Rededication of Neumiller Hall

On July 29, Bradley faculty and staff gathered to celebrate the rededication of Neumiller Hall in Bradley Hall. The event opened with a moving musical performance by our very own Rob Prescott, senior associate dean in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS), who played mandolin alongside his wife, Tracy, on harp.

LAS Interim Dean Dr. Sherri Morris welcomed attendees and extended thanks to the many individuals—on and off campus—who made the renovation possible. She also recognized the Zaleski family for their generous and continued financial support of the university providing meaningful opportunities to students, staff, and faculty.

The space, rich in history, has undergone many transformations since the founding of the Bradley Polytechnic Institute in 1897, when it was originally known as the Bradley Chapel. President James Shadid offered a heartfelt reflection on the hall’s significance and the university’s enduring mission.

“In Lydia’s vision, ‘chapel’ was a place to engage and reflect upon the most important matters in life, and to consider how one is to live an ethical and benevolent life amid all the challenges of any given era,” he said. “‘Chapel’ was the primary way in which the school honored Mrs. Bradley’s charter mandate that every student should receive instruction in ethics.”

As Bradley Polytechnic evolved into Bradley University, the space took on a broader purpose. It became more than a chapel—it was a lecture and performance hall that welcomed artists, celebrities, civic leaders, and filmmakers to its stage.

A major turning point came in 1963, when a fire swept through Bradley Hall, causing extensive damage. But, thanks to a generous $75,000 gift from Louis and Selma Neumiller, Bradley Hall was rebuilt and reopened in 1965. The space was renamed Neumiller Chapel, and later, following additional renovations, became known as Neumiller Lecture Hall.

“And now here we are,” Shadid said, “at another starting point in the long history of this wonderful hall, with a chance to honor Mrs. Bradley and all of those generous people through the years who gave life to this room—for students, for staff, for faculty, and for the community.”

In her closing remarks, Dr. Angie Cooksy, vice president of Enrollment Management, Marketing and Communications, fondly recalled taking an economics class in Neumiller Hall as a freshman. She reflected on how sitting in that iconic space was a rite of passage for so many Bradley students, past and present—echoing Shadid’s closing remarks.

“I know that this space will continue to play an important role in the student experience for years and years to come, and that coming generations of alumni will look back to their experiences in this hall with gratitude—for the things they learned, the ways they grew, and the deep and lasting friendships they made here,” he said.

—Emily Potts