DURHAM, N.H. - Philanthropist and alumnus Peter T. Paul encouraged the University of New Hampshire Class of 2011 to give back to their university, a challenge he issued today at the groundbreaking for the Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics.

 

The day marked the first step in constructing a new building that will help transform the university's graduate and undergraduate business education and reinforce its long, proud history of offering a first-rate business education. The new college is made possible by Paul's record-setting $25 million gift to the university.

 

"I will match all gifts given to UNH by this year's graduating class made between Jan. 1 and June 30 of this year. Maybe we can start a new tradition and do this every year," said Paul, who suggested that each graduate make a gift of $20.11 to mark the year they graduated. Paul will match all gifts, up to a total of $100,000.

Paul is a native of Troy and 1967 graduate in business administration. The new Peter T. Paul College is scheduled to open in January 2013, and will be located on Garrison Avenue.

 

"The effort to create the Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics is about more than the bricks and mortar. It also transcends the deep financial investment and institutional commitment that an ambitious project of this nature requires. In fact, this effort represents a critical step forward for UNH, our students, and the economy here in New Hampshire and far beyond. I firmly believe that there is no better time than now to build the Peter T. Paul College," said Mark W. Huddleston, president of the University of New Hampshire.

The new building will allow UNH to expand capacity of its business programs from 1,700 to 2,500 students. The new building is critically needed at UNH as demand has outstripped supply, and many well-qualified students who seek admission to the business school are not accepted due to space constraints. 

"UNH has demonstrated to me that now is the time to make this investment in the future of the university, the state of New Hampshire and its young people. I believe this will be one of my best investments, an investment I am proud to make. UNH is my university. I graduated from here and its success is important to me," Peter T. Paul said.

The Peter T. Paul College, which also will house the Whittemore Graduate School of Business and Economics, will help create a dynamic, integrated learning environment and allow UNH to provide one of the top undergraduate business programs in the nation. "Smart classrooms" will be outfitted with the latest technology to allow students and faculty to record lectures and download them on to iPods. Experiential learning facilities for hands-on learning, and informal gathering areas will encourage student collaboration.

 

"Great buildings do not make great business schools. But you cannot have a great business school without a great building. Thanks to the generosity of Peter T. Paul and many other donors, UNH will soon have a great business school with a great building," said Daniel Innis, dean of the Whittemore School.

 

Paul is president of Paul Financial, LLC, a mortgage banking company he founded in 2003. In addition, he is the owner and chairman of Peter Paul Wines, based in Healdsburg, Calif., and is president of West Biofuels, a research development venture working on thermo chemical conversion of agricultural and urban residue (biomass) to biofuel and biopower. He is chairman of the board of The Headlands Foundation, a nonprofit organization he founded in 1995.

 

The Headlands Foundation focuses on supporting local organizations and worthwhile causes that make life better for children and their families. The foundation has given away more than $4 million, primarily in the Northern Bay communities of California, and more recently, to various community-based organizations in the seacoast region of New Hampshire. Through the foundation, Paul also has generously supported educational programs at the University of New Hampshire, Boston University and the public school systems in Marin County, Calif.

 

Paul is a recipient of the Ernst and Young 1999 Financial Services Entrepreneur of the Year award. He received an alumni award for distinguished service from the Graduate School of Management at Boston University in May 2003 and the first Achievement in Business Award from the UNH Whittemore School of Business and Economics in April 2008, and the UNH Pettee Medal, the UNH Alumni Association's most prestigious award, in 2009.

 

In 2001, Paul made a leadership gift to establish the Peter T. Paul Chair in Space Science and the Dr. Samuel E. Paul Chair in Developmental Psychology in memory of Paul's father, a well-known and highly regarded physician who practiced in Troy for nearly 30 years.

 

Paul serves on the board of directors of the UNH Foundation and is a trustee of Boston University.

 

The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling 12,200 undergraduate and 2,300 graduate students.

PHOTOS

UNH President Mark Huddleston presents philanthropist and alumnus Peter T. Paul with a ceremonial shovel at ground breaking ceremonies on Tuesday, May 3, 2011, for the new Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics. (Perry Smith/UNH Photographic Services)
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Ground breaking ceremonies were held Tuesday, May 3; 2011, for the new Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics Pictured from left are: Whittemore School senior Alyssa King, Whittemore School Dean Dan Innis, philanthropist and alumnus Peter T. Paul, and UNH President Mark Huddleston. (Perry Smith/UNH Photographic Services)
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An artist's rendering of the Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics is available at
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A high resolution photo of Peter T. Paul is available for download at /unhtoday/sites/default/files/newsroom/img/PeterPaul.jpg.

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