{"id":221951,"date":"2023-09-21T16:12:26","date_gmt":"2023-09-21T20:12:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/?p=221951"},"modified":"2024-01-11T15:27:22","modified_gmt":"2024-01-11T20:27:22","slug":"university-renames-science-hall-to-honor-former-president-irvin-d-reid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/2023\/09\/21\/university-renames-science-hall-to-honor-former-president-irvin-d-reid\/","title":{"rendered":"University Renames Science Hall to Honor Former President Irvin D. Reid"},"content":{"rendered":"

Montclair State University dedicated the naming of Irvin D. Reid Hall on September 20 in honor of the former president who three decades ago was the driving force behind Montclair achieving university status.<\/p>\n

The ceremony was held outdoors in front of the former Science Hall and home of the Department of Biology, the late afternoon setting highlighting both the quintessential beauty of Montclair\u2019s campus and Irvin D. Reid\u2019s numerous contributions to student success during his eight-year tenure as Montclair\u2019s president.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo have my name associated with any structure on this campus, but particularly a science building is just the most touching thing that I could think of,\u201d Reid said in his remarks.<\/p>\n

\"Three
From left, Professor Saundra Collins, President Jonathan Koppell and Trustees Chair Kent Sluyter unveil new signage for Irvin D. Reid Hall.\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kent Sluyter, Board of Trustees chair, opened the ceremony by noting Reid\u2019s \u201cdefining role in making Montclair State University\u201d what it has become. It was under Reid\u2019s leadership that Montclair became the first state college to become a university, a moment marked at noon on April 27, 1994, with University bells ringing from the tower.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe came here as a remarkable and distinct visionary in 1989,\u201d said Psychology Professor Saundra Collins, the faculty representative to the Board of Trustees who championed the renaming of the building in Reid\u2019s honor. \u201cWe had no idea how Dr. Irvin D. Reid would rock this campus.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reid\u2019s contributions included creating the Center for Academic Success and graduate education; expanding the honors program and computerization of campus; building Yogi Berra Stadium and the ice arena, and commissioning architectural plans for Science Hall.<\/p>\n

In petitioning the State of New Jersey for university status, he transformed the expectations of Montclair, the designation leading to Montclair\u2019s evolution as a doctoral research institution.<\/p>\n

He also created the Global Education Center to internationalize the campus, both in terms of its student profile and the issues addressed. \u201cI saw as we were walking across campus today \u2013 and the part that touched me the most \u2013 a sign that said, \u2018Come to a recruitment for study abroad.\u2019 Global education has always been at the heart of much of what I believe in,\u201d Reid said.<\/p>\n

After serving Montclair until 1997, Reid became the first African American president of Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. He also served as the inaugural Eugene Appplebaum Chair in Community Engagement and Director of the Forum on Contemporary Issues in Society, which offered students and the public international study and engagement opportunities, particularly in Africa. He retired from those roles in 2018.<\/p>\n

Among his career accomplishments, Reid said he is most proud of his time at Montclair. \u201cBecause I quite frankly learned to be president here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A
Irvin and Pamela Reid enjoy the outdoor dedication ceremony. The couple married while students at Howard University and have both served as university presidents.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

President Jonathan Koppell noted that Reid ranks among a \u201cchain of leaders\u201d who over Montclair\u2019s 115-year history contributed a lasting impact. \u201cStudents who are doing research in Reid Hall,\u201d Koppell said, \u201cwill benefit and they will be your enduring legacy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nearly 200 current and former University, trustees, retired faculty, current faculty and staff, and alumni \u2013 including members of the Student Government Association during Reid\u2019s tenure \u2013 attended the event.<\/p>\n

A reception followed at University Hall, where Reid was further honored with the creation of a scholarship in his name. The Irvin D. Reid African American Studies Award<\/a> will provide tuition assistance to students in the African American Studies program who are committed to using their intellect to solve social problems, elevate social justice and build a world where equity thrives.<\/p>\n

\"Irvin
Inside the lobby of Irvin D. Reid Hall, a new plaque hangs on a wall to honor the former president and describe his contributions to Montclair.\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A
Irvin D. Reid was also honored with the creation of a scholarship in his name to benefit students in the African American Studies program. During the reception, Psychology Professor Sandra Lewis, program director, presents a stole created of Kente cloth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The
Under sunny skies, nearly 200 current and former faculty and staff, University trustees, retired faculty and alumni attended the dedication ceremony.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Two
President Jonathan Koppell congratulates Irvin D. Reid at the dedication ceremony. Both are, as Koppell describes, \u201clinks in a chain of leaders\u201d who serve as stewards for Montclair State University.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Six
Montclair alumni \u2013 former members of the Student Government Association during Reid\u2019s presidency \u2013 attended the event.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Irvin
Irvin D. Reid enjoys a moment listening to speakers at a reception following the outdoor ceremony. He was honored as a \u201cremarkable and distinct visionary.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n