A new, 1,250-seat event center at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs will bear the name of a family of eight UCCS alums.

James L. "Jim" Gallogly, a 1974 graduate, and his wife, Janet, on behalf of the Gallogly family, have pledged to donate $1 million to the CU Foundation. The donation will be used to help fund the $9 million campus event center that opened this month and for other campus needs. It is the first full UCCS building named in honor of a campus alum.

The Gallogly connection to UCCS began with Jim's father, Tom Gallogly, a nontraditional student who earned bachelor's and master's degrees in education from UCCS in 1970 and 1973. He died in 2000. Seven children of Tom and Margery Gallogly earned degrees from UCCS.

"I am deeply honored by the commitment of the Gallogly family to this campus and to the UCCS heritage of this dynamic group of people," Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak said. "The event center will stand as a cornerstone of the future growth of UCCS."

"We are pleased to name the new event center in honor of our father, Tom Gallogly, one of the early graduates of UCCS," said Jim Gallogly. "He would be extremely proud of how his alma mater has grown and prospered through the years."

Jim Gallogly is chief executive officer of Houston's LyondellBasell, one of the world's largest polymers, petrochemicals and refining companies. He previously held executive positions with ConocoPhillips, ChevronPhillips and Phillips Petroleum dating to 1980. He earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from UCCS in 1974 and a law degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1977. He and Janet Gallogly have three daughters, Kelly, Kasey, and Kimberly Gallogly, and maintain a Colorado Springs residence.

A graduate of Wasson High School in Colorado Springs, Jim Gallogly followed in his father's footsteps to UCCS along with six of his siblings:  Mary Gallogly DeSantis, 1977; Tony Gallogly, 1983; Nicholas Gallogly, 1985; Andrew Gallogly, 1987; Paul H. Gallogly, 1988; and Thomas Gallogly, 1990. A ceremony unveiling the official name of the event center will occur at a later date.

Located in the heart of campus, the event center is home to the UCCS Mountain Lion athletic teams and serves as a hub for community events and conferences. The center creates space for a growing athletics program and student body at one of the fastest growing universities in the state. It also cements the university's commitment to the broader community with space that will be available for concerts, lectures, meetings and other community needs.