The architect behind two of the world's tallest buildings and many other landmark structures will be the featured speaker at the University of Minnesota Duluth commencement next month.
Cesar Pelli, who wields global influence on modern architecture, has a special connection to the University of Minnesota Duluth. He designed the school's new Weber Music Hall.
The $9.2 million building opened in fall 2002 after several years in development. It has been an object of attention for campus visitors since its football-shaped copper roof went up. The facility has been acclaimed for its acoustics, boosting UMD's reputation as an arts center.
The 350-seat building completed the "Arts Triangle" on campus, joining the Tweed Museum of Art and the Marshall Performing Arts Center around the perimeter of Ordean Court. It was part of a campus construction boom that includes half a dozen projects.
"I'm extremely proud of Weber Hall," said Pelli, when the building was complete. "It will prove to be the finest small concert hall in America."
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Pelli, based in Connecticut, is the former Dean of Architecture at Yale and has designed many famous buildings, including skyscrapers, museums and performing arts centers. His list of international projects includes Malaysia's Petronas Twin Towers, two of world's tallest buildings, Gaviide Common in Minneapolis, Wells Fargo Center, the new Minneapolis Library and Washington National Airport.
He has received numerous awards in the field and in 1991 was named one of the 10 most influential living American architects. In 1995, the American Institute of Architects awarded Pelli the Gold Medal, which recognized a lifetime of distinguished achievement.
At the May 15 ceremony at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center, Pelli will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree for cultural contributions.
"We are very proud to honor Cesar Pelli for his outstanding accomplishments in the field of architecture, as well as his many contributions as a scholar and a mentor," said UMD Chancellor Kathryn A. Martin. "He has touched the lives of so many, and his extraordinary vision will live on through his former students, his colleagues and his exceptional work."
Having a famous architect was just part of the music hall story. The building is named for Mary Ann and Ron Weber, who were major donors to the project. Ron Weber grew up in Duluth's Lakeside and went to Central High School. They met while attending UMD in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Mary Ann Weber is a Cloquet native who was at UMD on a piano scholarship.
Weber went on to make his fortune with Rapala fishing lures. At the ground-breaking ceremony for the music hall, Weber recalled being a student at UMD as the best days of his life and said he wanted to give something back to the university.
The Webers will be presented with the Distinguished Alumni Award at the event, which will be UMD's largest baccalaureate commencement with 1,058 graduates marching out of a class of 1,200. School of Fine Arts magna cum laude graduate Jocelyn Marie Wegren of Duluth will be the student speaker.
On May 13, UMD will confer 125 graduate degrees, including one Ph.D, in a ceremony at Romano Gymnasium. The featured speaker will be Erik T. Brown, UMD associate professor in the Department of Geological Sciences and the Large Lakes Observatory.
