Hallene Gateway Plaza

Dedicated October 8, 1998, on the 63^rd annual meeting of University of Illinois Foundation, the Hallene Gateway Plaza was funded through the generosity of Alan M. and Phyllis Welsh Hallene, graduates of the class of 1951. As its centerpiece, the Plaza features the original sandstone portal of the New Main University Hall. When New Main was razed in 1938, its portal was saved and placed behind the Architecture building. Though the years the portal was slowly forgotten and eventually was moved out to Allerton Park for storage. In 1994 it was rediscovered near maintenance sheds among "brush, raspberry brushes and small trees" and a backhoe had to be called in to help unearth it. The Hallene's donated the money to restore the portal and landscape a plaza to display it in. [1]