Chancellor Victor J. Boschini, Jr.

Nearly a quarter century ago, the Dee J. Kelly Alumni & Visitors Center opened as a central gathering place for the Horned Frog family and campus visitors. At that time, TCU alumni numbered less than 60,000 and the center hosted about 80 meetings a year.

Two decades later, with nearly 91,000 living alumni and more than 1,000 meetings taking place annually at the Kelly Center, it was time for a reimagining of this busy facility.

And what a renovation it has been!

The privately funded $12.5 million expansion has created an inspiring space that includes an impressive new entrance and lobby, additional meeting rooms and offices, new areas for dining and — befitting an inviting home for a large family — a covered outdoor patio for entertaining.

One of my very favorite new areas of the people-centric Kelly Center is the open workspace devoted to TCU volunteer activities: Bright, inviting tables and tools allow Horned Frogs to meet, learn things and roll up their sleeves to work together on event projects like stuffing prize eggs for the annual Easter egg hunt. The idea that Horned Frogs are encouraged to return to campus to happily contribute to our longstanding traditions is so uniquely TCU.

And while much of the Kelly Center is shiny and new, it is still full of history and fond memories for all alumni who visit. The hallway walls are covered with fascinating photos of student life from TCU’s earliest days, and I discover something new every time I stop to look at one. Our Horned Frog home holds valued treasures, from artworks by Chihuly and Remington to vintage varsity letters, antique yearbooks and whimsical horned lizard collections. We couldn’t build for the future without the generous gifts of donors and a reverence for our storied past.

Dee J. Kelly ’50 in front of the “old” Dee J. Kelly Alumni & Visitors Center in June 2013. Photo by Amy Peterson

I feel certain the late Dee Kelly would be thrilled by the evolution of his namesake legacy. He was, after all, well-known for his exceptional ability to connect people and strengthen the community, which is exactly what this building is designed to do.

The Kelly Center is a welcoming home for a growing family — an alumni family that increases by about 2,600 Horned Frogs a year. It’s a spirited place for the meeting of minds and ideas, and, most of all, a place to connect and reconnect.

Please drop in sometime. You’ll be so proud of this beautiful place every Frog can call home.

Victor J. Boschini, Jr.
v.boschini@tcu.edu