Pitt-Bradford will name its sport and fitnesscenter in honor of President Emeritus Dr. Richard McDowell and his wife, Ruth.
The
University of Pittsburgh Board of Trustees approved the naming of the Dr.
Richard and Ruth McDowell Sport and Fitness Center at its meeting today in
Pittsburgh.
The
sport and fitness center opened in the fall of 2002 and includes the KOA Arena,
the Kenneth M. Jadlowiec Fitness Center, an exercise studio, the Tom L.
McDowell Fieldhouse (named in honor of McDowell’s father), the Paul C. Duke III
Aquatic Center, offices, classrooms and athletic training facilities.
“I
am tremendously pleased that one of the most vibrant buildings on campus will
carry the name of a vibrant leader,” said Dr. Livingston Alexander,
Pitt-Bradford’s president. “Dr. McDowell’s unrelenting enthusiasm, optimism and
dedication carried Pitt-Bradford into the 21st century, well poised
for the national recognition we’re seeing today.”
McDowell
served as president of Pitt-Bradford from 1973 to 2002, leading it through the
process to gain baccalaureate degree-granting status in 1979 and expanding the physical
campus and the student body to 1,200.
The Hon. John
Cleland, who served as chairman of the Pitt-Bradford Advisory Board from 1995
to 2005, said, “It is more than fitting that Dick receive this honor. The
campus is largely his vision, and his legacy is being duly recognized. And
certainly, Ruth has been Dick’s partner for many years, and it’s appropriate
that they are recognized together for the team they are.”
When McDowell
became president at age 29, he was the youngest college president in the
nation. Prior to becoming president, he served the university in several
capacities, including assistant to the president for academic affairs, director
of admissions and as a faculty member.
William Higie
became chairman of the advisory board a year after McDowell became president.
“It certainly is
well-deserved,” Higie said. “We struggled through twenty years together. We needed
somebody like Dick McDowell who could just get things done well.”
Following his
retirement as president, McDowell taught courses in leadership and fundraising
at Pitt-Bradford. He holds a bachelor’s degree from High Point University and a
master’s and doctor of philosophy degree from St. Louis University.
In 1996 High Point University awarded Dr. McDowell an Honorary Doctorate. In
2001 he was awarded the Pitt-Bradford Alumni Association Teaching Excellence
Award, and in 2002, he was recognized for his support of athletics by induction
into Pitt-Bradford’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
Over the years,
the McDowells have supported a wide range of important initiatives at the
Bradford campus. They established the Pitt-Bradford Athletics Endowment; joined
with other donors and relatives of Dr. McDowell to create the Zelda N. Hyatt
Undergraduate Student Research Fund; and gave generously to the Bradford
Education Foundation at Pitt-Bradford, specifically for grants to expand and
revolutionize the availability and use of technology throughout the curriculum
for all majors across the Bradford Campus.