Clifford Danielson will be immortalized today in a dedication ceremony for Wirtz Hall’s newly-named auditorium, in honor of the late NIU supporter.

The ceremony begins at 5:30 p.m., and the public is welcome to attend and view the result of $300,000 worth of renovations. Improvements include new lighting and sound systems, new seating, a smart podium and state-of-the-art teaching equipment.

Joe King, assistant director of public affairs, described Danielson as a long-time community leader and a big supporter of NIU.

“He had a strong love for the university,” King said.

Danielson served on the NIU Foundation Board of Directors executive committee, the President’s Administrative Council and as a business adviser for the College of Business. He also was named chairman of The National Bank and Trust Company of Sycamore.

For his efforts, Danielson was awarded the F.R. Geigel Award for Service to NIU. In Danielson’s memory, the Sycamore bank donated $100,000 toward the renovation project.

Today’s ceremony officially will dedicate the auditorium and will feature a series of awards for several Department of Finance alumni, including: Michael Cullen, president and CEO of the National Bank and Trust Company of Sycamore; Richard Katz, president and CEO of Resource Bank; Robert Schroeder, president of the Illinois Community Credit Union; and Timothy Struthers, regional president of Castle Bank.

Sue Braffet, alumni relations coordinator for the College of Business,described Danielson as an icon in the DeKalb/Sycamore banking community.She recommends that attending students dress business-casual.

The dedication also will include an address by Curt Hunter, the senior vice president and director of research for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Hunter appears as a part of NIU’s Distinguished Lecture Series and will discuss the current state of the economy.