New Building Name

Andersen Hall: New building name honors supporters

By Rebecca Dankleff
University of Nebraska Foundation

University Hall, Burnett Hall, Nebraska Hall, Avery Hall — and Andersen Hall. The past, present and future homes of the College of Journalism and Mass Communications reflect the growth in size and importance of the journalism college at the University of Nebraska.

The college is scheduled to move in 2001 into the renovated Security Mutual Insurance building on Lincoln’s Centennial Mall, a building that will be renamed Andersen Hall in honor of two successful NU graduates, Harold and Marian Andersen.

Terry Fairfield, president and CEO of the University of Nebraska Foundation, announced the name on April 16 during J Days festivities. The Foundation had announced plans to purchase the building for the university and to house the journalism program there in May 1996.

The Andersens are longtime supporters of the university and co-chairmen of Campaign Nebraska, the NU Foundation’s comprehensive fundraising effort that to date has attracted more than $500 million in private support for the university.

Building named in Andersens’ honor

“Harold and Marian Andersen have been long-time friends and supporters of the University of Nebraska,” said L. Dennis Smith, University of Nebraska president. “The time and effort they have devoted to the university as well as to the NU Foundation have been substantial, as has been their financial support. Naming the College of Journalism and Mass Communications building in their honor is a fitting way for the University of Nebraska to express its sincere gratitude to them.”

Fairfield said the building would be named for the Andersens to recognize their long history of leadership and support for the university as well as their achievements as NU graduates. “It is an honor for the NU Foundation to have this building named for the Andersens,” Fairfield said. “The years of support and dedication Harold and Marian have shown the NU Foundation and the university are exemplary.”

Both Marian and, later, Harold Andersen have served as chairman of the NU Foundation. As co-chairmen of Campaign Nebraska, they have traveled extensively throughout the country encouraging support for the university.”

NU Chancellor James Moeser said he could think of no one in Nebraska whose contributions are more deserving of recognition. “The Andersens’ dedication to education, to the university and to the ideals of good journalism are unparalleled,” said Moeser. “We are excited to have the opportunity to honor them in this fashion while at the same time helping to promote their goals. The new building helps Nebraska sustain its century-old reputation for excellence in journalism education.”

Community service

Former publisher and chairman of the Omaha World-Herald Company, Harold Andersen became a trustee of the NU Foundation in 1962. Following her father, C. Wheaton Battey, one of the first trustees of the NU Foundation, Marian was elected a trustee in 1974. In 1984, she became the first woman to be elected chairman of the NU Foundation Board of Directors. Seven years later, Harold was elected chairman.

Both Phi Beta Kappa graduates of NU, the Andersens have been recognized for their many diverse civic and community efforts. The Heartland Chapter of the American Red Cross, for example, established the Harold and Marian Andersen Philanthropy Leadership Award in their honor.

In addition to their service to the NU Foundation and the university during the past four decades, the Andersens have made more than $1.5 million in gifts to the NU Foundation to support various programs and projects at the university. The Andersens have attracted more than $1.9 million to assist the NU Foundation in purchasing the Security Mutual Life building.

“We are particularly interested in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications because of my lifelong career in journalism, the fact that Marian is a journalism graduate of UNL and because the free press continues to be an essential part of the fabric of a free society,” said Harold Andersen. “For all of these reasons, we are pleased to assist the college and the university in this major acquisition.”

College setting

Situated in the heart of Lincoln along Centennial Mall between P and Q streets, the highly visible Andersen Hall will be an ideal setting for the college. Built in 1957, the building consists of more than 47,000 net square feet. It includes four floors of offices, conference rooms and computer laboratories and a printing and publishing area.

“Relocating the College of Journalism and Mass Communications to the Security Mutual building has many advantages,” said Will Norton Jr., dean of the college. “Aside from the positive impact it will have on journalism education, academic space made available by the move will also allow other UNL colleges and departments to use the vacated area in Avery Hall. This will initiate a domino effect benefiting all of the university."

The College of Journalism and Mass Communications has resided in Avery Hall for nearly 25 years. The college occupies 19,000 square feet of space in the building, but as enrollment in the college has grown to more than 900, severe overcrowding prompted the university to look for a larger space for the journalism program.

“The ability to improve the academic facilities for students of Journalism and Mass Communications is an exciting opportunity to create a state-of-the-art learning environment,” said Moeser. “We are grateful to Harold and Marian Andersen for providing the leadership that enables the university to prosper and grow.”

NU Foundation support

The NU Foundation said others who may be interested in supporting the college’s move to the new building may contact the Foundation to make a gift. Classrooms, an assembly hall or specific equipment may be named for the donor or his or her designee.

For example, someone making a gift of $100,000 may have the graphics lab and layout room in the advertising department named for him or herself or someone the donor wishes to honor. A donation of $250,000 will place someone’s name on the advertising focus group and observation rooms. Similar opportunities exist for the news-editorial and the broadcasting departments.

The KRNU radio studio or a large television studio can be named for a gift of $500,000, while the video editing or graphic Internet lab rooms can each be named with a gift of $100,000. The news-editorial department’s newsroom can be named with a gift of $300,000.

Those who would like more information on these opportunities may contact the University of Nebraska Foundation, 1111 Lincoln Mall, Suite 200, Lincoln, Neb., 68508.