Oct. 23, 2002
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Groundbreaking for the new Harold Anderson Hall project will take place at 9 a.m. this Saturday, Oct. 26, just outside the entrance of the existing Anderson Hall (northeast side of Ryan Field, behind the CatVision video board). The ceremony is open to the general public.
The Ron Burton Academic Advising Center is the focal point of the new Anderson Hall, taking an entire wing when the current building is razed and rebuilt in the near future. The Center is being named for Burton, one of Northwestern's all-time football greats and a member of College Football's Hall of Fame.
Burton, who went on to star as a running back for the New England Patriots, became a million-dollar sales producer for John Hancock Financial Services in Boston, and an executive consultant in John Hancock's Community Relations Department. Throughout his life, Burton, an NU Hall-of-Famer, has been a tireless advocate for numerous charitable causes.
"Ron Burton embodies everything we think is important in the student-athlete at Northwestern," says NU director of athletics Rick Taylor. "He was a tremendous athlete, a good student and an even better human being. We've all taken a very personal interest in trying to make this Center happen."
The rebuilding of Anderson Hall, which will take place on the building's current site, will add 8,000 square feet to Anderson Hall and feature a rooftop patio for game-time and other gatherings. Computers, crucial for all student work these days, will be at the center's core. In addition to constructing an area that meets the technological needs of the 21st century, the new building will provide space for more than two dozen computers that student-athletes will have access to.
The Burton Center also will optimize office space for academic advisors and include several meeting rooms, which will enable the academic services department to host speakers and job recruiters.
"Ron was a truly gifted athlete," says Ken Kraft, NU's senior associate athletic director. "People should know he really, really was one of the true football greats. He was a wonderful team player."
Kraft is also slated to be honored by a new Anderson Hall facility, the Ken Kraft Wrestling Complex.
Both Burton and Kraft, along with Taylor and Northwestern President Henry S. Bienen, will speak at Saturday's ceremony.