The Rafik B. Hariri Building

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Georgetown University
Office of the President

July 9, 2009

Dear Members of the Georgetown University Community:

I am pleased to share some exciting news about the new home for the McDonough School of Business. Tomorrow we will announce that the new building will be named the Rafik B. Hariri Building.

The late Rafik B. Hariri served as Prime Minister of Lebanon from 1992 to 1998 and again from 2000 until 2004, working to bring peace and democracy to Lebanon. A committed philanthropist, Mr. Hariri was a dedicated friend to Georgetown and deeply devoted to advancing education around the world. Mr. Hariri was born into a modest family and as a young man trained to be a teacher before becoming a successful businessman in the construction industry. In 1979 Mr. Hariri founded the Hariri Foundation, which helps Lebanese students attend institutions of higher learning at home and abroad. As a Georgetown parent, Rafik Hariri was a generous supporter of the University and served on the MSB Parents' Council. Georgetown awarded him an honorary degree in 1996 in celebration of his work to advance education and opportunity for the underprivileged.

This $20 million naming gift through the Hariri Foundation was made possible by Saad Hariri (B'92), the newly designated Prime Minister of Lebanon and son of Rafik Hariri.

The Rafik B. Hariri Building is the newest named academic building on our Main Campus since the Royden B. Davis, S.J. Performing Arts Center was named in 2006. This 179,000-square-foot facility will enable the McDonough School of Business to solidify its position as one of the world's leading business schools. For the first time, our MSB community will be together under one roof — staff, faculty, undergraduates, and graduate students. This new home for the MSB features seminar, lecture, and conference rooms, a 400-seat auditorium, eight case rooms, and common areas for both undergraduate and graduate students.

I am deeply grateful for the remarkable generosity of the Hariri family, and for the dedication and vision of the many donors who have believed in this project and, through their contributions over the years, made this new facility possible. I very much look forward to a formal celebration of the Rafik B. Hariri Building with Dean George Daly and our community in September.

You have my very best wishes for a terrific summer.

Sincerely,

John J. DeGioia