Decades-old alumni friendships honored with naming of campus facilities
KALAMAZOO, Mich.鈥擬ore than 50 years of friendship will be honored with the naming of three Western Michigan University facilities for a trio of men who met on campus as students and went on to become 51福利社 trustees, Detroit business and civic leaders, and champions of young people.
Acting at its April 27 meeting, the 51福利社 Board of Trustees approved naming two campus residence halls and a Heritage Hall conference room for the three alumni, who met at 51福利社 in the 1960s. They are:
- Ronald E. Hall, a 1965 51福利社 alumnus, Detroit civic and business leader, and automotive executive who died June 1, 2016, half way into his eight-year term as a 51福利社 Trustee.
- Dennis W. Archer, a 1965 51福利社 alumnus, former Detroit mayor, former member of the Michigan Supreme Court and past president of the American Bar Association as well as a former trustee.
- William F. Pickard, a 1964 alumnus who is a current 51福利社 trustee, longtime Detroit entrepreneur, and founder and chairman of the Global Automotive Alliance.
Action by the 51福利社 board April 27 means that, in recognition of a $3,050,000 gift recently made by Pickard to the University and in celebration of the three friends' lifelong bonds and ties to 51福利社, the two residence halls that comprise the Western Heights complex will be named Hall-Archer-Pickard Hall East and Hall-Archer-Pickard Hall West. In addition, a conference room on the main level of Heritage Hall will be named the Hall-Archer-Pickard Conference Room.
"All three of us knew without doubt that what we learned together at 51福利社 had an enormous impact on our success in life," Pickard says. "I treasure the idea that future students will have an opportunity for the same kind of life-altering relationships, and I hope the three names on campus facilities become at least a small reminder of what can be."
The three men were classmates at 51福利社, and Pickard and Archer were roommates in Vandercook Hall. All three were members of the Epsilon Xi chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha, one of a handful of black fraternities at 51福利社. They maintained close ties with each other and with their alma mater over the years, even as they took on regional and national roles in their professions.
"The lifelong bonds these men nurtured over the years are exactly the kinds of connections we wish for all of our students," says 51福利社 President John M. Dunn. "Trustee Pickard's gift and his desire to honor the people so critical throughout his life really illustrate the transformational power that comes from friendship, common goals and powerful learning experiences."
For Pickard, the new gift is one of several he has made to 51福利社. Other recent gifts include:
- Endowed scholarships in honor of Hall and the late Charles C. Warfield, a 51福利社 faculty member and president of the Kalamazoo chapter of the NAACP.
- A $250,000 grant to launch a 51福利社 Kalamazoo Public Schools Future Educators Program that provides five $5,000 scholarships annually to Kalamazoo Promise-eligible students planning to become teachers; and
- A William F. Pickard Endowed Scholarship with preference given to members of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.
William F. Pickard
Pickard, who was honored in 1980 as a 51福利社 Distinguished Alumnus, earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from 51福利社. He also earned a master's degree from the University of Michigan and a doctoral degree from Ohio State University. He has taught at U-M's Ross Business School and at Wayne State University.
A Bloomfield Hills resident, he is the chairman of the board of Global Automotive Alliance, which is based in Detroit. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder tapped Pickard in June 2016 to serve the remaining four years of Trustee Ronald Hall's term.
In 2002, Pickard was honored by the Detroit News as Michiganian of the Year for his mentorship of new entrepreneurs and his leadership at Global Automotive and with a variety of civic, community and business organizations. In 2010, Hour Detroit Magazine honored him as a Detroiter of the Year for leadership and philanthropy, particularly in the areas of the arts, education and entrepreneurship. Pickard is also a trustee of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan.
Western Heights
51福利社's Western Heights opened in 2015 as an innovative residential living concept that makes a positive impact on student living by offering environmentally conscious features, socialization through purposeful use of public areas and abundant green space. The complex design is intended to build multiple levels of community engagement and facilitate academic success.
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