MUNCIE, Ind. — If you are a student here at Ball State, you have likely heard of the David Letterman building. What you may not know is the history and the planning behind the building, as well as the impact it has on students and faculty alike.
The David Letterman building opened in 2007 to provide a space for students to learn all things journalism-related. It was built to serve Ball State’s mission for academic excellence and to showcase what it means to be an involved alumnus.
“Well, I think it signifies just the commitment of one really important dedicated alum,” the Dean of the College of Communications, Kristen McCauliff, said.
“But I think he’s not alone, right, our alumni love what we do here, and I think David Letterman is really the embodiment of that, really supporting our academic mission.”
Letterman has provided over $21 million for the construction of the building and $10,000 in scholarships for students every year. However, it took a lot of convincing for Letterman to agree to create a building in his name.
“Dave is a very humble person in general; he shies away from having the spotlight on him,” director of the Center for Emerging Media Design, Dr. Jennifer Palilonis, said.
“Having his name on a building represents not just David Letterman and everything he has contributed to the university, but it represents the success of our students, it represents the success of our programs.”
Letterman has been known to appear in classrooms and lecture halls or even host exclusive interviews with top celebrities and athletes such as Caitlin Clark, Oprah Winfrey, and more.
Letterman has also been known to provide special memorabilia for students to interact with. As a teacher, seeing Letterman continue to interact with Ball State means the world to Palilonis.
“Had it not been for Dave's generous time and generous gifts to the university, that project would have never happened,” Palilonis said.
“Just talking to him and listening to him tell stories about his time here at Ball State or his career; it's unbelievable sometimes, I’m like, ‘is this real life, is this really happening?'”
It’s certainly hard to imagine where Ball State's campus would be without David Letterman's years of generosity.
Contact Wyatt Maher with any comments wyatt.maher@bsu.edu.
