A Closer Look at Chapin Auditorium
S-shaped door handles lead into the auditorium from Mary Woolley Hall.
Chapin Auditorium has been well-known to students and alumnae alike since its debut 100 years ago. Artifacts of its long history can be found everywhere from the lighting control booth to the dressing rooms. In addition to hosting Junior Shows, Spring Weekend concerts, Alumnae Award ceremonies, dance recitals, and other College events, Chapin has seen many visiting musicians, guest speakers, and student-organized shows, including:
- Concerts by James Taylor, Tom Rush, and Judy Collins, among others
- A talk by Congressman Allard K. Lowenstein of New York on “Conservation, Pollution, and the Role of the College Student”
- A lecture by Georgia state legislator Julian Bond
- A speech by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt
- The oath-taking ceremony for Women Reservists of the United States Marine Corps (nicknamed “Marinettes”) during WWII
- Performances by many professional musical groups, including the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the Vaghy String Quartet of Ontario
Read more about Chapin Auditorium.
July 15, 2016
Does anyone know the date of the Judy Collin’s concert? It was sometime between September 1, 1967 and May 31, 1969.
Thanks, Emily
I still have the ticket which is right in front of me. It was a Saturday, 12/14/68.
Who is Chapin Auditorium named after?
Chapin Auditorium was named for Mary Williams Chapin, a teacher at Mount Holyoke Seminary from 1843 to 1850 and seminary principal (equivalent to position of college president) from 1850 to 1865.
I went to a Judy Collins concert at Mount Holyoke in the late 1960’s. I was a student at UMass Amherst at the time. would you have any information on when that concert was? Thank you.
Never knew any of this when I was a student, even when I photographed Junior Show.