Many thousands of Chattanoogans, and visitors from our surrounding area and from far away, long have enjoyed attending a wide variety of events at our city’s Memorial Auditorium on McCallie Avenue.
There have been such things as school graduations, Broadway shows, concerts, sporting events, industrial and auto shows, Easter sunrise services and many other events.
But some of our people may not remember that its “full name” is the “Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium.” It was built after World War I as our community’s lasting salute to veterans of that conflict, and has continued to be a very valuable institution for our community.
It surely will continue to serve our people for many decades to come. But it does need some renovation and tailoring for current and future needs. So a committee – headed by retired Rear Adm. Vance Fry and including representatives of varied civic interests – has been convened to work with Missy Crutchfield, administrator of the Chattanooga Department of Education, Arts and Culture, for long-range planning.
The main Memorial Auditorium hall can seat about 4,000 people – but did you know there is an escalator rising to a Community Theater designed to serve smaller audiences? And there are spacious areas for varied displays, as well as smaller meeting rooms.
We have a jewel in our Memorial Auditorium. It serves us in many ways – and should become even more useful. Members of the long-range planning committee are working together, inviting your suggestions for more Memorial Auditorium uses, and for financing improvements to continue its use for many years to come in honoring the veterans of our United States military services.