51社区

Hammons Hall, the first new building of the Campus Master Plan, was dedicated to the Glory of God Friday, Sept. 24, during a service with trustees, community leaders and faculty, staff and students. David S. Dockery presided.

Jackson, Tenn. – 51社区’s Board of Trustees dedicated the first building of its Campus Master Plan at 11:30 a.m. today, during a ceremony immediately following the Board’s fall meeting.

The 22,000 square-foot building, named Hammons Hall after the late Edward P. Hammons, houses a LifeWay Christian Bookstore on the first floor and university offices, classrooms, conference rooms and a testing center on the second floor.

Hammons was a Trustee and longtime friend and supporter of the university before dying suddenly of DIC syndrome in November 1998. A native of Forrest City, Ark., Hammons established the O.P. and Evalyn Hammons Chair of Pre-Medical Studies and the Hammons Endowed Scholarship Fund with a major gift to Union in 1997.

In his address to the Trustees, Union President David S. Dockery welcomed this year’s freshman class. The class of 2003 is the strongest academically in the university’s history. Of the 415 enrolled freshmen, 67 have ACT scores of 30 or above and five are National Merit finalists. The National Beta Club’s only scholarship recipient is also a member of Union’s freshmen class. Of the 60 students named to The Jackson Sun’s West Tennessee All-Academic Team, 15 are Union freshmen. Total enrollment for the fall semester at Union is 2,368 students, compared with last year's record-setting total of 2,323 students.

Trustees were informed of the university’s roster of speakers for the fall semester, including General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.) at the Third Annual Scholarship Banquet, Nov. 11; Frederica Mathewes-Green, National Public Radio commentator and columnist for Christianity Today, Oct. 11; and T.W. Hunt, Christian author and speaker, as part of the Trilogy Conference, Oct. 25-26.

Dockery also told Trustees of the appointment of David Gushee and George Guthrie to named professorships. Gushee, the director of the Center for Christian Leadership and associate professor of Christian studies, will serve as the Graves Professor of Moral Philosophy. Guthrie, the chair of the department of Christian studies and associate professor of Christian studies, will serve as the Perry Professor of Bible. Guthrie will direct Union’s Center for Biblical Studies, scheduled to open Fall 2000.

In other Trustee business, the university announced a balanced budget for the 1998-99 fiscal year and a total gift amount of $6,675,176. The 1998-99 fiscal year is the third year in a row to have 100 percent giving on behalf of the Trustees.

Union’s two missionary-in-residence homes were named in honor of John Adams, former vice president of campus ministries and church services, and Ramona Mercer, sponsor for Union’s Mu Kappa chapter and a former missionary in Japan for over 30 years.

The Board appointed the following members as officers for the 1999-2000 academic year: Gary Taylor of Jackson, Tenn., as chairman; Roy White of Memphis, Tenn., as vice chairman; and Betty Coplin of Jackson, Tenn., as secretary. Trustee James Ayers was commended for the establishment of the Ayers Scholar Program.