Ezekiel W. Cullen Building
| Ezekiel W. Cullen Building | |
|---|---|
 Main façade of the E. Cullen Building across from Cullen Family Plaza Fountain | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Location | Houston, Texas, USA |
| Coordinates | 29°43′13″N 95°20′37″W / 29.72037°N 95.34374°W |
| Current tenants | University of Houston & University of Houston System Administration |
| Construction started | May 14, 1948 |
| Completed | October 31, 1950 |
| Inaugurated | October 31, 1950 |
| Cost | $5.5 million USD |
| Owner | University of Houston |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Alfred C. Finn |
The Ezekiel W. Cullen Building, usually shortened in pronunciation as the E. Cullen Building, is a building that serves as the main administrative headquarters of the University of Houston and the University of Houston System. It is named in honor of Ezekiel Wimberly Cullen, a former congressman of the Republic of Texas, and grandfather of building financier Hugh Roy Cullen. The building was designed by Texas architect Alfred C. Finn, and opened in 1950.
The building is located in the Cullen Family Plaza of the University of Houston campus in Houston, and is iconic to the image of the university. The east portion of the E. Cullen Building constitutes the Cullen Performance Hall.
History
The construction of the Ezekiel W. Cullen Building was announced by the university on March 21, 1945.[1] The construction of the E. Cullen Building was part of a large expansion to the University of Houston's permanent buildings on campus that took place starting on May 10, 1948, and the official groundbreaking ceremony occurred on May 14, 1948.[2] The main donor to the project was philanthropist and university chairman Hugh Roy Cullen, who requested that the building be named after his grandfather Ezekiel Wimberly Cullen.[3] The elder Cullen had served as a leader of the Republic of Texas as a congressman and also as a justice of the Supreme Court of the Republic.[4]
References
- ^ Nicholson, Patrick (1977). In Time: An Anecdotal History of the First Fifty Years of the University of Houston. Houston, Texas: Pacesetter Press. pp. 270–271. ISBN 0-88415-371-1.
- ^ "Ezekiel W. Cullen Building". UH Through Time. University of Houston Libraries. Retrieved 2009-05-11.
- ^ "Archangel in Houston". Time. 1951-10-15. Retrieved 2009-05-11.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Cullen, Ezekiel Wimberly". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 2009-05-11.