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Then and Now: Macky Auditorium
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Name: Macky Auditorium
Year Built: Construction began in 1909 and finishedÌýinÌý1922.ÌýThe inaugural concert took placeÌýMay 19, 1923.
Architect: Gove & Walsh of Denver
Today:ÌýMacky remains Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder's biggest and most glamorous indoor concert hall.ÌýStudents and faculty from the College of Music’s band, orchestra, opera and jazz programs perform there, as wellÌýas visiting artists hosted byÌýÅ·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Presents and a who's-who of guest speakers.ÌýEleanor Roosevelt, the Dalai Lama, Yo-Yo Ma, Jane Goodall, Robin Williams, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Bill Nye, Antonin Scalia, Sonia Sotomayor, Buzz Aldrin and Anderson Cooper, among many others, have all appeared on the Macky stage.
Once Upon a Time: When Andrew J. Macky, gold rush settler and founding director of the First National Bank in Boulder, died in 1907, he bequeathed $300,000 to Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ to build an auditorium. Legal tussles withÌýMacky’s adopted daughter, May, led to construction delays, andÌýthe building took 13 years to complete. In 1922, Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ’s Board of Regents appropriated $20,000 forÌýa pipe organ.
Did You Know: In 1971, several hundred students attempted to crash a sold-out Neil Young concert, breaking the glass in the foyer doors, and fighting off police armed with fire hoses.
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Information and historic photos courtesy of Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵÌýHeritage Center; Interior photoÌýbyÌýGlenn Asakawa/University of Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder