sealPurdue News
____

February 8, 2002

Trustees name Liberal Arts and Education Building for Beering

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue University Board of Trustees today (Friday, 2/8) adopted a resolution to rename the Liberal Arts and Education Building on the West Lafayette campus in honor of Purdue President Emeritus Steven C. Beering.

Steven C. Beering

In recommending the renaming, President Martin C. Jischke told the trustees: "Steve Beering did a magnificent job of leading this university to the 21st century. His accomplishments made possible all the things we are doing now and the ambitious dreams we have for the future of Purdue."

Board Chairman J. Timothy McGinley said: "Dr. Beering has always been a champion of the importance of a well-rounded education grounded in the liberal arts. He also has been a strong supporter of our public schools and was instrumental in founding Purdue’s School of Education. It's very appropriate that the building that is home to our School of Liberal Arts and our School of Education should bear his name."

Plans are under way for an April 12 ceremony to name the building the Steven C. Beering Hall of Liberal Arts and Education.

Beering stepped down as Purdue president in August 2000 after serving 17 years as the university's top administrator. He continues to work on behalf of the Purdue Research Foundation from his office in the Purdue Memorial Union.

The Liberal Arts and Education Building is one of 20 new facilities built on the West Lafayette campus during Beering's presidency. Opened in the fall of 1993, the $28.5 million building near the intersection of University and First streets, is home to the administrative offices for the School of Liberal Arts and the School of Education. It features a three-story classroom wing and a seven-story office wing overlooking Founder's Park, and includes 53 classrooms and teaching labs, as well as conference rooms and other support facilities.

The School of Liberal Arts is one of the largest schools on the West Lafayette campus, encompassing 11 academic departments and 14 interdisciplinary programs. It ranks second only to the Schools of Engineering in total enrollment, with 5,881 undergraduates and 961 graduate students enrolled in its programs of study.

Beering was instrumental in establishing both the School of Liberal Arts and the School of Education in 1989 when he oversaw the reorganization of programs in the former School of Humanities, Social Science and Education.

Students in the School of Education can earn teaching certificates in elementary education, social studies education and special education. There are presently 1,180 undergraduate and 577 graduate students enrolled.

During his tenure as president, Beering also oversaw record growth in enrollment, private fund raising and research support. He and his wife, Jane, continue to serve as ambassadors for Purdue.

A summa cum laude graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, Beering earned a doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and spent more than 12 years in the U.S. Air Force Medical Corps. During his military career, he served as an adviser to the U.S. surgeon general in internal medicine and was a medical consultant on the U.S. space program's early attempts to put humans into orbit. Before coming to Purdue in 1983, he served as dean of the Indiana University School of Medicine and director of the IU Medical Center.

Writer: Sharon A. Bowker, (765) 494-9723, sbowker@purdue.edu

Sources: Martin C. Jischke, (765) 494-2098

J. Timothy McGinley, (317) 580-2535

Steven C. Beering, (765) 496-7555, scb@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu


* To the Purdue News and Photos Page