The school honored Shirley and Walter Wang (Walter Jr. ’13, Chantalle ’17, Matthew ’18) for their lead donation to fund the Wang Hall renovation at the Middle School Sept. 5.

President Rick Commons, the Wangs and former President Tom Hudnut, whom the Wang family dedicated the building to, officially opened Wang Hall with a ribbon-cutting.

Shirley Wang detailed many reasons for her family’s decision to dedicate Wang Hall to Hudnut.

“[Hudnut] went to all of Harvard Westlake’s cultural organization meetings, which showed me that he really cared and understood how much this would mean to people,” she said. “He was interested in people’s history, in both their opportunities and challenges. I saw the depth and sincerity in his relationships.”

Walter Wang spoke of his father’s appreciation for education.

“[My father] grew up dirt poor with no shoes on his feet and only a sixth grade education,” Wang said. “Yet, he knew the importance of education and what it can do for a person, for his or her entire family, and thus for society as a whole. Even though my father built Formosa plastics and employed hundreds of thousands of people, he wanted to contribute to the future and understood the importance of education. So he went on to build the top medical schools, nursing schools, engineering schools and trade schools in Taiwan to help educate and empower ordinary people like himself.”

 

Student Ambassadors led tours of the new building.

A formal dinner followed on the Sprague Athletic field in front of Wang Hall.