The Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center at East Central University will be dedicated at 4 p.m. Friday [SEPT. 25] in a ceremony in the center's Ataloa Theatre.
Participating will be ECU President John Hargrave, Chickasaw Nation Gov. Bill Anoatubby, Regent Connie Reilly of the Regional University System of Oklahoma, architect Patrick Bumpas of Rees and Associates Inc., Bud Magnum of Shiloh Enterprises Inc. and Student Senate President Lauren Hensley. ECU student Brittany Trail will sing ECU's alma mater.
Two families who made significant donations to the building will be honored. Charlotte Herman will represent the Chalmers Herman family, and Allyn Ford will represent the Hallie Brown Ford family.
The Chalmers Herman Theatre in the fine arts center is named for Charlotte Herman's late husband. Hallie Brown Ford's initial $5.5 million gift, the largest in the university's history, was the stimulus for other funds raised to construct the fine arts center.
Tours of the center, which houses the Art, Communication and Music Departments, will be available from 3 to 3:45 p.m. and from 5 to 6:45 p.m. on Friday and from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday.
The dedication and two performances of "ECU, A Year in the Life: Celebrating 100," a light-hearted look at 100 years of ECU's history, will end a week of Centennial celebrations. The show will be presented at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday [SEPT. 25 and 26] in the Ataloa Theatre.
Advanced tickets are recommended. Free tickets should be reserved by calling 580-559-5664. Tickets for any remaining seats will be available at the box office.
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