The Northern Illinois University board of trustees voted Thursday, Dec. 3, to change the name of Faraday Hall West to John E. LaTourette Hall to honor the man who served as university president from 1986-2000.
According to a university news release, the 115,000 square-foot building near the center of campus opened in the fall of 1995 and houses physics and chemistry laboratories, lecture halls, classrooms and offices. It was constructed to supplement the adjacent Faraday Hall, built in 1963.
LaTourette, the university's 10th president, came to NIU as provost in 1979. During his tenure, he led the establishment of four new scientific Ph.D. programs, the release said.
"Throughout his career on campus, John LaTourette championed the doctoral mission of Northern Illinois University and lobbied for the facilities to complement such a mission," said NIU President John Peters in the release. "The addition of Faraday West was a watershed event on our campus. It provided facilities that allowed us to greatly expand our teaching and research efforts. It is only fitting that the building, which President LaTourette fought so long and hard for, be named in his honor."
LaTourette noted that he was heavily involved in the planning and construction of the building and said it was a highlight of his career, which also included establishing the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology and facilitating the establishment and construction of several key buildings both on- and off-campus.
"I'm honored that my name will be attached to a building on campus that represents high-level graduate study and research," LaTourette said in the release.
A formal renaming ceremony for John E. LaTourette Hall is being planned for April 2010.