Jill and Frank Fertitta Hall opening is a major milestone for USC Marshall School of Business

USC has officially declared its newest building open for business. USC President C. L. Max Nikias, USC Marshall School of Business Dean James G. Ellis and USC Trustee Frank J. Fertitta III ’84 and his wife, Jill, cut the ribbon on Jill and Frank Fertitta Hall, officially opening new home for the school’s undergraduate business program.

Fertitta, chairman and chief executive officer of Red Rock Resorts, reflected on his experience at the school, where he studied business as an undergraduate.

“The education I received at Marshall was invaluable,” he said. “The business insight, knowledge and skills that I learned there are the cornerstones of how I do business every day.”

Anchoring the southeast corner of the University Park Campus, the five-story, 104,000-square-foot building broke ground less than two years ago. Today, it embodies USC Marshall’s growing influence on global business education. Fertitta Hall’s state-of-the-art design supports sophisticated technology, student collaboration and entrepreneurial endeavors.

The Fertitta family’s landmark gift for the building, a key milestone in the $6 billion Campaign for USC, also established the Jill and Frank Fertitta Endowed Chair in Business Administration.

Filling a need

Nearly 300 people attended the Sept. 7 ceremony held in front of the building’s arched main entrance. Ellis began the festivities by acknowledging the family’s generosity and the pronounced need it filled in providing more space for the school. Also in attendance were USC trustees, senior administrators, deans and business leaders long been associated with USC Marshall.

Nikias introduced the Fertittas, commending their contributions to the university as well as their civic leadership and passion for educational causes.

“Jill and Frank understand the complex demands of business and the crucial importance of education,” he said. “They also grasp that one of the keys to success is seizing opportunities where others find obstacles.”

Jill and Frank understand the complex demands of business and the crucial importance of education.

C. L. Max Nikias

Fertitta Hall provides smart classrooms (video and playback capability, webcams, etc.), lecture halls and 50 breakout rooms for USC Marshall undergraduates. The Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies occupies the fifth floor, bringing faculty and clinical mentorship closer to the students taking entrepreneurship courses. The building also houses undergraduate admission, student services and student advising.

In a nod to millennials, most classrooms come equipped with skateboard racks. Healthy eating options are offered in an Asian-inspired food court at the lobby level.

Staying in to study

Students have already embraced the vision of community behind the building, according to Ellis: “We did not want students to come here to go to class and then turn around and go back to their dorms. Rather, we wanted them to stay here, to work together in groups, have something to eat and then go to class again. That is exactly what has happened.”

Nikias noted that the Fertittas have forged a tradition of excellence at USC, as their three children, Victoria, Kelly-Ann and Frank IV are all proud Trojans. Fertitta Hall helps expand this tradition, he said, by attracting the most talented business students and faculty from around the world, ensuring that the school’s ascension in rank and renown continues well into the future.

“At the end of the day, it’s not about the building,” Frank Fertitta told the crowd. “What’s important is what goes on inside the building. It’s our privilege today to give back to the institution that has given us so much.”

The Campaign for USC is a multi-year effort to advance USC’s academic priorities and expand the university’s positive impact on the community and world. It has raised $5.5 billion to date.