The new four-story academic facility at Arkansas Tech University has been named Rothwell Hall in honor of Tech alumni Ben and Terry Rothwell.
The 60,000-square foot facility houses the Arkansas Tech College of Business, a regional office of the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center, the Arkansas Tech Academic Advising Center and two floors of classroom space.
The building was created under the working moniker of Centenary Hall in light of the fact that it was constructed during the 100-year anniversary of the university.
Dr. Robert C. Brown, Arkansas Tech president, said that the facility will henceforth be known as Rothwell Hall in recognition of a “substantial long-term commitment to the university” by Mr. and Mrs. Rothwell (photographed).
“Ben and Terry Rothwell are among the most loyal and ardent supporters of Arkansas Tech University,” said Brown. “They have given their time, their spirit and their substance to this institution. They have done so out of love for their alma mater and because they have a genuine and abiding belief in the power of higher education.
“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, the faculty and the students of Arkansas Tech University, I offer my most sincere appreciation to Ben and Terry Rothwell,” continued Brown. “Their generosity will benefit our educational mission for many years to come.”
Mr. Rothwell earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Arkansas Tech in 1975. Mrs. Rothwell, the former Terry Tucker, is a 1974 Arkansas Tech graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in business education.
Mrs. Rothwell is founder and chief executive officer of Celerit, an information technology and technical consulting firm that she established with her husband’s encouragement in 1985.
The business began with a few note cards, a phone and a computer consulting contract for two people. Today, the Little Rock-based company aids top nationwide and community banks with core application software, item processing services and network managed services.
Mrs. Rothwell served on the Arkansas Tech Board of Trustees from 2003-08, and she served as board chair in 2007.
“This is a life moment for us,” said Mr. Rothwell. “We have deep roots at Arkansas Tech. Our families are intertwined with Tech. Terry and I both have brothers and sisters who attended and graduated from Tech.
“We came from the median group of potential students for Arkansas Tech,” continued Mr. Rothwell. “Terry and I are representative of the average Tech student and the average Tech alumnus. We sought to better ourselves through higher education. We chose Arkansas Tech for our own reasons, and by doing so we became part of the fabric of Arkansas Tech for life.”
Mr. Rothwell went on to say that the results that he and Mrs. Rothwell see at Arkansas Tech make the university an ideal outlet for their desire to give back to society.
“We have as fine a student body as there is in the state of Arkansas,” said Mr. Rothwell. “The students attending Arkansas Tech are the highest quality students that the institution has ever had on its campus. That comes from superior faculty and students who understand that Arkansas Tech is about higher education.
“It all stems from Dr. Brown,” continued Rothwell. “His leadership and guidance of Arkansas Tech is spot on with our vision for Arkansas Tech. As he says, it is all about the students. If we did not believe in what he was trying to accomplish there, we would not have given these funds. We agree with the direction, we already see results and we love what we see. It is something that we can, we do and we will continue to support.”
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