E. J. Thomas Hall
performing arts hall on the University of Akron campus
E. J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall, more commonly known as E. J. Thomas Hall, is a performing arts hall located in downtown Akron, Ohio on the University of Akron campus.
History
Opened in 1973, The University of Akron's E. J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall is a 125,000-square-foot (11,600 m2) hall, that can seat up to 2,955 people, depending on the arrangement of the facility. It seats 2,955 with the ceiling at full height, 2,343 with it at the front edge of the flying balcony, and 743 when the grand tier is entirely closed off.
On October 9, 1973, the hall opened "with a world premiere by Mexican composer Carlos Chavez," performed by the Akron Symphony Orchestra.
The first director of The University of Akron's E. J. Thomas Hall was Clint Norton, followed by Robert D'Angelo, co-producer of Mummenschanz on Broadway in 1979 and Dan Dahl in 1991.
The University of Akron named the facility in honor of Edwin Joel Thomas, the former chairman and CEO of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., who later served on the university's board of trustees.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “E. J. Thomas Hall” as performing arts hall on the University of Akron campus. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as performing arts hall on the University of Akron campus. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 30, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q5321617. VIAF identifies the subject as 316595943. The Library of Congress control number is sh2003005882. Authority coordinates are 41.079, -81.515. 3 of 5 selected statements include explicit references; 3 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1973, 1979 and 1991.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “E. J. Thomas Hall”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow E. J. Thomas Hall primary sources, E. J. Thomas Hall archive and Thomas research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “E. J. Thomas Hall”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “E. J. Thomas Hall” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.