Senator Graham breaks ground for hall

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Florida
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<p>On a tract of dirt in the middle of UF's campus, a former senator stood beside university dignitaries Saturday morning to lay the foundations for a research center to be built there. </p>

<p>About 100 people gathered to break ground for Pugh Hall, which will house the Bob Graham Center for Public Service. The building should be constructed in about 15 to 18 months, Graham said at the ceremony. </p>

<p>One of the goals of the center, which will be part of UF's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, will be to encourage UF graduates to go into politics instead of opting for more lucrative fields such as business, Graham said. </p>

<p>Leaders who emerge from the center will serve a diverse and changing world, he added. </p>

<p>"This center will not be limited to the 45,000-plus who are fortunate enough to call themselves students at the University of Florida," said Graham, who wore a navy blue tie dotted with little orange Floridas. </p>

<p>Jim Pugh and his wife, Alexis, donated $5 million for the construction of their namesake building. </p>

<p>Pugh, a 1963 UF graduate, met Graham when they were brothers in Sigma Nu Fraternity. </p>

<p>The 40,000-square-foot building, which will be between Dauer and Newell halls, will include an auditorium and space for lectures and other events. </p>

<p>Graham said the center was established in hopes of producing strong leaders at the university, especially in the face of an uncertain world. </p>

<p>"Florida has become one of the most important states in the most important nation in the world," he said. </p>

<p>The state deals with unique issues like an aging population, environmental challenges and cultural assimilation, he said. </p>

<p>Graham is also working with the University of Miami to create a similar center. </p>

<p>In the center of UF's building will be the "ocora" - an American Indian word that means place of assembly, he said. Students will be able to meet and discuss ideas there. </p>

<p>Graham graduated from UF in 1959 with a political science degree. At the ceremony, UF President Bernie Machen recounted Graham's first political campaign - a race for freshman class president in 1955. Graham lost that election. </p>

<p>The former two-term governor has other ties to the university as well. Graham said he met his wife Adele on the steps of Tigert Hall. </p>

<p>"She was looking for a tutor, and I reluctantly agreed to be her tutor," he said. </p>

<p><a href="http://www.alligator.org/pt2/061002pugh.php%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.alligator.org/pt2/061002pugh.php&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>Pugh Hall is being constructed in the heart of the UF historic district between Newell and Dauer Halls. Once completed, the 40,000-square-foot facility will include a teaching auditorium and public space for lectures and events. </p>

<p>In addition to housing humanities programs, the new state-of-the-art structure will be home to the university’s new Bob Graham Center for Public Service. Established by former Florida governor and retired U.S. Senator Bob Graham, the center will provide students with opportunities to train for future leadership positions, meet current policymakers and take courses in critical thinking, language learning and studies of world cultures. </p>

<p>Bob and Adele GrahamJim and Alexis PughPugh Hall will be named after its benefactors, Jim and Alexis Pugh. Mr. Pugh received a bachelor’s degree in building construction from UF in 1963 and owns Epoch Properties, a company that builds hotels, timeshares and rental housing. He is also chairman of Epoch Management, a comprehensive real estate management firm. Mrs. Pugh is the owner of Lakeshore Advertising Consultants in Orlando, which designs and produces collateral materials for clients in the multi-family housing industry. </p>

<p>The Pughs have been friends with Bob Graham for 50 years, since Mr. Pugh and Graham met at UF as fraternity brothers in Sigma Nu. Bob Graham earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from UF in 1959 and served 12 years in the Florida Legislature, two terms as governor of Florida and three consecutive terms in the U.S. Senate before retiring from public office in 2005.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.clas.ufl.edu/events/news/pugh.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.clas.ufl.edu/events/news/pugh.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>Updated Construction photos of Pugh Hall.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.facilities.ufl.edu/projects/uf288/jobsitephotos.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.facilities.ufl.edu/projects/uf288/jobsitephotos.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>