Iowa State Center
The Iowa State Center is located just southeast of Iowa State University's central campus in Ames, Iowa. It is a complex of cultural and athletic venues. The Center consists of the following: Hilton Coliseum, Stephens Auditorium, Fisher Theater, Scheman Building, and 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 Center. The first donation was two dollars from an anonymous donor, the second donation was one million dollars from C. Y. Stephens, for whom Stephens Auditorium is named. The center is located on 76 acres (310,000 m2), originally university agricultural fields, and is run by 40 full-time employees.
Main entrance Hilton Coliseum
North entrance to Stephens Auditorium
South entrance of Fisher Theater
Main entrance of Scheman Building
Jack Trice Football Complex
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.
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; the first athletic event was a men’s basketball game between Iowa State and Arizona in which ISU won.
...
Wikipedia