Auburn pathfinders, Katherine Broun, Willie Gertrude Little and Margaret Teague, will soon be commemorated for their leadership in 1892 with the groundbreaking of Theater III, an outdoor classroom.
Theater III will be located between on the Mell Concourse between the dorms the women lived in throughout their time at Auburn and the Mell Classroom building.
When discussing the Mell Concourse and what it would include, the idea of a tangible, practical piece commemorating the enrollment of women at Auburn sat heavy with those planning the year of events.
Vice President for Development Jane Parker said the placement is strategic as those sitting and listening to a lecture in the outdoor space will face the dorms where women first lived and those teaching will face the direction of Samford Hall, or "Old Main," where the women first went to take their entrance exams on the "sunny fall morning" of Sept. 13, 1892.
Their story, documented by Leah Rawls Atkins, Auburn alumna and author of “Blossoms Amid The Deep Verdure: A Century of Women at Auburn 1892-1992," is told in detail.
The three women were taking those exams to enter Auburn for their junior year. At the time of their entry, there were strict rules about their participation on campus. Despite pushback from other schools around the state, the University of Alabama being one, the women had support from a father, University President LeRoy Broun.
"The location is highly visible and most students will attend classes in the Mell Classroom at some point," Parker said. "We thought, 'How can we attach at least a temporary name to that space that signifies its association with the 125th anniversary of the enrollment of women."
Parker said the conceptual design will feature theater style seating, resembling benches with their backs facing the Mell Classroom. On the face of each seat will be the names of those who have donated to the construction of Theater III. Parker said she envisions arched seating with a place for teachers to conduct their classes.
"We live in a part of the country where for much of the year the climate is really good," Parker said. "I can't imagine that it won't be heavily used. I think it will be a very sought after teaching and learning space."
Parker said the commemoration efforts aren't limited to the Office of Alumni Affairs. Facilities Management, the University Architect, the Office of Development, the Office of the Provost and the Office of Alumni Affairs have all pitched in to work on the design, fundraising and placement of Theater III.
"Across campus, different colleges, schools, units and the museum — they are doing things in commemoration of [the 125th anniversary]," Parker said. "This really has become a University-wide effort to commemorate this very important anniversary."
Fundraising for the space has begun, and Parker said the names of those who wish to be placed on the backs of the seats that will face the Quad dormitories can be placed after a donation of $125. For more prominent placement, larger donations will be accepted.
"We wanted to do something that would enable a broad range of people to participate in this, which is why the initial naming level is $125. We want it to be accessible," Parker said.
Parker called the fundraising efforts a crowd funding effort where men and women can be commemorated, memorialized and honored for their past and present as Auburn graduates. The public can submit names of those they admire who have left or their own names.
At the moment, they are unaware of whether the names will be on plates or engraved in the seats.
"It'll be a really significant opportunity to recognize this event in the life of Auburn University," Parker said.
In addition to Theater III, the team is working on another tangible placement on the Mell Concourse close to the outdoor classroom. Parker said the team is still in the early stages of planning, but they are looking into the addition of a statue. Parker is optimistic about this project as it is still in the brainstorming stages.
"We will have Theater III and potentially this sculpture all on the path to Old Main, which is now Samford Hall," Parker said. "It was all conceived very strategically, just to focus on the three women and their path to Auburn."
Parker said she believes construction will begin spring 2018.
In a letter from Atkins and a video from Student Government Association President Jacqueline Keck, they said Theater III will be open for classes and events in fall 2018. The deadline to give is Oct. 5, 2018.
"This truly is a significant moment in the life of this University," Parker said. "The enrollment of the first three women in the University really changed this institution for the better. When you think about what Auburn women have accomplished, it's really mind boggling. I think it is appropriate for us to acknowledge how that started and when it started."
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