Bellarmine University is honoring one of its graduates -- Dish Network president and CEO Joseph P. Clayton -- by naming the School of Communication building Joseph P. Clayton Hall.
The university will celebrate the building's new name during an event featuring Clayton on Friday, February 6, at 11 a.m. in the adjacent Frazier Hall.
Clayton, a 1971 Bellarmine graduate, has achieved outstanding success in consumer electronics, telecommunications and satellite communications. He's also a member of Bellarmine's Board of Trustees and one of the university's leading donors.
"Because of Joe's incredible lifetime of service to Bellarmine and his international leadership in the communication industry, we are honored to name Joseph P. Clayton Hall as the home of our School of Communication," said Dr. Joseph J. McGowan, Bellarmine's president. "Joe has been a great friend to the university and a valued advisor as we developed the School of Communication, so having his name on this building is a fitting tribute to a great communication innovator."
Clayton, who describes himself as passionate about Bellarmine's communication curriculum, said: "A lot of great ideas failed in the past because they were not properly communicated, and I’m not sure all of our universities do a good job teaching communication. It’s merchandising, advertising, journalism, public relations and public speaking. It’s incumbent upon a university to use those core skills to prepare students for future jobs, and I've always been supportive of Bellarmine's communication program based on how well they do this."
The School of Communication, created in 2009 from an existing undergraduate communication program, has grown to include nearly 200 students. The school offers graduate degrees in communication and digital media, along with undergraduate majors and minors in communication, marketing communication, digital media and writing. The school's building was enlarged in 2010 to add new classrooms and office space as part of the program's growth.
Over the past year, the school has added new facilities and technologies to equip its students for careers in the digital era, including an automated green screen television studio, a collaborative space for teaching and learning called "the fishbowl," video editing and graphic design software in a state-of-the-art Macintosh lab, and a camera-equipped drone aircraft. The school has established partnerships with key community organizations to offer innovative learning sessions, internship experiences and networking opportunities for both students and local professionals.
About Clayton
Before becoming president and CEO of Dish Network in 2011, Clayton was CEO and later chairman of Sirius Satellite Radio. His prior work includes leadership roles at Frontier Corporation, Thomson S.A., GE and RCA. He has held board of director roles at EchoStar, E.W. Scripps, Sirius and DISH, and he is the former chairman of the Consumer Electronics Association.
Clayton's career in communication technology includes innovations in the implementation of numerous consumer electronics, including the VCR, DVDs, high definition television, and satellite radio and television.
A native of Bardstown, Kentucky, Clayton graduated from Bellarmine in 1971 with a degree in business administration. He is a member of Bellarmine's Gallery of Distinguished Graduates, was named the Alumnus of the Year in 1996 and was honored at the annual Knight of Knights gala in 2006. He also holds an MBA in marketing and management from Indiana University.
At Bellarmine, the Clayton family name can be found on Piazza Clayton -- a Tuscan-style plaza named for Clayton's father, Paul -- connecting the chapel to the Siena residence halls. In Bellarmine’s outdoor stadium, four athletic teams call Joseph P. and Janet A. Clayton Field their home turf.
Additionally, Clayton honored his mother by creating the Mary Agnes Dugan Clayton Endowed Scholarship, which covers full tuition, room, board and activity fees for an incoming freshman each year from Bethlehem High School in his hometown of Bardstown.
Clayton and his wife, Jan, have five children and have homes in Denver, Colorado and Carmel, Indiana.
Joseph P. Clayton Hall and the University Dining Hall.