Name That Book!

Chandler History Needs Title

The first 100 years of Chandler Music Hall will be celebrated in a new book scheduled for publication later this year in honor of the hall’s centennial.

In a special ceremony Aug. 20, 1907, the hall was transferred from its benefactor, Col. Albert B. Chandler, to Bethany Church, which owned the hall and organized the programs for the first 40 years.

In addition to the most ambitious programming ever, Chandler’s Centennial Committee is planning a variety of special projects to celebrate the occasion—the first of which is a Softball Challenge game between the Music Hall and the Kimball Library Aug. 19.

Also part of the planning is an illustrated history of the hall, with chapters on Chandler himself, construction of the hall, the early programming, and then its resurrection in the 1970s and subsequent revitalization.

A great deal of material has been already gathered by Dick Drysdale, who is supervising the project, and such helpers as Marie Kittel, Marjorie Ryerson and John Lutz. But one important element is missing:

A name for the book.

"We’ve got a lot of good ideas, but we figure that somebody else may have a better one," Drysdale explained this week.

"Whoever comes up with the winning title will get a free book."

Titles will likely include a main title and a sub-title. They can refer to the generosity of Chandler’s gift, or the excitement of the theatrical and musical events, or the importance of the hall to the region, or to specific aspects of the hall itself.

"Think outside the box," he emphasized. "We’ve been rummaging around inside the box for some time."

Submission for a name for the Chandler Centennial book should be sent to editor@OurHerald.com with the words "Chandler Book" in the subject line.