Dudley Hall Gallery Space Renovated and Named McRae Gallery

In June of 2023, the Auburn University Board of Trustees approved naming the space The Wayne Denson McRae Gallery and Presentation Studio. The renovations have recently been completed and the space was formally dedicated in March.

A former architect and planner for the City of Mobile, Alabama, Wayne McRae had a strong interest in historic architecture and renovation. Born in Lafayette, Alabama, in 1928, he studied architecture at Auburn and became a pioneer in historic preservation in Mobile during the 1940s.

Mr. McRae lived frugally and left a gift of $1.9 million dollars to be managed by the Community Foundation of South Alabama with the vision of creating public spaces to be enjoyed by everyone. Though he passed away in 1997, his philanthropic organization has kept alive his love of architecture, nature and urban life.

Rebecca Byrne, President of the Community Foundation of South Alabama, says, “We are grateful for the generosity of Wayne McRae. We are proud to provide this grant to fulfill his vision.”

“He was very committed and very loyal to Auburn University, particularly the architecture program,” said Irving Silver, a friend of Mr. McRae’s and a distribution advisor for his philanthropic gifts. “He felt it had really prepared him for his career and the challenges of life.”

Silver knows his friend would be very pleased to know he is supporting students studying the same subjects he loved.

“I think Wayne would be very proud of the plans and commitments that we’ve made to the university and the architecture program,” he said. “Wayne was very humble. I think back to a conversation we had when he was getting his affairs in order, and I said, ‘How do you feel about putting your name on something?’ And he said, ‘Well, that would be nice.’”

Both students and faculty are enthusiastic about the results of the renovation.

“We are excited to use the new gallery and project review space,” stated Justin Miller, head of Auburn’s School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture (APLA). “Our students and faculty will really benefit from the renovations to the space, and we are grateful to the McRae Memorial Fund for making these improvements possible.”

Mr. McRae’s generous gift also established two Ever Auburn Endowed Scholarships, two Endowed Professorships in APLA and a Fund for Excellence.