University of Virginia Library

Cleaning Up The Amphimess

The unpaving has become a reality. . at
last. For some eight years McIntire Parking
Lot has been the University's official eyesore
and at the same time an increasing focal point
for concerted student disgruntlement and
outrage. But as of next summer, McIntire
Parking Lot is officially to become an honest
to goodness Greek Amphitheater, just what
everyone has been asking for.

In 1920, Paul Goodloe McIntire donated
$85,000 to the University for the
construction of an amphitheater. And in the
first 20 years or so of its existence it was used
extensively for speeches, concerts and every
June for commencement exercises. During the
summertime up until the beginning of the
second world war, the University sponsored a
two-week "Institute for Public Affairs" which
featured a series of distinguished speakers
ranging from a Vice President to Lady Astor.

The amphitheater had its problems,
though. One was the weather. For example,
President Franklin D. Roosevelt was
scheduled to speak in the amphitheater for
the 1940 commencement exercises but was
forced instead to deliver his famed
"Stab-in-the-Back" speech inside Memorial
Gymnasium.

The amphitheater had other sizable
problems as well. As the class rolls began to
overflow so did the seats of the amphitheater.
Sometime in the early 50's graduation
ceremonies were shifted to the lawn and
speakers and actors found themselves
performing in the more spacious Cabell Hall
Auditorium, rather than the cozy little
amphitheater.

But perhaps the main reason for the
amphitheater's demise was and still is its poor
acoustics. Claims Drama Professor George
Black: "The amphitheater is built so that
echoes from the stage house interfere with
one another instead of reinforce one
another." And as a result of these poor
acoustics, the drama department lost any
interest it once had in the amphitheater.

In 1965, at the request of the University's
faculty the amphitheater was converted into a
parking lot. The concern then was for more
parking and few persons slowed down enough
to speculate as to what a gravel parking lot
might look like in the midst of Mr. Jefferson's
graceful architecture and beautiful grounds.
The overwhelming consensus was that it
looked like hell, but that was after the
amphitheater had already been converted and
automobiles were streaming in and out as if it
bordered a shopping center.

Student Council finally took it upon itself
this spring to rid the University of the eyesore
featuring a 'green-in' with speeches, concerts
and free balloons–possibly all a bit juvenile it
seemed at the time but in retrospect quite
effective. Over 2000 students as well as 19
architecture professors signed petitions in
support of the greening. And as of yesterday
President Shannon finally gave his own
approval.

We wish the unpaving could begin before
next summer and are yet unconvinced with
Mr. Shannon's rationale for retaining it as a
parking lot for yet another year. But we
congratulate him on this wise decision,
nevertheless. As we stated in the spring: we,
too, have not been convinced that it will be
used anymore now than it was before. But
anything is better than the present
arrangement.