Regents unanimously approve new title of business school

Business tycoon Karl Eller on Thursday became the second UA alumnus to have a college named after him, after a unanimous vote by the Arizona Board of Regents.

At their Flagstaff meeting, the regents voted to name the University of Arizona's College of Business and Public Administration after the chief executive officer of Eller Media Company.

The business school is now called the Eller College of Business and Public Administration.

"We found it very fitting to name the college in Karl's honor for his entrepreneur spirit, his tenacity in the face of adversity and most importantly - his integrity," said Mark Zupan, dean of the business college.

Eller received his bachelor's degree in business administration in 1952. In 1983, Eller funded the Karl Eller Center for the Study of the Private Market Economy at the UA's business college.

His other accomplishments include serving as the head of Circle K Corporation and Columbia Pictures Communications.

"We are tremendously heartened and grateful for the Eller's continual confidence in our college," Zupan said.

The James E. Rogers College of Law was the first UA college to be named after a donor in November, after Rogers, owner of Sunbelt Communications and KVBC-TV in Las Vegas, donated a total of $115 million to the law school.

Before a person can have a college named after them, they must meet a certain criteria, Zupan said.

First, the regents determine if the naming would bring honor to the college, he said. The individual has to have made a significant financial donation and must also have a non-financial commitment to the college.

"The Ellers have committed or donated about $23 million dollars," Zupan said. That commitment made it the tenth largest donation in the nation, he added.

Eller has been a mentor to UA students and given them full-time jobs and internships, Zupan said.

"He is one of the founders of our Colleges of Advisory Board," he said.

The Ellers donated $10 million to the endowment entrepreneur program about a year and a half ago. This year, the Ellers have also committed to donating another $10 million for the general college endowment, he added.

Regents President Judy Gignac said the practice of naming colleges and programs after individuals will become more common at the UA and Arizona State University.

"Right now both major institutions are undergoing capitalizing campaigns," she said.