By Josh Dubin class of 2012
St. Bonaventure University alumnus and trustee Albert C. Horton, ’66, and his wife, Barbara, have committed a leadership gift to St. Bonaventure University’s School of Business Campaign, the university announced today.
St. Bonaventure is in the midst of a $15 million campaign to construct a 26,000-square-foot building to house its School of Business.
Mr. Horton, chairman and chief executive officer of The Horton Fruit Company, credits much of his success to the education he received at St. Bonaventure.
“The discipline to work hard and succeed is something I developed at St. Bonaventure while under the tutelage of Fr. Gervase White, O.F.M., swimming coach John B. Skeehan, and Fr. Eugene Malek, O.F.M.,” Mr. Horton said. “I also learned what it is to be Catholic. It is my hope that students from the Louisville, Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland and Chicago areas will pursue a top-notch education at
St. Bonaventure.”
Mr. Horton earned a bachelor of business administration degree with a major in management science from St. Bonaventure in 1966. A longtime supporter of the university, he serves on St. Bonaventure’s board of trustees and is a member of the School of Business advisory board.
“I am a strong believer in St. Bonaventure’s Career and Professional Readiness Center,” said Mr. Horton. “It is a parent’s dream for their son or daughter. With such a strong commitment to professional development, I believe that Bona’s can successfully recruit students not only in the New York area, but throughout the mid-Atlantic region as well. Students seeking Catholic higher education should look no further than St. Bonaventure.”
The new business center will feature high-tech classrooms, a financial services lab, a state-of-the-art boardroom, and special meeting and office spaces for student groups and faculty.
Construction will begin by June, with occupancy set for fall 2013.
“The new William E. & Ann L. Swan Business Center is a key element in our overall strategic plan,” said Sr. Margaret Carney, O.S.F., S.T.D., president of the University. “We have seen firsthand the power of new facilities on our campus, and know that investing in this building will position us to better compete for high-quality students and faculty who want to be part of a unique and distinctive scholarly environment."
The $15 million campaign will provide: $10 million for the construction of the new business center; $4 million in endowments for faculty and programmatic support to ensure a vibrant intellectual community; and $1 million for building endowment.
More than $13 million has been raised under the leadership of Robert Daugherty, ’77, University trustee and campaign chair.
“We are grateful for the financial commitments that have been made to date,” said Mr. Daugherty, a retired partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. “Now we need the leverage of many. We need the help of our alumni, parents and friends to make this campaign a success.”
St. Bonaventure’s School of Business is one of only 5 percent of business schools worldwide to hold accreditation by the Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
“We are in demand,” said Carol Fischer, Ph.D., dean of the School of Business, adding that some 30 percent of St. Bonaventure’s student body is composed of business majors.
“Our faculty, students and graduates have made the case for this new building,” Dr. Fischer said. “They have demonstrated through academic excellence and through success in the business realm that St. Bonaventure’s School of Business is world-class quality. Reaching our goal in this campaign will enable us to maintain and build upon our traditional strengths, as well as develop new strengths in our distinctive niches such as service learning.”
The Horton family gift is among more than 300 commitments made to the campaign by St. Bonaventure alumni and friends.
Donations to the campaign may be made by visiting www.sbu.edu/bullishonbusiness/donate or by calling (800) 664-1273.
For more on the William E. & Ann L. Swan Business Center and the School of Business Campaign, go to www.sbu.edu/bullishonbusiness.
About the University: Inspired for more than 150 years by the Catholic Franciscan values of individual dignity, community inclusiveness, and service, St. Bonaventure University cultivates graduates who are confident and creative communicators, collaborative leaders and team members, and innovative problem solvers who are respectful of themselves, others, and the diverse world around them.