WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WOWO) — Purdue University has received a $42 million commitment from alumnus and longtime benefactor Roland G. Parrish to name its new Mitch Daniels School of Business building.
The 164,000-square-foot facility will be called Roland G. Parrish Hall of Business and is scheduled to open in fall 2027. Purdue says the gift is the largest individual contribution for a facility in the university’s history.
Parrish earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in industrial management and management from Purdue in 1975 and 1976, respectively. While attending the university on athletic and academic scholarships, he competed in track and field, earning four varsity letters and two most valuable player awards. He also served as team captain during his senior year.
After graduation, Parrish worked for Exxon for 13 years before entering the restaurant business. He opened his first McDonald’s restaurant in Dallas in 1989 and eventually developed one of the nation’s largest minority-owned McDonald’s franchise organizations.
Parrish said his Purdue education helped lay the foundation for his professional accomplishments and that supporting the university has personal meaning for him.
The new building will serve as the centerpiece of the growing business school. Plans call for flexible classrooms and conference space, as well as teaching and research laboratories for financial trading, data visualization, behavioral research and experiential learning.
The facility will become Purdue’s second-largest classroom building in West Lafayette, behind the Wilmeth Active Learning Center.
Parrish has maintained a longstanding relationship with Purdue, serving on advisory councils for the university’s libraries, business school and Black Cultural Center. His previous philanthropic support includes the Roland G. Parrish Library of Management & Economics, scholarships and funding for the Business Opportunity Program’s summer session.
Purdue interim President Mitch Daniels praised Parrish’s success as an entrepreneur and his commitment to supporting students and expanding opportunities for others.
