After five generations of patronage to Ball State University, the Park family received significant recognition Thursday.
At the retirement reception of Don Park, vice president for University Advancement, President of the Board of Trustees Thomas DeWeese announced that the East Residence Hall will be named Park Hall when it opens for Fall Semester 2007.
Park and his wife stood at a podium in the Alumni Center while DeWeese read a resolution passed by the Board of Trustees earlier that day.
"I really didn't know anything [until the] last two paragraphs of the resolution," Park said.
When he realized what was happening, Park became emotional.
"I had thought, 'Okay, this is retirement," he said, "you get a nice framed photo of Beneficence or something.'"
Instead, an illustration of the completed Park Hall was unveiled.
After receiving his bachelor's and master's degrees from Ball State, Park worked as a professor in Teachers College. Park then became an Indiana state senator, but he continued to contribute to the university as the president of the Alumni Association for two years.
Park returned to Ball State in 1992, when he became vice president for University Advancement. He stayed in that position for 14 years and was in charge of multiple fundraising efforts, including those that led to the building of the Alumni Center and the renovation of Scheumann Stadium.
The Park family's commitment began when Park's great-uncle was part of the second graduating class of Ball State. Currently, two of Park's nephews attend the university.
The path to naming the hall began in January, when Park expressed his interest in retiring to President Jo Ann Gora.
"In the intervening months, I was thinking about all contributions he'd made to the university," Gora said. "I though it would be just a wonderful way to honor Don and his family."
Gora said she then began researching the history of residence halls' names.
"Normally we would name buildings after people who have made significant philanthropic contributions to university," Gora said.
But sometimes, buildings, particularly residence halls are named after people who have given to Ball State through other means, she said. Most residence halls had been named after faculty members and administrators who had contributed significantly to the university.
"Don seemed to fit that profile really well," she said.
After her research, Gora had to find a time for the university's naming committee to meet. This proved to be a problem because Park was the chairman of the committee.
Once she met with the naming committee, she had to find a way to bring the naming before the Board of Trustees for a vote. This was also a problem because Park sits on the board.
"My agenda at the board meeting was different," Park said. "It had 11 items. The other had 12."
Park left the meeting early to prepare for his retirement reception, so the trustees voted at the end of the night.
"It was a closely held secret," Gora said.
Park said his family members have slowly found out about the naming.
His brother, who was travelling in Alaska, didn't have cell phone reception so he didn't find out until Saturday.
"It's been an interesting week," Park said. I thought I'd ease out of here quietly and go on to other things."
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