In recognition of a $500,000 gift to Rider Athletics, Rider University has named the campus pub Muller’s Pub, after the family of Paul and Beverly Muller. The family’s gift will be used to support the Rider Arena project, a multimillion-dollar project to transform Rider’s Alumni Gym into a modern NCAA Division I facility.
Rider celebrated the news last week with a special ceremony to honor Paul Muller Jr., his wife Beverly Deren Muller and their sons Paul Muller III, J. Christopher Muller, Thomas Muller and Mark Muller.
“Every campus needs a place to bring people together,” Paul Muller, the owner of Team Toyota of Langhorne, Princeton and Glen Mills and the president of the Tri-State Toyota Dealers Association, said. “I am thrilled that my family’s name will be forever associated with such a happy and memorable gathering spot for so many students and alumni.”
To commemorate the event, River Horse Brewing Co. in Ewing created a special beer, called Dr. Muller’s Revenge IPA, which will now be a featured drink at Muller’s Pub.
The Mullers’ connection to the university has always remained strong. In addition to their sons, daughter-in-law, Daniella Muller is also a Rider graduate. Through Team Toyota of Princeton, the family has supported Rider’s annual fund and athletics. Team Toyota of Princeton has also been the sponsor for the last seven years of Rider’s annual Cruisin’ from Commencement competition, where a graduating student can win a free, two-year lease on a new car.
“The Mullers’ ongoing and spirited support of the university, its students and our student-athletes is most heartening,” Rider President Gregory Dell’Omo said. “With their gift, the Mullers are investing in the transformation of Alumni Gym. We are fortunate that Rider’s alumni and friends support our vision for the Rider Arena, and that they want to improve this facility and help enhance our students’ overall experience.”
A philanthropist and active member of his community, Muller has also been honored by a number of organizations, including the Caron Foundation Treatment Centers, the Boy Scouts of America, the Philadelphia Police Athletic League and the Philly Ad Club, where he served for two years as the first vice president of the club’s education foundation promoting student scholarship, mentoring and professional development.
The Rider Arena project will enhance Alumni Gym with such features as expanded and luxury box seating with an entertainment suite; increase the size of the building’s lobby and add dedicated areas for concessions and ticketing; and install a center-hung scoreboard with digital display. In addition, the project will offer a new strength and conditioning center for student-athletes; significantly expand the area for sports medicine; and provide a dedicated locker room for the volleyball team.
To date, the university has raised more than $12 million for the Arena project, funding ongoing improvements to historic Alumni Gym. Over the years, upgrades have improved daily operations for athletics, contributed to a better game-day experience for fans and elevated facilities for student-athletes, while improving Rider’s profile in highly visible ESPN broadcasts. With $6.5 million left to raise, the project is more than halfway to its $18.2 million fundraising goal.
