SALT LAKE CITY — Hospitality is “a lot more than flipping hamburgers,” Richard Marriott said Friday, likely an ode to his family’s history of serving up “Mighty Mo” hamburgers at Hot Shoppes in the 1950s before eventually building the global hospitality empire Marriott is today.
That empire has grown into approximately 8,000 properties across 30 brands in 139 countries and territories. That journey came back to where it all started Friday, as the University of Utah announced a $25 million gift from the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation to establish the J.W. Marriott Jr. Institute, focused on hospitality innovation and leadership.
More specifically, the institute will take a unique, student-centric approach to hospitality education beyond what’s found in traditional classroom settings by providing immersive, co-curricular programs that integrate hospitality principles into diverse academic fields, including business, health care, design, technology, engineering and more.
“This will be a one-of-a-kind, interdisciplinary, immersive hub for hospitality learning, innovation and leadership,” said David Marriott, J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation trustee, chairman of the board of Marriott International and son of J.W. “Bill” Marriott Jr.
“It’s an honor to know that my father’s legacy will continue to shape the hospitality industry and influence business culture for generations to come,” David Marriott said.
Bill Marriott Jr. earned a bachelor’s degree from the U. He served as Marriott’s CEO for 40 years before stepping down in 2012.
University of Utah President Taylor Randall said he sees the university as the ideal place for such an institute, in part due to its entrepreneurial spirit and because it’s on the cusp of what he has repeatedly described as “college town magic.”
“This university has, really, an incredible opportunity with the momentum and the wind at its sails. In 2034, we will host the Winter Olympics, and in preparation for that, we are building what I call ‘college town magic,'” Randall said.
He thinks that the institute will help instill the entire campus with a “hospitality mindset.”
“Because of this gift, (we) are thinking more about people. What we hope to see, in a very short period of time, is a hospitality institute that is like no other. It is a hospitality institute that is actually run by students, that actually is infused throughout our campus,” Randall said. “It’s thinking about how to make the student experience better.”
The institute will eventually offer dynamic programs ranging from global internships and leadership development to campus-based hospitality training and industry-sponsored projects, providing students with real-world skills, industry access — such as offerings from the Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center — and resume-defining opportunities regardless of academic discipline.
Marc Brown, executive director of the Hospitality Leadership Initiative at the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute, will serve as the institute’s inaugural executive director, overseeing efforts as it gets started.
U. spokeswoman Rebecca Walsh said the goal is to have a building for the institute completed in three to four years.
“My dad is proud to be a University of Utah alum, and to have a hospitality institute established in his name is a source of pride for him and our entire family,” David Marriott said. “We know every student who walks through the doors will develop the mindset and the skill set to be the next generation of leaders around the world — not only in hospitality but countless other industries that also benefit from a commitment to excellence in service.”
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