$30 million gift in memory of Michael Duda establishes historic preservation center in Notre Dame’s School of Architecture | News | Notre Dame News
Notre Dame Trustee Fritz Duda (center) received an honorary doctorate in 2009 from President Rev. John I. Jenkins, CSC, (left) and then CEO Richard Notebaert
University of Notre Dame Trustee Fritz Duda; his wife Mary Lee; and the family’s foundation donated $ 30 million to the university’s School of Architecture to help build a monument preservation center in the area.
The Michael Christopher Duda Center for Preservation, Resilience, and Sustainability, named in memory of the couple’s son, will be housed in the School of Architecture but will serve as the hub for campus-wide work related to the centre’s goals. The gift will also allow the school to expand its cutting-edge curriculum in urbanism and traditional architecture and urbanism; Support for new faculty lines; Sponsor national and international conferences on campus, in Texas and Chicago, and at Notre Dame Global Gateways; and provide financial support to graduates working in this field.
“Fritz and Mary Lee have been wonderful supporters of Notre Dame for decades, particularly with regard to our School of Architecture and university development projects in the nearby community, and Fritz has held valuable leadership positions on our Board of Trustees,” said Notre Dame President Rev John I. Jenkins, CSC, said. “We mourn Michael with you and celebrate his life with this extraordinary gift. We would like to thank them very much for their generosity and their valued friendship.
Stefanos Polyzoides, Dean of Architecture for Francis and Kathleen Rooney, added, “The generosity of the Duda family will allow the School of Architecture not only to build a world-class degree in monument conservation, but also to provide resources for the entire architecture program with the Principles of sustainability and resilience that are key to Notre Dame’s mission to be a force for the good in the world. I can’t think of a better way to honor the legacy of Michael C. Duda who focused his all-too-brief career on preserving the legacies of the places he loved. “
Michael Duda’s continued interest in monument preservation grew out of his concern that there is a better way to live for everyone, a belief that was strengthened during his student years at the Notre Dame School of Architecture. After graduating in 2005, he worked as an architect in California before returning to his native Texas to earn a Masters of Business Administration from Southern Methodist University. He joined his family’s real estate company and started his own Briar Cove Development Co. in 2018. He died in 2019 at the age of 38.
In recognition of his love of architecture and Texan history, Michael was appointed to the board of directors of the Texas Historical Foundation in 2011. Duncan Stroik, professor of architecture at Notre Dame, became the administrator of the Michael C. The Texas Historical Foundation appointed the Duda Foundation, which supports efforts to preserve and celebrate the buildings, bridges, monuments, and other landscapes of the state and the people who created them.
“Michael Duda was very proud of his Texan heritage,” said his father Fritz. “Inspired by his passion for historical learning and reading, he developed a keen interest in conservation and respect for the elements that make this country so great. As a junior board member of the Texas Historical Foundation, he drafted the charter for the foundation’s Architectural Endowment Fund. His calm and determined leadership made a difference. The foundation’s architecture foundation is now named in his honor. “
In an article entitled “Another Class of Greatness,” Foundation Chairman Bruce Elsom wrote: “Michael knew who and where his passions lay. His commitment was undeniable, sure, and effective. He had a vision and wasn’t afraid to take a risk; his efforts made him one of the differentiators. Faith, family and friends were the core of his life. He was also so cautious that it was left to others to praise his many achievements. “
“Our family is excited to now share our blessings in furthering the legacy of Michael at the Notre Dame Transformative Center for Preservation, Resilience and Sustainability,” added Fritz Duda. “The mission of this center will pave the way for new watermarks and a bigger call to Notre Dame. This is a future that resonates with the life passions that had their roots in his educational experience at the university he loved. “
Fritz Duda is the founder and president of Fritz Duda Co., a Dallas-based investment construction and development company. A graduate of the University of California’s Hastings College of the Law, he served on the Advisory Board of the School of Architecture at Notre Dame for seven years before being elected to the Board of Trustees in 1997.
While on the board, he chaired the facilities and campus planning committee and played a key role in the Eddy Street Commons redevelopment project in the immediate south of the campus. He also chaired the Ad Hoc International Facilities Committee responsible for purchasing the facility for Notre Dame’s Rome Global Gateway.
The Dudas have previously given many generous gifts in support of a variety of Notre Dame initiatives, including the Fritz L. and Mary Lee Duda Family Scholarships, the 16-acre Irish Green on the south side of campus, endowed professorships, and the Alliance for the Catholic education, for which he works as an advisory board member. In 2009 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the university.
Mary Lee Duda is a graduate of the University of Iowa and has long been involved in church, educational, and community service programs and projects. Together with Fritz, she continues to be heavily involved in Notre Dame, advising and supporting them, including her longstanding tenure on the University’s Irish Advisory Board. An endowed professorship for literature is in her name.
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