Center plans to celebrate
70 years of history
By Sarah Szczepanski
Assistant
Features Editor
The vision for the Duncan Hall Community Center
originally came from a prominent Scottish man after he found there was
not a venue in Lafayette to show large groups in the community slides
and photos from his eight-month trip to Africa.
Now, after decades of use by the community, the
center, located at 619 Ferry Street, plans to celebrate its 70th
birthday.
The public is invited to the Duncan Hall 70th
Birthday Open House Celebration from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Duncan
Hall Community Center.
At the free celebration, the Purdue Night Train
Dancers will be giving swing dance demonstrations and lessons along
with live music from the Big Swing Band, which plays music from the
1930s and the 1940s.
Along with cake and ice cream, tours will be given
of the eight rooms of the building. Guests are invited to compete for
the best costume of an era from 1896 through the 1930s.
Photos and other memorabilia of the community center
will also be on display, including mementos from John F. Kennedy's 1959
visit to the hall during his presidential campaign.
"We're making the history of the hall come alive,"
said Aura Emsweller, executive director. "People are coming out of the
woodwork, which is what we wanted."
For example, two sisters who performed on the stage
of the center in 1932 are returning for the celebration. One of the
women, Eddis Delaney, went on to teach dancing and etiquette at the
center.
According to Emsweller, Delaney says she remembers
the boys coming dressed in ties and the girls coming in dresses, gloves
and little anklets.
"We're accepting people's memories," said Emsweller.
All of the people who contribute memories or memorabilia
may enter a drawing that has a grand prize of the use of the Duncan
Hall ballroom for an evening.
Purdue students are welcome to attend, according
to Dan Crouse, a senior in the School of Mechanical Engineering Technology
and an employee of Duncan Hall.
He said this event would be a good opportunity
for the center to gain a little bit of exposure for the Purdue community.
Emsweller agrees. "It's a good way to learn about
some of the history of Lafayette."
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