The history of Ball State University dots its campus.
Buildings — Kinghorn, Pittenger, Emens and Letterman to name a few — are named for famous alumni and past administrators.
Thomas J. Kinghorn served at Ball State for 43 years and was the vice president of Business Affairs and treasurer from 1987 to 2009. The Student Center is named for Lemuel A. Pittenger, Ball State president from 1927 to 1942. Emens Auditorium was the dream of Ball State's sixth president, John R. Emens. And, of course, the David Letterman Communication and Media Building is named for Ball State's prominent late night talk show alumnus.
While all of these men's accomplishments have been fantastic for the university, what about the man who has brought laughs to so many around the world with his comics about a lasagna-loving cat, a simple-minded dog and their nerdy owner?
Ball State 1967 alumnus, Delaware County resident and "Garfield" comic strip creator Jim Davis is a frequent visitor to campus, often attending Emens shows with his grandchildren. He's also a vocal supporter of the campus and often cites Ball State as an influence in his comics. This past weekend, "An Extraordinary Evening with Jim Davis" helped raise money for the Jim Davis Fund, an endowment to help provide immersive learning programs to students.
It seems like quite an oversight for Davis to not yet have a building on campus named after him. If service or donation is the requirement for such an honor, there really is no excuse. He's done both for a long time and will continue to do so.
In just one instance of his dedication to his alma mater, when the international-touring "Garfield Live" opens in January 2011, it will debut at Emens Auditorium and include Ball State students, according to playbill.com.
He's developed an educational website, donated money for scholarships and is a strong advocate for the Muncie area.
It's about time Jim Davis was recognized for all of his hard work and support of Ball State over the years. Perhaps the next residence hall might be named after Davis? Or one of the plainly-named campus buildings (North Quad or the Art and Journalism Building maybe)? Or maybe the studios for the College of Fine Arts?
If there was ever a case to name a building after someone who has helped make the university a better place, then this is it.
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