Piazza, a New Central Gathering Spot for the Campus Community, Features the Marion Halfacre Fountain, Canaday Amphitheater and Wells Fargo Stage


ORANGE, Calif., Dec. 7, 2007 – The beautiful new Fahmy Attallah, Ph.D. Piazza was dedicated on Thursday, Dec. 6 on the Chapman University campus. The piazza, centrally located between the Leatherby Libraries, Beckman Hall and Wilkinson Hall, was packed with hundreds of people who came to enjoy the ceremony. Performances by Chapman ensembles, including a brass ensemble and the alumni troupe Backhausdance, were followed by remarks from the donors and Chapman president James L. Doti. “We always hear that Orange County has no center,” President Doti told the audience of about 700 who had turned out on a chilly evening. “Now the county has a center – and it’s right here at Chapman.”


The $3.3 million piazza, which was under construction for about six months and was paid for with private donations, will provide the Chapman University community with a central gathering place for events, performances and daily interaction. Donna Ford Attallah, a 1961 Chapman alumna who gave $1.5 million to have the piazza named for her late husband, said the space is a fitting tribute to the noted clinical psychologist, poet and sportsman (he was a long-distance swimmer and member of Egypt’s Olympic water polo team) who loved Chapman even though he was a USC graduate.


“Fahmy adored nature and the outdoors,” she said, “and if he had a ten-minute break, when most people would run and get a cup of coffee, he’d always go outside and just sit and enjoy the sun. So he would really appreciate this beautiful outdoor space that the Chapman students, faculty and staff will now enjoy.” She added that she and her husband “always felt that our education put us where we are – we didn’t have children, so we wanted in some way to give back to young people and to support their quest for a fine education.” The couple has also gifted the university with the Donna Ford and Fahmy Attallah, Ph.D. Library of Arts and Humanities, located in Chapman’s Leatherby Libraries.


The Attallah Piazza draws upon the heritage of the great piazzas of Italy that similarly serve as focal points for their cities. Chapman’s President Doti is of Italian heritage, and it was while touring Italy and seeing the community interaction on the great piazzas that the idea occurred to him that Chapman needed a similar space.


The piazza is anchored by the dramatic Marion Halfacre Fountain. The fountain, which resembles an ancient Neolithic stone circle rising in the middle of the spiraling pavement, is a visual symbolization of the “Four Pillars” of a Chapman education: intellectual, physical, social and spiritual. Each pillar is inscribed with the words of Fahmy Attallah from his book, Beauty of Being.


The graceful Lee Ann, Chris and Christa Lee Canaday Amphitheater hugs the south slope of the piazza in a shady grove of pine, oak and jacaranda. Seating up to 350 people, it recalls the style of early Greek amphitheaters and will be used for outdoor theatrical and musical performances, special events and classes.


The expansive Wells Fargo Stage, positioned majestically in front of the Leatherby Libraries, will be the focus of attention at events and performances throughout the year.


All in all, the Attallah Piazza is an inviting space that showcases the university’s vital energy and encourages all to deepen and enjoy their connection with Chapman’s unique community.


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