Ron White was the head chef of the East Campus Dining Hall at UNL for many years, passing away suddenly in the spring of 2020 only half a year after the newly renovated dining hall opened. He always had a smile on his face and welcoming words to share with everyone who came through the dining hall daily. He left a personal impact on the students and staff of East Campus over the years, and has been sorely missed. We propose that the East Campus dining hall be named after Ron White, to honor his memory and contribution to East Campus’ culture. The dining hall currently has no namesake, unlike all of the other dining centers on campus. An alternative would be a commissioned mural on one of the brick walls of the building. The intention to honor Ron’s memory is shared by East Campus staff and students, we hope this petition can make a difference. 

More background here: https://news.unl.edu/newsrooms/today/article/obituary-ron-white/

University’s official statement by Charlie Francis, senior director of Housing and Dining Services at the time: “Ron White was truly part of our UNL family and he worked hard to build a sense of community among our students. He loved sharing his New Orleans heritage and his Fat Tuesday spread had become a highlight of the year for East Campus diners. It was easy to see how much he cared for students. In fact, when we were designing the new East Campus Union dining facility, students asked for the cook to be visible to diners because they enjoyed interacting with Ron. We will miss him.”