{"id":119360,"date":"2026-01-15T16:43:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T16:43:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/119360\/"},"modified":"2026-01-15T16:43:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T16:43:07","slug":"fsu-celebrates-grand-opening-of-herbert-wertheim-center-for-business-excellence-tallahassee-reports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/119360\/","title":{"rendered":"FSU Celebrates Grand Opening of Herbert Wertheim Center for Business Excellence \u2013 Tallahassee Reports"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Stephen Stone, FSU News<\/p>\n

Florida State University began 2026 by celebrating a new era of world-class business education with a grand opening of the Herbert Wertheim Center for Business Excellence on Tuesday, commemorating its new home on West Gaines Street.<\/p>\n

The event featured a ribbon-cutting and ceremonial signing of the gift agreement in recognition of\u00a0Dr. Herbert Wertheim\u2019s $65 million philanthropic investment<\/a>\u00a0in the college as well as tours of the 218,000 square-foot facility.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis project honors our past, it strengthens our present, and it sets a pace for our absolutely amazing future \u2013 a future that Florida State University is ready for,\u201d said FSU President Richard McCullough.<\/p>\n

Dr. Wertheim is a billionaire optometrist, inventor,\u00a0businessman and philanthropist, and the founder and\u00a0president of Brain\u00a0Power Incorporated, the world\u2019s largest manufacturer of optical tints.\u00a0In December, the university announced Wertheim\u2019s commitment of financial support to endow and name the\u00a0college\u00a0the\u00a0Herbert Wertheim College\u00a0of Business and rename Legacy Hall, the college\u2019s world-class new building, the Herbert Wertheim Center for Business Excellence.<\/p>\n

Donning his signature red fedora, Wertheim expressed how much his momentous gift means to him and his love for higher education.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am standing here in front of all of you to say, \u2018Thank you to America,\u2019\u201d Wertheim said. \u201c(Thank you) for allowing me to have this opportunity to give back. It\u2019s not the finances; it\u2019s not the money. It\u2019s my heart that I give you. And education has made the difference in my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

McCullough expressed excitement about starting a new chapter at FSU. Students will share that same feeling as classes in the new building begin Jan. 7.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are thrilled to launch this new semester by letting our students and faculty experience the absolute grandeur of the Wertheim Center \u2014 named for someone who is the quintessential example of the American Dream,\u201d McCullough said of Wertheim.<\/p>\n

Wertheim\u2019s generous investment comes during a transformative period for the College of Business, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary and was recently named the No. 10 Best College for Business in America by Niche.<\/p>\n

Michael D. Hartline, dean of the Wertheim College of Business, expressed his \u201cheartfelt thanks to Dr. Wertheim and everyone who played an incredible role in bringing the Wertheim Center to reality.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is our legacy. This is our home,\u201d Hartline said. \u201cAnd together, we have laid the foundation for generations of students to dream, achieve and lead, and we\u2019re going to proudly do so as the world-renowned Herbert Wertheim College of Business.\u201d<\/p>\n

FSU Board of Trustees Chairman Peter Collins thanked the Florida Legislature for its financial commitment to FSU\u2019s new home for business. He pointed to the Herbert Wertheim Center for Business Excellence as a prime example of money well spent.<\/p>\n

The building, the largest academic facility on FSU\u2019s campus, features state-of-the-art classrooms, collaborative learning environments and dedicated spaces for faculty members, students and industry partners to engage.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want you to know that our guiding principle is to be a good steward to state taxpayer dollars,\u201d Collins added. \u201cI\u2019d say we\u2019re doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Collins also praised Hartline for his persistence in helping launch the college\u2019s next chapter as the Wertheim College of Business.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just appreciate your doggedness on this \u2014 not only the construction, but on the relationship with Dr. Wertheim,\u201d Collins said to Hartline. \u201cIt\u2019s a testament to your leadership, and your determination, and I can\u2019t wait to see what\u2019s next.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wertheim\u2019s gift creates several endowed funds to support various\u00a0initiatives within the college, including faculty development, scholarships for\u00a0undergraduate and graduate students, student professional development opportunities, funding to support preeminence and emerging trends, and a new Wertheim Business of Healthcare Initiative.<\/p>\n

Among his many passions, Wertheim believes business plays a crucial role in healthcare. The Wertheim Business of Healthcare Initiative will train business students to fill critical gaps in the healthcare\u00a0business workforce and work with leaders in the healthcare\u00a0industry to solve its most vexing problems \u2014 a mission that aligns with the university\u2019s bold FSU Health initiative.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s only business that can increase the quality and the affordability of healthcare in America,\u201d he said. \u201cTwenty-two percent of our GDP is business. That\u2019s a lot when you think about it. There\u2019s tens of millions of people who are involved in this business.\u201d<\/p>\n

FSU broke ground on the building in October 2022, capping a decades-long effort to fund a new facility. The Herbert Wertheim College of Business, which expects to exceed a record 10,000 students during the spring semester, outgrew the Rovetta Business Building, built in 1958, and the Rovetta Business Annex, added in 1984.<\/p>\n

For more information on the Herbert Wertheim College of Business, visit\u00a0business.fsu.edu.<\/a><\/p>\n

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