There are some who maintain that the Armory has seen more of campus life than any other building at Iowa State University, and they may well be right. The Armory got a pretty shaky start. It was completed in 1920, but burned almost completely down in December of 1922. In those two short years the Armory demonstrated its importance to Iowa State, and in 1923 it was rebuilt to original specifications with one modest change; an additional allocation to make the rebuilt Armory fireproof! An addition to the west side was built in 1941, to match the existing east wing, and provided additional classroom space. Beginning in 1946, home men's basketball games were held in the Armory, and shortly after varsity wrestling followed. In 1956, the Armory was remodeled to add classrooms and make the building more suitable for concerts, indoor athletics, and graduation ceremonies by increasing seating capacity from 3500 to 8500. Beginning during the 1970's, the building was mainly used for general recreation - basketball, tennis, badminton, volleyball, etc. Twelve design studios were built in the building in 1990, and the ROTC moved its training to State Gym. Though many of Iowa State's traditional activities have now moved to the Iowa State Center, the Armory is still used by the College of Design for studio space, the three ROTC programs at Iowa State, and the university's Department of Public Safety. The model was completed by Andrew Temeyer and Benjamin Schwartz. #Armory #ROTC
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