At the heart of Freed-Hardeman
University's campus, a 48-year-old auditorium is set to
receive not only a new life but also a new name. Previously known
as Loyd Auditorium, the beloved venue will officially become the
David Thomas Dryden Auditorium when it reopens in 2025.
HENDERSON, Tenn., Aug. 9, 2024
/PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- At the heart of Freed-Hardeman University's campus, a 48-year-old
auditorium is set to receive not only a new life but also a new
name. Previously known as Loyd Auditorium, the beloved venue will
officially become the David Thomas Dryden Auditorium when it
reopens in 2025. The building is currently undergoing major
renovations made possible by gifts from many FHU alumni including
the Dryden family.
"This revitalized space will continue to be
a cornerstone of the FHU experience for the next 50 years, with a
new name to honor the foundational gift for the future of this
building."
"By renovating rather than rebuilding Loyd Auditorium, we honor
its rich history while preparing it for the future," FHU President
David R. Shannon said. "This
extensive renovation, made possible by generous donors, including
the Drydens, will modernize all essential systems while preserving
the original structure. This revitalized space will continue to be
a cornerstone of the FHU experience for the next 50 years, with a
new name to honor the foundational gift for the future of this
building."
David Thomas Dryden is remembered
by his family as a hard-working, enterprising and courageous man
who was "the original family entrepreneur." Born in Bedford County, Tennessee, in 1865,
David Dryden moved to Lawrence County in his early 40s. As the story
goes, he first came to town riding a horse and towing only a jersey
cow, a calf and a foal. He soon built a sustainable dairy farm that
was even able to survive the hardships of the Great Depression.
After meeting his wife, Virgie
Ann, and beginning to raise their young family, Dryden also
taught himself to read using a Bible he had. His readings inspired
him to act upon what he learned, and he began searching until he
found a congregation who would baptize him according to scripture,
allowing him to become a Christian.
"While I did not get the chance to meet my great-grandfather
personally, as a fellow entrepreneur, I'd love to go back in time
and learn some things from him – like how he got the capital to
start a dairy farm and how he struggled to operate it during the
depression," Jay Dryden, a member of
the FHU Board of Trustees, said.
"Beyond that, he has always been a model of faith in our
family," he added. "Finding a Bible, teaching himself to read and
then allowing the Holy Spirit to lead him into the truth of God's
word shows his true conviction. That he then stepped out on faith
and was baptized to begin a relationship with Jesus as an adult is
amazing to me. I hope in my own life that I listen to God's Spirit,
read His word and, like my great-grandfather, have the courage to
always act on what I read and where His Spirit leads."
Members of the Dryden family, along with Freed-Hardeman University, now choose to honor
David Dryden's legacy of faith as
well as his entrepreneurial spirit by re-naming the FHU facility
Dryden Auditorium.
Since 1977 the auditorium has been the setting for many pivotal
FHU experiences, such as daily chapel, Makin' Music, the annual
Lectureship, Horizons, commencement ceremonies, benefit dinners and
more. Large-scale renovations to the venue are currently underway
and involve numerous additions and improvements, including brand
new paint, ceiling tiles, stage and curtains, flooring, seating, a
sound and audio visual system, an elevator, expanded restrooms and
a portico for arrivals and departures.
To date, interior demolition has been successfully completed,
and installation of critical infrastructure systems, including
electrical, plumbing, audio-visual, sound and lighting, has begun.
Phase one, encompassing all interior renovations, is projected to
reach completion by March 2025.
The mission of Freed-Hardeman
University is to help students develop their God-given
talents for His glory by empowering them with an education that
integrates Christian faith, scholarship and service. With locations
in Henderson and Memphis, FHU offers associate, bachelor's,
master's, specialist and doctoral degrees. More information is
available at fhu.edu.
Media Contact
Dawn Bramblett, Freed-Hardeman University, 731-608-7650,
dawn@bramblettgrp.com, fhu.edu
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SOURCE Freed-Hardeman University