Syracuse University is honoring Dick Clark by naming their renovated studio after the American entertainment icon, USA Today reported.
Clark, who became famous for hosting "American Bandstand", graduated from Syracuse in 1951 and worked for their WRUN radio station in Utica, N.Y.
Kari Clark, Dick's Widow, announced Wednesday at Newhouse's annual Mirror Awards ceremony that the studio would be named "Dick Clark Studios."
"Syracuse was always important to Dick and very close to his heart throughout his life," she said in a statement. "It will mean so much to see his name attached to a school and a studio facility that will literally launch a thousand careers in this business. This is just a continuation of what he did with 'Bandstand' - gave youth a stage, then got out of the way."
Cindy Clark, Dick's daughter, is one of 18 members of their family to attend Syracuse.
"My dad was part of a long line of family members who got their start at Syracuse University," she said in a statement. "It's only fitting that part of his legacy includes helping further generations of Syracuse students get their start, too."
Clark, who was known as "America's oldest teenager," became a staple in the media's coverage of New Year's Eve in New York City's Times Square. "Bandstand" was one of the first music television shows and introduced numerous rock 'n' roll acts to young people.
The Kari and Dick Clark Foundation has donated five million dollars to the $18 million renovation project, set to be completed in the fall of 2014.
"This gift is a 'perfect fit' not only because it ensures that our students will be trained in state-of-the-art studios, but also because Clark embodied all the qualities we seek to instill through a Newhouse education," Newhouse Dean Lorraine Branham said in a statement. "As a storyteller, an innovator, a cultural pundit and an entrepreneur, Dick Clark is not only a legendary figure from the past but also a role model for future generations of entertainment entrepreneurs."
