Baird Hall

Baird Hall houses classrooms, faculty studio offices, a music library, two multi-use rehearsal halls, and 64 practice rooms for the Department of Music. It also contains a modern recital hall--a multi-purpose performance room with three-part continuous seating and footlights, klieg lights, and a control room.

Frank Burkett Baird (1852-1939) was a philanthropist and successful industrialist. He came to Buffalo in 1888, built the Tonawanda Iron & Steel Company, developed the Hanna Furnace Company, and served on the board of the Pan American Exposition in 1901. By far his greatest accomplishment was as "Father of the Peace Bridge" and was a proponent of the construction which opened vehicular traffic between the U.S. and Canada in 1927. He chaired the UB Council and was a member of the Board of the University Foundation. Mr. Baird served as trustee of Forest Lawn Cemetery and is also buried there. His son, Cameron Baird (1905-1959), a violinist in the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, founded the University's Music Department in 1951 and chaired it until his death. Another son, William C. Baird (1907-1987), was chair of the UB council and an exceedingly generous benefactor of UB.