Memorial Auditorium dedicated in 1937, commemorates those students and faculty from Stanford who died in World War I. Designed by Bakewell and Brown, construction of the auditorium was funded primarily through student contributions. Prominent features of the building include a great central arched entry, large arched entries on the sides, covered colonnades on the sides, bare wall surfaces in rectangular segments, and a red tile roof typical of many Stanford buildings. In addition to containing a main auditorium with 1,700 seats, MemAud also houses the drama department and Pigott Theater, a "little" theater with 200 seats. Some modifications to the auditorium's facade were made in 1997 by Sebastian and Associates, including a new entry stairs, terrace, and accessibility ramp.

Memorial Auditorium is the site of both academic conferences and student activities. For example, Hot Chips, a symposium on hardware chips sponsored by IEEE, is held annually during the summer in MemAud. In terms of student activities, much of New Student Orientation takes place inside the auditorium. Flicks, the Stanford movie service, screens movies in MemAud once every week. Finally, large speaker events are commonly held in MemAud for its 1,700 seat capacity, such as for the Dalai Lama's visit and Al Gore's visit to Stanford campus in the 2005.