This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Edifice Complex.
In 1913, the Woolworth Building was completed in New York City, then the highest building in the city. But more importantly, it was named after the Woolworth 5 and dime store company. Thus the success status for business- - and later colleges and universities - - became the building, especially the building named for the company or donor.
The Edifice Complex is already dead in the private sector. Chrysler no longer owns the Chrysler Building. Sears no longer owns the Sears Tower. And you and I have no idea what the Amazon or Google buildings look like. We do, of course, know what their web sites look like.
But the Edifice Complex is dying hard for colleges and universities, wsting and costing billions. We predict some education leaders this year finally recognize the building craze has to end.
Photo: Worker constructing the Woolworth Building in 1913.
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