Residence hall renamed to honor supporters

September 15, 2015

Cornell College has renamed a residence hall in honor of John Smith ’71 and his wife, Dyan Smith, an honorary alumna, and will dedicate the building in a ceremony at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 23.

Smith Hall from above
Smith Hall, which has been renamed to honor the support of John Smith ’71, and his wife, Dyan Smith, an honorary alumna.

Smith Hall, which was built in 2005, houses 48 students in six suites. The building is located at 1100 Third Street SW in Mount Vernon. The college renamed the hall in recognition of the contribution the Smiths made to Cornell’s recently completed residence halls renovation project. The $10 million project was largely supported by the college trustees, including a leadership gift from the Smiths.

The May 2014-August 2015 project encompassed renovations and modernization of three residence halls that house more than 300 first-year students: Pauley-Rorem, Dows, and Tarr Halls. The buildings feature themed lounge spaces for students and building-wide updates, including climate control in student rooms.

“John and Dyan’s leadership and generosity over the years has been extraordinary” said Cornell President Jonathan Brand. “Given the impact they have had on the lives of our students, it’s fitting that one of our residence halls bear their name.”

John Smith, the board chairman of CRST International Inc., has provided distinguished service on the Cornell College Board of Trustees, including serving as chair of the board from 2008 through 2011, and as chair of the college’s Extraordinary Opportunities Campaign, which finished in 2010.

In addition to their commitment to Cornell College, the Smiths have made a philanthropic impact throughout Eastern Iowa, in areas ranging from healthcare to education to the arts.

Additional spaces on campus are being named for trustees who gave leadership gifts to the residence halls project. The patio and green space between Russell and Pauley-Rorem halls will be known as The Koehn Courtyard, in honor of Linda Webb Koehn ’66 and Thomas Koehn of Des Moines, Iowa. The main lounge area in Tarr Hall, which contains a stage and performance area available to students, has been named The Marlene and Richard Williams Performance Area in honor of Richard Williams ’63 and Marlene Williams, an honorary alumna, of Chicago.