We’re putting on our hard hats and prepping for construction. You’re invited to a kickoff event to celebrate the renovation and revitalization of Morehouse Hall! Join us Thursday, Nov. 16, at 1 p.m. in the Morehouse historic living room on the first floor as we commemorate the beginning of the University’s latest development project that will transform the former residence hall into a lively student center.  

To properly launch the revitalization of a facility as unique as Morehouse Hall, we’re inviting ALL students, faculty, and staff to take part in this special event! 

The event will feature student and staff speakers to detail the impactful project that will create a gathering place and home base for more than 150 student-led organizations on campus, including a dedicated intercultural space for students.  

This is project is being funded by The Ones: Drake’s campaign for the Brave and Bold, in support of our goal of enhancing student experience. Every campus should have empowering spaces where students can come together to create, learn, reflect, and play. The revitalized space will be built on the values of community and inclusion and serve as a place where students can get plugged into the issues and causes they care about, collaborate with peers and community members, and lead and innovate beyond classroom walls.  

We hope you will join us for this exciting celebration! Light desserts and refreshments will be served.  

Drake University is excited to announce the expansion of the Martin Bucksbaum Lectureship Series. Under the expansion, the University will now have two lectureship tracks—the original Bucksbaum Distinguished Lectureship and a newly launched Bucksbaum Lectureship in Business, which is made possible by an additional gift from Melva Bucksbaum and Mary Bucksbaum Scanlan. 

Managed through Drake’s Zimpleman College of Business, the new lecture track addresses topics at the intersection of business and society. Students and community members are invited to take part in an intellectual conversation with some of the nation’s foremost thought leaders to discuss how business and entrepreneurialism can make both an economic and societal impact.  

Inaugural Speaker: Heather McGhee 

Heather McGhee, the New York Times best-selling author and a champion of equality in America, will be giving the Inaugural Bucksbaum Lectureship in Business on Nov. 1 in Sheslow Auditorium on Drake’s campus. McGhee’s lecture will begin at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, but attendees will need to register ahead of time at Drake.edu/Bucksbaum. The lecture will also be livestreamed at Live.Drake.edu. 

Throughout her career in public policy, McGhee has crafted legislation, testified before Congress, and helped shape presidential campaign platforms. Her book The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Us and How We Can Prosper Together, spent 10 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and was longlisted for the National Book Award and Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction. She has most recently adapted her book for young readers with companion materials for classrooms. Her 2020 TED talk, “Racism Has a Cost for Everyone,” has been viewed more than 2.5 million times.    

“We couldn’t think of a better speaker to kickstart our inaugural lecture. This is an incredible opportunity to offer students, our campus community and anyone with a vested interest in the business field an important perspective to better enable business as a force for good,”​​ said Alejandro Hernandez, Dean of the Zimpleman College of Business. “I want to recognize and thank the late Melva and her daughter Mary for their continued generous support of Drake as we work to honor Martin’s memory with this second track of the lectureship series.” 

Carrying on the Legacy 

Nearly 30 years ago, Martin and Melva Bucksbaum launched their vision for sparking community discussion about the most poignant issues of our time through a generous gift to the University that helped establish the Martin Bucksbaum Lectureship Series. The late Martin Bucksbaum was a local business leader who served as chairman and CEO of General Growth Properties. He was also a member of the University’s governing board. Over the years, the Lectureship has included world-renowned speakers including Maya Angelou, Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson, Bob Woodward, and many others—historically attracting more than 1,000 guests to the Knapp Center.