The Philip Merrill College of Journalism broke ground on May 22 on the $30 million John S. and James L. Knight Hall.
Merrill Dean Tom Kunkel, University President C.D. “Dan” Mote Jr., Maryland House Speaker Michael Busch and other dignitaries and donors celebrated the start of construction with a private luncheon and a public ceremony that afternoon.
The new facility, which is scheduled to be completed in late 2009, will carry the names of the brothers who founded Knight Newspapers (forerunner of Knight Ridder) and later the Miami-based Knight Foundation. The foundation’s $5 million leadership gift is just part of the $14 million in private money the Merrill College needed to raise. To date, the state of Maryland has contributed $16 million in public funds and the college has raised more than $11.5 million.
For the first time in many years, the new home for the Merrill College will bring all of its programs and centers under one roof. Knight Hall’s state-of-the-art classroom and news laboratory spaces will be springboards for the next generation of journalism leaders, and the third-floor professional training centers will be epicenters of media study and national advocacy.
Signature spaces will include: a two-story Great Hall; the Richard Eaton Broadcast Theater; the Edith Kinney Gaylord Journalism Resource Center; a multi-media “news bubble” lab; four 18-seat news labs; three seminar rooms; two 30-seat classrooms; the Gene Roberts Executive Board room; and multiple meeting spaces for formal and informal gatherings.
More information on Knight Hall and construction updates are available at www.knighthall.umd.edu
Video of the Groundbreaking Ceremony
Photos from Groundbreaking Events
See full size photos and view a slideshow here:
(Photos by Lisa Helfert ‘92 – Lisa Helfert Photography)
