Despite the intermittent rain, the group grows playfully excited in anticipation of the ceremony. Dean Kenneth F. Galloway, lead donor William W. Featheringill, BE'64, and then-Chancellor Joe B. Wyatt congratulate each other after turning over the first dirt in the site's excavation. Erika Brown, BE'00, offers to help with the demolition before thanking the crowd for their energy and commitment.
Guests discuss the event behind a model of the completed facility.
The crowd gathered at the southeast corner of Jacobs Hall, where a tent had been erected. The new building and the renovation of adjacent places will energize our faculty and serve our students well. It consists of the demolition of the central wing of the main engineering building and its replacement by an entirely new teaching and research facility. In addition, the two remaining wings of the building will be totally renovated. The lead donor, William W. Featheringill, BE'64, of Birmingham, Ala., got a big laugh when illustrating the need to replace the outdated facilities.