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President Emeritus Al Goldfarb, and his wife, Elaine, address the crowd during the WIU-QC Riverfront Campus grand opening. The atrium was dedicated as the Alvin & Elaine Goldfarb Grand Atrium.
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Riverfront Campus Atrium Named in Honor of Goldfarbs

January 17, 2012

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MOLINE, IL -- Because of his tireless efforts to support the new Western Illinois University-Quad Cities Riverfront Campus expansion, President Emeritus Al Goldfarb and his wife, Elaine, were honored today (Jan. 17) at the Riverfront Campus ribbon-cutting when the building's atrium was named the Alvin & Elaine Goldfarb Grand Atrium.

Goldfarb served as Western's 10th president from July 2002 to June 2011. During his tenure, he was instrumental in seeking support and funding for an expanded Quad Cities campus, noted WIU President Jack Thomas. One year into his presidency, Deere & Company donated 20 acres of land and its former tech center on the Moline Riverfront to Western, which served as the springboard for a new Quad Cities campus. Goldfarb continued to work with legislators and community leaders to ensure the new campus stayed on the forefront. He was part of the groundbreaking ceremony for Phase I of the Riverfront Campus in March 2010, and before his retirement, he was able to see the construction near completion.

"It is fitting to name the atrium after Al and Elaine. They continue to be committed to, and involved with, Western, and during their time at WIU, the Goldfarbs were active members of the Macomb and Quad Cities campuses and communities," Thomas added. "We are so pleased to honor Dr. Goldfarb and Elaine today with this tribute."

The atrium was officially dedicated at the ribbon-cutting with a resolution set forth by the WIU Board of Trustees.

"We are both so honored and humbled to have the beautiful atrium in the first building on Western's Riverfront Campus named after us," Al Goldfarb said. "We have wonderful memories of the Quad Cities communities and look forward to visiting the much-needed, fully completed campus in the near future."




Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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