[Magdalen] Smaller but not Forgotten.

[Jim Guthrie]

From: James Oppenheimer-Crawford

>It is the auditorium formerly known as Avery Fisher Hall. They had to pay
>the Fisher family fifteen million to get them to give up the name.

Still Avery Fisher Hall until the descendants get their $15-million buyout. 
Fisher was the Fisher of Fisher Audio for those interested.

The renaming of stadiums, arenas and subway stations replacing names assumed "in 
perpetuity" seems to be a common practice amongst non-profits and municipal 
authorities owning these venues.

As some New Yorkers know, "In Perpetuity" means 36 years. When the Sixth Avenue 
El was demolished and replaced but the Sixth Avenue Subway, they did not build a 
Station at 38th Street to replace the El station at the same location. But 
protesting neighborhood business owners were solemnly promised by Mayor 
LaGuardia and the Board of Transportation that there would be a subway entrance 
at 38th Street "In perpetuity." This connected to an underground passage 
connection both the south end of the 42nd Street Station at 40th Street, and the 
north end of the 34th Street Station at 35th Street (the 34th Street station was 
actually more than a block north the former El Station because both the Hudson 
Tubes and BMT/Broadway station were there first - in fact the Hudson Tubes  34th 
Street station was moved to 32nd Street and renamed "33rd Street." The 
Southbound BMT tracks are several feet above the northbound tracks at that 
station, to leave room for the Tubes that no longer exist below.

The subway entrance was closed in 1976 after a rape in the passageway (as was 
the underground connection to Penn Station from Sixth Avenue where the "nun" 
with the Five O'clock Shadow used to sit with two legit nuns begging for alms)..

So "In perpetuity" means 1940-1976 -- 36 years.

Though AVH was opened in 1962, Fisher's name was attached in 1973 after a $10.3 
million gift toward renovations-- so by the time Lincoln Center raises the 
$500-million it needs for the next renovation (will they put a pipe organ back 
in? It was removed in the Fisher Renovation) in a few years, it should be close 
to the 36-year "In perpetuity" mark <g>.

Cheers,
Jim Guthrie