On March 29, the Moeller Resource Room was unveiled at the U of S with the extended Moeller family in attendance, to celebrate with students, faculty and staff.
The university matched the Moeller donation for a total of $1 million to support extensive changes both to the Reading Room and to other student spaces.
The former Commerce Reading Room was a heavily utilized space for students for decades, but it had become tired and shabby.
"When I first saw it, it reminded me more of a Dickensian orphanage than a place for 21st century students to mingle and work," recalled Daphne Taras, dean of Edwards School of Business, who described the space as "the heart of the school," where students hit the books, play cards, socialize, and attend career fairs and networking events.
Now refurbished, the Moeller Resource Room has group-work tables, multi-level seating and break-out rooms for project work. There are dozens of electrical plugs to charge the students' portable computers, complete audio-visual capabilities, and a student lounge and eating area. With the potential for catered events to take place in the space, the school can host numerous student competitions.
Larry Moeller (BComm'80)
Born in Humboldt and raised in Meadow Lake, Moeller attended the U of S College of Commerce, graduating in 1980 to become a chartered professional accountant. He and Murray Edwards, the school's namesake, became close friends during university, and since 1994 Moeller has been working side-by-side with Edwards. Moeller is vice-president finance of Edco Financial Holdings and sits on the board of directors for Magellan Aerospace Corporation and Imperial Metals Corporation.
Moeller is an active member of the Edwards School of Business Dean's Advisory Council and said this gift is one of the ways he intends to stay engaged with his alma mater.
"For decades this room has served as the nucleus of daily student life at the Edwards School of Business," said Moeller.
"I trust that this gift will enhance the student experience and make it a richer period of education and development for all students who utilize this space. By making this gift I wanted to inspire, support and encourage all students in their journeys to become leaders in business and in society at large."
Reading room renovations
Edwards School of Business alumnus Larry Moeller and his family donated $500,000 to rejuvenate the dedicated student space in which he and his classmates studied during the 1970s.