University of Akron, E.J. Thomas Hall

The University of Akron Performing Arts Hall is a great concert hall with very good acoustics, despite what some of Akron's artsy fartsies try to tell you. However it's history has not been so great. It is going to celebrate its 35th birthday on October 9, 2008. During those years, University of Akron students were basically told to stay away.

Yes, there was the occasional rock concert in the hall but it was more about tokenism than respecting UA's student body. It also suffered a horrible public relations problem with residual effects continuing to this day. Certain powers in Akron have succeeded in hijacking this university facility by presenting it as a city facility intentionally misleading people to believe it was not a part of The University of Akron. UA added to this misinformation by allowing if not encouraging the charade to continue.

Today you will still hear people say that E.J. Thomas Hall belongs to the city of Akron or have some distorted perception of the truth. Some think that it is owned by the city but operated by the university. Others think that it is owned by the university but operated by the city. And, even others think that The University of Akron recently purchased E.J. Thomas Hall from the city and is now managing it.

The truth is that E.J. Thomas Hall has always been owned and operated by UA and located on the UA campus. The University of Akron built the facility using federal, state and student dollars as well as by selling bonds. There was also a campaign funded by many people in the community to help with its construction costs. Most of those people were however, UA employees and students. Community financial support was and continues to be minimal in comparison to the construction costs everyday operating costs over the hall's history. UA student more than paid for the bulk of this UA facility while at the same time received very little services from it.

Currently, the University of Akron is trying to change that sad history but it is a slow process that hasn't yet come close to giving justice to The UA student body. Hopefully UA will significantly change that facility into the student centered service it should have been 35 years ago.