Smith Business Magazine: Special Silver Jubilee Edition - Magazine - Page 20
ON CAMPUS
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A HOME
FOR THE SMITH SCHOOL
HOW VAN MUNCHING HALL IS DESIGNED FOR LEARNING
When Van Munching Hall opened in 1993, it was
christened with a bottle of Heineken—appropriate for the
business school’s new home, funded by a gift from Leo
Van Munching Jr. ’50, president of the company with
the exclusive rights to import the beer. The state-of-theart building was designed to accommodate many more
students and faculty than the school’s previous home,
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SMITH BUSINESS: SILVER JUBILEE EDITION /
fall 2023
Tydings Hall, and provide space for computer labs to
keep ahead of the technology curve.
“I remember taking my last few classes in the new
building,” says Evette Lewis ’93, Smith Alumni Chapter
Board member. “I still feel the same sense of awe when
I walk into the building today.”
Another gift from Van Munching helped double the
size of the building in 2002, uniting undergraduate and
graduate students under one roof for the first time.
Robert H. Smith ’50—a classmate of Van Munching—
gave money for an addition to house a new Office of
Career Services, plus he set aside funds to maintain
Mayer Mall and the landscaping around the building.
Mr. Smith also designed pillars near the clock tower
and helped with design choices inside the building.
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