The School of Family and Consumer Sciences will be renamed at a ceremony Friday to honor two UA alumni.

The school, which is part of the UA College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, will be renamed the John and Doris Norton School of Family and Consumer Science for the Nortons who have committed $4 million to a new building for the school, and toward the John and Doris Norton Fathers, Parenting and Families Endowed Chair, established in 2000.

Eugene Sander, dean of the College of Agriculture, said he is very pleased to honor the Nortons and is glad they were willing to have the school named after them.

"John Norton is one of the state's more distinguished citizens," Sander said. "His help to our college to reach our goals has made an enormous difference. He really is an outstanding fellow."

The renaming ceremony will be Friday at 10:30 a.m. in the grass area near the Franklin building, 1011 E. Fifth St., which will eventually be the construction site for the school's new building. UA President Peter Likins, the UA Pep Band, and UA alumni will honor the Nortons at the ceremony, and John Norton will give the keynote speech.

Soyeon Shim, director of the Norton School of Family and Consumer Science, said she was very excited about the new changes for the school and was glad to bring in the Norton name.

"The renaming enhances visibility by bringing in the Nortons' legacy," Shim said. "Since they have lent their name, they believe in our program."

According to a press release, John Norton graduated from the UA in 1950 with a bachelor's degree in agriculture. In 1955, he founded the J.R. Norton Company, which works with agricultural production in Arizona and California.

In 1985 President Ronald Reagan named John Norton deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, while Doris Norton worked in Nancy Reagan's office in the White House.

Shim said Doris Norton is also a co-chair for Campaign Cornerstones, which is the campaign that is funding the new building and changes for the Norton School of Family and Consumer Science.

Shim said honoring the Nortons was not just about money but about giving the school incredible visibility in the community.

"John and Doris have been a big part of the university," Shim said. "The renaming of the school will be important for our future. We hope this will generate more students and research in Arizona."

Kim Brooke, senior program coordinator for the Norton School of Family and Consumer Science, said she helped coordinate the ceremony and has done work for Campaign Cornerstones to raise funds for the new building for the Norton School.

Brooke said Campaign Cornerstones is working to raise approximately $20 million for the new building, which is supposed to be completed in three to four years.

"To raise money, the school has been doing outreach and community set-up programs," Brooke said. "We are in desperate need of space to help us achieve our research and outreach goals."