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For 40 years, University of Minnesota alumni longed for a building to call their own, one that would serve as a virtual “front door” for University visitors.
Over those years, floor plans were rendered and a site was chosen, but the idea didn’t truly take shape until three alumni passionate about the University set out to make this dream come true. Fred Friswold, ‘58, president of the University of Minnesota Alumni Association in 1987-1988, recruited Larry Laukka, ‘58, for his commercial development expertise, and Dale Olseth, ‘52, for his fundraising success. The trio would eventually volunteer thousands of hours over 12 years to ensure that the alumni center became a reality. Internationally-renowned architect Antoine Predock, generous private donors and three building owners — University of Minnesota Foundation, University of Minnesota Alumni Association and Minnesota Medical Foundation — made up the rest of this successful team. While rental income from commercial office space supports the building’s debt, all of the public spaces in the McNamara Center were financed through the private support of more than 600 donors who contributed $13 million. Key benefactors include: Richard “Pinky” McNamara ($3 million) for whom the building is named; Curt and Arleen Carlson ($2 million); Kenneth and Helen Heggenhaugen ($1 million); and Jim Johnson and Maxine Isaacs in honor of A.I. Johnson ($1 million). A volunteer committee of University staff and others selected internationally-renowned architect Antoine Predock of Albuquerque, New Mexico, who teamed with Minneapolis-based KKE Architects to facilitate the building’s design. Construction began in March 1998 and was completed in February 2000. Read more from the January-February 2000 issue of Minnesota, official magazine of the University of Minnesota Alumni Association: A Dream Come True (.pdf)
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