Penn State's newest athletic facility will take the name of the world's biggest credit card company.
A university committee has named the new wing of the White Building the "MBNA Student Recreation Center." The older portion of the building will still be known as the White Building.
MBNA America Bank was awarded the name as a result of its $10 million donation to Penn State last year, said Penn State spokesperson Tysen Kendig.
Half of MBNA's gift was specified for athletic programs, Kendig said. Some of that money was used for the $9 million White Building expansion.
When the recreation center reopens, students will have round-the-clock access to a new indoor swimming pool and fitness center.
MBNA is familiar to students for its Penn State credit cards featuring photographs of head football coach Joe Paterno and the Nittany Lion Shrine. Ric Struthers, MBNA's senior vice chairman, is a Penn State graduate.
The recreation center will be one of two buildings on campus named for the company.
The other is the MBNA Career Services Center, a $6.5 million project planned for a site along Bigler Road near the Computer Building. The career services building is still being designed.
MBNA spokesman Alex Giacco said the company is proud of its contributions to Penn State.
"We're pleased to have a building that is a career center because we're giving back," Giacco said, adding that he wasn't aware that the recreation center was also being named for MBNA.
The White Building, originally constructed in 1938, was named after Mary Beaver White.
According to the Penn State Sports Information Web site, White was an advocate for women students at Penn State. She was the sister of James A. Beaver, a governor of Pennsylvania, president of Penn State, a university trustee and the namesake of Beaver Stadium.
According to MBNA's web site, MBNA is the world's largest independent credit card lender, with managed loans of $76.3 billion. The Delaware-based company has partnerships with many universities, including Penn State. MBNA issues credit cards through the Penn State Alumni Association.
Penn State's Facilities Naming Committee suggested the fitness center's new name. Penn State President Graham Spanier approved it. The name will be announced at a Board of Trustees meeting Friday.
