From our beginning in 1961, many people throughout
Hampton Roads have identified Virginia Wesleyan as
a cause larger than themselves. From left: Jerry
Bray, Howard Belanga, Mills Godwin, Joseph
Johnston, Sidney Kellam, Robert Boyd, and
Lambuth Clarke at ground breaking
ceremonies in 1975.
By Billy Greer, Ph.D.
I’m sorry, but I find it impossible to glean any redeeming feature from the efforts of Steve Fossett, the balloon tycoon, to go around the world.
Judgmental, you say? Perhaps so, but it is high time somebody was. Some people go through life and never latch onto a cause larger than themselves. They take big money and do small things with it.
From our beginning in 1961, many people throughout Hampton Roads have identified Virginia Wesleyan as a cause larger than themselves. A stroll around the campus reveals their names everywhere. The long list of endowed scholarships given in memory or in honor of someone speaks volumes. The trees in Wilson Arboretum stand in love and appreciation for a dean and countless others who labored here. Many have seen the formation and nurture of Wesleyan as being larger than life in these first forty years.
Think about it. Those who shaped Wesleyan in its early years did so out of a belief in an idea. They were graduates of other institutions around our great land. They had loyalties in other places. Yet, they possessed an extraordinary vision for a place like Wesleyan in Hampton Roads.
While we have become a selective liberal arts college and draw students from around the world, we will always remain closely attached to the region. Virginia Wesleyan takes great pride in the legacy provided by our founders and local benefactors. The continuing support of the Virginia Conference of The United Methodist Church remains as vital today as it was when the Church provided our initial start-up funding in 1961. We are equally proud of our alumni who initially enrolled at a college with no history and are now investing their own time, energy and resources to lead their alma mater into the future. As we celebrate our 40th Anniversary this year, we feel a special kinship to the individuals, corporations and local foundations who nurtured us in 1961 and continue to do so today.
Our balloon tycoon needs to come down to earth. He certainly could learn a lesson from you, our alumni and friends.
Billy Greer, President