William L. White Auditorium, commonly known as White Auditorium, is a 5,000 seat multi-purpose arena in Emporia, Kansas. It is home court to the Emporia State University men's and women's basketball teams, as well as the volleyball team. Throughout NCAA Division II programs, White Auditorium is regarded as one of the premier basketball arenas in the nation.
History
Construction of White Auditorium -- known as the Civic Auditorium for its first 33 years -- began in December 1938. The initial phase built the basement and foundation and paved the way for the next phases of construction. By April 1939, virtually all of the steel and brick work was complete. The outside pillars were filled in with appropriate concrete and all that remained was interior work.
Emporia began a five-day "Fiestaval" on May 6, 1940, when the auditorium was dedicated, though it was not completed until the following day. The word "Fiestaval" was coined specially for the event by combining two words, "fiesta" and "festival."
The auditorium opened with a three--show lineup. The shows included the "Kansas Cavalcade," a 1000-performer Western epic that recounted the area history, from Kansas' involvement in the Civil War, to early Kansas Indian days, to the opening of Emporia's college. A musical comedy, "Three Cheers," followed, starring Bobby Pope and his orchestra. Duke Ellington and his orchestra brought the auditorium to life with style as the finale.
Since 1940, the facility has been the host of the Emporia State Hornets men's basketball games, and since 1974 for the Emporia State Lady Hornets basketball games. When the volleyball program was established in 1973, it began playing its home games in White Auditorium. The building has also hosted a KSHSAA State High School basketball play-off tournament continually since 1955, with the exception of a three-year drought in 1991, 1992, & 1993. The Lyon County League Basketball Tournament is the longest continuously running High School tournament in the nation.
Hardwood Floor Refinishing Kansas City Video
Upgrades
The 71-year-old facility was upgraded during the fall of 2008 with a new scoreboard and video board as well as a new color scheme on the arena floor and the throughout the entire building. The approximately $270,000 improvement project was funded with City of Emporia general fund and Convention and Visitors Bureau money, along with contributions from ESU, the Walter S. and Evan C. Jones Trust, Emporia Sports Promotions, Inc., and Sunflower Gymnastics.
John Decker, former ESU graphic artist, created the color scheme, decorative striping and lettering design which gives the arena its bright new look. The auditorium's inch-thick maple floor was sanded and refinished as well. Mounted on the south wall of the arena, the video board displays everything from player photos and statistics to game action from the floor. In the summer of 1999, the auditorium floor was replaced for the first time since 1940, using a Grade 1, one-inch thick, northern hardwood maple. The graphic design incorporates Emporia State's new logo and the finish brings out the natural beauty of the wood. Manufacturers are calling the White Auditorium playing surface "the best in the state of Kansas." Not only does the structure house the city's municipal offices, but it has served as the home of Hornet basketball since 1940.
White Auditorium also has served as the performing arts center for many of the top performers in the entertainment business. Sports fans visiting ESU athletic events will benefit from the recently resurfaced and redesigned hardwood floor. The surface, designed by Shawn Honea and selected by a group of University and community leaders, was constructed by Wich-craft IMS, using a revolutionary Hilliard waterborne two-part apoxy. During the 1994-95 men's and women's basketball season, the Auditorium was renovated and bleacher seating was added to the south end of the court, expanding the seating capacity from 3,700 to 5,000.
ESU rents the auditorium on a year-to-year basis, saving the State of Kansas millions of dollars in tax funds annually. The University also uses the facility for commencement ceremonies, concerts, and various clinics.
Slaymaker Court
On February 20, 2013, the Emporia City Commission voted to name the floor of White Auditorium, Coach Slay, Ron Slaymaker Court, named after longtime men's basketball coach and ESU's winningest coach. On February 28, 2013, one week later, during the halftime of the men's ESU-Washburn game, Ron Slaymaker, and his family, alongside ESU President Michael D. Shonrock, ESU Athletic Director Kent Weiser, and the Mayor of Emporia, Bobbi Mlynar, unveiled the design of Ron Slaymaker Court, debuting in the fall of 2013.
Notable guests
White Auditorium has been the host for circuses, trade shows, commencement ceremonies, The Annual Seasonal Celebrations, concerts and performances with such notables as Louis Armstrong, The Israeli Ballet, The Beach Boys, The Cowsills, Little River Band, Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show, George Strait, Merle Haggard, Alan Jackson, and John Denver. Notable speakers have included Eleanor Roosevelt, Eric Severeid, and George Gallup III.
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