Fertittas Donate Gift for New Marshall Building
The building, which will stand at the intersection of Figueroa Street and Exposition Drive, will provide larger student areas and technologically advanced classrooms. The building will increase Marshall's undergraduate capacity by nearly one third.
Additional faculty members will also be recruited as part of the Marshall Thought Leadership program.
"Thanks to the Fertittas' inspired generosity, USC's students will develop the skills they need to thrive in our globally interconnected world," said USC President C.L. Max Nikias. "As the nature of business continues to evolve, Fertitta Hall will ensure that our students receive a world-class education in a world-class facility."
The Fertitta Hall will establish the Jill and Frank Fertitta Endowed Chair in Business at USC Marshall.
Frank Fertitta, a 1984 Marshall graduate, is now the CEO and chairman of Fertitta Entertainment, a resort and casino development and management company based in Las Vegas.
Fertitta also heads Station Casinos, the largest gaming company in Southern Nevada. The company is the first gaming organization to be named one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" by Fortune magazine.
The Fertitta family has made philanthropic contributions to a number of educational organizations, including the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, The Meadows School and the Clark County School District. They have also provided aid to the Nevada Cancer Institute, the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund and The Smith Center for Performing Arts.
"I am grateful to the university for the outstanding educational opportunities I received at USC Marshall and to experience this once again as a Trojan parent," Frank Fertitta said. "Jill and I are proud and very pleased to be able to give back to USC, and to future generations whose careers will be shaped at USC Marshall."
Their daughter, Kelley-Ann, graduated from the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism in 2012.
Construction on the Marshall building will begin in May 2014 and is expected to be complete by fall 2016.
The Fertitta donation is a part of The Campaign for the University of Southern California, a multi-year fundraising effort to gather over $6 million of private support.
The Campaign's target is 6 BILLION not million as stated in the last sentence.