Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development broke ground for their new building Friday at 1 p.m. Teachers, students and the press celebrated the school’s future under white tents on the future building’s space, adjacent to Hughes-Trigg Student Center.

Harold Clark Simmons Hall, according to the Simmons website, is set to include the Budd Center for Involving Communities in Education, the Teacher Development Studio and the Department of Teaching and Learning.

Harold C. and Annette Caldwell Simmons donated a gift of $25 million to the Simmons School of Education and Human Development at SMU in February of 2013.

In 2007, the Simmons’ made a historic $20 million gift to SMU which established endowments for the school and provided funding for Annette Caldwell Simmons Hall. Their $45 million gifts to the school make Harold and Annette Simmons’ among the largest to SMU’s Second Century Campaign, also making them among the most generous donors in SMU’s 100-year history. Previous gifts include the endowment of four President’s Scholars and the creation of the Simmons Distinguished Professorship in Marketing in the Cox School of Business.

“Since our first gift to the school in 2007, we have been pleased to see the rapid progress the school has made in developing programs aimed at addressing the greatest challenges in our nation’s schools,” said Harold Simmons during a press conference in February 2013. “Our investment has resulted in the formation of innovative programs for education and human development, the hiring of outstanding faculty leading research that makes a difference and growing outreach to communities with solutions that work. This progress is worthy of continued investment, which we are pleased to lead.”

The building is anticipated to be completed in 2015.

“The generosity of the Simmons family and other donors make it possible to have an even greater impact on the well being of others,” said Barbara Morganfield, retiring professor of Education.