Webb Center 1966

KAUFMAN MALL

In 1965, landscape architect Peter G. Rolland wanted to transform the sizable area in front of the student center into "a green island of landscape beauty." The project was delayed for years because of insufficient funds and problems encountered by the contractors. The low-lying areas of the mall were plagued with poor drainage. 

Charles L. Kaufman

Charles Kaufman

 

In 1976, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Kaufman donated money for a major renovation of the mall. The grassy lawn in front of the Webb Center was landscaped, complete with an underground drainage system. A plaza joining the Webb Center and a Fountain of Organized Labor, donated by the Greater Tidewater Virginia Central Labor Council AFL-CIO, also were added to Kaufman Mall. The mall was renamed Kaufman Mall in honor of the Kaufmans.

Lion Fountain With Blossoming Tree in Background

Lion Fountain

 

In the 1990s, the Monarch lion statue was added to the mall's fountain. Designed by ODU alumnus and adjunct faculty member Kevin Gallup, the statue is a 1,000-pound, six-foot-high bronze sculpture. The Monarch statue was dedicated on Founders Day, 1997.

Today, Kaufman Mall is a four-acre green space at the center of campus where students can study, relax, and play games.