Faculty Office Building Dedicated to St. Thomas

After 30 years in Temporary Structures, Faculty and Staff Housed Under One Roof

(Fall 2007 Newsletter)

On Monday, September 17, 2007, benefactors, friends, alumni, and students of Thomas Aquinas College gathered to dedicate the campus' newest addition to the College's patron, St. Thomas Aquinas.

A canopy set up in the parking lot of the new faculty building provided shade for the more than 300 attendees who turned out for the occasion, as well as the College Choir which provided beautiful hymns during the dedication ceremony. Included in the group were representatives of two foundations whose generous grants made the construction of St. Thomas Hall possible.

Representing the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation at the Dedication of St. Thomas Hall were (l to r) Dr. David and Mrs. Ann Brown, Mr. Rusty Noble, Mrs. Maryanne Rooney, Mr. Lloyd Noble, Mr. Bill McCoy and Mrs. Susan Noble. Attending from the Fritz B. Burns Foundation were Mrs. Joyce Skinner, Mr. Rex Rawlinson and his wife, Maureen, and Mrs. Elaine Rawlinson and Mr. Joseph Rawlinson. President and Mrs. Dillon hosted a luncheon at the Doheny Hacienda following the Dedication.

Representing the Fritz B. Burns Foundation of Los Angeles were Mr. Joseph Rawlinson, President, and his wife, Elaine; Mr. Rex Rawlinson and his wife, Maureen, both trustees of the Burns Foundation; and Mrs. Joyce Skinner, the wife of the late Ken Skinner, who for many years served as the Executive Director of the Foundation and was a longtime friend of the College.

In attendance on behalf of the Samuel Roberts Nobel Foundation of Ardmore, Oklahoma, were Dr. David Brown, a trustee of the Foundation, and his wife, Ann, a trustee emeritus; their daughters, also trustees, Mrs. Marianne Rooney and Mrs. Susan Brown whose husband, Mr. Bill McCoy, accompanied her; and the Brown's nephews, Mr. Rusty Noble, another trustee, and Mr. Lloyd Noble.

Vice President for Development, Mr. John Quincy Masteller, served as emcee for the dedication ceremony, and began the program by asking one of the College's chaplains, Fr. Charles Willingham, O.Praem., to give the invocation. Mr. Peter DeLuca, Vice President for Finance and Administration, then introduced representatives of the architectural and construction firms that worked on the project, in particular, Mr. Scott Boydsten of Rasmussen and Associates and Mr. Rick Littman of HMH Construction, which served as general contractor.

Mr. Boydsten then took the podium to share with guests his vision of the building and his approach, in general, to building design. (To see his remarks, click here.)

Following Mr. Boydsten's remarks, Dean Michael McLean read a passage from the Book of Wisdom, after which President Ronald P. McArthur read from a commentary of St. Thomas on those lines of Scripture. Rev. Cornelius Buckley, S.J., Chaplain and Assistant Dean for Religious Affairs, then read the Gospel in which Christ exhorts His disciples to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth. Fr. Buckley pointed out in his brief remarks after that St. Thomas Hall, more than any of the other buildings, is a sign of the College's mission-to help form young men and women in intellectual and moral virtue so that they can truly be the salt of the earth and a light to the world.

St. Thomas Hall offers 27,753 sq. ft. of office space and features an airy lobby and a guest parlor on the ground floor, a 2-story rotunda and two small conference rooms on the first floor, and a large conference room and two terraces on the second floor.

After members of the administrative and teaching faculty read the Prayers of the Faithful, members of the College Choir lifted their voices in songs of praise while Fr. Buckley entered the building to bless its offices and workspaces. Following the ceremony, a luncheon at the Hacienda was held for benefactors of the new building at which Dr. Dillon gave special tribute to the project's major contributors.

For nearly 30 years, faculty and staff of the College have worked in what were fondly called the temporary buildings, whose life expectancy when purchased for the Santa Paula campus in 1978 was estimated to be something like 10 years. Though the trailers served their purpose, the years took their toll on them. The move this past July into the beautifully-designed and appointed new facility, located just up the hill from the entrance to the campus, was much appreciated by faculty and staff. Photos of the move into St. Thomas Hall and of the interior of this new building can be found on the back page of this newsletter.

-- Qtrly Newsletter, Fall 2007