Thank you, William. It is a great honor for me to accept the Donald T. Dust Recognition Award on behalf of NJIT. This award recognizes much more than the successful physical restoration of an elegant and historic building — Eberhardt Hall NJIT Alumni Center. It honors a commitment to the well-being of a city and its people that spans a hundred and fifty years, and which looks forward to a prosperous future.

The commitment that this building reflects encompasses both collective and individual civic concern. Its construction in the 1850s as the Newark Orphan Asylum expressed an entire community’s desire to provide a caring environment and a better life for children whose vulnerability often led to early death. We do not know the names of all those who advocated establishing the Newark Orphan Asylum and contributed to its support over the decades. But we can say with confidence that it represented a spirit of compassion widely shared by Newark’s citizens, a spirit honored in 1973 when Eberhardt Hall was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The same collective spirit led to the founding of Newark Technical School, NJIT’s earliest predecessor, at the end of the 19th century, in fact 125 years ago this year.  So we proudly begin a celebration of our 125th anniversary with receipt of this award, which along with our longstanding presence in Newark symbolizes our commitment to the City and the current revitalization underway.   You will notice a 125th anniversary seal on the collage displayed here today.

Along with reminding us of the civic commitment that made the Newark Orphan Asylum a reality, this building honors an individual who played a central role in the economic life of our host city and in the creation of a great university. That individual is Frederick Eberhardt, a member of the first class to graduate from Newark Technical School.

Fred went on to become the president of Gould and Eberhardt, a major Newark manufacturer of machine tools used by many companies in a wide range of industries. He also dedicated a great deal of time and energy to his alma mater, and he helped to guide Newark Technical School toward becoming Newark College of Engineering, which was founded in 1919. Fred was a trustee of both schools, and his service totaled nearly four decades. Naming this building Eberhardt Hall when NCE acquired it in 1948 was an honor that Fred Eberhardt clearly merited for his involvement in the economic and educational life of the community. We continue those traditions today.

It is also a fitting tribute to Fred that this building was rededicated as Eberhardt Hall NJIT Alumni Center upon completion of the extensive restoration work recognized by the Donald T. Dust award. From the time he finished his studies at Newark Technical School, Fred exemplified the role that many thousands of NJIT alumni have played in the growth of our university through a strong and continuing bond with their alma mater. The name Eberhardt Hall NJIT Alumni Center honors Fred as a dedicated graduate, and in equal measure honors all alumni who share his dedication.

While the restoration of Eberhardt Hall NJIT Alumni Center emphasizes history and the architectural elegance of an earlier century, this effort is a commitment to the future as well. We look forward to Eberhardt Hall becoming an even more significant part of daily life on campus and a focal point of alumni activities. Its rededication last fall was also the capstone of a 140-million-dollar building program at NJIT that has included a fifth residence hall, two additional parking-garage levels, our new Campus Center and Fenster Hall. Fred Eberhardt and his contemporaries studied at Newark Technical School to gain the knowledge they needed to apply the leading-edge technologies of the early 20th century. In addition to commemorating the history of NJIT, the 13-million-dollar restoration of Eberhardt Hall as part of our building program is a powerful statement about our dedication to scientific and technological progress in the present century.

NJIT’s commitment to the future at the beginning of the 21st century is both local and global. Through education and research, we seek to improve life for people throughout New Jersey, across the nation, and around the globe. But in the spirit of Donald Dust, who inspired the formation of the Newark Preservation and Landmarks Committee, we are also very mindful of our university’s historic roots in Newark, our past contributions to the city’s social and economic well-being, and the potential of what we can contribute to its future prosperity.

Many people have helped to restore the Victorian beauty of Eberhardt Hall NJIT Alumni Center and renovate it to meet our university’s 21st-century needs. Several of these individuals are with us today, and it is now my pleasure to introduce Cody Eckert. Cody is the founder of Cody Eckert & Associates, the lead architects for the Eberhardt Hall project.