Alpine Industries’ $1 Million Gift Boosts Tusculum’s Capital Campaign

From left to right are William Converse, Scott Niswonger, Michael Jackson, and Dr. Robert Knott.
At the annual Tusculum College President’s Dinner in, Tusculum College President Robert E. Knott announced a $1 million commitment to the Tusculum College 2000 Campaign by Alpine Industries, Inc. of Greeneville.

The announcement was met by thunderous applause by a crowd of nearly 200 guests at the event held at the Link Hills Country Club. After making the announcement, Knott expressed his gratitude to Alpine Industries and to its co-owners, William M. Converse and Michael Jackson, for the magnificent gift to the Tusculum College 2000 Campaign.

In making the gift, Alpine Industries becomes the first corporation in the history of the College to become a Benefactor by contributing $1 million or more and the seventh overall Benefactor. Knott said that Alpine Industries has become a major contributor to building the local community through increased economic activity and through generous support of local causes. Knott particularly noted the corporation's commitment to education which values preparation of students for service to society.

In recognizing the co-owners, Knott reported that Mr. Converse, who is a trustee of the College, had emphasized he was responding to an earlier challenge put forth by Scott M. Niswonger, general chairman of the capital campaign. In February, Mr. Niswonger announced he would be making a second $2.5 million gift to the campaign, and challenged other friends and alumni of the College to raise the $5 million remaining on the $20 million goal. With the Alpine gift, Tusculum College has crossed the $16 million mark and poised to make a broad-based appeal to meet the campaign goal.

In a statement prepared before the dinner, Mr. Converse wrote, "Since moving to Tennessee, we have grown in our appreciation of Tusculum College as a vital part of this community. Tusculum College's emphasis on character development and subject mastery represents the kind of emphasis we applaud and encourage."

"We are especially excited to be a part of the Tusculum College 2000 Campaign," added Mr. Jackson. "One of the reasons we chose to relocate to Greene County was the can-do attitude of the people here. Tusculum College's exciting building programs coupled with its distinctive educational offerings are good examples of this attitude. We wanted to provide a leadership gift to make sure the important goals and aspirations of the College are met."

Alpine Industries, Inc. is a privately-held corporation that manufactures and markets air and water purification units. Originally headquartered in Minnesota, last year Alpine began moving its corporate headquarters as well as part of its manufacturing facilities to Greeneville. To date, Alpine has added 600 new jobs in Greene County and has plans to add 400 more new jobs to its manufacturing force in the coming months.

The Tusculum College 2000 Campaign is a $20 million comprehensive capital campaign that is providing funds for a variety of campus needs from renovations to the library and residence halls to new construction.

The new construction is comprised of a Commons Complex which is being completed in two phases. Phase I includes a $6.4 million Sports Center, which includes a 2,000-seat arena for sporting events. The arena will seat 2,800 with arena-floor seating for college and community events. Also included in the Sports Center is a fitness center equipped with state-of-the-art Trotter and Cybex equipment; a fully-equipped athletic training facility; and locker rooms, classrooms, and the campus health center.

Phase II of the project includes a two-story addition in front of Pioneer Gymnasium, which will include a campus living room, fitness center, bookstore, campus radio and television station, the telecommunications center for the College, and student services and student government offices. Pioneer Gym will be renovated for recreational purposes and improvements will be made to the swimming pool. Simerly Union will receive substantial renovation and improvement. The resulting facility will house seven new classrooms and greatly improved student services and activities areas.

Scott M. Niswonger Honored with Distinguished Service Award

A highlight of the evening, in addition to the Alpine announcement, was a ceremony recognizing Scott M. Niswonger as the 1998 recipient of the Distinguished Service Award. It is the highest award given by the College.

Reading from the certificate honoring Mr. Niswonger, Knott said, "Scott's vision for what Tusculum College can be led him to make a $2.5 million commitment within a year of his election to the Board. When the College needed leadership for the most ambitious financial effort in its history, Scott stepped forward in February 1996 to become General Chairman of the Tusculum College 2000 Campaign. When the Board of Trustees realized that the $15 million goal it set would not accomplish as many of the priority needs as deemed critical to the success of the College, Scott again responded in February 1998 with a second $2.5 million commitment. His gifts to the capital campaign he so ably leads now exceed $5 million.

"Tusculum College has enjoyed a renaissance in recent years and so have Greeneville and Greene County. As a thoughtful citizen, Scott Niswonger has consistently and generously supported virtually every good cause that has been presented to the community with leadership-level gifts. Scott has, indeed, done well by his adopted hometown."

At its winter meeting on February 14, the Board of Trustees voted to name the commons complex the Niswonger Commons.

Knott concluded the evening with a report on the College, noting that excellent progress on the College 2000 Campaign was a splendid centerpiece of a variety of good news the college has enjoyed this past year. He praised the support of leaders such as William M. Converse and Michael Jackson of Alpine and observed that such generosity was an important endorsement of the educational programs of the College.