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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The University of Illinois Assembly Hall was
3opened on March 2, 1963, born out of the need for a single
4arena that could seat an entire university class; the hall was
5designed by renowned architect Max Abramovitz and cost $8.7
6million to construct; and
 
7    WHEREAS, The University of Illinois Assembly Hall was
8constructed entirely of poured concrete; the dome is just 3 1/2
9inches thick, but its steep folds and light-weight aggregate
10combine to give it tremendous strength; the hall "floats"
11thanks to 614 miles of steel wire very tightly wrapped around
12the edge of the dome; and
 
13    WHEREAS, The University of Illinois Assembly Hall is the
14largest venue in Illinois outside of the Chicago United Center;
15and
 
16    WHEREAS, The University of Illinois Assembly Hall has
17hosted countless performers and events, including the Rolling
18Stones, Garth Brooks, Elvis Presley, U2, Frank Sinatra, "Les
19Miserables", Bob Hope, Whitney Houston, Mikhail Baryshnikov,
20Aerosmith, Cher, Tina Turner, "Cats", Bill Cosby, the
21University of Illinois Commencement, the Harlem Globetrotters,
22Bruce Springsteen, and "Sesame Street Live!"; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, The University of Illinois Assembly Hall has
2hosted Big Ten Championship basketball teams in 1963, 1984,
31998, 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2005 for the men, and 1997 for the
4women; and
 
5    WHEREAS, 25 Fighting Illini men's teams and 8 women's teams
6that have played in the Assembly Hall advanced to NCAA
7Tournament play in the last 50 years; 2 NCAA Final Four men's
8teams called the Assembly Hall home in 1989 and 2005; and
 
9    WHEREAS, The Assembly Hall hosted the Illinois High School
10Association State Boys Basketball Tournament from 1963 to 1995,
11the IHSA State Girls Basketball Tournament from 1978 to 1990,
12and the IHSA State Wrestling Championships from 1967 to the
13present; the Assembly Hall has also hosted Big Ten and NCAA
14Championship events in wrestling and gymnastics; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Home attendance at the Assembly Hall for men's
16basketball ranks in the Top 25 nationally for 33 straight
17seasons; average home attendance at Assembly Hall for men's
18basketball has averaged 16,000 fans over the last 11 seasons;
19the Assembly Hall has enjoyed sold-out crowds (16,618) 125
20times in the last 11 seasons; and
 
21    WHEREAS, The University of Illinois Assembly Hall serves as

 

 

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1both a part of the rich history of the University of Illinois
2and as an architectural marvel of this State; therefore, be it
 
3    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
4NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
5we congratulate the staff and administration of the University
6of Illinois on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the
7university's Assembly Hall; and be it further
 
8    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
9presented to the University of Illinois as a symbol of our
10esteem and respect.