It began as a dream long in coming, but the Sonja Haynes Stone Center now stands as a monument to a dream come true.

It was dedicated Aug. 21 before more than 500 guests who joined with the Stone family and University officials to celebrate the occasion. Paid for by private donations, the center will serve as an academic and cultural arts building for all students, faculty and citizens of North Carolina, said Chancellor James Moeser.

The center contains a 360-seat theater, a dance studio, a multipurpose room, an art gallery and museum, two classrooms, two seminar rooms, a library, a computer lab and offices for administrators and researchers.

But it also captures the spirit of a wonderful teacher and mentor, Moeser said. Stone came to the University in 1974 as director of the Curriculum of African-American studies and advocated for a center for much of her tenure. She died in 1991. "Great teachers are what make this University so memorable, not only to students but to its alumni," Moeser said. "This center is the physical legacy to a great teacher."