Alumni & Friends

News Stories

College to Name Life Center in Honor of Tom Bruder

On March 12, Neumann will name its Life Center in honor of Thomas A. Bruder, Jr., a longtime friend and benefactor of the College and a member of its board of trustees since 1971. The blessing and dedication of the building, which opened in 1985, will take place at 3:45 p.m. in the Great Hall of the newly named Thomas A. Bruder, Jr. Life Center.

Bruder is the former owner and president of M. A. Bruder & Sons, Inc., a very successful family business that celebrated its one hundredth anniversary in 1999. The Bruder family has supported Neumann College since its founding in 1965. The Thomas A. and Mary A. Bruder Athletic Center and the Bruder Athletic Fields are concrete examples of the family’s decades-long support of the College.

In addition to the Bruder Athletic Center, the Life Center houses the Fred P. Meagher Theatre and Crossroads Café, the student dining facilities.

According to Dr. Rosalie M. Mirenda, Neumann’s president, “Tom Bruder’s generosity has had a significant impact on the growth of this College. From modest beginnings, Neumann has become an impressive regional success story, in large measure thanks to friends like him.”

During his 37 years on the board of trustees, Bruder has contributed his expertise to the development committee and special initiatives at Neumann. He has also been a member of the Riddle Memorial Hospital board of directors for 22 years.  A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, he holds an honorary doctor of laws degree from Neumann.

A portrait of Bruder and a commemorative plaque in his honor will be prominently displayed in the building. Dr. Mirenda will unveil both pieces at the March 12 ceremony.

2/27/08