Courtesy of the Fisher College of Business An artist's rendering of the Roger D. Blackwell Inn at Fisher College, to be named in recognition of a $7 million gift to the college from Roger and Tina Blackwell. The inn is the final building in the Fisher College complex.

The Blackwell: Faculty gift supports new executive residence

Inn should be completed early next year

Ohio State's Inn at Fisher College has a new name -- the Roger D. Blackwell Inn at Fisher College, or The Blackwell for short.

The 151-bed upscale executive residence is being named in recognition of a $7 million gift commitment to the college by Roger and Tina Blackwell. The naming is subject to approval by the University Board of Trustees.

Roger Blackwell, professor of marketing, has distinguished himself both in the classroom and in professional circles. He launched his academic career in 1965 at Ohio State, where he teaches popular marketing courses at the undergraduate, graduate and executive education levels. Since 1980, he also has been president of Roger Blackwell Associates Inc., a consulting firm whose clients include many of America's most successful companies.

"Fisher College is distinguishing itself as a quality center for business education at all levels,"Blackwell said. "We have a nationally recognized faculty, quality students and a dean with a pulse on the future of business education. I am pleased to be able to help support the college in a way that will attract top business executives to Columbus as a city and help establish the Fisher College of Business as a premier institution for executive education."

"Our recent rise in U.S. News & World Report's annual ranking of business schools is one indicator of the quality education that we offer,"said Joseph A. Alutto, dean of the college. "Another is the commitment of so many individuals who have made possible not only our new business education complex but also innovative programs and support for outstanding faculty.

"On behalf of the college and our students, I want to express my sincere appreciation to Roger and his wife Tina for this commitment and endorsement of the college vision, one that involves close interactions with the corporate community made easier with the Blackwell Inn at Fisher College."

The inn is the final building in the Fisher College complex, which was begun during the University's recently completed $1.23 billion "Affirm Thy Friendship"fund-raising campaign.

The executive residence, currently under construction, will accommodate participants in Fisher College executive education programs, other University programs and the community in general. Completion is expected in early 2002, and reservations are already being booked.

Roger Blackwell earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Missouri and his Ph.D. from Northwestern University. He has been recognized for his teaching with Ohio State's Alumni Distinguished Teaching Award, and was named "Outstanding Marketing Educator in America"by Sales and Marketing Executives International and "Marketer of the Year"by the American Marketing Association. He serves on numerous boards of both privately and publicly held corporations, including Airnet Systems, Max & Erma's Restaurants, Frontstep, Intimate Brands, Anthony and Sylvan Pools, and Applied Industrial Technologies, and is a popular lecturer to national and international business groups.

Blackwell has written more than 20 books on marketing strategy, research and global marketing. His newest, Customers Rule! Why the e-commerce Honeymoon is Over and Where Winning Businesses Go from Here, co-authored with Kristina Stephan (Blackwell), is due out in June.

Tina Blackwell received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the Fisher College of Business.

Anna Rzewnicki is media relations coordinator for the Fisher College of Business.

Facility offers conference, residential accommodations

The new Roger D. Blackwell Inn at the Fisher College of Business is an integral part of the college's commitment to providing quality executive education programs and accommodations.

The facility was designed to complement and highlight the architectural features of the first five buildings in the Fisher College complex, which were completed within the past four years. It includes a ballroom accommodating up to 300 people and a terrace seating up to 500 people. Guest rooms include one 1,460-square-foot deluxe suite, nine junior suites, 98 guest rooms with king-size beds and rooms accessible to persons with disabilities. Meeting/conference suites will be located on each floor.

Other residence features include a lounge and exercise room. Guest services include valet parking and airport shuttle service, voice mail, 24-hour room service and privileges at OSU recreational facilities, as well as numerous other hotel services.

Residence guests will have easy access to the Pfahl Hall Executive Conference Center, which will have a full-service restaurant with buffet and table service on the lower level. The restaurant also will provide room service for patrons.

Construction of the executive residence is expected to cost just under $30.4 million. The primary construction manager for the project is Bovis Lend Lease; Miles McClellan of Columbus is construction manager; Karlsberger Companies of Columbus, project architect; RTKL of Washington, D.C., design architect; and J. George Igel & Co. Inc. of Columbus, excavation.

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