McAlister Auditorium construction seen here in the snow. The house to the right of the auditorium was one of the few houses in the area of the new campus at the time. It served as the office for the staff overseeing the construction of the new campus. The house was torn down not long after the auditorium was built and the parking lot for McAlister was placed there. McAlister Auditorium was named in honor of William H. McAlister and his daughter, Amelie McAlister Upshur. The auditorium serves as Furman University's primary performance hall. It opened in 1960.