Ryan Fieldhouse

There was a time when college buildings were most often named for scholars, presidents, and teachers whose lives were devoted to advancing knowledge. Their names reminded students that universities exist first to discover, preserve, and transmit learning.

Today, many new buildings bear the names of benefactors whose generosity made their construction possible. Modern research laboratories, residence halls, performing arts centers, and athletic facilities often require gifts measured in the tens or hundreds of millions of dollars. The name recognizes not only financial support but also a lasting commitment to the institution’s future.

Neither tradition is without merit. One honors intellectual achievement. The other honors stewardship. Together they tell the story of how universities endure: ideas require both those who create them and those who provide the means for them to flourish.

Perhaps the question is not whether a building should bear the name of a scholar or a donor, but whether its name reminds future generations why the institution was built in the first place.