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Laxson over the Years

A Fire Burns through It

Laxon over the YearsOver the years Laxson has been utilized by performances of the American Ballet Theatre, the Joffrey Ballet, National Ballet of Senegal, the Pittsburgh and San Francisco Symphonies, as well as Chico's own Annies Arts Awards and the Enloe Follies. It has served as the center for thousands of performances-from drama, jazz, salsa, and classical music to debates, speeches, and graduations.

Built in only thirteen months, Laxson's rich tradition dates back to 1930. The design of Laxson follows the basilican style and is characterized by Roman round-headed arches and a simple but massive structure. The use of space and the architectural details of the auditorium, evidenced by the plaque ornamented with scroll over the north entrance, are based on the Romanesque period from the Mediterranean region. Behind the wall backstage is a small cloister-like square courtyard flanked by the dressing rooms and the small auditorium of Ayres Hall. Architect Chester Cole, who worked in Chico during the 1920s and 1930s, designed the building.

Originally the building was known as the university auditorium. The first event hosted there was an assembly on June 4, 1931, to induct new student-body officers. Following was the first major production on June 9, 1931, Bohemian Girl, featuring sixty-four singers and a twenty-two-piece orchestra. Official dedication of the auditorium was held on January 22, 1932, during the inauguration ceremonies for President Aymer J. Hamilton. It was not until September 25, 1974, that it was christened Laxson Auditorium, after Dr. C. Robert Laxson, music professor at the university from 1946 until 1968.

Between 1974 and 1976, a $1 million renovation added new carpeting and replaced old splintered wooden seats with plush padded seating. The building has since been strengthened with reinforced steel and gunite, and its sound system has been upgraded. The most recent renovation occurred after one of the decorative corbels fell onto the unoccupied orchestra seating section of the auditorium in October 1997. A structural engineer determined that the remaining corbels should be replaced. Duplicates of the decorative pieces, located at the edge of the wall and ceiling, were installed in June 1998, replacing the original plaster corbels weighing more than 250 pounds with new fiberglass corbels weighing 40 pounds. In addition, the whole interior of the auditorium was repainted.

"Laxson is one of the gems of the campus," said Pat Kopp, director of University Public Events. "We try to encourage dance and theatre groups to use the facility. If we didn't make it available, it would be hard for the community to host events like The Nutcracker or Cinderella. We want the community to see quality performers right here at Laxson."

Ginny Heimann, Procurement Services