 Dr. Marvin Kroeker, a longtime Ada resident and East Central University history professor emeritus, hoped to save the amphitheater and bring it back to its former glory.In 2000, Dr. Kroeker took Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office deputy Melvena Heisch on a tour of the park and the amphitheater.He sought to convince Mrs. Heisch to nominate the amphitheater for designation on the National Register of Historic Places.