University Times

Robert J. and Mary B. Weiss of Warren have donated the six-story Bradford Seneca Building to Pitt’s Bradford campus. The building is valued at $1.2 million.

The gift is among the five largest outright donations that Pitt-Bradford has received in its 42-year history and is the most valuable gift of real estate ever made to the campus.

Robert Weiss, an ophthalmologist and president of Seneca Eye Surgeons Inc., which has an office in the Seneca Building, and his wife gave the building to UPB in memory of Paul O. Keverline. Keverline, an ophthalmologist who worked with Weiss before dying in a plane crash in 2002.

“We thank Dr. and Mrs. Weiss for donating this great facility to the University,” said Livingston Alexander, Pitt-Bradford president.

“We have ensured Dr. Weiss that we will use the building in a manner that benefits our students and the Bradford community. We firmly believe that a Pitt-Bradford presence will help to bring stability to the downtown area.”

Alexander said that he is working with his staff to assess space needs on campus to determine which offices can be relocated to the downtown building. However, those moves won’t occur before this summer.

The Weisses have owned the building, which encompasses 56,000 gross square feet, since 1985. It was built in 1931 for the International Order of Odd Fellows.

The gift from the Weisses benefits Pitt-Bradford’s Complete the Campus Campaign, which has a goal of $13 million to benefit UPB’s physical plant, provide academic support such as endowments, improve and maintain new technology and create new scholarships.