International Affairs Building
The International Affairs Building or IAB is used by the Political Science Department, the Economics Department, and SIPA. Lehman Library, one of the two Language Resource Centers, and Alice's International Cafe are located here, along with a 24-hour lounge on the sixth floor.
At one point, was purportedly slated to be named Noble Hall.
417 IAB, also known as the Altschul Auditorium, is one of the largest lecture halls on campus and is the location for a number of the most popular undergraduate courses.
Those Goddamn Elevators
Many people know and loathe the IAB elevators, a bank of four cramped, outrageously slow machines that are often covered over in cardboard to make them run properly. According to Political Science professor Robert Amdur, Grayson Kirk, president of the university during the IAB's construction, would brag to his friends about how he'd saved a fortune in the building's quick construction by buying elevators from a dirt-cheap supplier rather than an industrial leader like Otis. Amongst other things President Kirk did (like propose that gym in Morningside Park), this one makes him one of Columbia's least-favorite presidents, especially amongst the econ and poli sci majors who often simply walk the thirteen flights of stairs needed to get to their departments rather than rely on "Grayson's Folly."
Map
<googlemap lat="40.807555" lon="-73.959838" type="map" zoom="16" width="500" height="300" controls="small"> 40.807555, -73.959838, International Affairs Building (IAB) </googlemap>
