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Number 11, February 2009
Henry Clay Hofheimer II Library Reopens
Virginia Wesleyan College’s Hofheimer Library reopened to the campus community on Wednesday, January 28. The $5 million library modernization, part of the College’s Key to the Future Campaign, transformed the facility into a hub for study, research and relaxation for students and faculty. See photos.
Modernized Library Provides Students with More Resources and Expanded Study Areas
The library’s modernization primarily focused on providing more study
“The library will infuse enormous vitality into Virginia Wesleyan’s academic program and will do for the academic enterprise of the College what the Jane P. Batten Student Center has done for student activities,” said President Billy Greer.
space and the addition of 50,000 new volumes. For students, a 24-hour study lounge is the biggest improvement and the most exciting part of the building. This area is comfortable and quiet, providing students a study center for collaborative learning and academic inquiry.
Many Generous Donors Helped Make This Modernization Possible. Spaces Throughout the Library are Named in Recognition of These Gifts.
Neil Britton Art Gallery
Named by Robyn ’98 and Curtis Bailey. The gallery is named in honor of Neil Britton, one of the founders of the Virginia Wesleyan Art Department. Neil joined the faculty in 1976 and taught twenty-three years, until his retirement in 1999. Mr. Britton passed away in 2003.
Bank of America Study Concourse
Named by Bank of America, a longtime partner of the College.
The Foley Family Classroom
Named by Board of Trustee member and parent Dale Foley and his family. Mr. Foley’s two sons and daughter-in-law are alumni. Nick graduated in 2008 while Ben and Beverly graduated in 2004.
Connie and Marc Jacobson Staff Lounge
The Jacobsons are community leaders known for supporting higher education and the arts. They chose to support the Key to the Future Campaign with a gift to the library.
Peter D. and Phyllis S. Pruden Student Seminar Room
Mrs. Pruden and her late husband Peter made an estate gift to the College that was the second largest scholarship gift in the history of the College. To recognize the magnitude of that gift, the College has named the Seminar Room upstairs in their honor.
Jane P. Batten Research Center
Named in recognition of a grant from the Alison J. and Ella W. Parsons Fund of The Norfolk Foundation. The Parsons Fund chose to recognize Mrs. Batten for her longtime service on their board.
Hampton Roads Community Foundation Computer Classroom
Named in recognition of a grant from the Hampton Roads Community Foundation (formerly The Norfolk Foundation).
Lake Completed and Marlin Statue Unveiled
Virginia Wesleyan College partnered with the City of Virginia Beach and received a Water Quality Improvement Fund (WQIF) grant from the Commonwealth’s Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). The funding provided through this partnership supported the conversion of an existing dry BMP into two larger wet BMPs. The conversion of the BMP will benefit the campus as well as surrounding neighborhoods that drain onto our campus and reduce the impact of stormwater runoff into Lake Taylor.
Through a gift from Irwin Belk, the College was able to commission artist, Jon Hair, to create a large rendition of the College’s mascot. The 14-foot tall Marlin statue appears to burst from the newly created lake. Lit at night and visible from Wesleyan Drive and Baker Road, it will become a defining visual icon of our campus.
Progress Toward Our Goal
As of January 30, 2009, the Key to the Future Campaign has raised $52.2 million, 80% of the $65 million goal.
Each endowment, each capital improvement and every Annual Fund dollar supports the drive to be a Phi Beta Kappa-caliber college.
Campaign Leadership Gifts
Richard D. and Shirley Roberts
Dick and Shirley Roberts have made gifts totaling $810,751 to the Key to the Future Campaign. Their generous gifts will have a tremendous impact on a number of programs at the College. $625,000 was directed to the College’s Capital Improvement Plan, which supports capital improvements, including the recent modernization of the library. Another $75,000 established the Roberts Library Book Fund to underwrite the addition of volumes to Hofheimer Library. During the Campaign, their gifts also include $60,000 for the Annual Fund for Academic Excellence and more than $50,000 for the Venture Capital Fund.
Mr. Roberts is a retired cable television executive. For over thirty years, Mr. Roberts held executive management positions at TeleCable Corporation and its parent company, Landmark Communications. He has served on the Virginia Wesleyan Board of Trustees since 1996. While on the Board, he has held many leadership positions, most recently serving as Treasurer. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1956 and Harvard Business School in 1963. The Roberts live in Virginia Beach and are members of First Presbyterian Church of Norfolk. They have three daughters and five grandchildren.