USD Celebrates ‘Knauss School of Business Day’ in San Diego

Oct. 1, 2022, was declared Knauss School of Business Day in the City of San Diego, the office of San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria ’00 (BA) announced last Saturday during a grand opening celebration for the Knauss Center for Business Education. 

“The mayor is a proud USD alumnus and it was wonderful to have him proclaim this as Knauss School of Business Day,” said USD President James T. Harris III, DEd, after the event. 

The evening ceremony featured several speeches, an impressive laser light show projected on the front facade of the building and tours of the new facility, which opened as the new home for the Knauss School of Business following a ribbon cutting ceremony on Aug. 4. It was attended by USD trustees, administrators, donors, community partners, representatives from the mayor’s office and of course, Don and Ellie Knauss. 

University of San Diego Board Chairman Don Knauss, the former CEO of Clorox, and his wife, Ellie, donated $50 million to not only fund construction of the new 120,000-square-foot facility, but also to name the Knauss School of Business. 

“Don and Ellie, we are honored to have the Knauss name on this beautiful new building, as well as on our school of business,” Harris said during his speech. “We thank you for your generosity, and more importantly, your commitment to and belief in the power of education to change lives and society.”  

“This night is the culmination of Don and my core belief that education is the great equalizer,” said Ellie Knauss. 

— USD News Center