The official opening capped almost three years of developing ideas; numerous late nights of planning, drawing, erasing and redrawing; and hard, meticulous and ingenious work by hundreds of people. The results of the renovation are remarkable, as the formerly dark rooms are now awash in vibrant light cascading through stunning, artistic mosaics, with a design that remains true to the original architecture.

More than 18,000 of Kean Hall’s 28,000 total square feet have been dedicated to student services under the leadership of Interim President Dr. Frank J. Esposito, including the entire admissions wing, composed of the One-Stop Service Center and the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Kean Hall will be the first building that prospective students and their families visit as they consider attending the University. Upon the students’ enrollment, it will also be the location where they receive academic and financial advisement, and where they may meet with professors and other academic specialists. Remaining space will be utilized for administrative functions, a spacious faculty lounge and several conference rooms for the Kean University community.

“Today, this historic structure is dedicated as Kean Hall, a focal point of the campus with origins in yesterday that will serve the Kean University of tomorrow,” said Esposito at the ceremony. “This building is a marvelous reflection of our past that now provides state-of-the-art amenities for the students, staff and administrators who will continue to lead this University to its greatest heights. I hope that everyone will embrace the building and what it represents, a giant leap forward.”

The Offices of Student Affairs, Administration and Finance, and Academic Affairs are also housed in Kean Hall. The offices that they vacated are now used by the Nathan Weiss College of Graduate Studies, providing it with the necessary room for continued expansion and the resources to serve its ever-increasing graduate-student population, which has grown more than 33 percent in the past few years.

The Presidential Suite in the administrative wing of Kean Hall has been named for Li-Woan “Lee” Yang, a 1983 graduate of Kean University and a 2001 honorary degree recipient whose private pledge of $250,000 to the University paid for all of the furniture contained in the executive offices. A native of Taiwan, Yang is president and CEO of Yang Enterprises, Inc., an engineering consulting firm located in Florida.

The Estabrook Conference Room was named for Anne Evans and Kenneth L. Estabrook, Esq., whose generous pledge furnished the historic meeting space and funded an endowment. Mr. Estabrook is the founder of Lindabury, McCormick and Estabrook, PC, and has served on the Kean University Board of Trustees since 1995. Mrs. Estabrook is the owner of Elberon Development Co. and was honored for her charitable work by Kean University at its 2001 Gala.

Mrs. Toby Harwood and Trustee Lowell Harwood pledged a donation for the stained-glass window in the Kean Hall Conference Center. This donation continues the Harwoods’ support of Kean University.