On Friday, the School of Business held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Ruth McKee School of Business in front of Mabel Wood Hall on the lawn adjacent to University Drive. The new building will be approximately 42,000 square feet in area.
The ceremony began with the official groundbreaking, shovel signing and group photos, as well as an appearance by Southern’s new bear mascot. Photos were followed by prayer and remarks from Southern University President Ken Shaw; Brittany McKee East, great-granddaughter of the building’s eponym; Stephanie Sheehan, dean of the School of Business, and students. Guests of the ceremony signed the golden shovel and took home School of Business memorabilia.
Students Roman Johnson, a senior management major, and Kate Savino, a junior accounting major, spoke during the ceremony, sharing their perspectives on the new building and its potential impact.
“For the students, this ceremony is a symbol of what lies ahead,” Johnson said. “It is a commitment from our university to provide us with an exceptional learning environment. [It is] a space where we can gain knowledge, cultivate creativity and prepare ourselves for the competitive business world.”
According to its webpage. the School of Business currently enrolls 465 students, including a freshman class of 132, the largest freshman class in the school’s history. When its new building is complete, the growing school will no longer have to share Brock Hall with the English Department, History and Political Studies Department, School of Visual Art and Design and School of Journalism and Communication.
Shaw told the Accent before the ceremony that the vision for the new School of Business building began two years ago when he met with Sheehan and a business alum. Together, they decided it was time for the university’s second-largest program to have its own facility.
“We began working with our community and our donors, and they seemed to really like the idea,” Shaw said. “So we put together some renderings, and now we have some architectural plans that are almost complete.”
Once completed, the new building will include an innovation lab, finance lab, tech-driven classrooms, a variety of study areas and an auditorium.
In her speech, Sheehan said, “It’s a historic day for the university, our School of Business team, current and future students, alumni and our community.”
Sheehan also described the building’s namesake, Ruth McKee, who, with her husband O.D., founded McKee Foods Corporation.
“[She] demonstrated integrity, wisdom, acumen and beneficence – qualities that transcend the ever-changing landscape of business,” Sheehan said. “We also live to teach our students to embody those qualities and to encourage and equip them to live and lead likewise.”
McKee Foods moved from Chattanooga to Collegedale in 1956 and has expanded its facilities within the city several times. According to an article on nadadventist.org, Ruth was a “constant presence” in the corporation’s early days, skillfully handling the management and financial sides of the expanding business, while O.D. excelled at salesmanship.
The founding couple met at Southern, and many of their descendants have attended the university since, according to the McKee Foods website. Another Southern facility, McKee Library, is also named after McKee family members, and the campus’ Prayer Garden is dedicated to Ruth.
“The family has had a long relationship with the university, and Ruth being such a strong female leader for that time was incredible, and her legacy still affects the business,” McKee East said. “I think it makes perfect sense with this connection to have her name on the building.”
