A. P. Green Chapel facts for kids
A.P. Green Chapel is a special building at the University of Missouri in Columbia. It's a place where people of all beliefs can gather. Today, students and others can use it for important events like weddings or special ceremonies. The Missouri Student Union helps arrange these events.
A Gift of History
The A.P. Green Chapel was built in 1961. It was a generous gift from a kind man named Allen Percival Green. He was a successful businessman who lived from 1875 to 1956. Mr. Green and his wife, Josephine, created a foundation to give many gifts across Missouri. The chapel was one of these special gifts.
Designing the Chapel
The chapel was designed by an architect named O. W. Stiegmeyer from St. Louis. The B. D. Simon Construction Company, based in Columbia, built it. The Greens officially opened the chapel on October 11, 1959. They had four main ideas for how the chapel should be used.
- It was a quiet place for individuals to think and pray.
- It could be used for special programs during "Religion-in-Life Week."
- Groups connected to the University could hold special services there. These services were meant to be occasional, not regular meetings.
- It was a place for memorial services, funerals, or weddings for people connected to the University.
A Hidden Detail
If you look closely at the back pews (the long benches) in the chapel, you might spot a small secret. There's a tiny crest carved underneath the left side of one pew. This crest is the symbol of Mr. Green's manufacturing company. It looks like two letter V's facing each other, forming an X shape. It's a small reminder of the person who made this beautiful chapel possible.
