More than 1,000 Texas Exes helped pay for the building. Between 1988 and 1990, the center underwent a renovation and addition that tripled its original size and made it into a showplace on the UT campus, directly across San Jacinto from the UT Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. More than 9,000 tiles on The Texas Exes Plaza and the Creekside Terrace were inscribed with names of donors to the $
7.17 million expansion. The Main Lounge & Concourses:
The original part of the Etter Alumni Center from the initial build-out in 1965, the Main Lounge & Concourses house authentic cowhide chairs, leather couches, marble coffee tables, rustic chandeliers, & a Lorenzo Ghiglieri bronzed buffalo statue to set the tone for the perfect reunion space on the University of Texas campus. Together, the Main Lounge & long Concourse spaces allow for up to 300 people for a cocktail hour or reception gathering space. With lofted ceilings, weddings up to 150 guests are accommodated for full banquet seating on the Concourse, cocktail hour space in the Main Lounge, and existing dance floor space on the exquisite marble floors. Adjoining patios on both sides of the lounge allow for ceremony space, optional outdoor dancing, cocktail hour space, or overflow for larger receptions. The Connally Ballroom:
With Museum quality paintings hung in the large Rotunda foyer space, this major addition in the 1990 extension of the Etter-Harbin Alumni Center, adjoins the Main Lounge & Concourses by a flight of stairs to the Connally Ballroom and the Central Porch via the Rotunda. With three large outdoor chandeliers on the Central Porch, a crisp white vaulted ceiling Rotunda, to the 5,600 square foot Ballroom with 270 degrees of floor to ceiling windows awash in natural light, this space is perfect for large gatherings of 420 seated or reception-style for 600+. The majestic open skylight at the zenith of the Ballroom allows for day-lit daytime meetings and dancing under the stars for evening weddings. Built-in projectors allow for presentations on hidden drop-down screens of corporate sponsorships or pictures of the celebrated couple. Two patio doors on the Ballroom lead to a wrap-around terrace to the west with access to the natural amphitheater that overlooks the iconic Waller Creek. The picturesque backdrop for wedding ceremonies, the Regents Bridge is one of the oldest bridges on the University of Texas campus and also makes an ideal stretch for wedding guests to line-up for sparkler departures when the bride and groom make their final exit.
