MILWAUKEE — Members of Marquette University's community came together Wednesday to dedicate the new College of Business's Dr. E. J. and Margaret O’Brien Hall.
The hall is the vision of former Dean Dr. Joseph Daniels, who was hit and killed by a car while walking on campus in February of 2020.
College administrators and students along with Joe's widow, Lora, took time to meet with TMJ4 News to talk about the ways his legacy lives on years after his death.
"He came and spoke at one of my classes and he just seemed like an overall really amazing guy, and it's unfortunate that I was only able to interact with him for a short time," said Grace Heck, a Finance and Economics Senior at Marquette's College of Business.
Heck is among the final generation of students who can say they've met Dr. Daniels. But, she is among the first to experience the new O'Brien Hall, a building envisioned by Daniels before he was killed. Heck is also part of a program now paid for, in part, by the memorial fund set up in memory of Dr. Daniels.
"Studying abroad was never really an option for me," said Heck. "So, this class has allowed me to travel abroad without leaving Marquette."
Heck is a student in an applied business course where she meets virtually with a community bank in Honduras and helps to re-brand and re-market that business.
Dr. Timothy Hanley, the current Acting Keyes Dean of the College of Business, is proud to know that Dr. Daniel's vision is being carried out for students like Heck and others.
"It's a great combination because not only is the facility part of Joe's vision, this vision of delivering applied global learning is also very much what he was a part of," said Hanley.
Daniels' widow, Lora, met with TMJ4's Ryan Jenkins inside of the new Dr. Joseph Daniels Dean's Office. It's a space she says honors her late husband in a special way.
"He would be so humbled. He would be in awe of what has transpired and what is continuing to transpire," said Lora.
From the new facility to the evolving programs that reach the needs of more students, her late husband continues to pave the way for students being educated at Marquette. It's evidence that reckless driving has not killed Dean Daniels' legacy.
"He dedicated his life to teaching and he loved being in the classroom, he loved working with students," said Lora.
For students like Grace, it's these opportunities that opened up her world to allow her to chase her dreams as she now prepares for life after graduation. She's ready to get to work in finance right here in the Milwaukee area.
"It means a lot to me, and I think it means a lot to other students to see that somebody in the Marquette community who has been greatly admired and still is, and you hear his name everywhere still, that has changed education for me and for other students and hopefully can continue to do that," said Heck. "I would love to see other students get the opportunities that I got and that wouldn't be possible without him."
To donate to the Dr. Joseph Daniels Memorial Fund click HERE.
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