{"id":122271,"date":"2022-08-29T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-29T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/?p=122271"},"modified":"2022-08-28T23:28:24","modified_gmt":"2022-08-29T04:28:24","slug":"gertrude-c-ford-student-union-dedicated-at-the-university-of-mississippi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/gertrude-c-ford-student-union-dedicated-at-the-university-of-mississippi\/","title":{"rendered":"Gertrude C. Ford Student Union Dedicated at the University of Mississippi"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Expanded building name change made official during ceremony<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Gertrude C. Ford<\/strong> valued anything and everything that helped education and young people, said Stephen Sims<\/strong>, president of the Gertrude C. Ford Foundation<\/strong>. That is why it feels right to name The Gertrude C. Ford Student Union<\/strong> at the University of Mississippi<\/strong> in her honor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The naming became official Friday, August 26 during a brief ceremony held inside the Student Union<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis building fosters a sense of community by serving so many people and purposes,\u201d Chancellor Glenn Boyce<\/strong> said. \u201cThat\u2019s one of the reasons why it is fitting to name this building in honor of the late philanthropist Gertrude C. Ford and pay tribute to her transformative passion, far-reaching influence and lasting impact on this university.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The university began renovations and expansion in 2015 and the new Student Union opened in 2019. The project added more than 173,000 square feet, including an 8,000-square-foot ballroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Larger lobbies and dining spaces, as well as increased conference meeting spaces, were needed to better serve the growing student population with a more modern and engaging hub of student life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m so proud that The Gertrude C. Ford Ole Miss Student Union is for all students \u2013 and prospective students,\u201d said Bradley Baker<\/strong>, Student Union director. \u201cOur continued and cherished relationship with the Ford Foundation has impacted countless aspects of the Ole Miss campus, but one of the biggest impacts is on the commitment to our students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is especially evident with The Gertrude C. Ford Ole Miss Student Union and the M-Power Extended Orientation Program which are both integral to our students\u2019 continued success and how they will build their legacies at our university.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sims said the Ford Foundation<\/strong> welcomed partnering with the university for the expansion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Student Union is the center of campus, so I think this naming is fantastic,\u201d Sims said. \u201cStudents are in it all the time, and the ballroom is impressive. It\u2019s so much more than anything we\u2019ve ever had before.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ford Foundation initiated its longtime support of the university when it contributed $25 million for the 88,000-square-foot Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts<\/strong>, opened in 2002.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The foundation\u2019s support of other university initiatives includes the Gertrude C. Ford Ballroom<\/strong> in The Inn at Ole Miss<\/strong>, the Daniel W. Jones<\/strong>, M.D. Chair for Faculty Support on the Oxford campus, the Suzan Thames Chair of Pediatrics<\/strong> on the Medical Center<\/strong> campus and essential land for Gertrude C. Ford Boulevard<\/strong>, providing the first new north-south thoroughfare on campus for the ever-growing Oxford-University<\/strong> community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1991, she established the Gertrude C. Ford Foundation in Jackson<\/strong>. It was not until after her death, in 1998, that the Ford Foundation directors awarded Ole Miss<\/strong> a multimillion-dollar gift to design and build the performing arts center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout her life, Mrs. Ford was an ardent supporter of the arts. She played flute, violin, and piano, and spoke French, Latin, and Spanish. She also enjoyed the study of literature, particularly Shakespeare<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Edwin Smith<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Dedication of Gertrude C. Ford Ole Miss Student Union. Photo by Kevin Bain\/The University of Mississippi Marketing Communications<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Dedication of Gertrude C. Ford Ole Miss Student Union. Photo by Kevin Bain\/The University of Mississippi Marketing Communications<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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