A who’s who of Fresno State’s buildings

If you are a Fresno State student, you probably walk past these buildings every day.  Students see names like “Resnick” on the buildings, but do they know who these individuals are?

“Actually, I really don’t,” says Broadcast Journalism major Sarah Hernandez. “I transferred this semester, so I have no idea who these people are.  I kind of just like walk through the building not knowing any of them. “I see it all the time and I obviously know that they have some important meaning.”

Some buildings date back 50 to 60 years, like the Grosse building named after Industrial Arts teacher Marion Grosse. The Conley Art building was named after philanthropist Phebe McClatchy Briggs Conley, a member of the CSU Board of Trustees. The McKee Fisk building, where many MCJ classes take place and where faculty offices are located, is named after Donald McKee Fisk, who was a professor and the head of the School of Business.

“I think it’s important to know who these people were and how they were foundational to how Fresno State becomes this powerhouse university in the region,” says Jimenez-Sandoval.

“There is actually two types of individuals that have buildings named after them on campus,” says Brady Crook, Fresno State vice president of university advancement. “One would be more on the administrative side like President Joyal, who is our administration building, who was a long-time president here and had a significant impact.”

Crook also says philanthropic partners are also honored with building names.

The Fresno State Focus TV studio is named after Professor Merlyn Burriss. His generous donations provided Fresno State with the Burriss studio and Burriss Scholarship.