The auditorium was dedicated in 1915 in memory of music professor Frederic H. Pease, at the institution then known as the Michigan State Normal College, and is the fourth-oldest building on the EMU campus.

Pease Auditorium is in the Neoclassical Revival architectural style, and was designed by the Detroit-based firm Smith, Hinchman, and Grylls.

Pease Auditorium was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987, and a major renovation and addition program concluded in 2001.

Ypsilanti residents objected during the construction, and petitioned to change the buildling's namesake to music professor Frederic H. Pease, who died suddenly in 1909.

The auditorium was constructed of fireproof concrete and steel, and was fitted with a ventilation system capable of providing entirely new fresh air every ten minutes.

The university launched a major fundraising campaign to repair and expand Pease, taking advantage of federal grants and private donations.

Major repairs were done to the interior and exterior of Pease, and the backstage area of the auditorium was expanded to include a green room for performers.

[5] After Josephine's death, Frederic commissioned a stained glass window in her memory at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in downtown Ypsilanti, where he was a distinguished member.