Vanderbilt University Register: Law School dedicates Flynn Auditorium

The new auditorium in the expanded Law School was dedicated recently and named for the family of a recent graduate.

Known as the Flynn Auditorium, the 220-seat venue was named for Bill R. Flynn and Katherine N. Flynn of Hopkinsville, Ky. The Flynns are the parents of Tom Flynn, who earned his law degree in 1999 and his undergraduate degree in 1996, both from Vanderbilt.

The dedication ceremony took place Sept. 24 at the Law School.

The Flynn's gift capped a successful building campaign, which raised more than $22.6 million to fund 74,000 square feet of new teaching, student and administrative space added to the building. Some of the gifts and pledges are still being received.

"We are delighted to name the auditorium, one of the jewels of the newly expanded facility, for the Flynns," said Kent D. Syverud, dean and Garner Anthony Professor of Law at the Vanderbilt University Law School. "The auditorium enjoys many uses, from classroom to lecture hall to appellate courtroom. It's one of the areas most used by the Law School and the community at large.

"To be able to name this beautiful auditorium for a family that is so important to the Law School is very meaningful for us all," Syverud said.

Immediately following the dedication, the 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals heard arguments in three cases in Flynn Auditorium. It is very rare for the court to meet outside of its home base in Cincinnati, and it drew hundreds of law students who wanted to see a session of the court. The three judges on the panel all had ties to Vanderbilt, and two are Vanderbilt University Law School graduates.

The original building dates to 1962 and was expanded in 1982. It originally was constructed to house 290 students and 18 faculty members. The nationally ranked school has grown to 550 students and 40 faculty.

Ground was broken on the most recent expansion of the Law School in March 1999, and the final phase of the extensive project will be completed in December of this year. The new facility will be dedicated on March 16, 2002.

"This is the most ambitious building project the school has ever undertaken," Syverud said. "We owe a debt of gratitude to the thousands of alumni and friends who contributed, to our tireless building committee and to the chairman of the campaign, Jack Moore of Memphis. This bright and spacious facility will stand for years to come as a testament to their commitment to Vanderbilt University Law School," he said