Located on the campus of San Antonio College at San Pedro Avenue and Courtland, McAllister Auditorium is a 1,000-seat venue that serves the Alamo Colleges District and the San Antonio community. This proscenium stage theater is divided into a lower mezzanine and upper balcony.
McAllister Auditorium is used primarily by the Fine Arts Department, which includes music, speech, drama, dance and visual arts. Opened in 1957, McAllister Auditorium has served as a center for several district events, concerts, and lectures for many years. New seats were installed in July 2012.
The auditorium is also available for rentals and hosts many community organizations for everything from recitals to weekly meetings.
HISTORY
McAllister Auditorium opened in April 1957 was named in honor of Walter Williams McAllister Sr. (1889-1984). McAllister Auditorium is also named in honor of his son, Walter Jr., who carried on with much of the work begun by his father.
Mr. McAllister Sr. attended the German-English School on South Alamo Street (later the original location of San Antonio College), and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin. He married Lenore Elizabeth Alexander in 1913. They had two sons; Walter Jr. and Gerald.
He co-founded the San Antonio Union Junior College District with James Otis Loftin in 1945. Walter Sr. was also instrumental in the purchase of the first tract of land on San Pedro Avenue for San Antonio College.
Walter Sr. founded the San Antonio Savings & Loan Association, which later became San Antonio Savings. In 1953 President Dwight Eisenhower appointed Walter Sr. to Chair the Board of the Federal Home Loan Bank. He also served as mayor of San Antonio from 1961-71. During his tenure as mayor, he oversaw the completion of Highway 281 North, which is named in his honor.
Walter Jr. attended UT-Austin and St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. In 1940, he married Edith Scott. They had four children.
Walter Jr. (1918-1988) was the President & CEO of San Antonio Savings Association from 1953-76, and served as the Chair from 1976-86. He also sat as Chair for American Founders Life Insurance Co. from 1966-80, and Vice-Chair of the National Savings & Loan Foundation from 1976-80.
