Thorne Auditorium @ Occidental College
About
Thorne Hall at Occidental College in Los Angeles is a historic auditorium built in 1938 and designed by architect Myron Hunt in a neoclassical style with Palladian influences. Funded in part by Montgomery Ward heir Charles Thorne and named after his late wife Belle Wilber Thorne, the hall seats approximately 792 people and has hosted notable figures such as Martin Luther King Jr., Desmond Tutu, and Linda Ronstadt. It remains a key cultural venue on campus, used for lectures, performances, and events. Renovated in 1989 to improve acoustics and modernize its interior, Thorne Hall also houses a Percussion Studio added in 2021.