Stewart Center (West Lafayette, Ind.)
Dates
- Existence: 1958-
- Usage: 1954 - 1958
- Usage: 1958 - 1972
Historical Information
In 1958 a major addition was added to the University Library and the building became the Purdue Memorial Union - Hall of Music Annex. Construction began in 1954 and the new addition provided facilities for dramatic, musical, and forensic performances; exhibit and demonstration rooms; headquarters for the Division of Adult Education; student activities; and recreational and browsing rooms. The three floors in the central part of the building also provide new reading and study rooms. "The Spirit of the Land Grant College" mural was painted above the entrance to the HSSE library in the Stewart Center at a cost of $26,000. The mural was dedicated on October 4, 1961 and depicts the story of Purdue from the signing of the Morrill Act by Abraham Lincoln, to the education of its students, to the effects Purdue's education has upon the world. The mural was provided for by architect Walter Scholer and by treasurer R. B. Stewart, and was painted by Eugene Savage. The building was renamed the Stewart Center in 1972.
Citation:
Stewart Center. Purdue Campus Facilities and Buildings Historic Database. Access September 16, 2019. http://collections.lib.purdue.edu/campus/buildings/360Found in 3 Collections and/or Records:
Campus Art Survey records
The Campus Art Survey records contain reports and inventories of the various paintings and works of art that were present on campus. The reports include the locations of the works of art at that time.
Purdue Memorial Center floor plans
Stewart Center records
The Stewart Center records contain floor plans and materials related to the building's construction and correspondence between Dr. John H. Moriarty and various distinguished groups and individuals invited to the dedication ceremony. A program from the first student play held in Loeb Playhouse is also contained within the collection as well as several library documents.