Dick Clark Foundation Donates $5 Million To Syracuse University For Studio Renovations


Dick Clark always kept Syracuse University close to his heart, no matter if he was hosting the famous American Bandstand show early in his career or leading the New Years’ Rockin’ Eve special. He will now become apart of the school forever, though he truly already was, as the Dick Clark Foundation has donated $5 million towards Syracuse’s massive studio renovations.

The university has since decided to name the new studio, which is set to open in 2014, after Clark, who passed away at the age of 82 last year. The announcement came in New York on Wednesday, and the $5 million donation will help cover some of the $18 million in costs for the studio’s renovation.

“Syracuse was always important to Dick and very close to his heart throughout his life,” Clark’s widow Kari said in a press statement, via the Los Angeles Daily News. “It will mean so much to see his name attached to a school and a studio facility that will literally launch a thousand careers in this business. This is just a continuation to what he did with ‘Bandstand’ — gave youth a stage, then got out of the way.”

Dick Clark has a legacy unlike any other, as he was regularly viewed as America’s key TV personality and a cultural icon. The new facility at Syracuse, named in his honor, will be a state-of-the-art studio for students who share the same passions as Clark when he attended the university before graduating in 1951.

The studio will be located at Syracuse’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, which is considerably one of the premier journalism programs in the nation. Clark’s alma mater was a very influential part of his life and career, making the decision to name the new studio after him an easy one.

Though he passed away from complications with a heart attack in April of 2012, Clark continues to inspire young journalists and broadcasters throughout the United States.

Do you believe Syracuse University has given Dick Clark the perfect honor by naming their new studio after him?

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