Participating in the ceremonial groundbreaking for the Tusculum library expansion and renovation were, from left, Tusculum College Provost Dr. Jonathan Franz, Tusculum College Student Government Association President Josh French, Greeneville industry and business leader Scott Niswonger, Tusculum Board of Trustees Chairman Thomas J. Garland, Board of Trustees member Bill Pilloni, Dr. Henry, Board of Trustees members Stanley R. Welty and Ed Kormondy, David Donahue, president of Rouse Construction Company, Library Director Myron "Jack" Smith, architect John Fisher of Fisher + Associates, also representing the architectural firm of Hecht, Burdeshaw, Johnson, Kidd, and Clark, Inc., and Faculty Moderator John Ellisor. (Tusculum College photo)
Tusculum College breaks ground for library expansion and renovation
Tusculum College leaders, faculty and staff members, associates and community friends gathered on Saturday (Oct. 11) and ceremonially broke ground for the college's library expansion and renovation, which is expected to take about a year to complete.
President Dr. Dolphus E. Henry led the brief ceremony, which took place at noon just after the conclusion of the regular fall meeting of the college's Board of Trustees. Several trustees were among the approximately 60 people gathered for the groundbreaking.
Discussing his view of the library as the academic and scholarly heart of the college, Dr. Henry thanked those present who have supported the project through gifts, expertise, and leadership, and introduced several individuals to the crowd, which stood on ground that will eventually be covered by the expansion portion of the building.
Tusculum has long enjoyed the support of the community, and the expansion of the library will not only be an important resource for the college but one for the entire community, Dr. Henry said.
Thomas J. Garland, chairman of the Board of Trustees, also made comments during the opening of the ceremony, expressing thanks from the board to those involved in the project, and particularly noting the support that has been given by Scott M. Niswonger, the Greeneville industry and business leader whose recent gift of $2.5 million allowed the project to move ahead more quickly than it would have otherwise.
Niswonger also presented a brief talk describing his views of the importance of the library expansion and his philosophy of philanthropy. He noted that during his time of association with Tusculum College, he has taken part in several groundbreaking ceremonies.
The library groundbreaking, however, has a special significance, he said. To explain that significance, he referred back to something he had said when Tusculum College broke ground for its sports complex in 2000, a project backed by Niswonger.
"I said at that time that the College would now be poised to 'shift our focus to the academic side of this institution, and to begin placing greater emphasis on improving such things such as program development, facility development, the college's library, science building, endowment, scholarships,' and other academic needs," Niswonger said. "And now, here we are, breaking ground for what President Henry calls the 'academic heart of Tusculum College,' our library," he said.
Niswonger compared a library to a basket in which the fruits of centuries of human knowledge are gathered. But Tusculum's expanded and improved library, he noted, will not be merely a "static repository" of information and knowledge, but a "living and interactive learning resource center for this campus and this entire community."
Niswonger described his "learn, earn, and return" philosophy of philanthropy, noting that he had learned that phrase from Thomas Garland. "I believe each individual should learn the necessary skills to reach his or her highest potential, and once he or she reaps the benefits of doing that, return part of what has been gained to the community to encourage others to go through the same visioning process," Niswonger said.
Taking part in the actual turning of the ground with gleaming gold-painted shovels were Tusculum College Provost Dr. Jonathan Franz, Tusculum College Student Government Association President Josh French, Dr. Henry, Library Director Myron "Jack" Smith, Faculty Moderator John Ellisor, Tusculum College Board of Trustees members Stanley R. Welty, Bill Pilloni, Ed Kormondy, Niswonger, and Garland; and architect John Fisher of Fisher + Associates, also representing the architectural firm of Hecht, Burdeshaw, Johnson, Kidd, and Clark, Inc., and David Donahue, president of Rouse Construction Company.
During the ceremony, President Henry noted that the event was indeed ceremonial in that ground had already been broken by construction crews who have been doing site preparation work at the location for several weeks.
The groundbreaking came 12 years to the day that the library, originally a Carnegie Library, was rededicated and renamed in memory 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.
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 design has been refined somewhat since, increasing its compatibility with existing campus architecture. Distinctive features of the new design include an architectural arch, typical of the kind featured on many Tusculum buildings, along the base of the building on the side facing Welty-Craig Hall. Also distinctive is a clock tower near the new front entrance of the added section. The elevated "running track" balcony in the main library room, a remnant of when that room served as the college gymnasium with the library facilities elsewhere in the building, is retained in the renovation.
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.
Campus Master Planner John Fisher of Fisher and Associates of Greeneville, and Tusculum College Vice President for Administration Mark Stokes are the campus coordinators of the library project.
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.
