Sayra Meyerhoff

by Chris Hart and Beth Bohac

In late summer, construction will begin on the new John and Frances Angelos Law Center. Crowds will gather at the corner of North Charles Street and Mount Royal Avenue to watch massive machines moving earth, steel, rock and concrete on the compact, triangular site. Among the onlookers, no doubt, will be those who donated to this landmark effort. They may wonder: What is my gift doing to make this first day of work—and every day thereafter—a success?

“Donations have leveraged our state funding to secure the services of designers, engineers and builders,” says Steve Cassard, UB’s vice president for facilities management and capital planning. “We work alongside them to make sure the project stays on schedule and on budget. Regardless, all of us involved in this challenging project can say one thing for certain: We wouldn’t have that first day of construction if it weren’t for the generosity of our donors. They are the lifeblood of the new School of Law building, and we owe them our time, energy and expertise to make it great. I believe everyone’s going to be quite proud of what we build here.”

That lifeblood is showing itself in some impressive ways: There have been dozens of large gifts to the project, including four that are setting new standards for the School of Law—the original $5 million dollar-for-dollar matching gift from Peter Angelos, LL.B. ’61, and now a second $5 million gift from this longtime benefactor of the school; and two additional $1 million gifts—one from Sayra Meyerhoff, J.D. ’78, M.S. ’04, and her husband, Neil, and another from Willard Hackerman’s Whiting-Turning Contracting. The latter two gifts were made in support of Angelos’ challenge gift, part of a successful $15 million donor effort that undergirds significant state support.

Every donor has his or her own reasons for giving to UB through its current Uniquely UB capital campaign. For some, it may be the simple truth that their legacy will live in the classrooms, lecture halls and public spaces of a great new building. For others, a strong sense of institutional pride and hope for the future shines through. It’s about not only the bricks and mortar, but also a higher quest for the University.

“My vision for the School of Law is that it will continue to see change as opportunity and to make the most of these opportunities,” says Meyerhoff, a member of the UB Foundation Board of Directors, the Law Advisory Council and the capital campaign committee. “I would like UB to continue to encourage its graduates to strive to reach their highest potential as professionals in the legal fields.”

UB Student Center

For his part, Hackerman envisions the new law center as an important element of the University’s ascending reputation.

“Under President Robert L. Bogomolny’s tenure, the University of Baltimore is growing and becoming an increasingly important part of the city community,” says Hackerman, a Baltimore native and longtime friend of UB. “I am proud to be a part of this growth and to show my support for a high-quality, Baltimore-based institution of higher learning.”

Meyerhoff echoes this sentiment: “UB has never lost sight of the role it plays in the community,” she says.

Again and again, the law center project and its fundraising campaign prompt UB graduates, donors and even those who are relatively unfamiliar with the institution to weigh in on where UB is going. And the consensus is clear: Just like the cranes that soon will park themselves on campus, UB is heading up.

“This campaign will help give the institution the recognition it deserves,” Hackerman says.

So as the project’s architectural plan—by the internationally acclaimed firm of Behnisch Architekten of Stuttgart, Germany, in partnership with Baltimore’s Ayers/Saint/Gross—nears completion, the excitement is growing.

“We can’t wait to start construction,” Cassard says. “You can feel the energy and anticipation when you’re out talking to the community about the project. This enthusiasm invigorates us and our donors. Their support was essential from the start and will continue to be a driving force through to completion in 2012.”

The new law center is expected to be completed in late 2012, with law classes to be held there the following spring. Between now and then, we hope you’ll check in on our progress and join the fun. It’s your dollars at work, from the first shovel in the ground to the cutting of the ribbon.

Uniquely UB: The Campaign for the University of Baltimore has raised 88 percent of our $40 million goal! Discover how your gift helps at www.uniquelyub.org.