USU’s $50 million Huntsman Hall opens

LOGAN – The Jon M. Huntsman Hall on the Utah State University campus officially opened Wednesday afternoon. In attendance at the dedication and ribbon cutting was Utah Governor Gary Herbert, USU President Stan Albrecht and Jon and Karen Huntsman, the namesake and principal donors of the new building. Elder M. Russell Ballard, an apostle of the LDS church, gave the dedicatory prayer.

“This day marks an important milestone in our journey to build a top-tier business school here at Utah State University,” said Douglas Anderson, dean of the School of Business.

Before the ribbon cutting, many of the donors met in the L. Tom Perry room on the fifth floor of the building where Albrecht, Anderson, Herbert and Huntsman addressed those in attendance. The American Festival Chorus performed “America the Beautiful”.

“Its within these walls learning will transpire,” Huntsman said in his address. “The uneducated will be lifted and elevated by their professors to comprehend useful business tactics and strategies.”

The new 125,000-square-foot, $50 million building will serve the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business and was built as an expansion to the already-existing George S. Eccles Business Building.

“The design of Huntsman Hall integrates seamlessly with the George S. Eccles Business Building,” Anderson said. “This is a great asset to us. The integration of these two facilities makes each one a more powerful and valuable asset in itself.”

About 70 percent of the costs of the building were made by private donors. In addition to the Huntsman Foundation and the State of Utah, nine private donors and organizations contributed more than $1 million each, more than 13 contribute at least $100,000 each.

“This was by no means a one family or a one person job,” Huntsman said. “This came from the heart and soul of so many of you in this room and others. I won’t name names but Karen and I share this podium with each of you.”

Huntsman made it clear in his address that all the lessons learned in the new building will be meaningless “unless the co-product is integrity.”

“Deep down we all know right from wrong,” he said. “Yes, the subjects taught here will be critical and helpful, but our very own drive, our unrelenting determination to succeed and our honesty will determine our legacy and in the process we cannot forget that business expression of old which states, ‘Tough times never last, but tough people do.’ Our students must be men and women who compete fairly, fiercely and win without cheating.”

Herbert thanked everyone involved in the effort and specifically mentioned the Huntsman family’s support of education and cancer research as ways the state has been benefited.

“We can’t overstate the blessings the blessings Utah receives because Jon and Karen Huntsman are from Utah,” he said.

In his dedicatory prayer, Ballard asked that the new building stand as a beacon and be a place where students can get an education and “go forth into the nations of the earth and lead in very special ways.” According to Anderson, the building that used to stand where the Huntsman Hall is now was Lund Hall, and was dedicated by Ballard’s grandfather, Melvin J. Ballard.

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