1976 graduate was Union basketball student-athlete
Schenectady, N.Y. (July 1, 2003) – The Viniar Family Foundation has made a grant of $2 million to build a multi-use sports facility that will become home to Union College's men's and women's basketball teams. The Foundation grant follows a personal gift of $1.2 million made earlier by David Viniar, which will also be used for this purpose.
“Through the generosity of David Viniar and his family, Union College will have a facility, long overdue, that will be commensurate with the level of our men's and women's basketball programs,” said Roger Hull, President of Union College. “We are grateful that David chose to honor his own experiences as an exceptional student-athlete this way.”
Mr. Viniar graduated summa cum laude from Union College in 1976 and earned a Bachelor's degree in Economics. He was a member of Union's winning varsity basketball team, which in 1974-75 compiled a 20-4 record and an ECAC Upstate New York title. He serves today as a member of the Board of Trustees of the College.
After Union, Mr. Viniar went on to graduate school at Harvard University, where he received his Master's in Business Administration in 1980. Upon graduation, David joined the investment banking firm of Goldman Sachs & Co., where he became a partner in 1992 and Chief Financial Officer in 1999.
An active alumnus, he has volunteered with the Career Development Center, served as an admissions representative, and participated as a member of Friends of Union Athletics. In 1997, he established the Leo and Evelyn Viniar Scholarship at Union in honor of his parents.
“David Viniar understands the importance of athletics in a young person's education,” said Bob Montana, coach of men's basketball. “He is one of the finest examples of a student-athlete.”
Mary Ellen Burt, head coach of women's basketball said, “Through the Viniar family's support, we will have a facility that will raise the visibility of women's basketball at Union and provide an important tool in our efforts to recruit new talent.”
The multi-use building will include two basketball practice courts and one performance court with spectator seating for 1,000. It will be located southeast of Memorial Field House, with connections to the field house's locker rooms and equipment facilities. The new facility will be used for practices, games, and intramurals. It will relieve congestion in Memorial Field House, the practice site for a number of winter and spring teams.
Construction of the facility should begin this fall, with completion by the fall of 2004.