Bronco alum in California pledges $250,000 for new building

The mounting success Boise State University experienced
recently has become an inspiration to many. Doyle Heaton, a Boise Junior College alum living in California, pledged $250,000 toward a new College of Business and Economics building.

The momentum of his alma mater and the national media attention to Boise State’s football success sparked Heaton’s inspiration. When he found out that the Micron Technology Foundation donated $12.5 million to a new College of Business and Economics building, he quickly responded with his pledge of $250,000.

“I want to give back to the community and give back to Boise State, which I thoroughly enjoyed,” Heaton said.

Heaton is a Boise native and member of the first graduating class at Borah High School in 1959. He graduated with an
emphasis in business administration from BJC in 1961. He is now president and owner of Declo Builders and Developers in Walnut Creek, California.  With this donation he will leave a legacy at Boise State – the new building will include a room named the Doyle Heaton Seminar Room in honor of his contribution. The room will facilitate case-style instruction and incorporate advanced technology for analysis and presentations.

“Impressive support such as this will enable us to take a great foundation and turn the college into one of the northwest’s premier schools of business,” said Howard Smith, dean of the College of Business and Economics.

The new building will be at the corner of Capitol and University and the current business building will be used to facilitate faculty from another college.  According to Smith the new building will expand student services, allow better management of existing college resources, improve the college’s image and facilitate interactions with the community.
The building will provide the space necessary to establish a career center and offices for student professional clubs and associations. An upgraded Student Advising Center and a food court and reception area for student and college-wide events will also be incorporated into this new building.  The major goal for this building is to create a better learning environment for students. Due to its convenient location and new and improved faculty offices, future business students will have access to more services like job placement and access to faculty interaction.

“This building will become an icon for BSU. It sits at the gateway to campus, the capitol and the business community.
Simply arriving at the building each day students’, faculty members’ and staff members’ vision will migrate toward downtown and the state capitol and then back to the campus as a whole. That should send a little shiver down everyone’s spine and remind them to walk into the building a little taller, a little more determined to excel, a little prouder of the college and BSU, and more motivated to succeed,” said Smith.

The plans for this building are still in process. The University will approach the Student Board of Education for approval before summer. With new construction and additions to the campus at BSU, the university is headed in the direction of a metropolitan research university of distinction.

SONIA TREVIZO
News Writer

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