You see their names all the time, but how did people like Frank Barton and Bob Geist get their names in Charles Koch Arena?

Previously Levitt Arena —­ home of Shockers basketball until 2002 — was considered years ahead of its time after construction in 1953, due to it’s circular design. It was convenient, giving every fan a clear sight to the court, earning its nickname “The Roundhouse.”

A new arena was needed after almost 50 years of use, and fundraising began around the year 2000. A total $25 million was needed, and was reached following a $6 million donation by Charles Koch. The transition from old to new came to be known as the “Roundhouse Renaissance” according to Director of SASO Membership Services Susan Domann.

Domann said many donors were needed besides just Charles Koch. Bob Geist donated $2.75 million, the highest amount donated to the building at the time (excluding Charles Koch). The Geist Student Services Building is now located inside Charles Koch Arena near the entrance.

Geist, a Wichita native and WSU graduate, is currently the chairman of the Board of RAGE, Inc., a corporation tied with Pizza Hut. He became one of Pizza Hut’s earliest franchisees, opening his first Pizza Hut in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1964. Geist now owns and operates 105 Pizza Huts in seven states, and still supports many of WSU’s athletic programs according to a membership prifle on flintoak.com.

Tom Devlin also donated $2.75 million. You can find his family name in Devlin Hall just east of Cessna Stadium, and on the basketball court, Devlin Court.

Craig Barton donated money to the “Renaissance,” as well, giving his name to the Craig W. Barton SASO (Student Athlete Scholarship Organization) Room. Student athletes can use the room to study and for tutoring.

Barton is also a graduate of WSU with a major in business administration. He is the president of the Apollo Capital Corporation, Barton Enterprises, and WFB Inc. Before working with Wichita-based companies, he spent three years working under his father, the late Frank Barton, for Rent-A-Center stores in Denver and Kansas City according to bizjournals.com.

Domann said donors such as Geist and Barton did so because the new arena was a project they believed in and were passionate about, and saw it as big difference in the future.

During the 2002-03 basketball season, games were held at the Kansas Coliseum just north of WSU. They then moved into Charles Koch Arena, for the 2003-04 basketball season.

In 2012, ESPN ranked Charles Koch Arena as the 10th best home court advantage in college basketball, and in 2013 ranked it as the seventhth best.