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Feb. 19, 2008

UT Alumnus Donates $3 Million; Residence Hall Renamed

A dedication ceremony for the newly renamed Frank P. Urso, M.D. Hall will be held this Friday at 1:30 p.m. in the hall’s lobby on the University of Tampa campus.

Formerly known as the Kennedy Place residence hall, the building is being renamed in honor of Frank P. Urso, M.D., an Ybor City native, graduate of the UT class of 1957 and retired pathologist, who recently gave the University a $3 million gift.

“UT changed my life,” Urso said of his gift.

After graduation from UT Urso continued with medical school at the University of Miami, where he graduated with honors. Urso served as the director of pathology and clinical laboratories at three major hospitals, and worked as professor of pathology at Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine — where he was twice honored as “Lecturer of the Year.”

Since retiring, Urso has delved into writing. In 2005, Urso published a memoir, “A Stranger In The Barrio: Memoir of a Tampa Sicilian” (iUniverse, 2005). Leland Hawes of the Tampa Tribune described the memoir as “earthy and emotional,” with “never a dull word.” Each resident of the 182-bed residence hall will receive a copy of Urso’s book.

Urso Hall first opened as Kennedy Place in August 2006. Located on Kennedy Boulevard across from Plant Hall, the building is 11 stories high and houses 182 students in 122 single apartments and 30 double units. The residence hall is especially popular among upperclassmen and graduate students.

“We are grateful to Dr. Urso for his generous donation,” said UT President Ronald L. Vaughn. “His transformative experience at UT represents everything that’s special about a University of Tampa education.”