ORANGE : Chapman to Rename Hall for Roosevelt
Chapman University plans to change the name of its historic Founders Hall to Roosevelt Hall in honor of former school trustee James Roosevelt.
Roosevelt, eldest son of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, served on the school’s board of trustees from 1976 until his death in August, 1991. He was also an adjunct professor and guest lecturer at Chapman and other colleges.
The Chapman board of trustees decided unanimously last month to rededicate the building as Roosevelt Hall and voted to begin a campaign to raise funds to renovate the building’s interior. A dedication ceremony is planned for next fall.
The remodeled hall will eventually house the school’s division of social sciences, including the departments of political science, legal studies, history and sociology.
The hall will also display some of James Roosevelt’s historical memorabilia and will include a replica of a courtroom, which will be used as a classroom for legal studies and as a forum for an undergraduate moot court.
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