The idea for an auditorium was conceived in 1921, when a group of Athens-area alumni came together to explore the possibility of building an auditorium to meet the needs of the growing Ohio University. The ground was broken in July 1927 and on January 20, 1929, Memorial Auditorium was dedicated by the Ohio University alumni. In 1993, the Board of Trustees renamed the facility to honor the first African-American graduates of Ohio University, John Newton Templeton and Martha Jane Hunley Blackburn.
On the College Green side of the building, bronze plaques commemorate such distinguished visitors as Martin Luther King Jr., Eleanor Roosevelt, and U.S. Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Carter.
In 1997, the auditorium closed its doors for a 24-month, $5.8 million renovation and restoration project that focused on increasing audience comfort. With wider seats that are placed in rows farther apart for more leg room, patrons were able to enjoy events even more. Other improvements included updating backstage technical support systems, an installing an automated orchestra lift and state-of-the-art sound system.
John Templeton
John Templeton was born a slave in 1805 and freed in 1813. He graduated from Ohio University, with an A.B. in 1828, being the first black man to do so and the fourth African-American to graduate from a U.S. college. He was an educator and co-edited "The Mystery," a black newspaper.
Martha Jane Hunley Blackburn
Martha Jane Hunley Blackburn was the first black woman to graduate from Ohio University, with a B.S. ED. in 1916. She majored in English and Literature with a minor in Home Economics. She taught Home Economics in Ohio and West Virginia.