Carmichael Auditorium (Carmichael Arena)

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Storyline about this site, with a page of its own:

• Building Carmichael Auditorium, 1964–1965

1. by June 4, 1964 Construction begins on Carmichael Auditorium Work started on the $1,725,000 William D. Carmichael Jr. Auditorium beside Woollen Gymnasium, scheduled for completion in less than a year. Athletic director Chuck Erickson expected the larger arena to end the $30,000 to $35,000 a year the University lost on basketball in the 4,000-seat gym. The News of Orange County (Hillsborough), June 4, 1964, p. 12
2. 1965 Don Stewart's Carmichael Auditorium is completed as the state's largest single-span building Stewart designed Carmichael Auditorium, finished in 1965, with a roof carried on steel beams held by steel tie rods anchored in the ground. The book says it was the largest single-span building in North Carolina when it was built. People: Don Stewart NC Digital Collections: M. Ruth Little, The Town and Gown Architecture of Chapel Hill, 1795-1975 (2004), p. 91 · Also: The Daily Tar Heel, October 13, 1965, p. 1; The Daily Tar Heel, December 5, 1965, p. 1
3. 1965 UNC names its Chapel Hill gymnasium for William D. Carmichael Jr. Four years after his death the university named the gymnasium at Chapel Hill for Carmichael. NCpedia lists buildings named for him on three campuses, the television building at Greensboro, the gymnasium at Raleigh and the auditorium at Chapel Hill. Carolina Story: William D. Carmichael, Jr., (1900-1961) and Carmichael Auditorium
4. October 12, 1965 Carmichael Auditorium is christened at the University Day convocation About 4,000 students, faculty and guests filled the new Carmichael Auditorium for the University Day convocation marking the University's 170th year, the building's first use. The floor and basketball goals were still unfinished, and officials planned to complete the building before basketball season. People: Paul F. Sharp, William C. Friday The Daily Tar Heel, October 13, 1965, p. 1
5. April 1-8, 1973 The second Black Arts Cultural Festival brings Don L. Lee and the Bar-Kays The BSM's second Black Arts Cultural Festival, Habari Kwa Afrika, ran a week: poet Don L. Lee lectured on renewing ties to Africa, Owusu Sadaukai of Malcolm X Liberation University and Mayor Howard Lee discussed education and Black survival, the Bar-Kays played Carmichael Auditorium, and the Ebony Expressions players and the BSM drama group staged one-act plays. The choir, dancers, readers and actors closed it on April 8 with Flavored in Black in Memorial Hall. People: Howard N. Lee Black Ink (Black Student Movement, UNC), April 1973, p. 4
6. October 12, 1973 Senator Sam Ervin speaks at University Day Senator Sam Ervin, chairman of the Senate Watergate committee, gave the University Day address on American freedoms. Black Ink set his words against his votes on the civil rights laws. Black Ink (Black Student Movement, UNC), October 1973, p. 2 · Also: The Daily Tar Heel, October 12, 1973, p. 1; The Daily Tar Heel, October 15, 1973, p. 1
7. November 2, 1973 Earth, Wind & Fire plays Carmichael Auditorium The eight-man band Earth, Wind & Fire gave a concert in Carmichael Auditorium that Black Ink called electrifying. A letter in the same issue complained that the Daily Tar Heel had not covered it at all. Black Ink (Black Student Movement, UNC), December 1973, p. 8
8. January 11, 1975 UNC plays Howard University, the first Black college scheduled by an ACC school Howard University's basketball team became the first Black institution ever scheduled by an Atlantic Coast Conference member when it met the Tar Heels in Carmichael Auditorium. Howard led 8-0 early but lost 109-67; Black Ink later noted that many Black students in the crowd cheered for Howard. People: Dean Smith Black Ink (Black Student Movement, UNC), February 1975, p. 6
9. October 31, 1975 Muhammad Ali visits UNC and speaks in Carmichael Auditorium Brought by the Black Student Movement, heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali came to the campus, met people at a reception in Morehead Planetarium and spoke in Carmichael Auditorium. Black Ink's stories on the visit went unprinted that month because the BSM's funds were frozen. Black Ink (Black Student Movement, UNC), May 1976, p. 7
10. early March 1976 UNC approves new seats adding 900 places to Carmichael Auditorium A joint committee of athletic, faculty, student and general administration members approved replacing Carmichael Auditorium's 6,617 permanent seats with narrower backed aluminum seats, raising capacity from 8,200 to about 9,100, with half the new places going to students. South Carolina Seating Co. was to do the $62,000 job between June 5 and August 20, paid from the athletic budget; ticket demand had run about twice the seating since the building opened in 1965, the Daily Tar Heel reported. The Daily Tar Heel, April 12, 1976, p. 1
11. January 25, 1979 A roofer's cigarette sets Carmichael Auditorium's roof insulation smoldering Roofing work on Carmichael Auditorium caught fire when a dropped cigarette set roofing and insulation burning over about 10 square feet; firemen put it out without damage to the structure. The Daily Tar Heel, January 26, 1979, p. 2
12. 1981–82 through 1983–84 Michael Jordan plays his Carolina career in Carmichael Auditorium Jordan played all three of his Carolina seasons in Carmichael Auditorium in Chapel Hill and scored in double figures in 90 of his 101 games for UNC. He was Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year and National Player of the Year in 1984. People: Dean Smith University of North Carolina Athletics: Celebrate Carolina: Jordan in Carmichael

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