Masonic Temple Renamed Alumni Hall by Pitt Trustees

February 14, 2002

PITTSBURGH—At its winter meeting today, the University of Pittsburgh Board of Trustees approved a resolution to rename the University's Masonic Temple on Fifth Avenue Alumni Hall, so that "the devotion, support and esteem of the University of Pittsburgh alumni be appropriately recognized."

The University acquired the Masonic Temple, one of Pittsburgh's Historic Landmark buildings, in 1993, and completed a $16 million renovation to the structure in 2000. The renovations restored the building to its original 1915 splendor while incorporating modern functions, comfort features, and safety amenities.

The building is home to the Alumni Relations Office and the University of Pittsburgh Alumni Center, the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, the Office of Governmental Relations, the Institute of Politics, the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business's Mellon Financial Corporation Hall, and the Center for Instructional Development and Distance Education. The Kuntu Repertory Theater uses the building's seventh-floor auditorium for its performances, as do other campus organizations.

"The esteem to which the University of Pittsburgh is held worldwide is, in large measure, due to the success and accomplishments of its renowned graduates," reads the background statement for the resolution, which was introduced by Board Chair William S. Dietrich II and Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg and approved by the Board of Trustees. "Alumni volunteerism is at an all-time high. The Alumni Association and its many initiatives support student recruitment (through the Pitt Alumni Recruitment Team), other alumni (through the AlumNet program), and the University and higher education in general (through the Alumni Legislative Network," the statement continues.

Alumni participation in and support for University programs have "been greatly enhanced through regional Pitt Clubs. The development of new University programs, the support of talented and deserving students, and the recruitment of preeminent faculty have been possible because of generous alumni giving," the statement adds.

###

2/14/02/mgc