HCU hosts Topping Off Ceremony for Founders Hall II

July 2, 2024

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Houston Christian University (HCU) hosted a special Topping Off Ceremony for Founders Hall II on Friday, June 28. The event signified completion of the structural phase of the final building in the Morris Family Center for Law & Liberty complex.

On behalf of HCU President Robert Sloan, Sandy Mooney, HCU Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer, welcomed special guests and a selection of HCU administrators, board members, faculty and staff along with members of the construction teams.

"Many of you here today have played an important role in this journey, but I want to especially honor our founding father, the late Dr. Stewart Morris, Sr. Dr. Morris loved this country. He loved this University, and his commitment and vision were key in this complex becoming a reality. We feel his spirit and vision with us here today," said Mooney.

Special thanks were extended to Lisa Morris Simon '76 and Stewart Morris, Jr. for their past and continued support and commitment to the University, as well as other individuals who contributed their support to the project.

David Hatton ofChurchWorx introduced members of the ChurchWorx and Brookstone Construction teams, Jackson & Ryan Architects and the project's foreman, and expressed appreciation to each for working collaboratively to meet the target deadline despite weather delays.

HCU Board of Trustees Chair Rev. Garry Blackmon offered a dedicatory prayer to bless the special occasion. "Father, we ask and pray that your good work and labor that has begun in them may be brought to completion with great thanksgiving. And Father, as we lift this beam today, we dedicate it to your honor and to the honor of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who was lifted up high on a beam and died for the sins of the world," said Rev. Blackmon.

Blackmon also expressed appreciation for the life and legacy of HCU's Founding Father, the late Dr. Stewart Morris, Sr. and members of his family for their gracious and generous spirits.

Following celebratory remarks, attendees were invited to sign the final structural beam (topped with an evergreen tree in accordance with a Scandinavian tradition dating back to 700 A.D.) to complete the building's frame. Guests were then treated to lunch to celebrate the construction milestone before the beam was hoisted atop the structure.

Founders Hall II, the second, ancillary building in the MFCLL complex, will house academic classrooms and faculty offices to provide additional space to support HCU's Institutional Strategic Plan ("Husky 2030").

Sandy Mooney opening the Founders Hall II Topping Off Ceremony. David Hatton of ChurchWorx sharing remarks on project and construction team. Rev. Garry Blackmon offering dedicatory prayer. Rev. Garry Blackmon signing the final beam to Founders Hall II. Stewart Morris, Jr. signing final beam to Founders Hall II. Lisa Morris Simon '76 signing the final beam to Founders Hall II. Attendees sign the final beam. Attendees sign the final beam. Attendees sign the final beam. Attendees sign the final beam. Signature on the final beam at Founders Hall II. Signature on the final beam at Founders Hall II. Stewart Morris, Jr. and attendees watching the hoisting of the final beam on Founders Hall II. l-r, Sandy Mooney, Rev. Garry Blackmon, Stewart Morris, Jr., Lisa Morris Simon '76, Dr. Chris Hammons, Dr. John Tyler, Sharon Saunders and Charles Bacarisse. Placement of the final beam on Founders Hall II. Placement of the final beam on Founders Hall II.