Palmer Auditorium was visionary when it opened in 1939 under the leadership of President Katharine Blunt—a 1300-seat hall designed by William Lamb, principal architect of the Empire State Building, built to serve, not just the campus, but the surrounding community. Over the years, this Art Deco architectural gem has played host to numerous prominent speakers and performers, including the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Martha Graham, Jose Limon, Merce Cunningham, Paul Taylor, Alvin Ailey, Dizzy Gillespie, Yo-Yo Ma, Billy Joel, Eleanor Roosevelt, Hillary Clinton, Frank Lloyd Wright, Toni Morrison and others.

After a comprehensive renovation completed in 2022 as part of the Defy Boundaries campaign, Palmer was reopened as the Athey Center for Performance and Research at Palmer Auditorium. The nearly $24 million, two-year renovation by Ennead Architects was made possible by a $10 million gift from Nancy Athey ’72 and her husband, Preston Athey, longtime supporters of the College and its arts programs, and a $10 million grant from the Sherman Fairchild Foundation. The project maintains the building’s distinct historic character and preserves the superior acoustics while profoundly transforming the study and practice of theater, music, film and dance as it elevates the College’s reputation as a leader in the arts and educational innovation.

Connecticut College offers alumni and friends a unique opportunity to support the future of the arts at Conn and this iconic building by naming a seat in the new center. Donors may name a seat for themselves or in honor of a loved one, while promoting pioneering artistic productions and new creative works that provide the broader community access to performing arts events unavailable anywhere else in the region. Support for this initiative helps fund the endowment for new programming and for maintaining this state-of-the-art center for arts research and creative innovation.

Seat-Naming Opportunities

• Sapphire: $15,000 (first two rows)
• Emerald: $10,000 (lower orchestra)
• Ruby: $5,000 (upper orchestra)
• Opal: $1,000 (balcony)

To name a seat in Palmer Auditorium, please contact Mariko Moher, Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship, at 860-439-2308.