UNO Arts & Sciences Hall 80th Anniversary, 1938-2018
A new exhibit, UNO Arts & Sciences Hall 80th Anniversary, 1938-2018, runs September 19 through December 21, 2018, on the lower level of Criss Library.
Arts & Sciences Hall under construction from the northwest, 1937.
Construction completed on the Arts & Sciences Hall (1938), the first building on the new University of Omaha campus.
Learn about the history of Arts and Sciences Hall in a new exhibit from Archives & Special Collections’ University Archives. Photographs, documents, and memorabilia trace the construction and opening of the first building on the Dodge Street campus in the display UNO Arts & Sciences Hall 80th Anniversary, 1938-2018.
This fall marks the 80th anniversary of the opening of the UNO Arts & Sciences Hall, the first building on the Dodge Street campus. Construction of the Arts & Sciences Hall began in early January of 1937 and was largely completed by Mid-March of 1938. Funding for the one million dollar project included a $414,000 grant from the Public Works Administration. Contractors for the project included, John Latenser & Sons, architect; Peter Kiewit Sons, grading, and A. Borchman Sons general construction. The fully air-conditioned American-Georgian style structure, then called the Administration Building, was designed to accommodate 1,000 students and included a 350 seat lecture hall, fifty classrooms, a multipurpose auditorium, and a 40,000 book library. The Arts & Sciences Hall officially opened in September of 1938 to wide acclaim and a 40% increase in enrollment.
The exhibit was curated by University Archivist Les Valentine with assistance from Archives & Special Collections Associate Angela Kroeger.