Winifred Moore Auditorium (formerly Chapel of All Saints)

Webster University was founded as a Catholic college, so it's fitting that the first building on campus, Webster Hall, included a chapel. The cornerstone was laid on November 1, 1915. Since November 1 is the Catholic holiday known as All Saints Day, the chapel was named Chapel of All Saints, The chapel was dedicated on October 12, 1916.

 

When the university transitioned to a lay board and became a secular institution in 1967, the chapel began to be increasingly used for a variety of other purposes, from musical performances and film showings to lectures, meetings, and even yoga. A grant from the Kresge Foundation provided much of the funds for an extensive renovation of the space which was completed in 1973. Additional upgrades and renovations have occurred over the years, including in 2015 in conjunction with the university's centennial celebration.

 

 

In April, 1974, the chapel was renamed Winifred Moore Auditorium in honor of the mother of a major campus donor, Mrs. Fred Rogers. Winifred Moore (1849-1894) was the daughter of Elizabeth and Clifton H. Moore. Her father was a well-known attorney in Clinton, Illinois and a friend and colleague of another Illinois lawyer (and future U.S. president), Abraham Lincoln. Winifred Moore married Vespasian Warner, a partner in her father's law firm, in 1868 and together they had six children.

 

(The image of Winifred Moore is used with permission of the C.H. Moore Homestead, DeWitt County Museum.)

 

At the time of her death, Winifred Moore (or "Freddie" as she was also known) was remembered as "a woman learned in literature" with a "kindly, genial nature" (Obituary, 1894).

 

 

References

Campbell, Chris. (1973, November 5). Media, music, prayer at Chapel Hall dedication. The Broadside, vol. 4, no. 7, p. 1.

Dedication of the Chapel of All Saints. (1916, November). The Lorettine, vol. 12, no. 1, p. 48-50.

Fine, Steve. (1973, April 9). Kresge grant makes renovation possible. The Broadside, vol. 3, no. 20, p. 1.

Obituary of Mrs. Winifred Moore Warner - 1894. (1894, June 8). The Clinton Public.

Renovated chapel named. (1974, April 22). The Broadside, vol. 4, no. 23, p. 2.

Ryan, Craig. (1973, September 11). Ad. Building Given New Look. The Broadside, vol. 4, no. 1, p. 1.