Rockefeler Memorial Chapel
History and Photographs

In 1910, John D. Rockefeller made a gift of $10 million to the University of Chicago. It would be, he said, his final gift to the University, and was made with one stipulation: that $1.5 million be used to build a chapel for the University, a chapel that would be the central and dominant feature of the University group. University Chapel was dedicated in 1928 and was renamed for Rockefeller upon his death a few years later. True to his wishes, it remains a central architectural feature of the campus. Its majestic limestone exterior rises dramatically along the Midway Plaisance; its breathtaking Gothic interior inspires awe and reverence.

Today the chapel serves the University and the community through educational, social, and interfaith activities. The chapel is a focus for the essential life of the campus, a place where significant life passages are marked: weddings, memorials and convocations. Furthermore, it sustains a long and distinguished tradition in performance of the organ, carillon, orchestral, and sacred choral repertoire. Its acoustics are particularly suited to the human voice. When appropriate, the University of Chicago Presents tries to program appropriate concerts in this glorious acoustical and architectural gem.

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