Foster Auditorium facts for kids
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| Location | University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 |
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| Owner | University of Alabama |
| Operator | University of Alabama |
| Capacity | 3,800 |
| Opened | 1939 |
| Tenants | |
| Alabama Crimson Tide Men's Basketball (1939–1968) Women's Basketball (1975, 2011–2016) Volleyball (1974–1995, 2011–present) |
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Foster Auditorium
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Wallace standing against desegregation while being confronted by Deputy U.S. Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach at the University of Alabama.
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 Location in Alabama
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| Location | Tuscaloosa, Alabama |
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| NRHP reference No. | 05000457 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | April 5, 2005 |
| Designated NHL | April 5, 2005 |
Foster Auditorium is a building at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It was built in 1939. This project was part of the Works Progress Administration, which created jobs during the Great Depression.
The auditorium has been used for many things. It hosted Alabama Crimson Tide basketball games. It also held women's sports events, graduations, and concerts. For many years, it was the largest indoor building on campus.
In 2009, the university started a big renovation of Foster Auditorium. After the updates, the Crimson Tide women's basketball and volleyball teams moved back in. This building is named after Richard Clarke Foster. He was the president of the University of Alabama from 1937 to 1941.
Foster Auditorium is also a National Historic Landmark. It received this special title on April 5, 2005. This is because of a very important event that happened there.
Foster Auditorium's Sports History
Foster Auditorium has seen some exciting sports moments. On January 4, 1955, a basketball game took place here. It was between the University of Alabama and the University of North Carolina.
During this game, an Alabama player named George Linn made an amazing shot. He shot the ball 84 feet and 11 inches. This incredible shot happened at the end of the first half.
The shot was so famous that it was featured in Sports Illustrated magazine. It is also remembered at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. A special brass marker was placed on the gym floor. It shows exactly where George Linn made his famous shot.
The Stand in the Schoolhouse Door
Foster Auditorium is most famous for a historic event called the "Stand in the Schoolhouse Door." This happened on June 11, 1963. Governor George Wallace stood in the doorway of the building. He was trying to stop two African American students from enrolling. Their names were Vivian Malone and James Hood.
Governor Wallace had promised to prevent the university from allowing Black students. President John F. Kennedy stepped in. He ordered the Alabama National Guard to make sure the students could enter.
Wallace spoke out against these actions. But he knew he could not win against the National Guard and federal officials. So, he stepped aside. Vivian Malone and James Hood then entered the building to register. This event was a very important moment in the Civil Rights Movement in America.
The story of this event was shown in the 1994 movie Forrest Gump.
In 2013, the courtyard behind the auditorium was dedicated. It is now called the Malone-Hood Plaza. This honors James Hood and Vivian Malone. The plaza also has the Autherine Lucy Clock Tower. Autherine Lucy was the first Black student to attend the University of Alabama.
