The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-10-20
TEN YEAR DREAM
 IS NOW REALIZED
McLendOn FOretells Flu ture Of Mammoth
 Structure
ACCEPTANCE SPEECH
 MADE BY DICKSON
Program For The Coming Week Is Outlined By
 Erickson

Birmingham's municipal au- ditorium, massive, huge, in- posing and architecturally perfect, was formally dedi- cated and presented to the cit izens of the city Sunday after noon. The city's ten-year-old dream has come true. No long CT is the auditorium a vision, but 8 material building, des- tined, according to the speak CTS on the dedicatory pro- gram, to become one of the most vital and useful factors in the civic and educational life of Birmingham. Approx imately $500 citizens attend ed the ceremonies and many were turned away.
 The dedication ceremonies. which be- gan promptly at 3 o'clock Sunday after noon, were divided into two parts. The first consisted of a musical program by festival chorus of 125 voices and q municipal orchestra of g instruments, under the direction of O. Gordon Brick son. auditorium manager, with Miss Marion Stavrowsky as soloist, wEU sang the obligato solo in Lord Now Victorious" (Mascagni), the final mu- sical number
 The program opened with the Tann- hauser March, (Wagner), and was fol- lowed by By Babylon's Wave" (Gounod). four movements from La Ferie, Iacome), "Glory to the Tin ity," (Rachmaninoff) and the overture from William Tell," (Rossini).
 After a brief intermission, the &C., tual dedication services were opened Ly invocation by Rev. J. A. Bryan. D. F. McLendon, president of the city con- mission, then took the floor as master of ceremonies and in short intro- ductory speech, expressed the hope that the new structure would provide a com Elon meeting place for all the citizens of the city.
 FOretells Future
 He foretold the auditorium's import ance in the Industrial and commercial life of Birmingham and of it's value to local organizations as well as meeting place for conventions. Mir. McLend0n said 1t was his wish to make Birming- lam, with the help of the auditorium. the greatest convention city in the south.
 He then introduced Hugh Martin, who made the presentation address in behalf of the Associated Architects of Birmingham. In his address. which marked the end of the building. NIr. Martin told of the efforts which had been made to give Birmingham a strut- ture which combines beauty, utility and convenience for the people.
 We have just completed the frs. unit of the Birmingham municipal au- ditorium. MT. Martin said. Tt is tEe result of the combined efforts of tn. architects of Birmingham and before even tentative plans were drawn, inspec. tiOn trips were made to all the big cities east of the Rocky mountains, in order that the best features of othrr auditOriums might be introduced into the building, in which we are gathered today.
 But, it is not finished. At some future time. it is planned to erect memorialO hall in front of the presrnt unit and tear our the rear wall and add theater-type auditorium in the rear, with seating capacity of ap- proximately $500, giving the municipal auditorium a total capacity of 10000"
 The speech of acceptance was made by w. E. Dickson, commissioner oi public improvements, whO has super vised the construction of the building. At the close of his speech, he turned the structure over to William l.. Harri- son, commissioner of public utilities, who iS tO he in charpe of ifs Onaro tion and maintenance.
 First Plans Modest
 "The original plans for the municipal auditorium were somewhat smaller than those of the building Mir. Dick son said in giving a brief history of thc construction of the auditorium The plans called for a theater-type audi torium with seating capacity of about 3.G00. Tue commission changed the plans to the present arena-type, with a seating capacity of G,250, because it felt the city needed larger meeting place, q place which could be used IS an exposition hall
 ''Nery shortly after the bonds for the auditorium were voted, prices of ma terials advanced. We needed more money t0 complete the building and I think that the people of Birmingham acted wisely in allowing this money. The commission also has been criticized somewhat for it's increased expend. lures, but today we have a building sc cure from the r3vages and tcrrcrs of any storm, no matter how severe. We hats a building that is as nearly fireprOOf as it can be made. There is absolutely no probability that any audience or expOSa-