Franklin Hall Rededication Ceremony

Joseph “Joe” Buck, a seven-time Emmy Award-winning sports broadcaster who attended Indiana University, received an honorary doctoral degree during the ceremony to rededicate Franklin Hall as the home of The Media School.

The convocation, was the culmination of The Media School’s move into the building, which reopened in August after a two-year, $21 million renovation.

The Media School, formed within the College of Arts and Sciences in 2014, comprises journalism, telecommunications and film studies programs at IU.

Originally completed in 1907, Franklin Hall first served as the campus library and later as the Student Services Building. It was renamed in 1988 after alumnus and former university treasurer and vice president Joseph A. Franklin.

The building’s design now blends the English Gothic style of the exterior with a modern glass-roofed commons and cutting-edge technology on the inside. Prominent features include a 24-by-12-foot screen in the commons; a professionally equipped broadcast studio, funded by a gift from alumni Ken and Audrey Beckley; a screening room to showcase student-produced films; a large suite for student media, including the Indiana Daily Student; a game design area; and Presidents Hall, a large meeting space that once was the reading room of the library.