University leadership and elected officials cut the ribbon outside Anheuser-Busch Hall, marking the official opening of the College of Business Administration’s new building on Thursday. (Photos by August Jennewein)
For upperclassmen strolling through the newly christened classrooms of Anheuser-Busch Hall, a common sentiment echoes: “I wish I had a little more time.”
“To have a building like this that looks great, feels great and where people are going to be comfortable, it’s just a good thing all around,” senior marketing major Anthony Arellano said. “I graduate in December, and I wish I could be here a little bit longer to experience this even more.”
Anheuser-Busch Hall, the first space on UMSL’s campus solely dedicated to business education, opened for classes on Monday.
Arellano was among the first to tour the University of Missouri–St. Louis’ new home for the College of Business Administration during the grand opening ceremony on Thursday.
After 13 years of fundraising for the $20 million facility, Anheuser-Busch Hall will consolidate the college’s operations and support modern pedagogical methods, technologies and business models.
An innovative concept from CannonDesign, the three-story building, which is located along West Drive on North Campus, serves as UMSL’s first space solely dedicated to business education.
“The completion of this building achieves a longstanding vision for a more unified College of Business Administration,” said Charles Hoffman, dean of the college. “The design encourages additional interaction among world-class faculty across a variety of disciplines and extends our commitment to developing a more diverse and competitive workforce.”
Within the 51,293-square-foot facility built by ICS Construction Services are six classrooms, two seminar rooms, three conference rooms and 32 faculty offices.
UM System President Mun Choi (at left) congratulates Charlie Hoffman, dean of the College of Business Administration, on the opening of Anheuser-Busch Hall on Thursday.
UM System President Mun Choi said Anheuser-Busch Hall will further the university’s mission to advance the welfare of students and benefit the global society.
“This is where innovative teaching will occur so that we have financiers, accountants and marketing specialists that are going to go out and continue the economic development of St. Louis and the state,” Choi said. “This is where outstanding faculty members will pursue research that will be presented at national and international conferences. This is also where our faculty and students will translate research and teaching for the benefit of the citizens of Missouri.”
Distinctive features of the building include:
- the Executive Education Room, a two-story space with adjoining kitchen, floor-to-ceiling windows and nine 60-inch display monitors
- the Dave Ganz Room, a tiered classroom funded by $1 million in donations from former students
- and the Trading Room, which features a curved glass wall, 12 Bloomberg terminals and a real-time financial stock ticker.
Anheuser-Busch Hall, which opened for classes on Monday, is also on track to receive LEED Gold environmental sustainability certification, highlighting UMSL’s latest effort to be an active participant in the green building movement.
In addition to a $2.5 million lead gift from the Anheuser-Busch Foundation, 724 other private and corporate donors contributed to the building. The state of Missouri matched those donations by releasing $10 million in state funding.
Bill Bradley, vice president of community affairs for Anheuser-Busch, welcomes his colleagues during the grand opening of Anheuser-Busch Hall. AB InBev currently employs 90 UMSL alumni.
Bill Bradley, vice president of community affairs for Anheuser-Busch, said the company currently employs about 90 UMSL alumni and was pleased to give back to the university.
“Anheuser-Busch Hall brings a sense of pride to those alumni and our entire company as we recognize the educational and career opportunities it will bring to UMSL’s students,” Bradley said. “We know that many future leaders at Anheuser-Busch and in the St. Louis business community will walk through these very doors.”
As the last in a round of new buildings to open on campus, Anheuser-Busch Hall serves as a grand finale to the latest campus growth. Since 2015, UMSL has opened the Recreation and Wellness Center, Science Learning Building and Patient Care Center.
“This is a joyous day for not only the College of Business Administration but for the University of Missouri–St. Louis, the University of Missouri System as a whole, St. Louis and the state,” Chancellor Tom George said during the ribbon cutting ceremony. “This is just the kind of thing we need here to boost our economy and boost everything else associated with higher education.”
Media Coverage
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
St. Louis Business Journal
Community News
Anheuser-Busch Hall Donors
The People of Missouri
John M. and Ann M. Althoff
Ameren Corporation Charitable Trust
Anheuser-Busch Foundation
Helen A. Antoine
John W. and Katherine I. Bachmann
Warner L. and Cynthia A. Baxter
Barbara C. and David Bentrup
BJC HealthCare
The Boeing Company
David R. and Lynn M. Brandt
James G. and Rose Brennan
Jeffrey T. and Mary Ann Buckner
David E. and Marianne C. Burlis
Judy L. and Robert E. Burns
Rex Carter, CPA
Cass Information Systems, Inc.
Pamela K. and Jared W. Cavness
Kenneth R. and Melissa D. Cella
Patrick J. and Christina M. Chunn
Jennifer R. Cole
Keith F. and Jennifer S. Cooper
Phillip J. and Susan B. Cooper
Miles C. Cramer
Lowell B. and Lois A. Crocker
CSI Leasing, Inc.
Michael F. and Debra Deniszczuk
Wayne and Michele DeVeydt
John M. and Mary Sue Dohr
Daniel J. and Lynn M. Dolan
Donald H. and Joyce E. Driemeier
Mary Virginia Duncan and Thomas S. Duncan III
Norman and Lauralea Eaker
Edward Jones
Terry J. and Carol M. Elmendorf
Lawrence A. Eisenberg
Ernst & Young Foundation
Steve M. and Harriet M. Finkelstein
Stanley and Terry Freerks
Bruce C. Freimuth
Joseph M. and Kristin W. Freund
Friends of Dave Ganz
James H. and Jane R. Funke
David R. Ganz
Gerard Ganz
Dennis J. and Patricia V. Gelner
Lyle E. and Peggy K. Gilbertson
Scott and Debbie Givens
John and Anna Goessling
Madeline Greub-Meyer and Jeffrey D. Meyer
Diann and James Gross
Libby and Eric J. Gutberlet
Jeffrey L. and Kathi L. Haller
Stephen G. and Ann E. Hamilton
Scott P. and Cheryl A. Hefner
Thomas K. and Rosemary T. Henson
Randall J. and Patricia A. Hernandez
Charles E. and Maureen S. Hoffman
Donald and Patricia Imholz
Mark A. and Kathleen M. Jansen
Audrey L. and Byron J. Katcher
Vicki L. and Barry D. Kaufman
Myles P. and Elaine C. Kelly
Michael L. and Karen M. Koehneman
Kent and Sandy Krober
Beth Krumm
Larry E. and Nancy S. LaBrier
Brian F. and Mary B. Lavin
Debra L. and Richard J. Leible
Lynda L. Lieberman
Thomas H. Lucas
Robert E. and Mylla F. Markland
Kevin and Wendy Marquitz
Paul E. and Sharon P. Martin
Ken and Pamela Marx
James P. and Claire Mays
Brian and Mary Burton McCarthy
Thomas L. and Karen A. Migneron
Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority
Stephen R. Moehrle and Jennifer A. Reynolds-Moehrle
Mary Beth and Henry J. Mohrman
Mueller Prost PC
Janet Y. and Russell H. Murray
Anthony J. Naughton
William C. Niemann
David G. and Carol S. Otto
Joseph T. and Florine T. Porter Jr.
Harry K. Ratliff
Kirk A. and Maureen A. Richter
James R. and Dorothy S. Ritts
Susan and Sandy Rothschild
RubinBrown LLP
Loyola A. and Alan H. Rudolph
John E. Sabourin Jr.
Brian and Caitlin Salmo
Tom and Mary Pat Santel
Natalie and John W. Schaefer
Peter G. and Maria A. Schick
Scottrade
Anthony J. and Patricia C. Sgroi
Christopher D. and Judith G. Shamel
John M. and Barbara L. Skoba
Douglas and Ruth I. Smith
Matthew P. Soderberg
Raymond F. and Karen Steitz
Joseph A. and Mary K. Stieven
Stone Carlie & Company
Patricia A. and Brian Strange
Steven R. and Mary Ellen Sullivan
Earl W. and Arlene S. Swink
Steven O. and Judy A. Swyers
Myra Taylor-Hart and William G. Hart, Jr.
Jane M. and Sanford M. Thal
Robert G. and Claudia Trende
U.S. Bank Foundation
Raymond R. and Laurie A. Van de Riet
Sandra A. and Virgil V. Van Trease
Kevin G. Varty
Anthony and Lisa J. Vento
James A. and Marjorie Viehland
Ottilia N. and Leo H. Voegtli
Capt. and Mrs. W. L. Webster
Steven M. and Joan M. Wideman
Mark A. and Debbie A. Wilhelm
Rita and Keith Womer
Andi Zekthi
