UMSL students grouse about new Anheuser-Busch Hall
The editors of the Current, the student newspaper at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, are unhappy about the name of the school’s new business school building. They split hairs about why it will be called “Anheuser-Busch Hall” instead of “Anheuser-Busch InBev Hall” (a question that gets answered in the comments), and then they get to their main point. They prefer historic names, like Thomas Jefferson Library or Clark Hall, to the blatant corporatism of the new name:
We get the fact that, without the charity of a private enterprise, the College of Business Administration’s construction effort would be just that much further from realizing its financing goal. We do not feel that the point had to be rammed home quite so bluntly, or so blatantly, by naming the new facility Anheuser-Busch Hall.
The editorial concludes:
As it stands, we have to wonder whether A-B’s gift actually constitutes a charitable contribution, or an advertising expense.
Even allowing for the idealism of youth, the editors’ arguments seem naive. Far from branding UMSL as the “red-headed stepchild of public education in Missouri,” another complaint made in the editorial, the new building’s name places the university in good company. Washington University already has an Anheuser-Busch Hall (it houses the law school), St. Louis University has both a Busch Student Center and an Anheuser-Busch Auditorium (inside the Cook School of Business), and Maryville University has an Anheuser-Busch Academic Center. The University of Missouri-Columbia has an Anheuser-Busch Natural Resources Building and, a little farther away, the University of California-Davis has an Anheuser-Busch Brewing and Food Science Laboratory. To me, it says good things about a university if a major corporation wants to display its name there.
Update: While we’re on the subject of beer-industry donations to higher education, it’s noteworthy that Jorge Paolo Lemann just donated $14 million to the University of Illinois for a Brazilian studies institute. Lemann is a founder of AmBev, the Brazilian brewery that became part of Belgium’s InBev, which of course is now Anheuser-Busch InBev. The new entity will be called the Lemann Institute, according to the university’s news release.
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David Nicklaus has covered St. Louis business for more than 25 years. His column appears three days a week on the Post-Dispatch business page. 
Leave it to the children at UMSL to have the nerve to publish something as naive as this.
I find it rather interesting that JS needs to demean the people that attend the university in his/her comment. He/She apparently doesn’t know that not only children attend, and participate in UMSL. We, as a free, democratic republic, need to respect the opinions of others. If you wish to debate, use fact and intellect rather than simply running at the mouth.
Having said all that, the downside of not having a wealth alma mater base to pull from dictates what/who is able to ‘advertise’, at their own expense. Without the generous contribution of AB, UMSL would not have the business center, period. It needs to be left at that. Until someone actually has the finances to counter or control others that are willing to assist in the capital expansion of the learning institution, they should simply be grateful for the cash and the energy being put forth. Basically, if you don’t like where it is coming from, don’t accept it … but, don’t whine to others that you cannot get the cash for it later.
So, which university would be willing to accept a big donation from the Dirt Cheap liquor and tobacco chain in exchange for naming a prominent building, or endowed academic chair, or athletic field, or whatever, as the “Dirt Cheap ……?
Corporations donate money for naming rights in order to generate goodwill, not because they actually care about giving back to the community. What operating expense can also be attributed to the creation of goodwill Advertising. They’re just booked differently.
The red-headed step-child bit is probably “wrong,” but their other arguments are not naive at all, they are absolutely correct - unless tax treatment is really that important to you.
You, however, are a naive and/or scared homer. Why else would you devote so much time and energy defending an international corporation against “attacks” by a student newspaper?
That’s great that those other schools have “Anheuser-Busch” facilities. When they were built and funded there was an “Anheuser-Busch.” There is no more “Anheuser-Busch,” so questioning the name seems perfectly legitimate.
Ah, the formation of liberal minds of mush for a future in the liberal world of journalism.
I assume none of them drink Anheuser Busch products. They’re probably part of the import crowd. After all, isn’t that what liberalism is, all things U.S. are bad, and all things foreign are good?
Seriously Scott Simon?? There are plenty of other local breweries to support without sending our beer money overseas. Schlafly anyone?? And this is the opinion of one of those liberals.
As an alumni…I know all too well that the student newspaper is run by children. I bemoaned their lack of vision, not the university as a whole.
I am thrilled that the Business School will get to build a new building and proud that a firm with local ties contributed the lion’s share towards it.
I remember my time in college very well, and one of the first things I learned was that most students were self-righteous, self-involved, self-important, ignorant little SOBs. It had nothing to do with liberalism, as the conservatives were just as bad as the liberals. It is simply a disease common to people of that age who think they are smarter than they really are, and the disease is more prominent among students who have an established outlet for voicing their opinions. My advice to the UMSL student editors is to grow up and learn how the real world works. AB paid for the building, and there is nothing wrong with its name being on it. By the way, eberhard, InBev was not involved when AB forked over the money.
In about 20 years the name will be of historical significance.