MU College of Business Celebrates New Home
 After 12 years of planning and construction, Cornell Hall is officially open for business!
On Saturday, September 7, over 800 alumni, students, faculty, staff, university administrators, and friends of the College of Business joined together in celebrating the dedication of Cornell Hall.
The program for the dedication ceremony included:
• Remarks by Dean Bruce Walker, Chancellor Richard Wallace, and representatives of the college's alumni (Jack Bush), faculty (Dr. Art Jago), and students (Tricia Zimmer);
• Music by Mini Mizzou; and
• Video presentations to summarize the construction process and to recognize the people and organizations that made varied and vital contributions to the project.
The lead donors to the project, Ann and Harry Cornell, offered the invocation and concluding remarks, respectively. The dedication ceremony concluded with an official ribbon cutting by the Cornells and Jack and Mary Bush, also major donors to the project. Lunch, building tours, and technology demonstrations were provided following the ceremony.
"Cornell Hall in an important means by which the College of Business will provide our students with a better educational experience and our faculty with a superior environment for teaching and research," Dean Walker said. "In particular, the variety of technology in the new building will allow faculty to employ electronic instructional tools and bring speakers from around the world into the classroom electronically."
Cornell Hall consists of 16 technology-rich classrooms, a 125-seat lecture hall, a 500-seat auditorium, two computer classrooms, 13 small breakout rooms, an informal student gathering space, and offices for faculty and staff. Click here to view the facility floor plans. The new building allows the college's faculty, staff, graduate students, academic units, and research and service agencies to be housed under one roof rather than in four buildings as in the past.
The neo-Georgian appearance, created by renowned higher education architects Ellerbe Becket, complements the Reynolds Alumni Center and Hulston Hall on the South Quadrangle of the campus and the nearby Jesse Hall. The facility's 150,000 square feet of space is enhanced by a naturally lit atrium; all six floors can be viewed from the lobby. "We designed the building to blend with the tradition of Missouri on the outside and to hold the key to the future of Missouri inside," said Pat Clancy, Ellerbe Becket project manager.
 The $30 million facility was funded through a partnership among the State of Missouri, which provided $17.1 million; MU, which put in about $1 million; and contributions fromalumni and friends of the college, totaling $12 million. Harry and Ann Cornell, in conjunction with Leggett & Platt, donated $3.5 million for the new building and an endowed professorship in information technology.
"This building is a testament to what we can accomplish when the State of Missouri, the university, and our alumni, friends, and supporters work together," said Chancellor Wallace. "Not only will this building facilitate the preparation of future business leaders, but it also will serve as a constant reminder of the important role our alumni play in our campus' success."
"With the opening of this magnificent new facility, we have added another key resource that will contribute to the quality of the students' educational experience and will help the MU College of Business become one of the top public business schools in the nation," Dean Walker concluded.
About the College
The College of Business was established in 1914. Its business programs were among the first in the nation to be accredited, and the college was also a leader in offering the PhD degree in business-related fields. Several of the college's degree programs as well as the research productivity of its faculty have earned top-50 national rankings. College of Business faculty have been honored with numerous awards for their outstanding teaching. This tradition of high-quality scholarship and teaching remains strong today. Over 3,300 students are pursuing degrees in accountancy, finance, management, and marketing in the College of Business, and nearly 29,000 alumni are contributing their expertise to organizations around the world. The college aspires to be one of the top 20 public business schools in the nation, distinguished by innovation and excellence in collaborative education activities with alumni, business partners, and academic colleagues.
Davenport Society Holds 14th Annual Banquet
The annual banquet of The Herbert J. Davenport Society was held on Friday, September 6. The Davenport Society recognizes donors who have pledged or contributed at least $25,000 to the College of Business. The reception and dinner were attended by over 275 Society members, faculty, staff, students, alumni, university leaders, and business people. During the program, six Society individuals and couples advanced to higher levels of membership, reflecting their additional contributions. In addition, 23 new members were inducted into the Society. Each of the new members was hosted and introduced by one of the college's students.
 Harvey Eisen, the 2002 chair of the Davenport Society, addressed the audience with a humorous yet informative speech on financial survival in turbulent times. Eisen is widely recognized as one of the country's leading portfolio managers and appears regularly on such television programs as the popular Louis Rukeyser's Wall Street and Lou Dobbs Moneyline. As part of the program, Provost Brady Deaton brought greetings on behalf of the university, Dean Bruce Walker updated the group about the college's progress, and Associate Dean Ken Evans introduced a "Then and Now" video about the college and recognized the contributions of Mr. Eisen as the Society's chair during 2002.
Founded in 1989 and named for the college's first dean, The Herbert J. Davenport Society now includes 293 members. The members' gifts and pledges to the college total more than $49 million.
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