Mandeville Hall

In order to accommodate the uprising of business programs, Saint Joseph’s adapted with the completion of Mandeville Hall in 1998. The building housed many new technological elements that could be added to professors’ arsenals. With this new addition, Saint Joseph’s University secured their ticket to having one of the most prestigious business schools in the United States. Mandeville Hall not only expanded the institution’s programs but attracted a plethora of new eager business students and positively altered the culture of Saint Joseph’s University.

Located at 5600 City Ave, the famous Mandeville Hall houses the elite Erivan K. Haub School of Business, the Center of Food Marketing, and the Academy of Food Marketing. The illustrious building was designed and constructed by Burt Hill Kosar Rittelmann Associates. In the design process, the architects utilized a neo gothic design wanting to establish a classic and timeless feel to the building. The building most notably includes the Wolfington Teletorium which was engineered by Jim Wilson and made possible by a generous donation from its namesake, J. Eustace Wolfington. Mandeville Hall was named in honor of Owen Mandeville on October 3rd, 1998. To make this possible, benefactors for Mandeville include Mr. and Mrs. Ervian K. Haub, the Connelly Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. From these donations, Mandeville Hall was able to include state-of-the art technological amenities for students and staff- aspects that were very rare for their time. “Mandeville Hall is the fulfillment of a vision and the embodiment of one man’s enthusiasm for life.” As students walk through the doors of Mandeville Hall, benefactors hope that Owen’s spirit will bless their hearts of each life that steps foot inside. 

Prior to Mandeville Hall, the area was leased to the Food Fair in 1959. However, before any ownership proceedings of the land took place, the land where Mandeville Hall was built was once called the Overbrook section. In contrast to developed and industrialized characteristics of the current area where Mandeville Hall resides, the Overbrook section was mostly open and unoccupied land. Francis X. Talbot details the state of the land, when he describes, "The little knoll, on which massive college walls are now building, commanded a panorama of tree-tops in the valleys and of forests that reared up along the ridges to the east and the south” (Talbot, S.J, 128). The vacant area measured 80 feet along 54th and 56th street. The area was split into two plots, forming a rectangle that extended 120 feet along city ave. The two plots proved to be valuable, with each one costing about $280,000. In order to solve the need for more classroom space that Saint Joe’s at the time did not have, they acquired a former Naval Operations building from Maryland and was placed right where future Mandeville would eventually stand. The parking lot which today is the biggest parking lot on campus that lies next to Mandeville was built in 1947. It was not as big as the current parking lot, but it received a nickname of “The Autobahn” in 1947 due to how congested it would always be. The new building that went up during the postwar period greatly shaped the outlook of the future of the campus. The college had begun its gradual rise to becoming a residual institution and receiving recognition from all over the United States. 

Mandeville Hall was named after Owen A. Mandeville and was dedicated on October 3rd, 1998. Owen A. Mandeville was a notable figure in the SJU community and was a trustee of the Connelly Foundation. His wife, Jennifer Connely Mandeville, was the president of this very foundation. Owen Mandeville died relatively young at age 60 in 1955. During his professional life, he was known as a successful entrepreneur and businessman. In fact, he established his own insurance company in Bala Cynwyd called Mandeville Financial Services and developed his company throughout his career. During his career, his office was in close proximity to Saint Joseph’s University, and he was able to establish relationships with members within the Business and Administration Center at the University. Owen A. Mandeville exemplified the values of Saint Joseph’s University as he carried a deep faith with God everywhere he went allowing him to be himself and confident through his working career. This faith in God was noticed by others and one even quotes, “Not only did Own have wonderful loyalty, but he had tremendous trust in God” (Harty 10). He was a product of Jesuit education having attended Georgetown University which is what drew him to St. Joe’s. The faculty are proud to have his name on the building and “hope that some of the spirit of Owen will pass down to all who teach in the new building” (Harty 11). After a year of its dedication, the HAUB school had received accreditation from the American Assembly of Collegiate Business Schools which was a big deal in the Philadelphia area. “At the same time, the accounting department received accreditation from the AACSB” which was huge because in 2000 only three other institutions received recognition. 

The business program at Saint Joseph’s University have proven to change the culture of the university. Speculations on expanding the business program arose after Father Mclean’s desire to add prestige to the university. The formal initiative was led by Stanley Bodalski, the chair of the Department of Business Administration. Bodalski felt it was necessary to form a separate college for business because at the time, nearly 50% of students were pursuing business majors. Bodalski then created a joint committee of various business and arts and sciences faculty members. The committee believed that a college of business would not only garner respect for the institution, but open the door for resources and opportunities for students. The creation of the College of Business and Administration was officially founded in 1981 and would be successful in adding the departments of business administration and food marketing, a new MBA program, and the School of Industrial Relations. The top-ranked programs at the Haub School equip students with the skills and information they need to succeed offering undergraduate majors and minors, certifications and graduate degrees with stackable program options, and degree completion for adult learners that are industry-relevant and innovative.

 Technology has progressed over the years ranging from basic hardware to having a full wall street journal trading computer classroom. Each classroom has state of the art projectors that they did not have when this hall opened in 1998. The drawing plans of Mandeville changed dramatically when building. First, it was supposed to be shaped like a 90-degree angle, but then it changed into how it looks today, which is a rigid long hall. It contains the most up to date teaching and communications facilities that include international conferencing, distance learning classrooms, a test kitchen, and double-blind observation area for the food marketing program. Gifted by J. Wolfington, the Teletorium was made into an amphitheater with laptop internet ports at every seat. It also captures a neo-gothic design with twin towers in the center of the structure that stand in line with Barbelin. Connecting the Haub Center and McShain Hall to the rest of the campus is a stone bridge that spreads across City Ave. To most, the bridge encapsulates a bridge that connects both sides of the campus, but to Father Rashford “the bridge was more than just a physical causeway, but it was the world to know that Saint Joe’s was no longer a small college with a handful of buildings alongside City Avenue.” (Contosta) Looking forward to today, Mandeville keeps getting more modernized as more advancements in technology keep updating. Introduced in the late 2000’s, the Haub Innovation Lab, is the hub for all things AR, VR, and IA at Saint Joseph's. 

Saint Joseph's University's Erivan K. Haub School of Business prepares students for careers in business. In an ever-changing world, students become ethical corporate leaders who advocate for change. The HAUB school is dedicated to assisting students in thriving in a world where technology-driven mindsets and models are transforming the corporate landscape. It is educating students for a future in which data analytics, artificial intelligence, digital supply chains, just-in-time learning, and other new realities will provide tremendous challenges and opportunities which can all be done in Mandeville Hall.

D'Apéry Tello J. Overbrook Farms: Its Historical Background, Growth and Community Life. Magee Press, 1936. Saint Joseph's University Archives and Special Collections

Talbot, Francis X. Jesuit Education in Philadelphia: Saint Joseph's College, 1851-1926. UMI, 1991. Saint Joseph's University Archives and Special Collections

Mandeville Hall Multimedia Technology. Saint Joseph's University, 1998. Saint Joseph's University Archives and Special Collections

Contosta, David R. Saint Joseph's, Philadelphia's Jesuit University: 150 Years. Saint Joseph's University Press, 2000. Saint Joseph's University Archives and Special Collections

Saint Joseph's University (HAUB) - Best Business Schools - US News. https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools/saint-joseph-s-university-01342. 

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