Marshall announces new building


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Philanthropists Frank and Jill Fertitta donated an undisclosed amount of money to establish a new state-of-the-art instructional building and an endowed faculty chair, the USC Marshall School of Business announced Thursday.

Fertitta Hall, which is believed to increase Marshall’s undergraduate student capacity by nearly one-third, will be built at the intersection of Figueroa Street and Exposition Drive. Construction for the new building is expected to begin May 2014 and is slated for completion in Fall 2016.

“The generous and visionary support of Jill and Frank Fertitta will dramatically expand our facilities, as well as the teaching and learning opportunities at USC Marshall,” Marshall Dean James G. Ellis said in a statement.

The school plans to use the gift, which will also establish the USC Jill and Frank Fertitta Endowed Chair in Business, to continue recruiting faculty members that will promote entrepreneurship and innovation to its students.

Frank Fertitta, an alumnus of USC’s 1984 class, is the chairman and CEO of Fertitta Entertainment, a company that develops and manages resorts and casinos, and Station Casinos, the largest provider of gaming entertainment in Southern Nevada. In addition, Frank Fertitta is the principal owner of Zuffa LLC, which owns the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Frank and Jill Fertitta’s daughter, Kelley-Ann, is a recent graduate of USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

Though Jill and Frank Fertitta donate to a wide variety of organizations, they said they were excited to have the opportunity to support USC.

“I am grateful to the university for the outstanding educational opportunities I received at USC Marshall, and to experience this once again as a Trojan parent,” Frank Fertitta said in a statement. “Jill and I are proud and very pleased to be able to give back to USC, and to future generations whose careers will be shaped at USC Marshall.”