Memorial Hall

Memorial Hall is a memorial for Kentuckians that passed away during World War I. Memorial Hall was completed in 1929. It contains a controversial fresco made by Ann Rice O’Hanlon, which was completed in 1934. Inside there is a list of the students whom attended the University of Kentucky that served and lost their lives during World War I, as well as, a list of every Kentuckian that served in the war and lost their life. Memorial Hall in today’s society is a dual-purpose memorial and serves as a classroom building, for graduation ceremonies, and still serves as a memorial for World War I soldiers that passed while serving. While its sole purpose is to honor the fallen, the memories of the fallen soldiers and the sacrifices they made are being gratified through students furthering their education in the building. It is located in Central Campus at the end of Funkhouser drive.

Memorial Hall inside and outside photo credit to Kentucky Kernel

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This is a staple point of campus. The clock tower on the top of Memorial Hall is used as a prominent symbol for the University of Kentucky, which is often used in promotions and advertising. Its clock tower is known for being featured in the UK logo. The fact that Memorial Hall is placed in the center of campus shows the significance that the memorial has on campus. It causes society to look at Memorial Hall as a staple point on campus, which in return creates the impression that is very important. University of Kentucky is a fairly large campus and to have a Memorial in the center and have the rest of the structures build out from the focal point, Memorial Hall, further places emphasis on how important the memorial is. The soldiers lost their lives for our country and a memorial in their honor should be a focal point, not only on campus, but also anywhere in the world. The placement of Memorial Hall further emphasizes the importance of the memorial and permanently associates the image of being a focal point in the campus community with Memorial Hall.