commencement ceremonies, concerts, and various clinics.[1]

Slaymaker Court

On February 20, 2013, the Emporia City Commission voted to name the floor of White Auditorium, Coach Slay, Ron Slaymaker Court, named after longtime men's basketball coach and ESU's winningest coach.[3] On February 28, 2013, one week later, during the halftime of the men's ESU-Washburn game, Ron Slaymaker, and his family, alongside ESU President, Michael D. Shonrock, ESU Athletic Director, Kent Weiser, and the Mayor of Emporia, Bobbi Mylnar, unveiled the design of Ron Slaymaker Court, debuting in the fall of 2013.[4]

Notable guests

White Auditorium has been the host for Circuses, trade-shows, commencement ceremonies, The Annual Seasonal Celebrations, concerts and performance’s with such notables as Louis Armstrong, The Israeli Ballet, The Beach Boys, The Cowsills, Little River Band, Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show, George Strait, Alan Jackson, and John Denver. Notable speakers have included Eleanor Roosevelt, Eric Severeid, and George Gallup III.[2]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "About William Lindsay White Auditorium". Emporia State University. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "History". Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  3. ↑ "Emporia City Commission Approves Ron Slaymaker Court at White Auditorium". Emporia State University. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  4. ↑ "Thursday, February 26, 2013 Celebration of Slaymaker Court at halftime of ESU v. Washburn Game". ESU Spotlight com.dotmarketing.viewtools.content.SelectMap@3f4b4e5a[options=[Fall, Spring, Summer],values=[fall, spring, summer],selectValue=spring] 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2014.

External links