See additional photos from the Groundbreaking Ceremony: 
A little strip of California Street in Urbana that runs from the east side of the Krannert Center to Lincoln Avenue will soon give way to bulldozers and jackhammers as construction on the Alice Campbell Alumni Center gets under way.
Alumni and friends gathered at the site on May 15 to participate in the ceremonial groundbreaking for the building project, which will provide a warm and welcoming environment for visitors. The center will feature considerable space for alumni activities and events with nearby parking accommodations, in addition to housing the University of Illinois Alumni Association offices.
As more than 175 guests (including donors, UI Alumni Association board members, University and UIAA administrators and staff) arrived, representatives from the UIAA's Student Alumni Association and Student Ambassadors were on hand to greet them with their own enthusiasm for the project and to discuss key areas of the facility, such as a library, lounge and great room, reception gallery, ballroom, functional balconies and conference rooms.
A fanfare, courtesy of the UI faculty members who comprise the Illinois Brass Quintet, heralded the start of the celebration's formal program. Officials from the University's central administration, the campus and the UI Foundation, as well as the Alumni Association, had a turn at the podium to describe the potential and the impact the alumni center will have on the University community both near and far, and to thank the many donors present for their support and generosity.
"A project such as this doesn't happen overnight, and it doesn't happen without a key group of people leading the way early on," said UIAA President and CEO Loren R. Taylor. "It is fitting that we share this ceremony today with the people who have gotten the dream as far as it has come. I hope you are as pleased as I am with the progress being made and the interest and enthusiasm that continues to mount.
"While we don't have the exact date selected yet, I hope you're all planning to be here for the grand opening festivities in 2006," he announced.
"There has always been a sense that this facility will not just be a roof over the Alumni Association's head," said UIAA board Chairman Ed McMillan '69 ACES, "but that it will be a dynamic, versatile, lively center for alumni to actively engage with the rest of the University. It will facilitate mutually beneficial interactions with students, with faculty and with other alumni."
Sid Micek, president of the UI Foundation, commented on how this project has enhanced the partnership of both the Foundation and the Alumni Association as they work together to support and advance the University of Illinois. He also thanked the donors present who, through their private support, have helped make this long-anticipated dream of many a reality, and noted that there was still work to do and naming opportunities still available.
Harold "Huck" Hindsley '50 ENG, himself a major donor to the center along with his wife, Jeanne Bresee Hindsley '51 LAS, chairs the steering committee for the fund-raising efforts. He announced the Illinois Paver Program, which allows for more participation in building the alumni center through the purchase of personalized stone tiles for outdoor patio areas.
Photo by Susan McKenna.
