Foster Auditorium

Foster Auditorium
Ttownfeen · Public domain · source
Name	Foster Auditorium
Location	University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Built	1939
Architect	D. O. Whilldin
Architecture	Art Deco
Designated nrhp type	2005
Partof	University of Alabama

Foster Auditorium is a multi-purpose facility on the campus of the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Completed in 1939, it is most historically significant as the site of the "Stand in the Schoolhouse Door" on June 11, 1963, a pivotal confrontation in the Civil Rights Movement when Governor George Wallace attempted to block the enrollment of two African American students, Vivian Malone and James Hood.

History and Construction

Foster Auditorium was constructed in 1939 during the tenure of University President Richard Clarke Foster, for whom the building is named. It was designed by prominent Alabama architect D. O. Whilldin in the Art Deco style, a popular architectural form of the era. The building was originally conceived as a multi-use venue to serve the growing university community. Its primary functions included housing the university's Department of Health and Physical Education for Women, containing a large gymnasium and swimming pool, and serving as a major site for university assemblies, concerts, and basketball games. For decades, it was a central gathering place on the University of Alabama campus, reflecting the segregated nature of the institution and the state during the Jim Crow era.

The Stand in the Schoolhouse Door

The defining event in the history of Foster Auditorium occurred on June 11, 1963. In a symbolic attempt to uphold his inaugural promise of "segregation forever," Governor George Wallace stood in the doorway of the auditorium to physically block the enrollment of two African American students, Vivian Malone and James Hood. This act, known as the "Stand in the Schoolhouse Door," was a direct challenge to federal authority and the desegregation orders following the landmark Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision. Wallace's stand was a staged political spectacle, orchestrated after a federal district court had ordered the university to admit the students. The confrontation ended when President John F. Kennedy federalized the Alabama National Guard, and Deputy Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach commanded Wallace to step aside, which he eventually did.

Integration of the University of Alabama

The successful enrollment of Vivian Malone and James Hood at Foster Auditorium marked the culmination of a long legal and political struggle to integrate the University of Alabama. While Autherine Lucy had been briefly admitted in 1956, her enrollment was violently opposed and she was expelled. The 1963 event, therefore, represented a decisive moment of federal enforcement of civil rights. The presence of Deputy Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach and the federalized Alabama National Guard underscored the Kennedy administration's commitment to ending racial segregation in education. This event was a catalyst for further federal action, helping to build momentum for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Architectural Features and Renovations

Designed by D. O. Whilldin, Foster Auditorium is a notable example of Art Deco architecture in Alabama. Its original design featured a symmetrical facade, streamlined geometric details, and a prominent central entrance. The interior housed a large gymnasium, a swimming pool known as the "Natatorium," classrooms, and offices. For many years after the 1963 event, the building remained in use but its historical significance was not formally highlighted. A major renovation project was undertaken in the 2000s. Completed in 2011, the renovation modernized the facility for use by the university's Department of Kinesiology and restored the historic entrance where the Stand occurred. The project aimed to preserve the building's architectural integrity while adapting it for contemporary academic use.

Legacy and Historical Designations

The legacy of Foster Auditorium is inextricably linked to the Civil Rights Movement and the struggle against racial segregation in American education. It stands as a physical monument to a turning point where federal authority was used to enforce constitutional rights. In recognition of its national significance, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. It is also included as a contributing property within the University of Alabama Campus Historic District. These designations formally acknowledge the auditorium's role in one of the most iconic confrontations of the civil rights era, ensuring its preservation as a site of memory and education.

Commemorations and Memorials

In the decades following the Stand in the Schoolhouse Door, the University of Alabama has taken steps to commemorate the event and honor the individuals involved. A historical marker was placed at the site. In 2010, the university's Board of Trustees voted to name the plaza in front of Foster Auditorium in honor of Autherine Lucy Foster, the university's first African American student. A clock tower was erected on the plaza, named for Vivian Malone, one of the students admitted in 1963. These commemorations, including the Autherine Lucy Foster Plaza and the Malone-Hood Plaza, serve as permanent memorials to the courage of the students and the transformative moment in the university's and the nation's history that occurred at Foster Auditorium.