Texas Wesleyan University dedicated the new 44,000-square-foot Nick and Lou Martin University Center in the heart of the Poly campus Tuesday, a major piece of the city’s “Rosedale Renaissance” around the school founded in 1890.
Texas Wesleyan completed a $20 million campaign in 22 months, after Fort Worth benefactors Nick and Louella Martin made the lead gift, and launched construction last year. The center is home to student lounges, university admissions, bookstore, restaurants including a Which Wich sandwich shop and a coffee counter serving Starbucks, and a conference center that provides space for major events and banquets that didn’t have a home on the East Side previously. It’s the latest major capital improvement Texas Wesleyan has made in recent years.
The center most importantly provides a central place for students to convene, an invaluable part of the college experience, Fred Slabach, the university’s president, said. “This University Center touches all the facets of the things we hold dear: our students,” Slabach, who calls the center a “gamechanger,” said during a late afternoon dedication ceremony.
Slabach thanked the Martins for kicking off the campaign, comparing their endorsement to the “Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval” that led many other donors to quickly step up. “Nick and Lou stepped out on faith when all we had was a plan and a dream,” Slabach said.
“I’m very proud to have a family connection that goes back almost to (the university’s) founding,” Lou Martin said during the ceremony. Her grandfather James Baker served on the university’s board from 1895 to 1912. Her father, Edward Baker, served on the board from 1945 to 1969.
Jorge Vivar, vice president of the Texas Wesleyan Alumni Association, said the association “we look forward to holding a lot of our events on campus. We anticipate a higher level of participation from alumni of all ages.”
