Founders Hall, one of two major academic buildings on George Mason University’s Arlington Campus, was officially renamed Van Metre Hall after Mason’s Board of Visitors approved the change at its Oct. 10 meeting.
The board’s action recognizes the generosity of the Van Metre Companies, a major regional builder that donated 37 acres in Ashburn, Virginia, to the George Mason University Foundation through a subsidiary, Broadlands Commercial Development, in 2009. Now valued at more than $20 million, the land is expected to eventually be sold to support university programs.
“We are extremely grateful to the leadership of the Van Metre Companies for their long-running support of George Mason University,” said Janet Bingham, vice president of advancement and alumni relations, and president of the George Mason University Foundation. “We look forward to continuing this productive partnership, which benefits not only Mason, but the entire region as well.”
The Van Metre Companies, founded in 1955 by Albert Van Metre, builds residential, commercial and recreational facilities across Northern Virginia and the Washington, D.C., region. The company has provided philanthropic support to several of Mason’s colleges and schools, including the School of Business, the Schar School of Policy and Government and the Volgenau School of Engineering over the past two decades.
Both the company and the Van Metre family, through their respective foundations, have a record of community citizenship and support for local and regional charities, focusing on causes including health, poverty, veterans, education, youth, the arts and animal welfare.
A formal renaming ceremony is expected to be held at the Arlington Campus in early 2019.