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Infinity 361 for the Allen University, Columbia, SC.

Allen University, Columbia, SC selects Rodgers Infinity 361 with 16 channels for Chappelle Auditorium. The new organ was installed June 20/21 in time for the re-dedication of the Auditorium. Al Murrell became involved with this project back in September 2015 working with the late Peter Felder who passed away unexpectedly this year. The final arrangements for the new Rodgers was handled with Bishop Richard Norris of the Seventh Episcopal District. Rodgers Organs and R. A. Daffer Church Organs are very proud to have been selected for this exciting project.

John Anderson Lankford, the first black architect, also known as the “Dean of Architects,” designed Chappelle Auditorium. The auditorium was named in honor of Allen University President, Bishop William D. Chappelle. Chappelle Auditorium was recognized by the U.S. Department of the Interior and placed on the National Register of Historic Landmarks on April 14, 1975 and remains as one of twelve historic landmarks in the state of South Carolina.

Chappelle Auditorium historically provided a stage for artists such as Leontyne Price, Brooks Benton and Langston Hughes, among others. It has served as a gathering place for political leaders who were committed to changing the future of the city, the state of South Carolina, and the United States. During the Jim Crow era, it served as a gathering place for African-Americans who rallied to overturn school segregation in the 1940s and 1950s. Other notables to make appearances at Chappelle Auditorium include Mary McLeod Bethune, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Muhammad Ali. After extensive renovations, the reopening of Chappelle Auditorium will enhance the economic impact and revitalization of the heart of Columbia, South Carolina.

A signature highlight of the event is the formal naming of the Bishop Franklin F. Norris Center for Performing Arts housed within the Chappelle Administration Building in honor of Bishop Richard F. Norris for his dedication and commitment to the Seventh Episcopal District, Allen University, and to the state of South Carolina.