ASU Names New Fulton Center on Tempe Campus
By Jennifer Watts, ASU Foundation
More than 300 people gathered at the ASU Foundation building on the ASU Tempe campus Tuesday morning, March 21, to celebrate the naming of the building the "ASU Fulton Center" in honor of Mary Lou and Ira A. Fulton.
Family members Doug Fulton and Lorie and Norm Nicholls joined their parents on stage for the ceremony seated alongside ASU President Michael M. Crow, and the ASU Foundation's president/CEO Ira A. Jackson and board of trustee chairman Craig Weatherup. Also in attendance were mayors from Tempe, Chandler and Scottsdale, members of the Arizona Board of Regents and other elected and appointed officials. Many ASU Foundation trustees and supporters, including Ruth and Hugh Downs, were on hand as well as university provosts and deans from the ASU colleges participating in the 2005 and 2006 Fulton Challenge, including the newly appointed dean of the Fulton School of Engineering, Deirdre Meldrum.
Known to many at the university and foundation as the "first family" of ASU, the Fultons' support of ASU in excess of $160 million over the past five years and their unwavering commitment to the vision of ASU President Michael M. Crow earned them naming rights to the building, according to Dr. Crow.
Noting that the Fultons were keenly aware of what he was trying to accomplish at the university, he reiterated his vision of building academic excellence "of this place" linked to inclusiveness and focused on impact. Dr. Crow defined the reason behind his vision, which was to embrace the region's social and cultural "differences in a most intense learning environment" to give future generations a way to deal with society's ongoing complexities.
Building such a university, he said, required a community of leaders committed to giving their "time, talent and treasure." He admitted the Fultons had only asked one question of him when they made a donation to the university, which was "what do you need?" It had been the university's idea to name the building in honor of the Fultons, he said, and thanked them again for all they had done. "We are moving this university forward and turning the corner with leadership like the Fultons', " he concluded, "and by their investing in the future of our community by investing in ASU."
Ira Jackson thanked the Fultons for "unlocking the door to the university" with their generous donations in support of scholarships, colleges and initiatives. Because of that support, he said, it was most fitting that the foundation building would be named for the Fultons. "This building represents the intellectual and institutional lighthouse of the university," Jackson said, "overlooking the Tempe campus, holding watch over ASU Downtown Phoenix campus soon to rise, SkySong in Scottsdale, the Polytechnic and West campuses, all symbols of the "New American University" - and all visible from this building."
Craig Weatherup acknowledged not only the financial generosity of the Fultons but their commitment of time and talent to the needs of the university. "Ira Fulton is a tireless advocate," he said, "and a role model for what it means to promote the university." Weatherup also noted the efforts of ASU Foundation trustee Grady Gammage Jr. for conceiving the idea of the foundation building and for his commitment to making it happen. Both men, Weatherup said, exemplified the type of visionaries needed to build and promote the university's vision.
At the close of the event, Ira Fulton took the opportunity to thank everyone for the honor, and his family also affirmed their pride in the work he was doing.
The event was coordinated by ASU Foundation staff and featured a special appearance by Sparky and the ASU cheerleading squad and pep band at the opening of the ceremony.