Flashback: Lela Raney Wood Hall
LELA RANEY WOOD HALL has kept a watchful eye over the intersection of College Avenue and East Broadway since it was built in 1938. Named after the wife of James Madison Wood, Stephens’ president throughout both World Wars, the building and its impressive 350-seat ballroom have functioned as the headquarters for student activities, assemblies, commencements and dances for years. The hall was swinging when the Harry James Orchestra came to play big band music in the Kimball Ballroom, and thousands packed into the same space for a national network radio broadcast of the current events program Town Meeting of the Air in the 1940s. In addition to hosting all of Stephens’ special events, Lela Raney Wood Hall also provided housing for students until the early 1980s.
Today, Lela Raney Wood Hall caters to a significantly quieter crowd. After its renovation from 2005 to 2006, it now serves as the main administrative building for Stephens College. It also houses the Historic Costume Gallery and the Costume Museum and Research Library, to which famous designers have donated more than 15,000 pieces of fashion, some dating back to the 18th century.
New projects are springing up all around Lela Raney Wood Hall, but the historic site remains a popular venue for special events and continues as the centerpiece of Stephens College.
