Erma Lowe Hall

Erma Lowe Hall was constructed in 1921, not for dance but instead as a gymnasium. It was the center of all TCU physical education activities until 1973, when a new physical education facility, the Cyrus K. and Ann Rickel Building (later the Rickel Academic Wing), opened. Lowe Hall, a multilevel structure, was designed by architects Van Slyke and Woodruff, a firm that fashioned other early campus facilities. The basement contained offices and classrooms. On the entry level was an indoor pool - then a rarity - along with men's and women's locker rooms. The third level comprised two handball courts. The top floor was used as a weight room. Horned Frog football history took place there: in a central office on the gym's main floor, the legendary football coach "Dutch" Meyer laid plans for the "Fightin Frogs" of the 1930s and 1940s., In the early 1970s, the expanding fine arts program needed space to grow. After physical education and athletics moved to new quarters, the gym's pool, basketball courts and weight room were transformed into dance studios and the facility became the Ballet Building. In its new home, the ballet program attained international recognition, thanks to world-class performers and teachers such as David Preston, Fernando Schaffenburg and Fernando Bujones., Dance at TCU continued its ascendance, and the Ballet Building no longer met its needs. In 2011, the Ballet Building was totally renovated for the School for Classical and Contemporary Dance. It was named in honor of Erma Lowe, an avid university supporter who served as a TCU Trustee and Honorary Trustee for more than two decades. At the time of the renovation, Mrs. Lowe's daughter, Mary Ralph Lowe, was an active member of the TCU Board of Trustees.