L.C. Langford Auditorium is Vanderbilt Medical Center's largest performance hall and meeting/lecture venue. It has hosted everything from the CEO of Vanderbilt Medical Center's Annual State of the Medical Center addresses to speeches from Presidents Bill Clinton and George W Bush to musical and theatrical performances, including chamber groups, dance companies, and musical artists like Elvis Costello and the Attractions, Arlo Guthrie, Dave Brubeck, Billy Joel, and Take 6.
History
Lilburn C. Langford, for whom the auditorium was named, was a businessman from Clarksville Tennessee who developed a chain of soda fountains and restaurants, and who, most famously, is said to have invented the malted milk. At its peak, Langford’s company operated more than 100 restaurants. He sold his company to Del Monte in 1969, and after his death in 1977, his widow, Elizabeth Michaud Langford, donated funds toward the construction of the auditorium and its general upkeep.
Langford Auditorium underwent a complete renovation in 2008, including expanded and improved dressing rooms, a refurbished lobby, updated restrooms, and improved acoustics and seating inside the auditorium.