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Pitt to name Bradford campus fitness center after McDowells
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Trustees at the University of Pittsburgh Friday voted to rename a building on its Bradford campus in honor of a past president and his wife and agreed to make the university's new general counsel an officer of the corporation.
The board also received updates from chancellor Mark Nordenberg on various matters, including state and federal budgetary issues.
At Pitt-Bradford in McKean County, the sport and fitness center that opened in 2002 will now be called the Dr. Richard and Ruth McDowell Sport and Fitness Center following Friday's vote. Mr. McDowell, president emeritus, led the Bradford campus from 1973 to 2002 and was involved in key aspects of campus growth, officials said.
At age 29, he was the youngest college president in the nation when he assumed Bradford's presidency, Pitt officials said.
"Under his strong leadership and vision, the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford gained baccalaureate degree-granting status in 1979; enrollment tripled to 1,200 students; campus improvements were made and student facilities were constructed, including the Sport and Fitness Center," said material that accompanied the board resolution.
The year before he stepped down, Mr. McDowell received the campus alumni association teaching award and was later inducted into Pitt-Bradford's athletic hall of fame, according to the board. After retiring from the presidency, Mr. McDowell taught courses in leadership and fundraising.
In proposing the name change, officials also noted contributions the couple has made to campus endeavors, among them establishing the Pitt-Bradford Alumni Endowment and creating along with other donors the Zelda N. Hyatt Undergraduate Student Research Fund.
Also on Friday, trustees bestowed an additional title on P. Jerome Richey, chief legal officer and executive vice president for Consol Energy, who on Jan. 30 was named Pitt's general counsel. The board elected him as an officer of the corporation.
The general counsel position was held for more than eight years by Jerome Cochran, who took on those duties in addition to his existing role as executive vice chancellor. He will continue as executive vice chancellor, and officials praised Mr. Cochran's performance.
First Published February 23, 2013 12:00 am
