University of Idaho Hartung Theater photographs, 1972-1974

The Hartung Theater, initially named the Performing Arts Center, was built between 1972 and 1973 and opened in 1974. It was renamed in 1977 in honor of Ernest Hartung, who had served as University of Idaho President for 11 years. During his first year at the university in 1965, President Hartung attended the theater department's fall production of Oklahoma. This experience convinced him that the university needed a dedicated performing arts facility.

Fundraising for the building began in 1967 when the University of Idaho Alumni Association created the Fund for the Performing Arts Center (FPAC) with a goal of over $2 million. The center was envisioned to serve as both a performance venue for traditional and contemporary theater and as an educational facility for teaching performing arts. The Associated Students of the University of Idaho (ASUI) contributed $140,000 in 1972, alongside donations from parents, foundations, and corporations, helping to fund the project. Construction took two years and proceeded in three phases, with the total cost estimated around $1.5 million.1