KALAMAZOO (WKZO) — The Western Michigan University Board has voted to name their new Engineering and Applied Sciences facility at the BTR park for former University President Elson Floyd who died in June.
They want to confer with his widow first to get her approval before moving forward with the naming. Board Chair James Hettinger said during the board discussion that “President Floyd’s service relative to our College of Engineering and Applied Sciences and our Business Technology and Research Park was exceptional, these are really landmarks among his contributions to this university.”
The Board has also approved renaming East Hall which is considered to be the University’s original home and structure.
It has had various utilitarian names through its history. It has been called the Administration Building and then the education building, and became East Hall to differentiate it from West Hall and North Hall which also stood on Prospect Hill.
It will have another utilitarian name when it reopens as the home of the Alumni Department during Homecoming this fall.
The Board this week decided it will be called “Heritage Hall”. It will be part office building, part welcome and community center and part University museum, with views over looking Kalamazoo.
