Lindner Hall

Lindner Hall is home to the College of Business and was recently named after Cincinnati business leader Carl H. Lindner Jr. Lindner was born in Dayton, Ohio on April 22, 1919 and began his successful rise in business when he founded United Dairy Farmers in 1940 along with his father, two brothers, and sister.¹ Lindner took over as director of the United Dairy Farmers chain during World War II when his father’s health declined and his siblings were away serving in the war. When he left the chain in the mid 1960’s and turned the directorship over to his brother, Robert, it comprised more than 100 stores.²

Carl Lindner

Image courtesy of UC Magazine

(http://magazine.uc.edu/favorites/obits.html)

Lindner founded the flagship corporation of his empire, the American Financial Group, in 1959; by 1980 its portfolio had made more than 60 times its original investment.³ He was also the CEO or owner of other companies such as Chiquita Brands International, the Charter Company, and the Great American Insurance Group. In 1999 he became the primary controlling partner of the Cincinnati Reds. Despite never graduating high school, Carl Lindner utilized his business savvy to become worth $1.75 billion, as estimated by Forbes magazine in 2009. The University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees voted to rename the business college the “Carl Lindner College of Business” on June 21, 2011 in recognition of Lindner’s long-standing support of the university and dedication to the Cincinnati community.⁴ He was a private and shy man, and records of the amounts of his donations were rarely ever released to the public. Lindner recently passed away on October 17^th, 2011, just one week after attending a university celebration to honor his impact on the school and the city.

The college of business itself dates back to 1906, when it was known as the Cincinnati College of Finance, Commerce and Accounts.⁵ In 1912, the college was taken over by the University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees and reestablished as the College of Commerce. It was then merged with the College of Engineering in 1919 and renamed as the College of Engineering and Commerce. The colleges then split apart again in 1946 and the College of Business was formed.

Lindner Hall

Image courtesy of http://ucdirectory.uc.edu/CampusBuildings.asp?bldgcode=LINDNER

The architectural firm of GBBN, INC., located in Ohio, was commissioned to design what would become the current home of the College of Business, Lindner Hall.⁶ It was completed in 1986 and sits along the edge of campus bordering Martin Luther King Drive. The building itself exhibits a simple overall design while a courtyard is formed in front of the building complete with sculptural seating and pleasant foliage.

Lindner Hall houses classrooms, three computer labs, a 300-seat auditorium and a Management Development Center.⁷ These amenities are part of the reason why the College of Business Administration ranks in the top 100 of America’s undergraduate programs and the top 10 of MBA programs for financial value upon graduation.⁸

Endnotes

1. David M. Szymanski, "Remembering Carl H. Lindner Jr," University of Cincinnati, Accessed October 19 and 24, 2011, http://business.uc.edu/news/departments/college-relations/2011/oct/lindner-remembrance.html.

2. "Carl H. Lindner Jr., Founder of American Financial, Dies at 92," The New York Times. October 22, 2011. Sec. A, Page 18.

3. "UC Renames its College of Business in Honor of Carl Lindner," University of Cincinnati, Last modified June 21, 2011, Accessed October 11, 2011, http://business.uc.edu/news/departments/college-relations/2011/jun/naming-of-college.html.

4. “History of the College,” University of Cincinnati, Accessed October 19, 2011, http://business.uc.edu/about-us/history-of-college.html.

5. Bennett, p. 91.

6. Kevin Grace, Walking Tour of the University of Cincinnati West Campus, (UC Publishers, 1990).

7. “History of the College,” University of Cincinnati, Accessed October 19, 2011, http://business.uc.edu/about-us/history-of-college.html.

8. "UC Renames its College of Business in Honor of Carl Lindner," University of Cincinnati, Last modified June 21, 2011, Accessed October 11, 2011, http://business.uc.edu/news/departments/college-relations/2011/jun/naming-of-college.html.