The Iowa State Center is located just southeast of Iowa State University's central campus in Ames, Iowa. It is a complex of cultural and athletic venues. The Center consists of the following: Hilton Coliseum, Stephens Auditorium, Fisher Theater, Scheman Building, and Jack Trice Stadium.
James Hilton (1899–1982), the 10th president of ISU, [1] proposed the construction of an educational, cultural and athletic complex to faculty in 1954. In 1958 the ISU Foundation was formed with the primary goal of raising funds for the construction of the Iowa State Center. [2] The ISU Foundation still exists and is currently working on raising $800 million in donations to be used in all aspects of the University. [3]
The state did not appropriate any funds for the construction of the Center. The first donation was two dollars from an anonymous donor, the second donation was one million dollars from C. Y. Stephens, for whom Stephens Auditorium is named. The center is located on 76 acres (310,000 m2), originally university agricultural fields, and is run by 40 full-time employees. [4]
| Structure | Completion Date | Cost | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fisher Theater | 1974 | $900,000 | 454 |
| Hilton Coliseum | 1971 | $8.1 million | 14,356 |
| Jack Trice Stadium | 1975 | $7.6 million | 61,500 |
| Scheman Building | 1975 | $5.3 million | - |
| Stephens Auditorium | 1969 | $4.9 million | 2,747 |
Stephens Auditorium was named after Clifford Y. Stephens for his contribution to the auditorium. Construction started in 1965 and was completed in 1969 with a cost of $4.9 million. The New York Philharmonic Orchestra presented the opening concerts during a week long festival. The 2,747 seat auditorium was named Building of the Century by the American Institute of Architects, Iowa Chapter in 2004. [5]
Hilton Coliseum was named after Dr. James H. Hilton. Dr. Hilton was the president of Iowa State University who presented the idea for the Iowa State Center. Hilton Coliseum was completed in 1971 at a cost of $8.1 million. Hilton Coliseum can seat approximately 14,000 for athletic events and 15,000 for concerts. The first event in Hilton was an agriculture conference; the first athletic event was a men’s basketball game between Iowa State and Arizona in which ISU won.
Fisher Theater was named for J. W. Fisher of Marshalltown, Iowa. J. W. Fisher was a major contributor to the university and the Iowa State Center. Fisher Theater was completed in 1974 at a cost of $900,000. The theater seats 454 and is mainly used by Iowa State student theater and dance groups. [6]
Jack Trice Stadium was completed in 1975 after two years of construction. The stadium was originally named Cyclone Stadium, but its name was changed in 1997 to honor the school's first African-American athlete and the only ISU athlete to die from injuries suffered while competing in an athletic event, Jack Trice. The first game played in the stadium was a Cyclone victory over Air Force in September 1975. The stadium is primarily used for NCAA college football, but has also been used for concerts.
Scheman Building was named for Carl Scheman who was an ISU alumnus and a major contributor to the Iowa State Center. It was completed in 1975 at a cost $5.3 million and hosts small and large conferences, board meetings, pre-performance dinners, wedding receptions and much more.
The Scheman Building is also the site of the Brunnier Art Museum. It is the state's only accredited museum emphasizing a decorative arts collection, and one of the nation’s few museums located within a performing arts and conference complex. [7]
Ames is a city in Story County, Iowa, United States, located approximately 30 miles (48 km) north of Des Moines in central Iowa. It is best known as the home of Iowa State University (ISU), with leading agriculture, design, engineering, and veterinary medicine colleges. A United States Department of Energy national laboratory, Ames Laboratory, is located on the ISU campus.
Iowa State University of Science and Technology,, is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. It is the largest university in the state of Iowa and the third largest university in the Big 12 athletic conference. Iowa State is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" and is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU).
The Iowa State University campus contains over 160 buildings, several of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Iowa State University's campus, specifically its Central Campus, has been recognized as one of the nation's most beautiful and was listed as a "medallion site" by the American Society of Landscape Architects in 1999.
Jack Trice Stadium is a stadium, in Ames, Iowa, United States. It is primarily used for college football and is the home field of the Iowa State Cyclones. It opened on September 20, 1975, with a 17–12 win over Air Force.
James H. Hilton Coliseum, commonly Hilton Coliseum, is a 14,384-seat multi-purpose arena located in Ames, Iowa. The arena opened in 1971. It is home to the Iowa State University Cyclones men's and women's basketball teams, wrestling, gymnastics and volleyball teams.
Reiman Gardens is a 17- acre university-owned public garden located immediately south of Jack Trice Stadium on the Iowa State University (ISU) campus in Ames, Iowa. Reiman Gardens is a year-round garden with events, programs, lectures, tours and ISU student classes that has consistently been one of the top visited attractions in Central Iowa. It is open seven days per week; 10:00 am to 4:30 pm, with extended hours in the summer season and extended evening hours for its events. The Gardens are closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.
The DakotaDome is a 10,000-seat multi-purpose stadium on N. Dakota Street in Vermillion, South Dakota. Opened in 1979 for a cost of $8.2 million, it is home to the University of South Dakota Coyotes for numerous athletic events, including football, men's and women's swimming and diving, and track. The DakotaDome was also the home site for the NAIA school Briar Cliff University football team from 2013 until 2017, when they re-located 25 miles to the southeast to Sioux City, Iowa, which is where their campus is located. The DakotaDome hosts other events throughout the year, including the South Dakota high school football championships each November. In 2014 a proposal for a new basketball arena went through and construction began just south of the Dome. The new arena, the Sanford Coyote Sports Center, which seats 6,000, first opened for the 2016 women's volleyball season.
The Iowa State Cyclones are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Iowa State University, located in Ames. The university is a member of the Big 12 Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding 16 varsity teams in 12 sports.
John G. "Jack" Trice was a football player who became the first African-American athlete for Iowa State College. Trice died due to injuries suffered during a college football game against the University of Minnesota on October 6, 1923. He is the namesake for Jack Trice Stadium, Iowa State's football stadium.
John Michael Orr was an American basketball player and coach, best known as the head coach of men's basketball at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, University of Michigan, and at Iowa State University. In the 1975-76 season, Orr was named National Coach of the Year.
State Gymnasium is an arena on the campus of Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. It was opened in 1913, and once was the school's primary indoor athletic facility, before the opening of Hilton Coliseum. It is located at the corner of Union Drive, just north of the site of the former Clyde Williams Stadium.
The Iowa State Cyclones are the football team at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. The team is coached by Matt Campbell. The Cyclones compete in the Big 12 Conference, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) member of the NCAA. The Cyclones play their home games at Jack Trice Stadium, with a capacity of 61,500.
The Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball team represents Iowa State University (ISU) and competes in the Big 12 Conference of NCAA Division I. The team is coached by Steve Prohm, who is in his 5th year at Iowa State. The Cyclones play their home games at Hilton Coliseum on Iowa State's campus.
The Iowa State University Cyclone Football 'Varsity' Marching Band (ISUCF'V'MB) is the marching band of Iowa State University. Also known as the Cyclone Marching Band (CMB), it is nicknamed the "Pride of Iowa State", the "Best of the Midwest", and the "Varsity Band". The band performs in support of the Iowa State Cyclones football team at all home games and at some away games versus Big 12 Conference rivals. The band plays at high school band festivals, indoor concerts, and post-season bowl games.
Christian Petersen (1885–1961) was a Danish-born American sculptor and university teacher. He was the first permanent artist in residence at a U.S. college or university, and he is noted for the large body of sculpture associated with a single place, Iowa State College, now Iowa State University.
The Iowa State Cyclones women's basketball team represents Iowa State University (ISU) and competes in the Big 12 Conference of NCAA Division I. The team is coached by Bill Fennelly, he is in his 24th year at Iowa State. The Cyclones play their home games at Hilton Coliseum on Iowa State's campus.
The Iowa State Cyclones wrestling team represents Iowa State University (ISU) and competes in the Big 12 Conference of NCAA Division I. The Cyclones are 8 time National Champions, 17 time National Runners-Up, and have 45 Top 4 Finishes. The team is coached by Kevin Dresser. The Cyclones host their home meets at Hilton Coliseum on Iowa State's campus. Iowa State became the first collegiate wrestling program to reach 1000 dual wins on February 7, 2010.
Clyde Williams Field was an outdoor stadium on the campus of Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. It was the home of the Iowa State Cyclones football and track and field teams.
The Capitol Theater was a 700-seat theater in Burlington, Iowa. Opened in 1937, with the first showing being Mark Twain's classic "The Prince and the Pauper". The theater was both a movie theater and an auditorium used for performances. The theater closed in March 1977, the final showing was the Stephen King horror classic "Carrie".
The 2015 Iowa State Cyclones football team represented Iowa State University in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Playing as a member of the Big 12 Conference, the team played its home games at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa. They were led by seventh-year head coach Paul Rhoads. They finished the season 3–9, 2–7 in Big 12 play to finish in ninth place.
42°01′15″N93°38′13″W / 42.020855°N 93.636972°W Coordinates: 42°01′15″N93°38′13″W / 42.020855°N 93.636972°W