“Goodspeed Hall, an architectural cornerstone.” That’s what they used to say back in 1892. But let’s dive deeper into the story of this building at 1010 East 59th Street.
Originally, Goodspeed Hall was South Divinity Hall. It was meant to house fifty male undergraduates. This building shares the honor with Cobb Hall and Blake and Gates Halls. They are the oldest buildings on the University of Chicago campus.
Later, it was renamed Goodspeed Hall. This was to honor University trustee and historian Thomas Wakefield Goodspeed.
For many years Goodspeed Hall has been home to the Department of Music’s academic activities. It sits in the southwestern corner of the University’s main quadrangles. Goodspeed Hall has seen two major renovations. The first was in 1938 for the Department of Art. The second happened in 1980 for the Department of Music.
During the 1980 redesign, the Classics Reading Room was remodeled. It became the Fulton Recital Hall with 150 seats. The room’s original wood-trussed ceiling remains.
Inside Goodspeed Hall, you’ll find four floors. These floors house practice rooms and classrooms. You will also find faculty offices, a conference room, and a computer music studio. The main office and Fulton Recital Hall are also here.
The University of Chicago’s music department was founded in 1933. It is primarily a graduate school. It is a center for music research. They do not offer performance studies. You can participate in performance as an extra-curricular activity.
The University’s Chicago Center for Contemporary Composition resides here. It is an interdisciplinary environment for creating new music. They also study and perform new music. The CHIME Studio is a creative space. It focuses on creativity in electronic music. It integrates electronic music with other media.
Music students have access to the Joseph Regenstein Library. This library system has over 7.6 million print volumes. It also has 59,000 sound recordings. The library holds films, videos, archives, and manuscripts. The library also holds the Chicago Jazz Archive and the Rieboldt-Rosenwald Collection of German folk songs.
Graduate students can access the Newberry Library. It is in downtown Chicago. This library has books and manuscripts on medieval and renaissance music history and theory. They also have books on psalmody, the secular lyric, and musical theatre. The music department even owns a gamelan. It also owns a number of Middle Eastern instruments.
So, as you stand before Goodspeed Hall remember its history. Remember its contribution to the University of Chicago. Remember its commitment to music and the arts. It is more than just a building. It is a place of learning, creativity, and history.