Michigan Today . . . March 1996

Campaigning for Hill
$20 MILLION FUNDRAISING EFFORT
TO REFURBISH AN ARCHITECTURAL TREASURE

By Linda W. Fitzgerald

"Isaac Stern, Eugene Ormandy,Vladimir Horowitz, Lily Pons . . ." Judy Dow Rumelhart, chair of the $20 million Campaign for Hill, concentrates her gaze on a nearby wall as she speaks. She is answering the question: what are your fondest memories of Hill Auditorium? She smiles suddenly as another recollection surfaces. "And for 10 years I directed a Christmas pageant at Hill. That was great fun."

Every Michigan graduate would answer the question differently. But what's significant is the fact that nearly all of them would have a list, in some cases a fairly long one.

If buildings could speak, Hill Auditorium would probably have more to say than any other structure on campus. Only Hill could describe how it feels to host visitors such as Robert Frost, Eleanor Roosevelt, Gerald Ford, Martin Luther King, Jr., Garrison Keillor and the Dalai Lama.

During its 83-year history, Hill Auditorium has been in use almost constantly. A gift to the University from Regent Arthur Hill, the 4,200---seat auditorium began to attract audiences to musical events of every description, from University bands to celebrated soloists and world famous orchestras. In 1978, the building---which seats more people than Carnegie Hall---was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Today the biggest single user of Hill is the University of Michigan School of Music, followed closely by the University Musical Society, and the building continues to exert a major impact on the cultural life of the entire region. Paul Boylan, dean of the School of Music and vice provost for the arts, says, "Hill is arguably one of less than half a dozen of the greatest concert halls in the world." UMS Executive Director Ken Fischer notes, "Over the years, Ann Arbor has been the smallest community on most of the major concert tours. But more often than not, we'll have more people hear the concert because of the size of Hill and the commitment of regional audiences to this great hall."

Behind the Facade
Although still majestic at a distance, up close Hill Auditorium is looking tired. Time has taken its toll on a building that has never, in its long history, received any large-scale renovations. The University in 1990 asked its official architect to commission a detailed evaluation of the building. The project was carried out by the Detroit-based architectural and engineering firm of Albert Kahn Associates, Inc., whose founder and namesake had created the original design for Hill.

In their final report, the architects recommended $20 million worth of improvements. The litany of problems is seemingly endless. To cite just a few examples: The roof is leaking. The paved entry plaza is dangerously cracked. There is no elevator and, except for an outside ramp, no handicap access. The heating system is antiquated. The lack of air conditioning makes the building unusable during the summer months and uncomfortable at other times. Bathroom facilities are nearly nonexistent. The two small dressing rooms behind the stage are small and shabby, and orchestras are forced to change in the basement. The list goes on.

In response to the report, the University launched Ovation---The Campaign for Hill as part of its $1 billion, five-year Campaign for Michigan. Using the architect's estimate of $20 million, the U-M pledged itself to a partnership with the public in which it would commit $10 million for repairs and renovations, with the remaining $10 million to come from individuals, foundations and businesses.

U-M Director of Development for the Arts Anneke Overseth, who has headed up major capital campaigns for the Business School and other University units, was put in charge of the Campaign for Hill. In short order, she assembled both a working Advisory Board and an Honorary Committee, recruiting such musical luminaries as Van Cliburn, James Galway, Jessye Norman and Yehudi Menuhin.

While remaining upbeat about the prospects for meeting the $10 million goal, Overseth admits that in some ways raising funds for the auditorium is an up-hill battle, pun intended. "Hill is the one building on campus that doesn't have alumni," she explains, "which makes this an especially challenging campaign. We have to find ways to attract gifts from people who have used Hill in some way---attended classes, concerts, or other functionsand who have fond memories of the building."

The Advisory Board's solution to the problem has been to "create" alumni/ae through the Hill Auditorium Seat Sale. For a gift of $500, a donor can purchase a second balcony seat. That amount rises to $1,000 for first balcony seats, and $2,500 for those on the main floor except for Section A, which are priced at $5,000 each. In acknowledgment, the name of the donor or the individual being honored by the giftwill appear on a plaque attached to the seat. Thus far, the campaign has collected over $2 million in pledges and gifts.

Everyone seems to agree that Hill Auditorium is too beautiful, too unique, and too important not to be saved.

Perhaps the most eloquent argument for the preservation of Hill comes from University Architect Doug Hanna: "Hill is one of half a dozen jewels on this campus. All of us at Michigan should regard Hill Auditorium as our own Cologne Cathedral, a tremendously valuable, classic building. We'd be very foolish not to do everything we can to make the building last as long as possible."

Anyone who would like more information about the Hill Auditorium Seat Sale or The Campaign for Hill is invited to contact Anneke Overseth at 128 Michigan League, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, phone (313)764-5123, fax (313) 747-2282.

Linda W. Fitzgerald is an Ann Arbor freelancer.

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