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Last night, we cut the ribbon on the Schmidt Family Complex for Academic and Athletic Excellence, the newest addition to ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ's Boca Raton campus. Joining me in dedicating the Complex were benefactors Dick ’70 and Barbara Schmidt, Board of Trustees Chair Anthony Barbar ’78, and a number of university leaders, community officials and ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ supporters.

The Schmidt Family Complex for Academic and Athletic Excellence was announced at the end of 2014 — my first year as president. I met a lot of people during my first year at ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ. Among the most dedicated to ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ are Dick and Barb Schmidt. I learned very quickly of the Schmidt family’s generosity toward the university over the years — and I understood that a path forward would not be possible without their support. Dick and Barb shared my vision for creating a national model of excellence in both academics and athletics. They recognized that there’s a synergy between the two, and that winning is contagious. They also understood that to compete at the highest levels — in and out of the classroom — our students must have access to premier facilities.

What happened next can only be described as transformational. Through the Schmidt Family Foundation, Dick and Barb gave what was the largest gift in university history: $16 million to build a state-of-the-art facility that would give our student-athletes a level of support to help them achieve greatness. Noting the importance of the academic element, the Schmidt Family Complex would be designed to benefit all ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ students, including those not involved in athletics. In addition to providing study spaces and tutoring rooms, the Complex is the new home of one of ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ’s most successful programs, the College of Business’ internationally recognized Executive Education program.

In addition to the Schmidts, a number of other members of the community generously stepped up to help fund the Complex, allowing us to break ground in early 2017. The most generous supporters are Eleanor Baldwin and the Baldwin Family Foundation Trust, Bobby ’17H and Barbara Campbell, Avron and Wendy Fogelman, Christine E. Lynn and the E.M. Lynn Foundation, Debbie Lindstrom and Bob Sheetz, and Abdol ’94 and Cathy Moabery. Many other alumni, faculty, staff and friends made gifts to the Complex as well. We truly appreciate everyone’s generosity.

The Schmidt Family Complex will serve as a beacon of excellence — past, present and future — for the entire ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ community, including the next generation of Owls. This facility is tangible proof of our steadfast commitment to recruiting, retaining and graduating the very best students and student-athletes, and it will usher in a new era of success for ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ. Thanks to Dick and Barb Schmidt, and our many other supporters, ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ will be recognized as this country’s next great university.

Go Owls!