There is no set of instructions for how to build a community, said Barbara Danowski at the dedication of Golub House recently. “But we have in our namesake a shining example of what it means to be part of a community.”
“Neil Golub knows the importance of community,” she said. “He knows the value of investing in community and he knows how to build a sense of community.”
Danowski, the Golub House faculty representative to the Minerva Council, went on to describe how a student new to the area might notice the Golub name in a number of places including Ellis Hospital, Bellevue Woman's Hospital or the Jewish Community Center.
Named in honor of William Golub '26, the renovation of the former Chi Psi building was made possible by a gift from trustee Neil Golub (William's son), his wife, Jane, and their daughter, Mona.
Steve Ciesinski '70, chair of the board of trustees and a Chi Psi brother who lived in the building as a student, remarked that “the building has never looked better.”
Brooke Lamparello '06, Golub House student representative to the Minerva Council, said “when you enter our house, it immediately instills a sense of allegiance, ownership, familiarity and pride. The house provides us the ability to form a unique integration of living and learning that extends beyond the classroom.”
President Roger Hull, who has worked closely with Neil Golub on revitalization efforts in the city, cited the Golub family's commitment to dozens of regional organizations. Hull recalled the advice of a mentor, William Pearson Tolley, the late chancellor emeritus of Syracuse University, who told him about fundraising, “you have to remember that most people never learn to give.
“Neil learned well the lesson of giving from his father,” Hull said.
Golub House is the third named building of the College's seven Minerva Houses. Beuth House and Wold House were dedicated last fall.