The Campaign for the Library News ... from the beginning
Tusculum College moving ahead with expansion and
renovation of historic Tate Library
A preliminary design plan for a major renovation and expansion of
the Tate Library at Tusculum College was unveiled and approved by the
college's Board of Trustees on Feb. 16.
The board approved the basic architectural design for the $7.4 million
project and authorized its executive committee to deal with any design
changes that might be needed as the project moves ahead.
The renovation and expansion will more than double the size of the current
library facility, the front section of which dates to 1910. When complete,
the library will encompass 34,467 square feet. Currently, the Tate Library
encompasses 12,000 square feet.
"This project is one of the most important forward advances Tusculum
College has taken in recent years," President Dolphus Henry said. "This
is an information age, so it is essential for Tusculum College to provide
its students all the information and research resources they need. Plans
for expanding our library resources have been discussed for years now,
and we're pleased to be moving forward with them."
Plans call for the expansion area to join the current library structure
on its southeastern end, covering the area now taken up by the library
stacks and extending toward the grassy "bowl" area that is surrounded
by Welty-Craig Hall, the Tate Library, Tredway Hall, and the President
Andrew Johnson Museum and Library (the "Old College" building). The
current library stacks, which are not original to the library, will
be demolished as the construction moves along.
The project will be funded through a $10 million fund-raising campaign,
which is now under way. The first $7.4 million raised will be used to
fund the actual construction and furnishing of the library, Dr. Henry
said. The remainder is to go to endowment to support the library collection.
Distinctive features of the new design include a series of architectural
arches, typical of the kind featured on many Tusculum College buildings,
at some lower portions of the structure.
Most distinctive, however, will be the large glassed window area on
the new building and a clock tower near what will be the new front entrance
of the library. What is now the main entrance to the library will become
a staff entrance. The elevated "running track" balcony in the current
main library room, a remnant of when that room served as the college
gymnasium with the library facilities elsewhere in the building, will
be retained. That elevated track is believed by Tusculum historians
to be the only architectural feature of its kind in an operating American
library.
Mark Stokes, vice president for administration, noted that in addition
to increased reference, circulation and periodical space, the renovated
and expanded library will include a conference room and study rooms.
The new area will be three levels tall and include an elevator. There
will be restrooms on all three floors. Additional computer terminals
will be installed. Six classrooms and eight faculty offices will also
be added, Stokes said.
Groundbreaking ceremonies have not yet been scheduled but are expected
to occur within a few months. Tusculum College anticipates having the
building under construction by early autumn. The lead architect on the
project is John Fisher of Fisher and Associates of Greeneville.
The cornerstone of what is now Tate Library was laid on the afternoon
of Thursday, May 19, 1910, a graduation day at Tusculum College. The
building was originally called Carnegie Hall and initially served not
just as a library but as a multi-use building. By the late 1920s or
early 1930s, the building was being called the Carnegie Library.
On Oct. 11, 1991, the library was rededicated in honor of Albert Columbus
Tate, valedictorian of the 1894 Centennial class at Tusculum, and father
of Edna Tate Smith of Tallahassee, Fla. At that time Mrs. Smith was
a trustee of the college. Now deceased, she is remembered as one of
Tusculum's several Benefactors, as Tusculum denotes those whose life
or estate contributions to the college total at least a million dollars
in value.
Scott M. Niswonger, right, presents Tusculum College President Dr. Dolphus Henry a check for $2.5 million to help fund construction of Tusculum's new renovated and expanded library. Site work, visible in the background, had began in late August shortly before the photograph was made. (Tusculum College photo)
Scott M. Niswonger makes presentation of $2.5 million check for Tusculum College library project
Long-time Tusculum College friend and benefactor Scott M. Niswonger
boosted the college's library renovation/expansion project in late August
with the presentation of a $2.5 million check to help site preparation
and construction start more quickly.
Niswonger, a member of the college's Board of Trustees, presented a
check to Tusculum College President Dr. Dolphus E. Henry on the campus
as workers with Knoxville-based Rouse Construction Company did site
preparation nearby at the library location.
The construction will nearly triple the size of the library, the original
portions of which date to 1910, when it was constructed as a Carnegie
Library and multipurpose facility. The cornerstone ceremony for the
original building was held on the day the Class of 1910 graduated.
In addition to increased reference, circulation and periodical space,
the renovated and expanded library will include a conference room and
study rooms for student, faculty, and staff use. The completed library
will encompass 34,467 square feet. Currently, the Tate Library encompasses
12,000 square feet.
"We deeply appreciate Scott's generosity, and his giving this gift at
this particular time allows us to move ahead more readily with this
important project," said Dr. Henry in accepting the gift on behalf of
the college.
Niswonger has a long history of generously supporting Tusculum College,
which he attended in the late 1980s as a graduate-level student in the
Graduate and Professional Studies program for working adult students.
Niswonger has since become a highly successful business leader in East
Tennessee and has developed a notable history of benevolence and public
service.
Niswonger's name is enshrined at the college in the name of the Niswonger
Commons building. Niswonger is also a past recipient of the Tusculum
College Distinguished Service Award, and has been instrumental in helping
lead and support several capital campaigns, including the current Campaign
for the Library.
Anyone interested in learning more about the Campaign for the Library
is welcome to contact Susan Vance at Tusculum College at 423-636-7300,
extension 7638, or by email at svance@tusculum.edu.
Bill Hickerson, president and CEO of Andrew Johnson Bank, and Doug DeBusk, vice president and loan officer, join Dr. Dolphus Henry, president of Tusculum College, in the lobby of the bank's new headquarters. The bank has made a major commitment to the college's Campaign for the Library. (Tusculum College photo)
Andrew Johnson Bank commits $75,000 to Campaign for
the Library
Andrew Johnson Bank has announced a $75,000 commitment to Tusculum College's
Campaign for the Library, which is raising $10 million to triple the
size of the college's main library facility.
The commitment was announced by Bill Hickerson, president and CEO of
Andrew Johnson Bank.
"Tusculum College has long been a vital part of Greeneville and Greene
County, providing opportunities for a quality education and improving
the quality life for our community," Hickerson said on behalf of the
bank. "Just as Andrew Johnson showed his support of Tusculum with a
contribution toward the construction of the first building on campus,
this gift is an expression of our appreciation and support of the college
as it continues to grow."
"We are deeply appreciative of the commitment that Andrew Johnson Bank
has made to this important effort for Tusculum College's future," said
Tusculum College President Dr. Dolphus E. Henry. "Andrew Johnson Bank
and the college share a commitment to better the community in which
we share. It is gratifying to see institutions like Andrew Johnson Bank
support the college's efforts to provide increasingly better resources
to our students and to the community."
Bids are to be opened in early March for the expansion and renovation
of the library. The expansion to the facility, originally constructed
in 1910, will add not only add more and better library resources, but
also provide classroom and office space for the rapidly growing college,
which now has about 800 traditional-aged students on the Greeneville
campus with 1,000 anticipated within three years. The $10 million Campaign
for the Library, the first capital campaign this century for Tusculum
College, will also provide additional endowment funding to bolster the
library's collection.
Serving as Tusculum College's chief officer for the campaign drive is
Myron Davis, vice president for institutional advancement at Tusculum
College. The campaign is being co-chaired by three college trustees:
Thomas J. Garland, senior advisor for the Niswonger Institute and chairman
of the Tusculum Institute for Public Leadership and Policy; Scott M.
Niswonger, Greeneville-based business leader and philanthropist; and
Stanley R. Welty, Jr., chairman of the Tusculum College Board of Trustees.
Niswonger and Welty are alumni of Tusculum College. Hickerson is a college
trustee and served as co-chair of the Advance Gifts Committee during
that phase of the Campaign for the Library.
Chartered in 1975, Andrew Johnson Bank is a community bank with five
locations in Greeneville, and branches in Jonesborough and Morristown.
After remodeling the historic Doughty-Stevens Furniture Co. building
in downtown Greeneville, the bank recently moved its headquarters into
the handsomely restored facility at the corner of North Main and Church
streets. The bank retains its former headquarters across the street
to provide drive-through services to its customers and house bookkeeping
and data processing departments.
Dr. Dolphus E. Henry, left, president of Tusculum College, is shown with Brandon Hull, president and CEO of Greeneville Federal Bank, during a recent visit at Hull's downtown Greeneville office. Hull announced that Greeneville Federal is commiting $75,000 to the Tusculum College Campaign for the Library, which is raising funds to expand and improve the historic college's library facilities. (Tusculum College photo)
Greeneville Federal Bank commits $75,000 to Campaign
for the Library
Greeneville Federal Bank, FSB, has announced a $75,000
commitment to Tusculum College's $10 million Campaign for the Library,
a capital campaign raising money to triple the size of the college's main
library facility.
The commitment was announced by Greeneville Federal Bank President and
CEO Brandon Hull.
"We are proud of the many contributions that Tusculum College has
made to Greeneville and Greene County," Hull said on behalf of the
bank. "This donation, along with our previous gift of $100,000, is
our way of showing both the college and the community that we appreciate
and support Tusculum as it continues to grow and expand."
"We are deeply appreciative of this commitment that Greeneville Federal
Bank has made to the future of Tusculum College," said Tusculum President
Dr. Dolphus E. Henry. "Greeneville Federal, like Tusculum College itself,
is an important institution with deep roots in Greene County. It is very
gratifying to see Greeneville Federal Bank step forward to help us as
we strive to offer increasingly better resources to our students and to
the community in which we share."
Henry said that groundbreaking for the new library is anticipated for
January. The expansion will add not only add more and better library resources,
but also provide classroom and office space for the rapidly growing college,
which now has almost traditional-aged students on the Greeneville campus,
with 1,000 anticipated within three years.
The $10 million capital campaign, the first this century for Tusculum
College, will also provide additional endowment funding to bolster the
library's collection.
Serving as Tusculum College's chief officer for the campaign drive is
Myron Davis, vice president for institutional advancement at Tusculum
College.
The campaign is being Co-chaired by threecollege trustees: Thomas J. Garland,
senior advisor for the Niswonger Institute and chairman of the Tusculum
Institute for Public Leadership and Policy; Scott M. Niswonger, Greeneville-based
business leader and philanthropist; and Stanley R. Welty, Jr., chairman
of the Tusculum College Board of Trustees. Niswonger and Welty are alumni
of Tusculum College.
Greeneville Federal's Hull is also a trustee of Tusculum College.
Greeneville Federal Bank, FSB, is a locally owned, full-service financial
institution that has served Greeneville and Greene County since 1960.
The bank has grown from two employees and two products into a $121 million
institution with a full array of financial products and services.
Larry and Carmen Brotherton, at left, are shown with Tusculum College President Dr. Dolphus Henry during a recent visit to the campus. In the background is the Tate Library, which is soon to be expanded and renovated through the support of the Brothertons and other supporters of an ongoing capital campaign at the college. (Tusculum College photo)
Larry and Carmen Brotherton, Greene County natives,
announce major commitment to Campaign for the Library
Larry and Carmen Brotherton, both natives of Greene County, have announced
a commitment of $125,000 to Tusculum College's $10 million Campaign for
the Library.
Larry Brotherton is chairman, CEO, and president of Ortec, Inc., a company
he founded in 1980. Ortec, Inc., is a custom chemical manufacturing service
company that works contractually with pharmaceutical companies, chemical
companies, and other Fortune 500 companies. Dr. Brotherton is a 1970 graduate
of Tusculum College and has remained an active supporter over the years.
He also has served on the college's Board of Trustees and its Business
Committee since 1995.
Carmen Brotherton, also an active supporter of education, attended
Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, N.C.
"Carmen and I both grew up in Greene County and know first-hand how
important Tusculum College is to Greene County and Northeast Tennessee,"
Dr. Brotherton said. "For me personally, Tusculum College was the
doorway to an education that helped me develop a vision for my life.
The sound liberal arts education I received while attending Tusculum
laid the foundation for an advanced degree in chemistry, as well as
developing my awareness of other important areas, such as music and
art. Carmen and I have a deep affection for Tusculum College and understand
that today's student needs a top-quality library resource, as does the
community as a whole. We are committed to Tusculum College's endeavor
for continuous improvement and are glad we can be a part of its success."
Dr. Dolphus Henry, president of the college, expressed appreciation
for the Brothertons' pledge. "We are grateful to the Brothertons
for this generous commitment," Dr. Henry said. "In all his
associations with Tusculum College, Larry has earned respect from the
college community as a leader and friend. This new commitment reaffirms
Larry's dedication to his alma mater. Making the gift even more meaningful
is that fact that Carmen, who grew up in the home county of Tusculum
College, has joined with Larry in this leadership-level commitment."
Dr. Brotherton is the son of Mrs. Geneva Brotherton and the late Kent
Brotherton, and grew up in the Romeo community of Greene County. Carmen
Brotherton is the daughter of Mrs. Jane Keller and the late John R.
"Buck" Keller, and grew up in the Roaring Fork community of
Greene County.
Both Carmen and Larry Brotherton attended North Greene High School,
where they are also active education supporters through scholarship
programs. After graduating from Tusculum College, Dr. Brotherton earned
his doctorate degree in chemistry from the University of Tennessee.
The Brothertons have two sons and one daughter and currently reside in Easley, S.C.
Thomas Hull, center, U.S. district judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee, is shown with Tusculum College President Dr. Dolphus E. Henry, at left, and Andrew Johnson Bank's Bill Hickerson, of the steering committee of the Tusculum College Campaign for the Library. The photo was taken in Hull's office in the federal courthouse in Greeneville. Hull has made a $100,000 commitment to the capital campaign raising funds for a new library on the campus. (Tusculum College photo)
Judge Thomas Hull makes major commitment to Campaign
for the Library
The Honorable Thomas Gray Hull, U.S. district judge for the Eastern District
of Tennessee, has made a $100,000 commitment to the Tusculum College Campaign
for the Library, which is raising $10 million to nearly triple the size
of the college's main library.
Hull, of Greeneville, made the commitment after meeting with a Tusculum
College delegation led by Bill Hickerson, member of the steering committee
of the campaign and co-chairman of the advance gifts committee. Hickerson,
a Tusculum College trustee, is president and CEO of Andrew Johnson Bank
of Greeneville.
"We deeply appreciate this gesture of support for Tusculum College
on the part of Judge Hull," Hickerson said. "Because he is a
leading citizen of East Tennessee, Judge Hull's influential support is
particularly gratifying and certainly is greatly appreciated by Tusculum
College and everyone involved in this campaign."
Hull said he chose to make the commitment because "Tusculum College
is my college. I've watched its progress over the years and want to help
make sure it continues." He added that his work with the Greeneville-Greene
County Library Board persuaded him of the importance of information resources
to the community, including the Tusculum College library.
Tusculum President Dr. Dolphus E. Henry noted that he first learned of
Judge Hull shortly after joining the college a little over two years ago.
"I began to learn of those local citizens who lead exemplary lives
of public service, and that is where I first learned of Judge Thomas Hull.
Tusculum College is honored to be associated with such a distinguished
citizen and is grateful for his support of this important effort."
Judge Hull has been a leader for many years in local judicial, business,
and civic life. He has served as U.S. district judge for the Eastern District
of Tennessee since 1983 and was chief judge of the district from 1984-1991.
Prior to his appointment as a federal judge, Hull served as Third Judicial
District Circuit Court Judge from 1972-79.
Judge Hull's efforts and dedication for almost a decade were instrumental
in the decision by Congress and the U.S. president to provide funding
for the construction of a new federal courthouse in Greeneville, needed
to meet space demands caused by a growing caseload.
A founder of Greeneville Federal Bank, Judge Hull served as a director
and as secretary/treasurer of the financial institution until his appointment
as a federal judge. In 1979 he and business partner Carl Brandon purchased
73 percent of the Andrew Johnson Bank, an institution which has undergone
much expansion in the past two decades.
Judge Hull was also a partner for many years in the Brandon-Hull Oil Company
and a partner in the purchase and development of real estate until the
death of his partner, Buel Brooks, in 1998.
Hull is both a former Tusculum student and a former trustee. He attended
Tusculum after military service in World War II, then went on to the University
of Tennessee College of Law, where he received his J.D. in 1951. He practiced
law in Greeneville in the firm of Easterly and Hull from 1951 to 1963,
and was in solo practice until he was appointed Circuit Judge in 1972.
Judge Hull is a decorated World War II veteran who served in Asia.
In the governmental realm, Hull served as state representative from 1955-65,
was chief clerk of the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1969-70,
and legal counsel to then-Gov. Lamar Alexander in the early 1980s.
Active in church and civic causes, Judge Hull has been a lay leader in
Asbury United Methodist Church and has taken major roles over the years
in support of Holston United Methodist Home for Children, the United Way
of Greeneville/Greene County, and the Greene County Heart Association.
He is a former chairman of the Greeneville-Greene County Library Board
and chaired the committee which initiated the building of the current
public library.
After daughter Amy Hull Ransdell was killed in 1994 in an accident involving
a drunken driver, Judge Hull joined in successful efforts to create stricter
DUI laws and penalties in Tennessee. He and his family also established
the Amy Hull Ransdell Scholarship, Inc., which provides 10 $1,000 scholarships
annually to graduating seniors from the Greeneville/Greene County schools.
The $10 million Campaign for the Library is Tusculum College's first capital
campaign this century. The campaign is being Co-chaired by three trustees:
Thomas J. Garland, senior advisor of the Niswonger Institute and chairman
of the Tusculum Institute for Public Leadership and Policy; Scott M. Niswonger,
Greeneville-based business leader and philanthropist; and Stanley R. Welty,
Jr., chairman of the Tusculum College Board of Trustees. Niswonger and
Welty are alumni of Tusculum College.
Members and leaders of the Tusculum College Campaign for the Library Advance
Gifts Committee gathered recently for a kickoff breakfast at the college
were, from left, Doug DeBusk, Bobby Wells, Tommy Burns, Steve Hendrickson,
John McInturff, Sam Miller, Dolph Henry, Stan Puckett, Bill Hickerson,
Bill Adams, Tom Garland, John Mays, and Mark Williams. Members not available
for the photograph were Bob Grubbs, Michelle Turpin Loven, Shane Hite
and Tony Nix. (Tusculum College photo)
Tusculum's Campaign for the Library kicks off advance
gifts phase with breakfast meeting
Members of the Advance Gifts Committee of Tusculum College's $10 million
Campaign for the Library, which is raising funds toward upgrading the
facility and tripling its size, are now at work in and around the Greeneville-Greene
County area.
The Advance Gifts phase kicked off June 25 as members of the committee
met for a breakfast in the Niswonger Commons Building on the campus.
Leading the Advance Gifts Committee are Co-chairmen Bill Hickerson, president
and CEO of Andrew Johnson Bank, and Stan Puckett, chairman and CEO of
Greene County Bank. At the kickoff meeting, the co-chairmen welcomed and
introduced several local community and business leaders who make up the
committee.
Tusculum College President Dr. Dolphus E. Henry noted Tusculum College's
good fortune in having Hickerson and Puckett at the helm of the group.
"I'm delighted that Bill and Stan are co-chairing this crucial phase
of the capital campaign," Henry said. "They are long-time key friends
of the college and are among our most effective local advocates. Both
hold the respect of this community and region and possess the skills
and knowledge that a campaign of this importance requires. Bill and
Stan have a long history of service to Tusculum College. Both played
key roles in the two successful capital campaigns of the college in
the 1990s. Bill is currently one of our trustees, and Stan has been
a trustee in the past, as well as a recipient of the Tusculum College
Distinguished Service Award."
Hickerson said, "As a trustee of Tusculum College and as a local citizen
who knows how important this institution is to the community, I'm glad
to be involved in this effort. Improving Tusculum College's library
facilities is a pressing need and will have benefits extending to the
community at large."
Puckett said that he, too, was pleased to be involved in the Campaign
for the Library. "Tusculum College is a major asset to the local community,"
he said. "I've believed in and supported this college for years, and
my devotion to it is as strong today as it ever has been. I'm looking
forward to seeing the local community join to support this campaign
and bring about an improved and expanded informational resource that
will benefit Tusculum's students and the citizens of Greeneville and
Greene County."
Campaign for the Library Co-chairman Thomas J. Garland, a trustee
of Tusculum College, senior advisor for the Niswonger Foundation and
chairman of the Tusculum Institute for Public Leadership & Policy, thanked
the members of the Advance Gifts Committee for their willingness to
serve leadership roles. "As citizens of Greeneville and Greene County,
we directly benefit from the many services the college provides to the
community and region. We are delighted to be serving more and more area
students. In the recently concluded year, 19 percent of our residential
college students came from Greene County and 39 percent from East Tennessee,"
said Garland. "All of us can take great pride in a stronger Tusculum
College," he concluded.
The $10 million capital campaign, the first this century for Tusculum
College, will not only fund construction of a size-tripling expansion
of the library at Tennessee's oldest college but also provide additional
endowment funding to bolster the library's collection.
Advance Gifts Committee workers are:
• Bill Adams, senior vice president, Greene County Bank;
• Tommy Burns, executive vice president, Andrew Johnson Bank;
• Doug DeBusk, vice president, Andrew Johnson Bank;
• Bob Grubbs, president, Bank of Greeneville;
• Steve Hendrickson
• Shane Hite, president, Greeneville Insurance Agency;
• Michelle Turpin Loven, investment consultant, Andrew Johnson
Bank;
• John McInturff, president, McInturff, Milligan & Brooks;
• Sam Miller, president, Consumer Credit Union;
• Tony Nix, president, First Tennessee Bank;
• Bobby Wells, senior vice president, Greeneville Federal Bank;
• Mark Williams, broker, Century 21, Proservice.
Tusculum College's current library facilities are mostly lodged in
a library building dating to 1910. Though there has been some expansion
of the facility over the years, the growth of the college and increasing
information resource needs of students and the community have prompted
the current campaign.
The kickoff breakfast was coordinated by John Mays, director of the
Campaign for the Library.
Gathered for the meeting on June 24 of the Steering Committee for Tusculum College's Campaign for the Library were, from left: Dr. Dolphus Henry, Thomas Garland, Scott Niswonger, Martha Bachman, Willene Chalmers, Stan Puckett, Bill Hickerson, and John Mays. The rendering in the center shows what the library will look like after expansion. (Tusculum College photo)
Tusculum's Campaign for the Library Steering Committee
discusses progress
Progress and plans regarding Tusculum College's $10 million Campaign
for the Library were the topic of discussion on Monday (June 24) as
the campaign's Steering Committee gathered for its first official meeting
on the Tusculum campus.
Gathered for the luncheon meeting in the President's Dining Room of
the Niswonger Commons were members of the committee, along with two
of the three co-chairmen and the committee's two ex-officio members.
Leading the meeting were cochairmen Thomas J. Garland and Scott M. Niswonger.
Taking part by speaker telephone was the third co-chairman, Stanley
R. Welty, who lives in Ohio. Garland is senior advisor for the Niswonger
Foundation and chairman of the Tusculum Institute for Public Leadership
and Policy. Niswonger, a 1987 Tusculum alumnus, is chairman and CEO
of Landair Transport, Inc. and Forward Air, Inc. Welty is retired as
president of the Wooster Brush Company.
Present were committee members Martha M. Bachman, Willene R. Chalmers,
Bill Hickerson, and R. Stan Puckett. All are currently members of the
Tusculum College Board of Trustees, with the exception of Puckett, who
is a former trustee.
Bachman is a life-long Greene County resident and supporter of the college.
Chalmers is the retired owner of Rush Music in Knoxville. Hickerson
is president and CEO of Andrew Johnson Bank, and Puckett is the chairman
and CEO of Greene County Bank.
Ex-officio members of the Steering Committee are Tusculum College President
Dr. Dolphus E. Henry, and Library Campaign Director John E. Mays.
Garland told the group that the Campaign for the Library is one of the
college's most important efforts in several years. "This college is
very important to our entire region," he said. "Tusculum College has
grown and developed right along with Northeast Tennessee for more than
two centuries, and in order to keep doing that, we must improve our
library facilities and offerings. That's what makes this campaign so
vital."
Welty noted that the campaign is national in scope, but it is "appropriate
that we begin our efforts close to Tusculum's home in East Tennessee.
With the deep regional roots of this Steering Committee, I believe we
can see some major moves forward made from home-grown generosity right
there in East Tennessee. Then, with the added support of others across
the country who care deeply about Tusculum College, we can complete
this campaign with full success."
Niswonger, meanwhile, reiterated the challenge he made earlier in the
campaign, noting that he will give one dollar for every three raised
from other sources, effectively increasing the value of each dollar
donated to the campaign. Thus, if $7.5 million is raised from other
sources, Niswonger's matching gift will reach $2.5 million, completing
the campaign goal.
"I've made no secret of my support for Tusculum College and belief in
its potential," he said. "That is why I've invested heavily in this
institution already, and why I have issued this challenge. I look forward
to seeing friends of Tusculum step up and bring this campaign to fruition."
Henry thanked the Steering Committee members for their willingness to
work hard on behalf of the college. He noted that all are either current
or past trustees, and all have done admirable jobs of advocating for
the college in their communities. "With leadership of this quality,
I feel quite excited about this campaign," he said. "In coming days
I believe we will all see some very inspiring developments, and before
long will see our library expansion actually getting under way. This
college is growing so fast we simply have to move forward in this way
to keep pace. It's a way we can provide the kinds of resources our students
need, and also give something back to the community that has supported
us so generously."
The Campaign for the Library is raising $10 million to triple the size
of Tusculum's main library facility and also to bolster its collection.
The current facility housing most of the college's library facilities
dates to 1910, and leaders of the college have for years noted the need
to expand those facilities.
With some major gifts already in place, the campaign is now moving into
its Advance Gifts phase, an effort co-chaired by two members of the
Steering Committee, Hickerson and Puckett.
Alumnus announces $100,000 commitment to Campaign for the Library
A Tusculum College graduate of the Class of 1950 who had a distinguished
career in higher education has pledged $100,000 to the college's Campaign
for the Library, which is raising $10 million to renovate and greatly
expand the historic facility.
Dr. Edward J. Kormondy, who received a bachelor of arts degree in biology
with summa cum laude honors at Tusculum College in 1950, made his
pledge public this week.
Kormondy,
a resident of Los Angeles, is in his second term as a trustee of Tusculum
College. He served previously from 1970 to 1972. His current term of service
began in 1998. Kormondy is a member of the Academic and Student Affairs
Committee of the board.
"It is my conviction that the success of the Campaign for the Library
is key to the advancement of Tusculum College," Kormondy said. "It is
time to improve and expand the college's library so that it can become
the kind of resource necessary in the competitive world of modern higher
education. That is why I am joining others who love Tusculum in helping
meet the challenge of this campaign."
"Besides being one of Tusculum College's most brilliant graduates, Ed
Kormondy is also a devoted, hard-working trustee, and a generous financial
supporter, as this gift demonstrates," said Dr. Dolphus E. Henry, president
of the college. "His is the kind of generosity that will make our expanded
and improved library a reality for our students and the community as
a whole."
After his undergraduate years, Kormondy earned a master's degree and
doctoral degree, both in zoology, from the University of Michigan. He
also served professionally at that university as well as at Oberlin
College, the University of Pittsburgh, The Evergreen State College,
the University of Southern Maine, and California State University-Los
Angeles in various capacities including dean, provost, and vice president
for academic affairs.
In the latter portion of his career he was chancellor and professor
of biology at the University of Hawaii at Hilo and at the University
of Hawaii-West Oahu. After retirement, he served as interim president
of the University of West Los Angeles School of Law.
In 2000 his outstanding service to the University of Hawaii system was
recognized when the Board of Regents named him chancellor emeritus.
A skillful writer and communicator, Kormondy has written and edited
numerous biology textbooks and publications. He has played important
roles in several professional organizations, including service as vice
president of the Southern California Academy of Sciences from 1995 to
1997, president of the National Association of Biology Teachers in 1981,
and secretary of the Ecological Society of America from 1976 to 1978.
In 1978, Kormondy represented the U.S. State Department on a mission
to Poland and Hungary to examine environmental education. He has studied
higher education in China during five extensive visits, the most recent
concerned with education of China's 56 minority nationalities. He has
served as a consultant in the life sciences to some 30 institutions,
including the Universidad Simone Bolivar in Venezuela. He also has been
involved in civic, scientific, and arts-supporting organizations in
his home communities through the years.
In 1997 Kormondy was recognized by Tusculum College for his illustrious
career in higher education with the conferring of an honorary Doctor
of Science degree.
The $10 million Campaign for the Library is Tusculum College's first
capital campaign this century. The campaign is being CO-chaired by three
trustees: Thomas J. Garland, senior advisor of the Niswonger Institute
and chairman of the Tusculum Institute for Public Leadership and Policy;
Scott M. Niswonger, Greeneville-based business leader and philanthropist;
and Stanley R. Welty, Jr., chairman of the Tusculum College Board of
Trustees. Niswonger and Welty are alumni of Tusculum College.
Tusculum College President Dr. Dolph Henry, left, looks over a rendering of the planned expanded and improved library building with Stanley R. Welty, Jr., who recently made public a major financial commitment to the capital campaign supporting the project. (Tusculum College photo)
Stanley R. Welty, Jr. makes $500,000 commitment to
Tusculum College's Campaign for the Library
A man who has been praised for setting a standard of "leadership
by example" at Tusculum College has made a $500,000 commitment
toward the $10 million Campaign for the Library, the capital effort
to triple the size of the facility.
Tusculum College class of 1951 graduate Stanley R. Welty, Jr., of Wooster,
Ohio, officially made public his commitment to the Tusculum College
Campaign for the Library as the Board of Trustees of the college met
on the campus May 17 and 18. Welty, who chairs the Tusculum College
board, is the retired president of The Wooster Brush Company.
Even prior to this latest commitment, Welty had a record of generous
giving to his alma mater. By 1997 he had achieved the status of Benefactor
- a term used to denote those whose life or estate commitments to Tusculum
College total $1 million or more. In that year, Welty's financial and
leadership contributions to Tusculum College led the college to rename
Craig Hall, a residence hall in which Welty resided and served as president
during his student days, as Welty-Craig Hall. Welty responded to the
gesture by giving a further donation to Tusculum College in the actual
dollar amount of the 1892 construction cost of the Welty-Craig residence
hall: $8,533.96.
Commenting on Welty's newest commitment, Dr. Dolphus Henry, president
of the college, said, "Once again Stan Welty has set a standard
that challenges all of us who care about this college and its mission.
As an advocate, benefactor, and inspirational leader of this college
and its board, Stan has already gone beyond the call of duty for Tusculum.
This further generous gift truly shows how devoted Stan Welty is to
his alma mater."
Welty said, "Tusculum College has played a major role in my life,
from my student days through the present. It's given me many things:
the basics of a liberal arts education, development of personality and
thought processes, an understanding of the importance of others, and
a desire to serve others. When it comes to Tusculum College, it is for
me like the Alma Mater says: 'Close 'round thee our heartstrings entwine.'
I want to give back to the college that has played such a part in my
life. That's why I've made this commitment, and why I am certain that
other friends of Tusculum will join me in giving generously to this
effort."
John Mays, campaign director, said, "Stan Welty's generosity is
typical of him in that it is both example-setting and sacrificial. I
recall that back in 1997, Stan wrote in a letter to the college president
that 'it takes commitment to be a sacrificial giver.' This new pledge
shows that Stan has not lost one ounce of his commitment to Tusculum
College and all the students it will serve in the years to come."
In addition to supporting the Campaign for the Library financially,
Welty is also contributing leadership as one of three cochairmen of
the $10 million drive. Co-chairing with him are Greeneville's Tom Garland
and Scott M. Niswonger. Garland is a noted former Tennessee senator
and senate leader, founder and chairman of the Tusculum Institute for
Public Leadership and Policy, senior advisor with the Niswonger Foundation,
and a former interim president of Tusculum College. Niswonger, a 1987
Tusculum College graduate, is a Greeneville-based business and community
leader, an active member of the college's Board of Trustees, and the
leading Benefactor in the college's history.
In 1992, Welty received the Pioneer Award, the highest award given by
the Tusculum College Alumni Association. In 1997, he was the recipient
of the Tusculum College Distinguished Service Award, the highest award
presented by the college. In addition to his chairmanship of the Board
of Trustees, Welty serves on the Board's Business, Executive, and Trusteeship
Committees, as well as the Sub-Committee on the Presidency.
During the Tusculum College Bicentennial Campaign, Welty served as national
alumni cochairman In the later Tusculum College 2000 Campaign, he was
vice chairman. Both of these campaigns went over their goals and generated
$34 million for the college.
After finishing his Tusculum studies, Welty attended The Ohio State
University. He also served four years in the United States Air Force.
After his military service, Welty joined the Armstrong Cork Company
in Lancaster, Pa., in 1956, serving in production planning and manufacturing.
Armstrong sold its products division in 1969 to Kerr Glass Manufacturing
Corporation, at which time Welty became plant manager for plastic containers.
After 26 years of service to Armstrong and Kerr, Welty joined The Wooster
Brush Company in 1982. He became president of the company in 1985 and
served in that position until his retirement in 1998. Welty serves as
a member of several non-profit boards and organizations. He is a frequent
visitor to the Tusculum College campus, often accompanied by his wife,
Janet.
Stanley Welty, Thomas Garland, and Scott Niswonger, from left, were announced as cochairmen of the Campaign for the Library by Tusculum President Dolphus Henry, right, during the 2002 President's Dinner on April 27. Garland also received the Distinguished Service Award during the annual event. (Tusculum College photo)
Garland, Niswonger, and Welty Co-chairing Tusculum College's $10 million
Campaign for the Library;
Niswonger announces major challenge pledge
Tusculum College officially kicked off its $10 million capital campaign
called the Campaign for the Library on April 27, announcing three noted
cochairmen for the effort and receiving a challenge pledge of up to
$2.5 million from one of those cochairmen, Scott M. Niswonger.
Chairing the campaign are former Tennessee senator Thomas Garland, now
chairman of the Tusculum College Institute for Public Leadership and
Policy; business leader and philanthropist Scott M. Niswonger, who issued
the $2.5 million challenge pledge; and Tusculum College Board of Trustees
Chairman Stanley R. Welty, a 1951 alumnus and strong supporter of Tusculum.
During the President's Dinner on campus, Scott Niswonger of the Class
of 1987 pledged to donate $1 for every $3 raised by the college during
the campaign to fund the expansion and renovation of Tate Library on
campus.
Raising $7.5 million through support of other friends of the college
would generate a $2.5 million gift from Niswonger, achieving the goal
of the campaign. Niswonger's pledge was greeted with a standing ovation
of the more than 130 in attendance at the dinner, held annually to honor
the college's major donors.
Calling the coming improved library a "21st century resource"
for the community and college, Niswonger expressed confidence that other
friends of Tusculum College will rise to the challenge and provide the
remaining funds. "We cannot make a better investment," he
said.
While significant enhancements are now being made in academic programs,
faculty, and facilities, the library project must a top priority for
Tusculum, said Dolphus Henry, president of the college. "The library
is the center of our academic programs ... and the symbolic center of
our Tusculum College campus," he said.
Dr. Henry introduced Garland, Welty, and Niswonger as cochairmen of
the Campaign for the Library. All three men served in leadership roles
in the college's successful capital campaigns during the 1990s, Henry
noted, and the college will again benefit from their expertise and guidance
in the vital library project.
He also praised John Mays, who has returned to Tusculum for the duration
of the Campaign for the Library. Mays was a senior vice president at
Tusculum College during the 1990s and oversaw capital campaigns that
raised more than $34 million.
During the dinner, Dr. Henry also presented Garland with the Distinguished
Service Award for 2002. This award annually honors an individual with
a long history of outstanding and multi-faceted support of Tusculum
College. The award's text noted Garland as "a man of multiple capabilities,
broad interests, and natural leadership skills," and cited his
many services to Tusculum College, including an interim presidency,
and to the community and state.
Welty, retired president of the Wooster Brush Company in Ohio, is chairman
of the Board of Trustees. A Benefactor of Tusculum College, his financial
and leadership contributions to college have been recognized with the
renaming of Welty-Craig Hall on campus in his honor.
Niswonger, who is founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Forward
Air and Landair, has made an indelible mark on Tusculum in recent years.
A member of the Board of Trustees, Niswonger has supported many new
and continuing endeavors on the campus, including the building of the
sports complex, extensive improvements to the football stadium, and
the majority of funding for the campus commons building that bears his
name.
The Campaign for the Library has a $10 million goal. About $7.4 million
of that amount will finance the construction and equipping involved
in the expansion and renovation, while the remainder will go toward
endowment in support of the library's collection.
The expansion and renovation of the library will approximately triple
its size, Dr. Henry noted during the dinner, providing not only increased
circulation materials for students, but also additional computer resources,
classroom space, and faculty offices.
The historic portion of the library, which dates from 1910, will be
retained. The later "stacks" addition will give way to the
expansion, which will sweep into the grassy bowl area bordered by the
library, Welty-Craig Hall, Tredway Science Building, and the Andrew
Johnson Presidential Museum and Library. Also to be retained is the
unique circular balcony that was a running track in the days the building
served as a gymnasium.
Distinctive features of the library's expansion, designed by Fisher
+ Associates, will include a series of architectural arches, typical
of the kind featured on many Tusculum buildings, at some lower portions
of the building. Most distinctive, however, will be the large glassed
window area on the new building and a clock tower near the new front
entrance of the added section.