NEW BUILDING HONORS DEDICATED ALUMNUS AND TRUSTEE

Take a tour of the new Joe S. Mundy Hall at Southwestern University, and you’ll come away with a clearer understanding of the man for whom the building is named.

Practical. Efficient. Pragmatic. Utilitarian. Southwestern’s newest facility is all of these and more—as was long-time University trustee Joe Mundy ’64, who chaired the Board of Trustees’ Facilities Planning Committee until his death in the spring of 2002. Located adjacent to the Physical Plant Building on the north side of campus, Mundy Hall, designed by Group Two Architecture of Austin, offers some of the best panoramic views—from all directions—of Southwestern’s 703-acre campus. Construction of the facility wrapped up this past winter.

Despite its impressive panoramas, the building will serve a primarily functional—and vital—purpose. According to Bob Mathis, associate vice president for facilities and campus services, Mundy Hall will serve short-term, changing needs as the University embarks upon a fresh round of facilities enrichment on all corners of campus. Indeed, the 2010 Strategic Plan incorporates the renovation of several existing buildings and the construction of additional facilities to support Southwestern’s educational mission. Current inhabitants of the Roy and Lillie Cullen Building, for instance, would be relocated to Mundy Hall and set up in temporary office space until renovation of the Cullen Building is complete. The same is true for residents of Mood-Bridwell Hall, also in need of renovation. In the long-term, 10 or more years out, Mundy Hall will provide additional offices, workshops and warehouse storage for Southwestern’s Physical Plant staff.

Those who knew Joe Mundy well believe he would have been proud of the building named in his honor. “Joe was a wonderful, modest, thoughtful person who loved Southwestern and brought great intentionality to everything he did in serving his alma mater,” says Rick McKelvey, vice president for institutional advancement.

Joe S. Mundy Hall was officially dedicated at an afternoon campus ceremony on March 26. Joe Mundy served on the Alumni Association Board of Directors beginning in 1981 and on the Board of Trustees from 1989 until his death in 2002. In 1992, the Alumni Association honored him with its Distinguished Alumnus Award.

In the spring of 2002, Southwestern University established a memorial in Mundy’s name by creating an annual award for faculty and staff whose service to Southwestern is recognized as exemplary. His spouse, Marion Mundy, currently serves on Southwestern’s Board of Trustees. Daughter Sarah Mundy ’97 is pursuing a master’s program in landscape architecture at the University of Texas–Arlington.

For more information, or to support other campus facilities enrichment projects, please call 800-960-6363.

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Joe S. Mundy Hall: Overview and Purpose

Joe S. Mundy Hall: Gallery