While Wells was serving as IU's president, the university landholdings increased tenfold through acquisition of real estate to reach , its approximate, present-day size. In addition, numerous buildings were constructed on campus the Bloomington campus. Major projects included construction of the IU Auditorium, which opened on March 22, 1941, as the cornerstone of the university's Fine Arts Plaza. The plaza was later expanded to include the Lilly Library, dedicated in 1969, and the Showalter Fountain, designed by sculptor and IU faculty member Robert Laurent and dedicated on October 22, 1961. Wells also worked with state government officials to transfer ownership of Thomas Hart Benton's Indiana murals, which were initially created for and displayed at the Chicago Century of Progress International Exposition (World's Fair) in 1933. Ownership of the murals was formally transferred to IU in 1938. The murals were incorporated into the design of the new IU Auditorium and installed in time for the building's dedication in March 1941.