Chester Fritz Auditorium Records

The Chester Fritz Auditorium is located west of the English Coulee and on the south side of University Avenue. The Auditorium stands 85 feet high, covers 26,000 square feet, with over two acres of interior flooring. The building can seat up to 2,400 people. The Auditorium was constructed with over 12 million pounds of concrete and 1.3 million pounds of steel framing. The Chester Fritz Auditorium was funded by three sources, the first being Chester Fritz himself. He donated $1 million, which was matched by an appropriation from the State of North Dakota. An additional $1 million was raised from private donations. The Chester Fritz Auditorium held groundbreaking ceremonies on June 26, 1970. After hard work and some setbacks, including a sheet metal workers strike, the Auditorium was finished and ready for its first event on October 12, 1972. The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and Philharmonic Choir was the first event in the "Fritz." Today the Chester Fritz Auditorium plays an important role on the campus of the University of North Dakota. There are many types of entertainment held there each year, including dance and musical groups, lectures, and theater performances. When Chester Fritz donated his money to build the Auditorium he stated it would be a place where, "Students, faculty and staff can listen appreciatively to the great dramas, oratorios, operas, concerts, and contemporary thinkers...where students may gain clearer visions of truth, beauty and integrity...and where opportunity for weighing comparative values will inspire listening students to rise to higher planes of world understanding, purpose and stewardship."

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