HOMECOMING 2010
Dedication Ceremony Honors Uytengsu Renovated Administration Building is Named in Honor of Generous Alumnus Uytengsu’s wife, Bonnie; his children Fred Jr., Candace, and Michael; and grandson Christian attended the dedication ceremony. “His legacy is not just a name on a building,” Snyder said. “His legacy is the example he set for his children, his grandchildren, and all of us by the way he lived.” In his remarks at the dedication, Fred Uytengsu, Jr. said he was certain his father would have been happy with the renovation and that the scope of the project had exceeded their expectations. Indiana Tech paid tribute to a generous alumnus with the dedication of the Wilfred Uytengsu, Sr. Center during the 80th Anniversary Gala at this year’s Homecoming. Uytengsu donated $2 million toward the energy-efficient renovation of the administration center. The gift, announced in March 2010, is the second-largest ever made to the university by an individual. University officials had looked forward to showing Uytengsu the results of his generosity, but he passed away unexpectedly in April 2010. “It saddens me that Mr. Fred was taken from his family too soon, that he did not live to accompany them here to see what his philanthropy has brought to Indiana Tech,” President Arthur E. Snyder said in addressing about 300 people gathered for the dedication. Uytengsu was a 1951 graduate of Indiana Tech with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering. He was chairman 8
of the board of the largest producer of dairy products in the Philippines, Alaska Milk Corporation, which he started in 1972. He served on the boards of Universal Foods Corporation of Wisconsin, Kuok Philippine Properties, Inc. and Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Manila, and was owner of Wentworth Development Corporation. He was also the chairman of the Philippine Basketball Association’s Alaska Aces, who have won 13 championships. Snyder had corresponded with Uytengsu for several months before traveling to the Philippines to meet him in August 2009. The visit left Snyder profoundly impressed with Uytengsu’s compassion, integrity, and commitment to hard work and education. “I had no idea what an impact that one visit would have on me,” Snyder said. “Before meeting Mr. Uytengsu I had no idea how deeply a man could value education and love learning.” Trends
The Wilfred Uytengsu, Sr. Center was built in 1857. The dedication ceremony marked the culmination of a $3.5 million renovation of the administration center which turned the pre-Civil War era building into a showcase of modern energyefficient design, materials, and technology. The design by Terry Thornsbury of Viridian Architectural Design, Inc. preserved the historic exterior brick shell of the building, windows, and door openings