Architect William Pederson, Provost Teresa Sullivan, Dean Robert Dolan, President Mary Sue Coleman, Stephen Ross and Regent Katherine White (above) gather near the construction site at the corner of Tappan and Monroe streets to celebrate a groundbreaking for the new building for the Stephen M. Ross School of Business. Noting it was not typical of such ceremonies because construction on the 270,000-square-foot building began earlier this fall, Dolan described the Oct. 7 event as "a celebration of great things that have gotten us to this point and of the great things we know are to come in the fall of 2008 when we open our great new building." Acknowledging Ross' pivotal role in the building project, Coleman said, "We are here because of Steve Ross; his love of the University of Michigan and his purposeful vision of a great business school made even greater. I want to thank Steve again for his historic contribution and the fact that he really pushed us to do this monumental project. We're a better business school because of your leadership and your inspiration."

Ross, who earned a bachelor of business administration degree in 1962, called his $100 million gift to U-M "the best investment of my life."

"The best thing about the experience I had as a student was it helped me develop the confidence and values that are so critical in my career.

"Can it get any better than this?" asked Ross, a prominent New York real estate developer. "An undefeated football team going for six in a row, a business school ranked No. 1 by The Wall Street Journal, a great hole in the ground—truly a real estate developer's dream."

Below, Ross and Pederson walk to the site of the ceremony.