President Carol Cartwright may be retiring in a few weeks, but the university is making sure students don’t forget the impact of Kent State’s 10th president.

At its May 24 meeting, the Board of Trustees unanimously voted to rename the University Auditorium building Carol A. Cartwright Hall in her honor.

“The board has the authority to name campus facilities, and occasionally does so in honor of individuals who have made major contributions to our university,” said Charlene Reed, secretary to the board.

Reed cited some of Cartwright’s contributions, including:

• Leadership in advancing university research and graduate studies.

• Leadership in the restoration of the historic Front Campus.

• Helping Kent State to become the only Northeast Ohio university identified as a Research II university and later a doctoral research-extensive university by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.

“I am very pleased that the Board of Trustees selected the University Auditorium to become Carol A. Cartwright Hall. I like the historic nature of the building and its position on the crest of the beautiful hill overlooking the original Front Campus,” Cartwright said. “I’m also delighted that the functions inside of the building reflect discovery and creativity, as well as teaching and community engagement.”

The Auditorium was built in 1914 and rededicated in 2002 after a major renovation, according to a press release. The building is home to the offices of the university’s Division of Research, Graduate Studies and Technology Transfer and the 65,000 square-foot auditorium.

“I think naming it after Carol Cartwright is entirely appropriate after her 15-year impact. It is an honor to have her name on the building,” said John West, vice president for Research and dean of Graduate Studies, whose office is located in the hall.

Cartwright, the first woman president of a public university in Ohio, showed intelligence, integrity, vitality and passion for public higher education in general and Kent State in particular, Reed wrote, describing the board’s appreciation for Cartwright.

“She did a lot of good while she was here,” senior advertising major T. J. Prochaska said. “I don’t know who else they could name it after.”

Contact general assignment reporter Heather Scarlett at [email protected].