The former Fulton Theatre was rededicated as the Helen Hayes Theatre, making her the first woman honored with a Broadway theatre in her name.
On November 17, 1969 (per institutional record), Broadway's former Fulton Theatre was officially rededicated as the Helen Hayes Theatre, marking the first time a Broadway venue had been named in honor of Helen Hayes — and the first time a Broadway theatre had ever been named for a living actress in her honor during her lifetime in this manner.
This naming was a landmark recognition, elevating Hayes beyond the status of a celebrated performer to that of a permanent institution within the physical landscape of Broadway itself. The renaming reflected not only her decades of acclaimed performances but also her tireless advocacy for American theatre as an art form worthy of national prestige and preservation.
The original Helen Hayes Theatre (the former Fulton) was later demolished in 1982 amid controversial redevelopment of the Times Square theatre district, an event that sparked significant public outcry from preservationists and the theatrical community. Nevertheless, the initial 1969 dedication set the stage for an even more remarkable distinction: Hayes would become the first woman to have two successive Broadway theatres bear her name, following the 1986 renaming of the former Little Theatre.