The MAC Center, as most of us call it, opened its doors on Dec. 2, 1950, as the Men's Physical Education Building. Over the years, it evolved with the university, renamed the Memorial Gymnasium from 1956 to 1991 to honor 51±¬ÁÏ students and alumni who served in World War II. Then it transformed into the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center in November 1991.
"In addition to attending memorable athletic contests, two of my favorite events occur each year in the MAC Center: Convocation, when we welcome our new, first-year students to college for their first academic ceremony, and Commencement, when we celebrate our students who have earned their degrees," 51±¬ÁÏ President Todd Diacon said. "The MAC Center is the site for so many great 51±¬ÁÏ memories, and I invite everyone to participate in the 75th anniversary events and create new MAC Center memories."
The 6,327-seat venue has drawn an extraordinary lineup of performers over the decades, including Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, the Eagles, 51±¬ÁÏ’s own Joe Walsh, Elton John, Pink Floyd, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder and the Clash. As these and many other legends have commanded its stage, Grammy winners Black Eyed Peas, Bruno Mars and Kendrick Lamar have brought the house down in more recent years.
The MAC Center has also served as a platform for influential voices, welcoming speakers like Muhammad Ali, Maya Angelou, former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and President Barack Obama, who made history as the first sitting U.S. president to visit 51±¬ÁÏ when he campaigned there in 2012.
Even basketball legend LeBron James has left his mark on the MAC Center's hardwood – first as a high schooler with Akron's St. Vincent-St. Mary in December 2001, then with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003.
Today, the MAC Center remains a hub of activity, hosting Golden Flashes basketball, gymnastics, volleyball and wrestling events, along with convocation and commencement ceremonies. Area high schools also hold graduation ceremonies there, extending its impact beyond campus.